I Want You (1998)

Dungeness estate houses with fields in front

I Want You Screenshot © Polygram Filmed Entertainment/Revolution Films

Director: Michael Winterbottom

Starring: Rachel Weisz, Alessandro Nivola, Luka Petrusic

Production Company: Polygram Filmed Entertainment, Revolution Films

Kent location used: Dungeness, Folkestone Harbour arm

I Want You is a film noir about a young boy, Honda (Luka Petrusic) and his sister Smokey (Labina Mitevska) who get drawn into the relentless pursuit of Helen (Rachel Weisz) by her former lover, Martin (Alessandro Nivola) after he is released from prison.

Michael Winterbottom (24 Hour Party People, A Mighty Heart, The Killer Inside Me) directs and Oscar winning actress Rachel Weisz (The Mummy, About A Boy, Enemy at the Gates) stars alongside Alessandro Nivola (Face/Off, American Hustle, Jurassic Park III) and Luka Petrusic (Bumerang, Sorry for Kung Fu).

The production chose Dungeness as the coastal town in the film.  The Folkestone Harbour arm is the location for Martin’s (Alessandro Nivola) argument with his colleague. Nearby Hastings was also used as a film location.

Folkestone Harbour Arm at night

I Want You Screenshot © Polygram Filmed Entertainment/Revolution Films

Dungeness is a large nature reserve in the Shepway district of Kent with a beautiful shingle beach, a mixture of old and modern homes, two lighthouses, a historic railway station and a Power Station. Dungeness is a popular film location previously been used by productions such as Ginger and Rosa (2012), The Inspector Lynley Mysteries – Natural Causes (2006) and The Garden (1990).

The town of Folkestone is in the Shepway district of Kent and has a harbour, beach, quaint streets and the Creative Quarter boasts many studios and galleries. The area has previously been used as a location for filming by productions such as The Tunnel (2013) and Is Anybody There? (2009).

I Want You was released in cinemas on 30th October 1998 and is now available to buy on DVD.

 

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map. 

 


Our Mutual Friend (1998)

Eugene Wrayburn (Paul McGann) and Mortimer Lightwood (Dominic Mafham) standing behind a wooden deck, wooden boats that are upside down can be seen behind them

Eugene Wrayburn (Paul McGann) and Mortimer Lightwood (Dominic Mafham) © BBC

Directed by: Julian Farino

Produced By: Caroline Wearing

Written By: Charles Dickens (Novel) & Sandy Welch (Adaptation)

Starring: Keeley Hawes, Paul McGann, Anna Friel, David Morrissey & Steven Mackintosh

Production Company: BBC

Kent Locations Used: The Historic Dockyard Chatham, River Medway

Our Mutual Friend was Charles Dickens’ last complete novel. It was written in 1864-1865 when he was at the height of his fame having recently published A Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations. The main theme of the novel is money and the effect that it can have on personal values and relationships.  At it’s very core is the love triangle between repressed schoolteacher Bradley Headstone (David Morrissey Thorne: Sleepyhead), his rival Eugene Wrayburn (Paul McGann New Tricks)and their shared love interest Lizzie Hexam (Keeley Hawes Upstairs Downstairs).

When  John Harmon, a young man whose inheritance is dependent on his marrying a woman he has never met, is found dead in the Thames, his fortune is passed onto the Boffin family who take both Harmon’s would-be bride Bella Wilfer (Anna Friel Pushing Daisies) and mysterious secretary Rokesmith (Steven Mackintosh Camelot) into their home. Meanwhile, Lizzie Hexam’s father is accused of Harmon’s murder and she is relentlessly pursued by her two suitors.

close up of Lizzie Hexam wearing a hood with a lantern behind her

Lizzie Hexam (Keeley Hawes) © BBC

Filmed at The Historic Dockyard Chatham, the location was used for the bleak side streets surrounding the workhouse. Charles Dickens’ father worked as a Naval Pay Officer at the Dockyard and it was here that Dickens developed a love of the sea, accompanying his father as a young boy. Later, these childhood adventures were a source of inspiration for novels such as Great Expectations and Our Mutual Friend.

The Kingswear Castle Paddlesteamer that is based at The Historic Dockyard Chatham was also used for filming the scene where Bella Wilfer and the Boffin family go for a day out.

The Historic Dockyard Chatham dates back to the 17th century and contains over 100 buildings from the Georgian and Victorian periods. The Historic Dockyard Chatham is a popular film location that has previously featured on screen in Suffragette (2015) and Les Miserables (2013).

Dickens has a rich history with Kent and the Kent Film Office celebrates Dickens history with the county including TV and film adaptions in The Dickens Trail which launched in 2012.

Our Mutual Friend aired on the BBC in March 1998 and is now available on DVD.

 

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map. 


The Saint (1997)

The Saint movie poster- head shot of main character staring at the camera with blue mist behind him, Saint is written in white.

The Saint movie poster © Paramount Pictures

Director: Phillip Noyce

Starring: Val Kilmer, Elizabeth Shue, Henry Goodman, Rade Šerbedžija, Alun Armstrong 

Production Company: Paramount Pictures, Rysher Entertainment, Mace Neufeld Productions, Robert Evans Company

Kent Filming Location: Fort Amherst, Chatham

Inspired by the 1928 novels and following in the footsteps of the 1960’s TV series, starring Roger Moore, The Saint is about Simon Templar (Val Kilmer – Batman Forever, Heat), a suave and sophisticated international thief who has one last job before he can comfortably retire. Known as a master of disguise, he assumes the names of saints for his false identities.  When he is tasked by the Russian Mafia with stealing the cold fusion formula created by the stunning Dr Emma Russell (Elizabeth ShueHollow Man, Back to the Future II) love proves to be a dangerous distraction.

The Saint is directed by Phillip Noyce (Salt, The Bone Collector, Patriot Games) and stars Val Kilmer (Heat, Batman Forever, Top Gun) and Elizabeth Shue (Back to the Future Part II, Hollow Man, Leaving Las Vegas), Rade Šerbedžija (Snatch, Batman Begins), Henry Goodman (Notting Hill, Avengers: Age of Ultron) and Alun Armstrong (Braveheart, Sleepy Hollow).

The atmospheric Georgian fortress of Fort Amherst, Chatham, provided the perfect location to film the scene in the sewers of Moscow where Templar and Russell hide.

Fort Amherst is a Georgian Fortress over 17 acres, including a tunnel complex, park like setting, woodland, WW2 gun battery and sloping grassland and is known as one of the most haunted forts in Britain. Fort Amherst has also been used as a filming location by Jekyll and Hyde (2015), Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011) and The Mission (1987).

The Saint was released in cinemas in April 1997 and is now available to buy on DVD.

 

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map. 


The Mill on the Floss (1997)

The Mill on the Floss poster- montage of three different characters from the film, a man in a top hat, a women with her arm on her hip in front and then a man on a white horse in front. The Mill on the Floss is written in blue

The Mill on the Floss poster © BBC

Director: Graham Theakston

Writer: Hugh Stoddart (Screenplay) & George Eliot (Novel)

Starring: Emily Watson, Cheryl Campbell, James Frain, Bernard Hill, Joanna David, Ifan Meredith

Production Company: BBC, Canal+ Carnival Film & Television, UGC DA International

Kent Locations: The Historic Dockyard Chatham

The Mill on the Floss is a 1997 BBC adaptation of the George Eliot classic of the same name which is about a young woman’s struggle for freedom and love in conventional Victorian society.

The story follows intelligent, free spirited Maggie Tulliver (Emily Watson), whose father forbids her to see her childhood friend Philip Wakem (James Frain) after his family takes away their beloved mill on the river Floss. What will Maggie do when torn by devotion to her family and her true love?

The adaption is written by Hugh Stoddart (To the Lighthouse, Remembrance, We Think the World of You), directed by Graham Theakston (The Politician’s Wife, The Bill, Sherlock) and starring Emily Watson (War Horse, Red Dragon, Everest), Cheryl Campbell (Doctor Foster, Chariots of Fire, Casualty), James Frain (TRON: Legacy, The Lone Ranger, The Tunnel), Bernard Hill (Wolf Hall, Titanic, The Scorpion King), Joanna David (You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, The Soul Keeper, Cotton Mary) and Ifan Meredith (Warriors, Metroland, Titanic, The Grand).

The Mill on the Floss screenshot at The Historic Dockyard Chatham - a man on a horse and carriage with building behind him

The Mill on the Floss screenshot at The Historic Dockyard Chatham © BBC

The Mill on the Floss screenshot at The Historic Dockyard Chatham - a man walking along a street with a horse and carriage behind him

The Mill on the Floss screenshot at The Historic Dockyard Chatham © BBC

The row of period houses at The Historic Dockyard Chatham features in The Mill on the Floss as the exterior for Wakem Solicitor’s, with another area providing the exterior for Guest and Co.

The Historic Dockyard Chatham is a popular film location boasting over 100 buildings and 80 acres of filming space including Georgian and Victorian buildings, a submarine, dry dock, cobbled streets and industrial buildings. The Historic Dockyard Chatham has previously been used in productions such as Jekyll and Hyde (2015), Great Expectations (2012) and The World is Not Enough (1999).

The Mill on the Floss was shown on New Year’s Day 1997 and is now available on DVD.

 

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map. 


Jude (1996)

Jude film poster- faint image of Kate Winslet and Christopher Eccleston's faces as a backdrop- underneath the two characters are dancing the the sand. JUDE written in yellow

Jude film poster © BBC Films, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, Revolution Films

Director: Michael Winterbottom

Writer: Hossein Amini (screenplay), Thomas Hardy (novel)

Starring: Christopher Eccleston, Kate Winslet, Liam Cunningham, Rachel Griffiths

Production Company: BBC Films, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, Revolution Films

Kent Locations Used: Kent and East Sussex Railway

Jude is a 1996 British period drama film about a self-educated stonemason who enters into an illicit affair with his cousin, despite them both being married to other partners. The pair is condemned to the margins of society which results in a horrific tragedy.

Michael Winterbottom (24 Hour Party People, Code 46) directs the film which is adapted by Hossein Amini (Drive, Snow White and the Huntsman) based on Thomas Hardy’s novel “Jude the Obscure”.

Jude stars Christopher Eccleston (Fortitude, Doctor Who), Kate Winslet (Titanic, Divergent), Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones, Safe House) and Rachel Griffiths (Blow, Saving, Mr. Banks).

Jude (Christopher Eccleston) and Sue (Kate Winslet) on the train. Sue has her head on Jude's shoulder.

Jude (Christopher Eccleston) and Sue (Kate Winslet) on the train © BBC Films, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, Revolution Films

Jude filmed at Kent and East Sussex Railway where they filmed scenes of Jude (Christopher Eccleston) and Sue (Kate Winslet) on a train which was intercut with scenery from the North of England.

Kent & East Sussex Railway is a ten and a half mile rural light period railway which runs between Tenterden and East Sussex. The railway has also been used for filming by productions such as Richard E. Grant on Ealing Comedies (2016) and Last Passenger (2013).

Jude was released in October 1996 and is now available for DVD purchase.

 

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map. 


The Wind in the Willows – Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride (1996)

The Wind in the Willows movie poster- Cartoon image of a toad with glasses on jumping over a black car, a man is holding on to his shoulders behind. Mr Toad's Wild Ride is written in white

The Wind in the Willows © Walt Disney

Director: Terry Jones

Writer: Terry Jones (Screenplay), Kenneth Grahame (Novel)

Starring: Steve Coogan, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Antony Sher, Nicol Williamson, John Cleese, Stephen Fry, Bernard Hill, Michael Palin, Nigel Planer, Julia Sawalha, Robert Bathurst, Richard James

Production Company: Allied Filmmakers

Kent locations: Dover Castle, Chiddingstone

The Wind in The Willows – Mr Toad’s Wild Ride is a feature film loosely based on the classic novel by Kenneth Grahame, sometimes referred to as ‘the Monty Python version’.

The story follows Mole whose home is bought up and marked for development by the evil Weasels. Working with his friends, Mole attempts to win back his home.

Directed by Terry Jones (Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Life of Brian), the film has an ensemble cast including Steve Coogan (I’m Alan Partridge, Philomena), Eric Idle (Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Nuns on the Run), John Cleese (Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Fawlty Towers), Stephen Fry (Gosford Park, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows) Bernard Hill (Titanic, The Lord of the Rings) Michael Palin (Monty Python and the Holy Grail, A Fish Called Wanda) and Robert Bathurst (Cold Feet, Emma).

The production filmed at Dover Castle, which doubled as the Gaol as well as The Old School in Chiddingstone (now the post office) which features as the Welcome Inn where Toad dines before stealing and crashing a motorcar.

Dover Castle is a stunning medieval castle situated on the White Cliffs of Dover, overlooking the English Channel. Dover Castle is a popular film location having featured in Into the Woods (2015), Poirot “The Clocks” (2009) and Hamlet (1990).

Chiddingstone is a beautiful one-street Tudor village with over 70% of the buildings in more than 200 years old. In 1939, the National Trust bought the village in order to preserve it. The village has previously been used as a film location by productions such as Terry and Mason’s Great Food Trip (2015), A Room With A View (1986) and Elizabeth R (1971).

The Wind in the Willows – Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride is available to purchase on DVD.

 

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map. 


French and Saunders – Pride and Prejudice (1996)

French and Saunders - Pride and Prejudice screenshot at Finchcocks - actors dressed in period costume with the homeowners visible in the mirror

French and Saunders – Pride and Prejudice screenshot at Finchcocks © BBC

Written and starring: Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders

Production Company: BBC

Kent Locations: Finchcocks

French and Saunders is a BBC sketch comedy series written by and starring comic duo Dawn French (The Wrong Mans, Let Them Eat Cake, The Vicar of Dibley) and Jennifer Saunders (Absolutely Fabulous, Coraline, Shrek 2).

The show aired for seven series between 1987 and 2007 and became a fan favourite with its hilarious sketches including many film & TV spoofs with special guest stars and musical video parodies.

Series 5 episode 6, features the sketch “Behind the Scenes: A Classic in the Making” which is a satire about the filming of period TV dramas, in particular Pride and Prejudice and was filmed at Finchcocks in Kent.

A man on a horse riding towards a county house

French and Saunders – Pride and Prejudice screenshot at Finchcocks © BBC

French and Saunders - Pride and Prejudice screenshot at Finchcocks - actors dressed in period costume with the homeowners in shot

French and Saunders – Pride and Prejudice screenshot at Finchcocks © BBC

French and Saunders - Pride and Prejudice screenshot at Finchcocks - actors dressed in period costume wwalking through the garden with the homeowners in shot

French and Saunders – Pride and Prejudice screenshot at Finchcocks © BBC

French and Saunders - Pride and Prejudice screenshot at Finchcocks - actors dressed in period costume with the homeowners in shot

French and Saunders – Pride and Prejudice screenshot at Finchcocks © BBC

Finchcocks is an early Georgian Manor in the Tunbridge Wells district of Kent and boasts a beautiful garden with extensive views over hop gardens and farmland, as well as being the home to an impressive collection of early instruments. The area has previously featured in Terry and Mason’s Great Food Trip (2015) and Hunted (2012).

The Kent episode of French and Saunders aired in 1996 and is now available to buy on DVD.

 

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map. 


Hercule Poirots Christmas (1995)

 

David Suchet as Hercule Poirot in a Snowy Chilham with a black classic car behind him

David Suchet as Hercule Poirot in a Snowy Chilham © ITV

Director: Edward Bennett

Writer: Clive Exton

Starring: David Suchet, Philip Jackson, Vernon Dobtcheff,  Simon Roberts

Production Company: Carnival Film & Television, London Weekend Television, Picture Partnership Productions

Kent Filming Locations: Chilham 

In 1995 Hercule Poirot (David Suchet) visited Chilham in Kent for a further instalment of his adventures as written by Agatha Christie.

Multi millionaire Simeon (Vernon Dubtcheff) arranges a Christmas gathering with all the family, including prodigal son Harry (Brian Gwaspari) and a newly discovered grand daughter, Pilar (Sasha Behar).

When everyone is gathered, Simeon hints at changing his will and favouring the newcomers Harry and Pilar . The scene is set for a power game with deadly consequences and when Simeon is mudered, Chief Inspector Japp (Philip Jackson) calls upon Poirot to investigate.

Edward Bennett (Agatha Christie, Second Sight: Hide and Seek) directs with David Suchet (Flushed away, A Perfect Murder, The Bank Job) returning as Poirot alonsgside Philip Jackson (Deception, My Week with Marilyn), Vernon Dobtcheff (Before Sunset, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) and Simon Roberts  (Hollow, Ted & Ralph).

For this drama, the pictureque Kentish village of Chilham was transformed into a winter wonderland. A layer of snow covered the beautiful timber framed houses lining the square and the approach to Chilham Castle, which represented the family home.

Although it was the first time that the picturesque village was used as the set for an Agatha Christie adaptation, it wouldn’t remain the last as  Miss Marple – The Moving Finger was also filmed there in 2005.  Other filming projects which have filmed in Chilham include Channel 4 comedy Chickens (2011) and BBC’s Emma (2009).

Hercule Poirots Christmas was first shown in 1995 and is now available to buy on DVD.

 

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map. 


Cold Comfort Farm (1995)

Cold Comfort Farm poster- 6 characters standing facing the camera in a frame. Cold Comfort Farm is written in white on top

Cold Comfort Farm poster © BBC, Thames Television

Director: John Schlesinger

Writer: Malcolm Bradbury (screenplay), Stella Gibbons (novel)

Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Eileen Atkins, Sheila Burrell, Stephen Fry, Freddie Jones, Joanna Lumley, Ian McKellen

Production Company: BBC, Thames Television

Kent Locations Used: Kent and East Sussex Railway, Royal Military Canal

Cold Comfort Farm is a BBC adaption of Stella Gibbons’ novel of the same name. Set in early 1930’s England, the story focuses on young Flora Poste (Kate Beckinsale) who is left penniless when her parents die and goes to stay with distant relatives on Cold Comfort Farm. Flora makes it her mission to improve the lives of the miserable inhabitants.

The TV movie parodies the romanticised, sometimes doom-laden accounts of rural life and is directed John Schlesinger (Marathon Man, The Next Best Thing) and written by Malcolm Bradbury (The Gravy Train, In the Red).

Kate Beckinsale (The Aviator, Underworld) takes the leading role of Flora alongside Eileen Atkins (Cold Mountain, Robin Hood), Sheila Burrell (Jane Eyre, Perfect Strangers), Stephen Fry (Alice in Wonderland, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows), Freddie Jones (The Elephant Man, Dune), Joanna Lumley (Corpse Bride, Absolutely Fabulous) and Ian McKellen (The Hobbit Series, Vicious).

The production filmed on location in Kent at Kent & East Sussex Railway which provided the trains for Flora’s journey from London to her relatives at Cold Comfort Farm and Northiam station which is the fictional railway station of Beershorne.

The Royal Military Canal was also used for scenes where Flora and Amos (Ian McKellen) walk and chat.

Kent & East Sussex Railway is a ten and a half mile rural light period railway which runs between Tenterden and East Sussex. The railway has also been used for filming by productions such as Richard E. Grant on Ealing Comedies (2016) and Last Passenger (2013).

The Royal Military Canal runs for 28 miles between Seabrook near Folkestone and end at Cliff End near Hastings. The canal passes the iconic Romney Marsh, tranquil countryside and quiet villages and has a footpath for the entire stretch.

Cold Comfort Farm was broadcast on 1 January 1995 and is now available for DVD purchase.

 

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map. 


Red Dwarf, Gunmen of the Apocalypse (1993)

 

DVD poster for Red Dwarf - Gunman of the Apocalypse (1993)- red background with 2 characters in the top left and 2 bottom right. Red Dwarf written in silver

DVD poster for Red Dwarf – Gunman of the Apocalypse (1993) ©IMDb

 

Writer: Rob Grant, Doug Naylor

Director: Andy De Emmony

Starring: Chris Barrie, Craig Charles, Danny John-Jules, Robert Llewellyn

Production Company: Grant Naylor

Kent Locations Used: Filmed in Laredo Wild West Town, Longfield, Kent

In Gunmen of the Apocalypse (Season 6, Ep 3), cult Sci-fi TV Series Red Dwarf visited Kent.  The crew of Starbug intercept a battleship carrying murderous cyborgs called “Simulants” which infect the Starbug with a virus. Kryten (Robert Llewellyn) deliberately infects himself with the virus to find an antidote. Rimmer (Chris Barrie), Lister (Craig Charles) and Cat (Danny John-Jules), end up in the computer simulation of a Wild West town, facing four outlaws, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, whom they must defeat.

The episode stars Chris Barrie (Lara Croft: Tomb Raider), Craig Charles (Coronation Street), Danny John-Jules (Blade II, Death in Paradise), and Robert Llewellyn (Mirrormask) star.

The computer simulation was filmed in Laredo Wild West Town, in North Kent, claiming the only Wild West barn location not in the United States. It has previously been used in the feature film about J.M. Barrie – Finding Neverland (2004)

Red Dwarf Gunmen of the Apocalypse was first shown on television in 1993.

 

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.