‘Favourite British film of the decade’ comes home for York screening

It was declared “my favourite British film of the decade” by the director of a London movie festival and has been nominated for awards in France.

But you weren’t able to watch it in York. Until now.

Accidental serial killer movie Whoops!, filmed in York by a talented city team, will be shown at Reel Cinema on Blossom Street this Thursday, November 13.

And then it’s all back to the 1331 Bar in Grape Lane for the after show party – which happens to be owned by the co-writer and producer of the film, Sam Robinson.

It will be a particularly proud moment for Sam, who teamed up with filmmakers Tony Hipwell and Miles Watts of MilesTone Films to bring Whoops! to life.

“I’d had a dream of making movies since I was a boy,” says Sam, a former bricklayer who runs 1331 with wife Janice, “and it really started to come true when Miles and Tony came on board.”

Cult hit around the world

Sam has spent the past year screening the film at international festivals and cinemas across the country. Everywhere the movie goes it has garnered praise:

Whoops! has had festival screenings in Toronto, London and France, where the film was nominated for the Jury Prize and People’s Choice Awards at the Nantes Film Festival.

Despite its travels the movie has not yet screened in its home town of York, making the premiere a very special one for the filmmakers. They are planning a lavish red carpet event at Reel York before the movie is shown in the 700-seater Screen One.

“Reel York [formerly the Odeon] is the cinema where I saw all of my favourite films growing up, from Star Wars to Indiana Jones, so it’s very special to me to be screening my first film here,” says Sam.

This film is murder

Whoops! is based on a short story Sam wrote ten years ago and was influenced by an real life scary incident involving his wife.

Filmed in 2012 across York using a talented Yorkshire cast and crew, the movie tells the blackly comic story of wife and mother Rose Clements (Elaine Glover – Hollyoaks, Emmerdale).

She becomes an accidental serial killer after offing several members of the public in a series of bizarre and bloody accidents.

Her husband Dave (Phil Rowson), out of love for his wife, dutifully covers up the bodies as the local police close in.

Whoops! is the third feature film for Director Miles Watts. His zombie web series Zomblogalypse – with fellow Whoops! director Tony Hipwell – has run for six years and in 2013 secured a sales agent at Cannes and major studio interest for a feature version.

“Sam came to us three years ago with this story and we couldn’t pass: it’s just the right mix of funny, cinematic and gory,” Miles said.

“There’s a small but memorable amount of blood and shocks, yet at the centre is this genuine love story that draws you in.

“It was an excuse to make a big, old-fashioned audience pleaser of a movie and it’s gone down brilliantly with audiences so far.”

The film will continue to screen in UK cinemas into 2015, with a planned home release later next year.

“We want to show it to as many audiences as possible,” says Sam, “partly because it’s an audience film and partly so that when we eventually do distribute it, a lot of people will be keen to buy it and support independent cinema.”