A Royal Hangover

Last updated
A Royal Hangover
Directed byArthur Cauty
Produced byArthur Cauty
Starring
Running time
102 minutes
CountryUK
LanguageEnglish

A Royal Hangover is a 2014 documentary film written and directed by Arthur Cauty and co-produced by Silver Levy-So that explores alcoholism in Britain, examining why the country faces such severe problems relating to alcohol and the taboo issues relating to it. [1] [2]

Contents

Development

Cauty originally got the idea for the film when visiting the United States in 2012, and seeing how different the attitude to alcohol there was to that in the UK. On one night of filming, Cauty and Levy-So were attacked by around four or five people but they continued rolling. Law enforcement would also occasionally interrupt the shooting process. The involvement of Russell Brand helped the film to become more widely noticed. Other interviewees included Government Drugs Advisor Professor David Nutt, BBC TV and Radio personality Dr Sarah Jarvis, and leading British charities Alcohol Concern, Alcohol Research and Druglink. [1]

Brand came on board after parts of the film were shot at the rehabilitation centre Focus 12, which Brand attended. Other filming locations included London, Liverpool, Bristol, Wales, Los Angeles, Paris and Devon (where the filmmakers are from). [3]

Total development on the film lasted around one and a half years. Cauty and Levy-So themselves are non-drinkers but are fascinated by drinking culture, particularly, by the huge role that it plays in British society, which motivated Cauty to make the film. A Royal Hangover is his feature debut. [4] He hopes that after watching the film people will "see alcohol as a drug not as just a beverage or a form of entertainment". [5]

Research for the film began in November 2012, which is when fellow filmmaker, "soberist" and friend Silver Levy-So came on board as associate producer and camera operator, filming then began in April 2013. [6]

A trailer for the film was released on 15 September 2014. It received huge response and support from just weeks after release. [7]

Release

The film premiered on 12 October 2014 at the Sunscreen Film Festival in Los Angeles. Other screenings occurred at the Reel Recovery Film Festival in Florida, the Cleveland International Film Festival in Ohio and the Piccadilly Cinema in Adelaide, Australia. [8] It was also the opening film for the Cape Town Recovery Film Festival in 2015. [9] [10]

It was picked up by Journeyman Pictures and released on iTunes. [11]

The film is also available on Amazon Prime. [12] [13]

Critical reception

A Royal Hangover received positive reviews from critics. The Huffington Post said "if you understand alcohol abuse, or want to understand. Then give it a go...Because it really is the only documentary on drinking worth watching." [14] Recovery Rocks said "A Royal Hangover is a film that is long over due. With wit and insight it creates an alarming and frank portrait of Britain's binge drinking problem". [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin Clunes</span> English actor

Alexander Martin Clunes OBE DL is an English actor, comedian, director and television presenter. He is best known for portraying Martin Ellingham in the ITV comedy-drama series Doc Martin and Gary Strang in Men Behaving Badly. Clunes has narrated a number of documentaries for ITV, the first of which was Islands of Britain in 2009. He has since presented a number of documentaries centred on animals. He has also voiced Kipper the Dog in the animated series Kipper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Trujillo</span> American bassist (born 1964)

Roberto Agustín Miguel Santiago Samuel Trujillo Veracruz is an American musician, best known as the bassist for heavy metal band Metallica since 2003. He first rose to prominence as the bassist of crossover thrash band Suicidal Tendencies from 1989 to 1995, while also collaborating with Suicidal Tendencies frontman Mike Muir for funk metal supergroup Infectious Grooves. After leaving Suicidal Tendencies, he performed with Ozzy Osbourne, Jerry Cantrell, and heavy metal band Black Label Society. Trujillo joined Metallica in 2003 and is the band's longest-serving bassist. He was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Metallica in 2009.

"Hair of the dog", short for "hair of the dog that bit you", is a colloquial expression in the English language predominantly used to refer to alcohol that is consumed as a hangover remedy. Many other languages have their own phrase to describe the same concept. The idea may have some basis in science in the difference between ethanol and methanol metabolism.

<i>Eight Is Enough</i> American comedy-drama television series (1977–1981)

Eight Is Enough is an American television comedy-drama series that ran on ABC from March 15, 1977, until May 23, 1981. The show was modeled on the life of syndicated newspaper columnist Tom Braden, a real-life parent with eight children, who wrote a book by the same title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jan Němec</span>

Jan Němec was a Czech filmmaker whose most important work dates from the 1960s. Film historian Peter Hames has described him as the "enfant terrible of the Czech New Wave."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russell Brand</span> English comedian and actor

Russell Edward Brand is an English comedian and actor. He is known for his flamboyant, loquacious style and manner. Brand has received three British Comedy Awards: Best Newcomer (2006), Best Live Stand-Up (2008), and the award for Outstanding Contribution to Comedy (2011).

Robert Buchar is an American cinematographer, filmmaker, film director and producer, born in 1951 in Hradec Králové, former Czechoslovakia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hangover</span> Discomfort following alcohol consumption

A hangover is the experience of various unpleasant physiological and psychological effects usually following the consumption of alcohol, such as wine, beer, and liquor. Hangovers can last for several hours or for more than 24 hours. Typical symptoms of a hangover may include headache, drowsiness, concentration problems, dry mouth, dizziness, fatigue, gastrointestinal distress, absence of hunger, light sensitivity, depression, sweating, nausea, hyper-excitability, irritability, and anxiety.

<i>Merlin</i> (2008 TV series) British fantasy-adventure television series (2008–2012)

Merlin is a British fantasy-adventure drama television programme, loosely based on the Arthurian legends regarding the close relations of Merlin and King Arthur. Created by Julian Jones, Jake Michie, Johnny Capps and Julian Murphy for the BBC, it was broadcast for five series on BBC One between 20 September 2008 and 24 December 2012. The programme starred Colin Morgan, Bradley James, Katie McGrath, Angel Coulby, Richard Wilson, Anthony Head, and John Hurt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sundance Film Festival</span> Annual film festival held in Utah, United States

The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,660 attending in 2016. It takes place each January in Park City, Utah; Salt Lake City, Utah; and at the Sundance Resort, and acts as a showcase for new work from American and international independent filmmakers. The festival consists of competitive sections for American and international dramatic and documentary films, both feature films and short films, and a group of out-of-competition sections, including NEXT, New Frontier, Spotlight, Midnight, Sundance Kids, From the Collection, Premieres, and Documentary Premieres.

Alarmel Valli is a leading Indian classical dancer and choreographer and the foremost exponent of the Pandanallur style in the Indian classical dance form, Bharatanatyam. She is widely acclaimed for her ability to turn traditional grammar into deeply internalized, personal dance poetry.

<i>Arthur</i> (2011 film) 2011 romantic comedy film directed by Jason Winer

Arthur is a 2011 American romantic comedy film written by Peter Baynham and directed by Jason Winer. It is a remake of the 1981 film of the same name written and directed by Steve Gordon. Its story follows Arthur, a wealthy and alcoholic philanderer who, after a drunken run in with the law, is forced by his mother to marry Susan, a suitable spouse, or else he will be stripped of his inheritance, but things suddenly become complicated once he meets and falls in love with a free-spirited woman named Naomi. It stars Russell Brand, Helen Mirren, Jennifer Garner, Greta Gerwig, and Nick Nolte.

<i>Weekend</i> (2011 film) 2011 British film

Weekend is a 2011 British romantic drama film directed by Andrew Haigh and starring Tom Cullen and Chris New as two men who meet and begin a sexual relationship the weekend before one of them plans to leave the country. The film won much praise and critical acclaim after premiering at the SXSW festival in the US, and was a success at the box office in the UK and the U.S., where it received a limited release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Schank</span> American musician and filmmaker (1969–2022)

Mikel Joseph Schank was an American actor and musician. He was close friends with independent filmmaker Mark Borchardt and helped Borchardt make the 1997 short horror film Coven. He appeared with Borchardt in the 1999 documentary film American Movie, for which Schank also provided music.

<i>One Little Pill</i> 2014 American film

One Little Pill is a documentary film about the use of generic medications for treating and curing alcoholism. The primary focus is on the so-called Sinclair method, which pairs these medications with continued drinking. It was produced by Zard Productions as a film project for the C Three Foundation and released on Vimeo and VHX for on-demand viewing in October 2014. As of August 2015, DVD-R copies are also available.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indie Rights</span>

Indie Rights, Inc. is an American distributor of independent films, based in Los Angeles, California. Indie Rights is a subsidiary of Nelson Madison Films and was incorporated in 2007 to act as distributor for other independent filmmakers. The corporation began as a private MySpace group where the makers of independent films could get information about the changing face of film distribution; founders Linda Nelson and Michael Madison created Indie Rights so that distribution contracts could be signed by a legal entity. The corporation distributes films largely through video on demand services, though more recently it has overseen such theatrical releases as We Are Kings and Fray, both in 2014.

<i>The Emperors New Clothes</i> (2015 film) 2015 British film

The Emperor's New Clothes is a 2015 documentary film about the growing disparity between economic classes, directed by Michael Winterbottom and starring actor/activist Russell Brand.

Noreen Oliver MBE is a British businesswoman, rehabilitation centre owner and advocate of drug and alcohol policy reform. She is the founder and CEO of addiction treatment centres in Burton-upon-Trent and Clayton, Staffordshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teetotalism</span> Abstinence from alcoholic beverages

Teetotalism is the practice or promotion of total personal abstinence from the consumption of alcohol, specifically in alcoholic drinks. A person who practices teetotalism is called a teetotaler or teetotaller, or is simply said to be teetotal. Globally, almost half of adults do not drink alcohol. A number of temperance organisations have been founded in order to promote teetotalism and provide spaces for non-drinkers to socialise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hangover remedies</span>

Hangover remedies consist of foods, dishes, and medicines, that have been described as having a theoretical potential for easing or alleviating symptoms associated with the hangover.

References

  1. 1 2 Gelmini, Davidde. "Russell Brand in 'A Royal Hangover' Documentary". The London Film Review. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015.
  2. ↑ "A Royal Hangover - A Feature Documentary on the Ambivalent Alcohol Culture of Britain". aroyalhangover.com. Archived from the original on 2 February 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  3. ↑ "Image: A Royal Hangover_Herald Express Article.jpg, (1100 × 770 px)". aroyalhangover.com. 23 January 2014. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  4. ↑ "An interview with Arthur Cauty maker of 'A Royal Hangover' - Veronica Valli". Veronica Valli. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  5. ↑ "A Royal Hangover: Interview with Writer/Director Arthur Cauty". Rehab Reviews.
  6. ↑ "Image: A Royal Hangover_Western Morning News.jpg, (1400 × 948 px)". aroyalhangover.com. 24 January 2014. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  7. ↑ A Royal Hangover: Official Documentary Trailer ft. Russell Brand - A Film by Arthur Cauty (2014). YouTube. 15 September 2014.
  8. ↑ "A Royal Hangover - A Feature Documentary on the Ambivalent Alcohol Culture of Britain". aroyalhangover.com. 11 October 2014. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015.
  9. ↑ Gourand, Janet (9 May 2018). "A Royal Hangover – an interview with Director Arthur Cauty". World Without Wine. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  10. ↑ "Cape Town Recovery Facebook post". Facebook. 18 September 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  11. ↑ "iTunes - Films - A Royal Hangover". itunes.apple.com. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  12. ↑ "A Royal Hangover Amazon Prime listing". Amazon Prime . Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  13. ↑ Woodsford, Harry (3 April 2020). "Filmmaker seeks funds to produce documentary about Curzon Cinema". North Somerset Times. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  14. ↑ "A Royal Hangover - The Documentary About Drinking That's Actually Worth a Watch". The Huffington Post UK. 27 June 2014.
  15. ↑ "A Royal Hangover - Review - Veronica Valli". Veronica Valli. Archived from the original on 1 April 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.