Theatrical re-release date announced for the 50th anniversary of Richard Loncraine’s Slade in Flame

50 years ago today, on 13 February 1975, Slade – Noddy Holder, Jim Lea, Dave Hill and Don Powell – arrived in a blaze of glory, riding on top of a fire engine, for the premiere of Slade in Flame at London’s Metropole Theatre – well, it was the 70s. In celebration of the 50^th anniversary of this gritty rather than glam classic, directed by Richard Loncraine (Richard III, My One and Only), the film will be back on the big screen on 2 May 2025, newly remastered and released in cinemas in the UK and Ireland by BFI Distribution, followed by a BFI Blu-ray/DVD release on 19 May 2025. The cinema release will be supported by a brand-new trailer and new poster and the Blu-ray/DVD will contain new extra features.

Slade in Flame both confounded and delighted audiences when it was originally released, at the height of the legendary glam-rock band’s fame, following their incredible six No.1 UK singles from 1971-1973. A fictional tale but based on true experiences and starring the band themselves as the members of Flame – this was a music film like no other. Charting the rise and fall of a pop group at the end of the 1960s – from bold beginnings in seedy clubs to booze-addled endings in spectacular stadiums – this darkly cynical, warts-and-all portrait of a band in freefall amidst the music-industry suits who want a piece of the pie was not what anybody was expecting. 

Slade in Flame came about when the band’s manager Chas Chandler (who had previously discovered and managed Jimi Hendrix), decided that a film should be their next step after their huge chart success. The band were up for it but, despite their colourful image, were adamant they didn’t want to do a running and jumping around film in the fashion of The Beatles in A Hard Day’s Night; they wanted a film based on real life. In order to get a feel for what it was really like being in a band in the late 60s, director Richard Loncraine (working on his first feature film) and screenwriter Andrew Birkin (The Cement Garden, Perfume: Story of a Murderer) went out on the road to America with Slade to observe all the goings on and hear their stories, both about themselves and other bands they knew at the time. Filming took place mainly on location in Sheffield and Nottingham.

Supporting cast included Tom Conti (Oppenheimer, Reuben, Reuben, Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence) in his first major film role as manager Robert Seymour, Alan Lake as singer Jack Daniels (who at one point was fired from the set for disorderly behaviour and only reinstated thanks to his wife Diana Dors’ persuasion), Johnny Shannon (Performance) as manager Ron Harding and real-life DJs Emperor Rosko and Tommy Vance. The notable crew included producer Gavrik Losey (Dance Craze), cinematographer Peter Hannan (Withnail and I, Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life) and editor Michael Bradsell (The Devils, Local Hero). Writer Dave Humphries (Quadrophenia) contributed to the dialogue.

Ahead of the film’s opening, the original soundtrack album, was released, reaching No.6 in the UK album charts. That was preceded by the taster single Far Far Away, which reached No.2 in the UK singles charts. The album also featured How Does It Feel, which was the second single.

Acclaimed as a stone-cold bona-fide cult classic over subsequent decades, and boasting a razor-sharp screenplay, superb performances and the power-packed foot-stomping soundtrack, Slade in Flame has been newly remastered by the BFI from the best available 35mm materials for its cinema release and its first ever release on Blu-ray. 

The remastered film will premiere at BFI Southbank on Thursday 1 May.

Cinema screenings will be listed on the BFI website.