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I
wouldn't trust anyone who doesn't like
The Italian Job...
Said Stereophonics frontman,
Kelly Jones - and you know what he means.
The Italian Job is one of those films
that evryone (in the UK at least) knows,
some may never have seen it, but everyone
knows of it and what it's about. You only
have to say 'You're only supposed to blow
the bloody doors off' and everyone knows
instantly who said it and what film it
came from. As The Italian Job got into
the hearts of the British public, it soon
became an icon and a cult following was
born, mostly headed up by the Mini owners
both in the Uk and around the world.
The advertising, music and marketing world
has often borrowed the cult image of The
Italian Job to promote anything they can
- it's cheeky 'cool Britannia' ladish
un-pc Britishness is something that many
yearn for in this day of EU controlled
political correctness gone-mad. Thankfully
these paradies haven't been unsympathetically
churned out rip-offs to get products off
shelves, the people behind these campaigns
are obviously fans themselves and hold
the film dear to their hearts. From banks
to breweries, The Italian Job theme has
been inspirational. Films like Four Weddings,
Lock, Stock and Snatch that have spearheaded
the refreshed British film industry, pay
homage to the values of The Italian Job
- not surprising when their young Britsh
directors grew up with it on the telly
every Christmas! In fact the makers of
Four Weddings were keen on doing a remake
of The Italian Job several years back,
probably using hugh Grant alongside the
Mini's. Talks had taken place and with
their use of a Mini in Four Weddings,
there was obviously a fan in the production
crew. They apparently decided to wait
for Rover's new Mini to be launched, but
obviously with BMW dumping Rover and taking
the new Mini with them it all fizzled
out - until Hollywood got interested and
made their own version based in LA.
Apparently
they had no brakes! |
Polizia Alfa
gets a soaking |
Stereophonics
on location in Turin |
'Pick a Part
That's New' CD
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Stereophonics
Italian Job fans Stereophonics
paid homage to the film when they shot
the video for their track 'Pick a Part
That's New' that was released in May 1999.
The parody of the film featured a mixed
bag of left hand drive Mk1's and Mk2's
Minis. The three Minis, red, white and
green (Italian flag I guess) are loaded
with gold by the band then driven around
some of the Turin locations made famous
by the film. Also featured are the Polizia
trying to catch them in an Alfa Guilia
and a motorbike, which ends up in a lake!
The video is even inter-cut with them
playing, alongside a heap of bullion,
in the back of a coach that's hanging
over the side of a mountain - they've
even got a gold drum kit and guitars -
which the video suggests they have made
from melting down the bullion! Apparently,
they wanted to buy this off Paramount,
but they wanted £20k for it, so
they re-created it using a model coach.
The packaging for the single matched the
video, with Mini's
on the cover for the 2 CD's, which includes
the video and three prints. The video
CD has a Mini interface with animated
Minis and a balancing coach.
Watch
the 'Pick a Part that's New' Video
(1.2Mb)
The stunts were overseen by...
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...Remy Julienne
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Entering 'British Beef' truck
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Tag line
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Martini
V2
Martini V2's 1999 advertising campaign
was launched to coincide with the re-release
of the film. The TV advert features a
London gang in Italy nicking crates of
V2, stuffing them into the back of three
Mini's and pull off amazing stunts before
ending up in the back of a lorry adorned
with 'British Beef' livery. The truck
even ends up balancing over a cliff due
to skidding on a banana skin! It comes
complete with mis-quote "Hang on
lads... I've got an idea". Finishing
with the tag line 'Italian Drink, British
Bottle'!! The main man himself Remy Julienne
was consultant for the Mini stunts.
Alongside the TV campaign, miniature red,
silver or black Mini Coopers were given
away with each bottle of V2 sold across
bars and pubs in the UK.
Watch
the Martini V2 TV ad (500kb)
Ocean
Colour Scene
Ocean colour Scene's album 'Marchin' Already'
was promoted on the telly with an advert
using four Rover Mini Coopers that travel
through various tunnels and across bridges
and past a pool in a built up city.
Watch
Ocean Colour Scene's TV ad (1.3Mb)
Rover
Mini 'Italian Job' Limited Edition
The Rover Mini Italian Job Special Edition
was released in January 1993. It was astandard
Mini Sprite with extra trim and decals.
It was available in red, white, blue,
and the popular British Racing Green.
All models had white grilles, white Minilite
copy wheels, and black bonnet stripes
to represent the leather bonnet straps
on the film cars. Special decals and bonnet
badges were on the exterior, consisting
of a crossed English and Italian flag
with 'The Italian Job' white lettering
- except on the white cars where it was
in black. Interior upholstery and equipment
was based on the Cooper, but with small
Italian flags on the front seats and steering
wheel. Halogen driving lamps were fitted
at the front, the windows featured smoked
glass, and the rear side windows opened
like Cooper/Mayfair models. Later production
models featured the interior bonnet latch
and a modified grille. One unwanted alteration
was the placing of the screen washer reservoir
and pump in the boot, with a long pipe
going up through the roof and down again
into the engine compartment. This meant
that the washer spray was particularly
pathetic, and froze up completely in cold
weather conditions.
Some dealers fitted extra lights and a
sunroof, although none were fitted as
factory standard. 1000 right-hand drive
models were produced for the UK, whilst
750 left-hand models were sent over to
Italy to contend with the Turin traffic.
Doubtless they are still there, cutting
up Fiat Cinquecentos, haring down piazzas
and hiding in the carparks at Rover Garages!
One of Corgi's
models |
Rovers Italian
Job Mini |
Eddie
Izzard to Corgi's?...
The Italian Job has been
used everywhere, even the hilarious Eddie
Izzard who is a huge fan of the film did
a sketch about mice doing the heist -
only Eddie could do that! As Eddie Izzard
says, "If you haven't seen the Italian
Job, then you probably haven't lived.
Nat West bank advertised it's business
banking servcies with 'Get a Bloomin'
Move On' as a tag line. Corgi has produced
various models featuring vehicles from
the film, some were special edition and
are no longer available and are collectors
items - as are original theatre posters
that can run into hundreds of pounds.
Even band Blur came onstage to 'Get a
Bloomin' Move-on' in 1994 in their 'Showtime'
tour. Numerous bands have covered it themselves.
There is even a band called 'The Self
Preservation Society'. From Maygay fruit
machines to mobile ringtones, The Italian
Job gets everywhere. Before there was
an official videogame, some early driving
games featured Italian Job themes. In
the Carmageddon Splat Pack, there is a
Cooper driven by Mitchel Kane and in 'Grand
Theft Auto', there is a mission where
you have to blow up a bank using a car
with a bomb in it. If you fail and the
car explodes, a message says 'You were
only supposed to blow the bloody doors
off the bank'. Now of course there is
the official game, based on the 1969 film
by SCi, and more recently Eidos released
the official game for the 2003 remake.
G15's Album
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Music
Remixes
'Get a Bloomin' move' on
has been remixed several times, the most
notable is by band G15, using the original
song mixed in with Charlie Croker quotes
and renaming it 'Three Mini Coopers'.
It is available on their 2001 album 'Gent
International' released by the Squeaky
Records label. Phil Jupitas and G15 remixed
'Three Mini Coopers' for the FIFA 2002
Korea/Japan World Cup, changing the lyrics
to be relevant to the English footy squad
and calling it The Japanese Job. Another
remix is by little known 'Skidd' with
quotes from the film, but the quality
is excellent.
Band Alabama 3 (who did 'Woke up this
mornin, got myself a gun' used in The
Soprano's opening credits) also did a
remix on their album 'Speed Of The Sound
Of Loneliness' Special Edition, called
Self Preservation Society Caine Club Mix.
Listen
to 'Three Mini Coopers' by G15 (910Kb)
Listen
to Phil Jupitas & G15's 2002 World
Cup Remix (1.2Mb)
Listen
to 'Getta Bloomin' Move On' Remix by Skydd
(3.9Mb)
If you want to buy the G15 album which
feature 'Tree Mini Coopers', check out
the Merchandise
section
Russ Swift
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World Record holder...
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...for parallel parking...
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...with only 34cm to spare!
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Mini
Display Team
There is even a professional Mini display
team, headed up by Russ Swift who holds
the Guinness World Record for a handbrake
turn to parallel park between two Minis.
He beat his own previous record in 1999
by parking in a gap only 34cm longer than
the Mini Cooper he was driving. For those
who can remember, Russ first used this
manoeuvre in the award winning Montego
'Car Park' commercial in 1988. Russ also
holds other world records for his Mini
stunt driving and still does shows today
piloting the new (BMW) Mini Cooper.
www.russswift.co.uk
Funny Mini Ad
Quite a saucy TV ad that Mini released...
Watch
Mini TV ad (513Kb)
New
MINI tip hat to Michael Caine
The
Best Roof Graphic Ever?
[This car actually
belonged to a friend of mine who is a
big Mini/Italian Job fan (he now has a
rag-top Cooper S), here is the report
that appeared on the MINI2 website] -
Ed
Obviously that's a highly subjective thing
but here's one that should probably belong
on a short list of the best out there.
I'll let Martin (Rakey on MINI2) explain
for himself:
"A cold winters night in the pub
with my mates in December 2002, told them
I had test drove a MINI Cooper S, and
wanted one, but wanted to something a
little different. So we sat, drank a few
beers, and decided in homage to my previous
Mini Cooper, it should be black and white,
then I felt this was not enough. So talked
about how I could make it totally unique,
and we came up with hundreds of ideas
for the car, roof graphics was the main
area of discussion. My final choice was
made, a classic iconic image of my favourite
actor.
Well
a few people knew I was planning this,
but here it is finally done and on me
car. I would like to thank them for their
encouragement and support (you all know
who you are), but a big thanks has to
go to Mad Brummie for putting me in touch
with Russell at Action Graphics."
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