Special screening: Dance Craze

+ Q&A

Join us for a special screening of this celebration of 2 Tone music on the biggest screen in Britain, followed by an in-person Q&A.

Please note, this film contains flashing images.

  • Director

    Joe Massot

  • With

    Bad Manners, The Beat, The Bodysnatchers, Madness, The Selecter, The Specials

  • UK 1981. Running time 88min

  • Digital 4K

  • Certificate

    12A

In 1979 Jerry Dammers founded not only The Specials but the 2 Tone Record Label. Releasing their debut single Gangsters in July of that year, which spent 12 weeks on the UK singles chart, closely followed by the labels second single, The Prince by Madness. Over the course of the next 12 months, 2 Tone took over the UK, with more singles and album releases by The Selecter, The Beat and the The Bodysnatchers, along with two 2 Tone package Tours with these and other bands.

Director Joe Massot (Led Zeppelin’s film ‘The Song Remains the Same’) and cinematographer Joe Dunton both witnessed these bands live and wanted to try an attempt at capturing the sheer force and energy of the movement. They filmed various bands at venues over the course of 1980 using the newly invented SteadyCam on Super 35mm film stock to make it look like the camera was dancing along with the beat of the music. The end film included 27 songs and captured a unique moment in time at the height of the ska revival.

The film has now been newly restored to 4K from an original 70mm print with brand new Dolby Atmos sound mix in collaboration with Chrysalis Records by the British Film Institute.