Madness docudrama 'Take It Or Leave It' receives 4K restoration

The 1981 docufictional comedy 'Take It Or Leave It', which chronicles the rise of the British ska-pop band Madness, is being re-released in UK and Irish cinemas in a deluxe 4K print on October 2.

Directed by Dave Robinson, co-founder of Stiff Records, the film uses a guerrilla filmmaking approach to depict the band’s journey from 1976 through their initial chart success. The production, partly funded by the band’s own royalty payments, features elements of social realism, including black-and-white sequences depicting the members working odd jobs and navigating life in north London districts such as Camden Town, Stoke Newington, and Crouch End.

To prepare for the film, Robinson interviewed the seven band members and drew inspiration from movies like 'Mean Streets', 'Kes', and 'Bronco Bullfrog'. While the film initially diverged from the expectations of the band's youthful audience in 1981, the restoration is being presented as a proto-Britpop document of a bygone era of London.