20 Cult British Films You Need To See Before You Die
9. Scum (1979)
A young man called Carlin arrives at a borstal and he makes a huge impact even though he is trying to be low key. After being ticked off by the 'Daddy' of the joint - Banks, Carlin wreaks revenge and ends up as the Daddy himself. His rule is a lot more benign that his predecessor's and he earns the respect of the men and the governor. Unfortunately one of the vulnerable young inmates is raped and kills himself - occurrences that could have been stopped if the wardens were not so corrupt or crap at their jobs. Following this horrific incident, the borstal, under Carlin's permission, bursts into cathartic violence. A young Ray Winstone impresses as Carlin. The film possesses a grim realism to it and the violence is shocking and brutal. An indictment of the then British penal system of borstals, Scum is hard to watch at times but it is terribly compelling.
My first film watched was Carrie aged 2 on my dad's knee. Educated at The University of St Andrews and Trinity College Dublin. Fan of Arthouse, Exploitation, Horror, Euro Trash, Giallo, New French Extremism. Weaned at the bosom of a Russ Meyer starlet. The bleaker, artier or sleazier the better!
