Private Project

MANCUNIAN MAN: The Legendary Life of Cliff Twemlow

Go back to the real 1980’s and discover the extraordinary true story of Mancunian Man Cliff Twemlow!

Yes Cliff Twemlow. You’ve never heard of him… but polymath Cliff Twemlow was amongst other things a nightclub bouncer, novelist, composer, singer, screenwriter, producer and actor, who for a 10 year period was in fact the most prolific indie filmmaker in the UK!

Witness how this 20th century renaissance man created his own innovative film industry on a shoe-string. Between 1982 and 1993, he gathered together a trusty ensemble of local doormen, martial artists, variety performers, DJ’s and models, who he enlisted as actors and crew to set up his own mini-Hollywood in Manchester, England. Shooting his feature films on early pioneering video technology, composing all the music himself, and working on tiny budgets this unlikely team of misfits created gangster films ; horror films ; spy thrillers and even a science fiction epic. One of the movies was even banned in 80’s Britain as one of the notorious Video Nasties!

A warm and hilarious portrait that shines a light on the highs and the lows of the life and incredible times of the original ‘Man-Man-Man-Mancunian Man’ , featuring jaw dropping archive footage and film clips that will take you back to an era where literally anything could happen. And did!

  • Jake West
    Director
    Doghouse, Evil Aliens, Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship & Videotape, ABC's of Death, Midnight Peepshow
  • Carl Daft
    Producer
    Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau, Master of Dark Shadows, The Theatre Bizarre, Plague Town, Blood & Flesh: The Reel Life & Ghastly Death Of Al Adamson
  • David Gregory
    Producer
    Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau, Master of Dark Shadows, The Theatre Bizarre, Plague Town, Blood & Flesh: The Reel Life & Ghastly Death Of Al Adamson
  • Brian Sterling-Vete
    Producer
  • David Flint
    Producer
  • Marc Morris
    Producer
  • Oliver Tobias
    Key Cast
  • Barry Twemlow
    Key Cast
  • Max Beesley
    Key Cast
  • John Saint Ryan
    Key Cast
  • Ginette Gray
    Key Cast
  • Brian Sterling-Vete
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature
  • Runtime:
    2 hours 3 minutes 50 seconds
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Jake West

Jake West has a B.A Honours Degree in Film & Video (West Surrey College of Art & Design) and has worked extensively as both a director & writer in the film and television industry since 1993.
Jake is best know for his feature film work primarily in the horror/Fantasy & Sci-Fi genres. These include his debut ,the award winning “Razor Blade Smile” (Manga/Palm Pictures), “Evil Aliens” (Universal), “Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes” (Sony/SyFy) Starring Lance Henriksen & Doug Bradley , the Zombie Comedy/Horror hit “Doghouse” (Sony Entertainment/Vertigo ) Starring Stephen Graham, Danny Dyer, Neil Maskell, "The ABC's of Death” (Magnet Releasing) and most recently the horror anthology feature “Midnight Peepshow” which premiered at this Frightfest in 2022 at the Empire Leicester Square, London.

Jake has Directed Second Unit also on numerous feature films Including, “Allies’, “Kicking Off, “The Sleeping Room” and most recently Jason Mewes directorial debut "Madness in the Method" (of Jay & Silent Bob fame).

Jake a passionate film connoisseur also owns Nucleus Films, a UK-based independent distribution label he founded in 2003 with film researcher and author Marc Morris. Nucleus Films produced and released the highly acclaimed documentaries directed by Jake West 'Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship & Videotape' and 'Draconian Days'. Nucleus Films also is a prolific producer of DVD and Blu-Ray extras & documentaries for most major UK labels.

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