Morrissey has given his tick of approval to a new film based around the music of The Smiths, Shoplifters of the World.
The film centres around a group of friends who are big fans of the band. When they break up in 1987, one of the characters holds up a radio station and demands they play Smiths songs.
Starring the likes of Joe Manganiello, Ellar Coltrane, Helena Howard and Elena Kampouris, the film was written and directed by Stephen Kijak. Overall, it features 20 tracks from The Smiths‘ discography.
The film may have only premiered in the US last month, but it has already received a bunch of criticism for its arguably bizarre plot.
“Someone appears to have thought taking the plot of the Alan Partridge film and setting it the music of The Smiths is a good idea,” one Twitter user wrote at the time.
Another person tweeted: “So, the kids all love this band, but none of them own any of the records, so they have to threaten the life of a radio presenter to force him to play this music? What?”
Meanwhile, acclaimed film critic Mark Kermode said that the film is “EXACTLY the movie that Morrissey deserves,” appearing to reference Morrissey’s, ah, divisive political opinions.
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Despite the backlash on The Smiths film, Morrissey himself has given it two thumbs up.
“I laughed, I cried, I ate my own head,” he Morrissey Central about the film.
“The Smiths’ past still sounds like today’s frustrations and tomorrow’s liberations.”
For more on this topic, head over to the Film & TV Observer.
Check out ‘There Is A Light That Never Goes Out’ by The Smiths:
