Approx advert and trailer run time: 25 mins
Film run time: 1hr 30m
Shown in remembrance of the late, great Alan Parker (1944-2020). This musical pastiche of 1930s gangster films continues to shine.
Envisioning a strange but convincingly detailed mob-ruled fantasy world containing no actors older than 17, the film follows a turf war between rival bosses Fat Sam (John Cassisi) and Dandy Dan (Martin Lev), the latter of whom owns a terrible and mysterious weapon called the "Splurge Gun", which "finishes" whoever it hits.
His empire rapidly shrinking, Sam enlists the help of a down-and-out boxing promoter named Bugsy Malone (Scott Baio), who finds a reason to fight when he falls for Blousey Brown (Florrie Dugger), an aspiring singer with dreams of Hollywood.
Despite its bizarre premise, the film is grounded by both the outstanding mock-period music of Paul Williams and the total conviction of its young cast, who treat the story completely seriously and make the audience do likewise.
Notable cast members include Jodie Foster, who had just played a key role in Taxi Driver, and Dexter Fletcher, who has a small but crucial part as "Baby Face".