Morris Men Premiere a huge success
Whilst local filmmaker DB Morgan embarked on making his first feature film back in early 2020, little did he know how the stars were about to align in his creative favour.
Fast forward two years, and DB and the team have won almost thirty international awards for debut movie, Faith, gained international distribution and have just wrapped on his third feature film, Morris Men – filmed entirely in the Tendring region, on the South East coast.
You might imagine a film about a group of ageing, bearded men, wearing white outfits and ribbons skipping round a maypole, but DB Morgan is a bit more Tarantino than that. Imagine black clad, raven like, Border Morris dancers who are part of a shadowy assassin’s guild, cleaning up the streets of a corrupt modern world. Think ‘Kick-Ass’ meets ‘Kingsman’.
“You’ve not seen anything like it. It’s essentially an urban vengeance thriller with huge fight set pieces and dark themes of retribution; all tied up in a traditional Shakespearean unrequited love story.” Writer and Producer, DB Morgan explains.
Showcasing Walton, Clacton, Jaywick and St Osyth in cinematic lights, the film stars a plethora of British stars, including actors from Star Wars, Game of Thrones, Fury, Harry Potter and many more. Directed by Canadian, Gregg Masuak, a visual artist with a music video back catalogue including world stars such as Take That, Kylie, Rod Stewart, Lionel Ritchie, Kim Wilde etc.. The list of talent that DB Morgan has managed to attach to his third feature film is somewhat staggering.
DB Morgan (50) is the archetypal underdog, you see. An autistic, mental health survivor, who brings teenagers from similar backgrounds into his projects and fosters an #AllEqual family mentality to all his productions. His wife, Laura is a hospitality manager, feeding and tending to cast and crew, whilst youngest son, William (12) becomes set mascot, often seen lazing around in a hammock playing Fortnite as the bustle swells around him. People just seem to want to support him, and he rewards that with an openness and sense of collaboration so extremely rare in the industry.
‘A BOLD DECISION’
In respect and recognition of Tendring as a pure, all encompassing, feature film region DB Morgan has made a bold decision. How often do productions use an area, only to take the glitz and glamour back to London once done with the ‘cheaper’ production alternative? The answer is actually.. always!
After ongoing discussion with the local council, project heads and the management team of Clacton’s own Prince’s theatre DB Morgan pledged to hold the Morris Men world premiere in the town, which was a huge success.
‘Like nothing the area has witnessed before.
A spectacle befitting such a perfect filmmaking area.’
DB states:
“I’m a local boy, from Colchester, who as a kid enjoyed our beach hut in Holland Haven and spent every summer birthday visiting the pier and local cinema. Clacton is a fantastic and highly welcoming town and this has carried through to my filmmaking exploits over the past few years. From local businesses embracing us, to the extraordinary help from Tendring Council, we have been made to feel welcome and fully supported at every stage. This premiere is going to be something to behold! – a full entertainment and cinematic spectacle to blow out any other ‘low budget’ premiere the country has ever seen. Stars will arrive via limousines and walk down a red carpet, with Drum Machine’s 24 piece drumming band leading the cast and crew, led by a piper and Border Morris dancers. Folk Punk band, Forest of Fools, will also perform before the performance, followed by an introduction by the key crew and cast. We like to put on a show and alongside our event sponsors, Kure Oxygen and Satsuma Events, this will be like nothing the area has witnessed before. A spectacle befitting such a perfect filmmaking area.”
Having already sold and allocated around 200 tickets, DB is confident that despite the risks of breaking tradition and hosting a regional premiere, people will get on board in helping us create a sell-out event to ensure we keep growing the area’s identity as a credible sandbox for independent filmmaking.
You can find out more about the film and view trailers at morrismenmovie.com
LOCAL FILMING LOCATIONS USED:
Walton Pier, Clacton town streets, Clacton Town Hall, Martello Tower zoo, Walton, Clacton and St Osyth beaches, Clacton promenade, Royal Hotel, Secret basement, Clacton multi story car park, Live and let live pub/Jaywick, All that Jazz beauty salon, Jaywick Arcade, Hutleys holiday park, Pulse nightclub, and Colchester bowling club.
