Spiceworld (film)
Encyclopedia
Spice World is a 1997 British musical
comedy film
directed by Bob Spiers
, written by Kim Fuller
and Jamie Curtis
, and starring the best-selling pop
girl group
the Spice Girls
. The lighthearted comedy, made in a similar vein to The Beatles
' A Hard Day's Night
, depicts fictional events leading up to a major concert at London
's Royal Albert Hall
, liberally interspersed with dream sequences and flashbacks
as well as surreal
moments and humorous asides. The film premiered on December 15, 1997 and was released in British cinemas on Boxing Day
, followed by the release in North America on January 23, 1998. Despite it being extremely successful at the box office, the film garnered negative reviews. However, it has since become a cult classic
due to home video releases.
are enjoying their fame, but they become dissatisfied with the burdens of it. A sinister newspaper owner, Kevin McMaxford (Barry Humphries
), is trying to ruin the girls' reputation in order to cash in on the headlines, and even dispatches a photographer, Damien (Richard O'Brien
), to take pictures and tape recordings of the girls. Less threatening but more annoying is a film director, Piers Cuthbertson-Smyth (Alan Cumming
), who stalks the band along with his crew, hoping to use them as documentary subjects; at the same time, the girls' manager, Clifford (Richard E. Grant
), is fending off two overeager Hollywood writers, Martin Barnfield and Graydon (George Wendt
and Mark McKinney
), who relentlessly pitch absurd plot ideas for the girls' film. Amid this, the girls must prepare for a concert at the Albert Hall
, their biggest performance yet. At the heart of it, the constant practices, traveling, publicity appearances, and other burdens of celebrity affect them on a personal level, preventing them from spending much time with their best friend outside the band, Nicola (Naoko Mori
), who is due to give birth soon. Throughout their busy schedule, the girls keep asking Clifford for time off to spend with Nicola and to relax, but he refuses, mainly because his own boss, the cryptic and eccentric "Chief" (Roger Moore
), would not allow it. The stress and overwork compound, culminating in a huge argument with Clifford, the girls' assistant, Deborah (Claire Rushbrook
), and among the band mates; the girls storm out on the evening before their concert at the Albert Hall the next day.
Separately, the girls think back on their humble beginnings, their struggle to the top, and their strengthened friendship. They reunite by chance outside the now-closed pub where they practised in the early days, reconcile, then decide to take Nicola out dancing. However, Nicola goes into labour at the nightclub and is rushed to the hospital in the girls' bus. The girls decided to stay at the hospital to provide Nicola with support, refusing to perform until after she has given birth. The next morning, the day of the girls' Albert Hall gig, Nicola finally gives birth to a girl. As the girls are leaving the hospital for their Albert Hall gig, they bump into a doctor, but when Emma
notices he has a camera, the girls realize the doctor is Damien, who runs off with the girls in hot pursuit, only to hit his head after accidentally colliding with an empty stretcher. When Damien saw the girls standing over him, he told them that they have made him see the error of his ways, and he goes after McMaxford, who is subsequently fired in a "Jacuzzi Scandal". After noticing the girls' bus driver, Dennis (Meat Loaf
) is missing, Victoria
decides to drive herself. So, it becomes a race against time as Victoria drives like a maniac, screaming, "Get out of the way! Get out of the way!" to innocent bystanders. Along the way to the Albert Hall, the bus drives by Buckingham Palace
and the girls all wave to the Royal Family
. The girls end up on the roof of the bus and fall through its sunroof, collapsing onto each other in a pile when Victoria puts her foot down on the accelerator pedal. While approaching to the Tower Bridge
, it starts to go up to let a boat through. The bus eventually land safely on the other side, but when Emma opens a trapdoor in the floor, she discovers a bomb, and the girls scream before Emma slams the trapdoor shut again. The girls finally arrive at the Albert Hall, and run up the steps
to the Rocky theme
, but they have one more obstacle to overcome; a London
policeman (Kevin McNally
) charged the girls with: "dangerous driving, criminal damage, flying a bus without a license, and frightening the pigeons". Emma is pushed forward, and she told him that they were late for their performance. Emma smiles at him, and the policeman lets the girls off.
The film ends when the girls perform their song "Spice Up Your Life
". Footage airs during the closing credits of the supporting cast talking about the girls' film and interviewing with them. Mel C
breaks the fourth wall and tells the other girls that the outgoing audience is watching them. The girls talk to the audience and discuss various things about their film; Victoria says to a certain woman in the audience: "Hey, you. No, not you, behind you. Yeah, to the left a bit. I like your dress. Is that a Gucci one?"; Mel B
says: "C&A, mate"; Emma says: "Do you know what some people are watching this on video, is there nothing on telly then?!"; Geri
says: "Yeah, but you know what they're wondering now, don't you?"; when Mel C suddenly asks: "What happened to the bomb on the bus?!", her question is answered by a loud explosion from the distance.
had been working in America on the Disney film That Darn Cat at the peak of the Spice Girls' popularity. He was unaware of the group when first offered the job until friend Jennifer Saunders
advised that he take it. He arrived at a meeting with them in a New York hotel unaware of what they looked like.
Gary Glitter
filmed a four-minute cameo appearance
as himself, but shortly before the film was to be released he was arrested on child porn offenses. The Spice Girls and the production team agreed that his cameo should be deleted from the final print. However, the girls were shown performing Glitter's "Leader of the Gang".
Two real world deaths after filming prompted edits to the movie. Mentions of Princess Diana
and scenes including the designer Gianni Versace
were made in the film but cut out because they were both alive when the film was made but both died before its release.
. It also received nominations for Worst Picture, Worst New Star (Spice Girls), Worst Supporting Actor (Roger Moore), Worst Screenplay, Worst Screen Couple ("any combination of two people, body parts or fashion accessories"), and Worst Original Song ("Too Much").
Film aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes
gave Spice World a "rotten" rating of 29%. AllMovie gave it a 2/5 stars.
Noted American film critic
Roger Ebert
gave the film 0.5/4 stars and listed Spice World as one of his most hated films, saying: "The Spice Girls are easier to tell apart than the Mutant Ninja Turtles
, but that is small consolation: What can you say about five women whose principal distinguishing characteristic is that they have different names? They occupy "Spice World" as if they were watching it: They're so detached they can't even successfully lip-synch their own songs."
Although it got a negative reception from critics, the movie received a cult following, as well as earning positive reviews from fans thanks to Columbia TriStar Home Video's home video releases of the film.
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
directed by Bob Spiers
Bob Spiers
Bob Spiers was a director. He is particularly noted as the director of the early series of Absolutely Fabulous , the musical comedy Spiceworld, and of the second series of Fawlty Towers . He also worked with Steven Moffat on Press Gang and Joking Apart...
, written by Kim Fuller
Kim Fuller
Kim Fuller is a British writer for film, radio and television. His brother Simon Fuller is Britain's most successful music manager as manager of Annie Lennox and The Spice Girls amongst others and creator of the Idol Series...
and Jamie Curtis
Jamie Curtis
Jamie Curtis is a British screenwriter. His credits include Spice World and Lost for Words . He also produced the TV series The Good Sex Guide .-External links:...
, and starring the best-selling pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
girl group
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
the Spice Girls
Spice Girls
The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
. The lighthearted comedy, made in a similar vein to The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' A Hard Day's Night
A Hard Day's Night (film)
A Hard Day's Night is a 1964 British black-and-white comedy film directed by Richard Lester and starring The Beatles—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr—during the height of Beatlemania. It was written by Alun Owen and originally released by United Artists...
, depicts fictional events leading up to a major concert at London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
, liberally interspersed with dream sequences and flashbacks
Flashback (narrative)
Flashback is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened before the story’s primary sequence of events or to fill in crucial backstory...
as well as surreal
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
moments and humorous asides. The film premiered on December 15, 1997 and was released in British cinemas on Boxing Day
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
, followed by the release in North America on January 23, 1998. Despite it being extremely successful at the box office, the film garnered negative reviews. However, it has since become a cult classic
Cult Classic
Cult Classic is a Blue Öyster Cult studio recording released in 1994, containing remakes of many of the band's previous hits.-Track listing:# " The Reaper" - 5:05# "E.T.I...
due to home video releases.
Plot
As the film begins, the Spice GirlsSpice Girls
The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
are enjoying their fame, but they become dissatisfied with the burdens of it. A sinister newspaper owner, Kevin McMaxford (Barry Humphries
Barry Humphries
John Barry Humphries, AO, CBE is an Australian comedian, satirist, dadaist, artist, author and character actor, best known for his on-stage and television alter egos Dame Edna Everage, a Melbourne housewife and "gigastar", and Sir Les Patterson, Australia's foul-mouthed cultural attaché to the...
), is trying to ruin the girls' reputation in order to cash in on the headlines, and even dispatches a photographer, Damien (Richard O'Brien
Richard O'Brien
Richard Timothy Smith , better known under his stage name Richard O'Brien, is an English writer, actor, television presenter and theatre performer. He is perhaps best known for writing the cult musical The Rocky Horror Show and for his role in presenting the popular TV show The Crystal Maze...
), to take pictures and tape recordings of the girls. Less threatening but more annoying is a film director, Piers Cuthbertson-Smyth (Alan Cumming
Alan Cumming
Alan Cumming, OBE is a Scottish stage, television and film actor, singer, writer, director, producer and author. His roles have included the Emcee in Cabaret, Boris Grishenko in GoldenEye, Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler in X2: X-Men United, Mr. Elton in Emma, and Fegan Floop in the Spy Kids trilogy...
), who stalks the band along with his crew, hoping to use them as documentary subjects; at the same time, the girls' manager, Clifford (Richard E. Grant
Richard E. Grant
Richard E. Grant is a Swaziland-born British actor, screenwriter and director. His most notable role came in the film Withnail and I. He holds dual British and Swazi citizenship.-Early life:...
), is fending off two overeager Hollywood writers, Martin Barnfield and Graydon (George Wendt
George Wendt
George Robert Wendt III is an American actor, best known for the roles of Norm Peterson and Tug Clarke on the television shows Cheers and Modern Men.-Early life:...
and Mark McKinney
Mark McKinney
Mark Douglas Brown McKinney is a Canadian comedian and actor, best known for his work in the sketch comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall. Following the run of their television series and feature film , he went on to star in Saturday Night Live from 1995 to 1997...
), who relentlessly pitch absurd plot ideas for the girls' film. Amid this, the girls must prepare for a concert at the Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
, their biggest performance yet. At the heart of it, the constant practices, traveling, publicity appearances, and other burdens of celebrity affect them on a personal level, preventing them from spending much time with their best friend outside the band, Nicola (Naoko Mori
Naoko Mori
is a British-Japanese actress known for roles as Sarah, Saffron's "odd" friend in Absolutely Fabulous, Mie Nishikawa in Casualty, and Toshiko Sato in Doctor Who and Torchwood.-Early life:...
), who is due to give birth soon. Throughout their busy schedule, the girls keep asking Clifford for time off to spend with Nicola and to relax, but he refuses, mainly because his own boss, the cryptic and eccentric "Chief" (Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Sir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
), would not allow it. The stress and overwork compound, culminating in a huge argument with Clifford, the girls' assistant, Deborah (Claire Rushbrook
Claire Rushbrook
Claire Rushbrook is an English film and television actress best known for her lead and support roles in various episodic television series.-Background:...
), and among the band mates; the girls storm out on the evening before their concert at the Albert Hall the next day.
Separately, the girls think back on their humble beginnings, their struggle to the top, and their strengthened friendship. They reunite by chance outside the now-closed pub where they practised in the early days, reconcile, then decide to take Nicola out dancing. However, Nicola goes into labour at the nightclub and is rushed to the hospital in the girls' bus. The girls decided to stay at the hospital to provide Nicola with support, refusing to perform until after she has given birth. The next morning, the day of the girls' Albert Hall gig, Nicola finally gives birth to a girl. As the girls are leaving the hospital for their Albert Hall gig, they bump into a doctor, but when Emma
Emma Bunton
Emma Lee Bunton is an English pop singer/songwriter and TV and radio presenter. She was a member of the 1990s girl group, the Spice Girls, in which she was known as Baby Spice as she was the youngest member. In 2010, she joined the judging panel on ITV's Dancing on Ice...
notices he has a camera, the girls realize the doctor is Damien, who runs off with the girls in hot pursuit, only to hit his head after accidentally colliding with an empty stretcher. When Damien saw the girls standing over him, he told them that they have made him see the error of his ways, and he goes after McMaxford, who is subsequently fired in a "Jacuzzi Scandal". After noticing the girls' bus driver, Dennis (Meat Loaf
Meat Loaf
Michael Lee Aday , better known by his stage name, Meat Loaf, is an American hard rock musician and actor...
) is missing, Victoria
Victoria Beckham
Victoria Caroline Beckham is an English singer-songwriter, dancer, model, actress, fashion designer and businesswoman. In the late 1990s, Beckham rose to fame with the all-female pop group Spice Girls and was dubbed Posh Spice by the July 1996 issue of the British pop music magazine Top of the Pops...
decides to drive herself. So, it becomes a race against time as Victoria drives like a maniac, screaming, "Get out of the way! Get out of the way!" to innocent bystanders. Along the way to the Albert Hall, the bus drives by Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
and the girls all wave to the Royal Family
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
. The girls end up on the roof of the bus and fall through its sunroof, collapsing onto each other in a pile when Victoria puts her foot down on the accelerator pedal. While approaching to the Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, England, over the River Thames. It is close to the Tower of London, from which it takes its name...
, it starts to go up to let a boat through. The bus eventually land safely on the other side, but when Emma opens a trapdoor in the floor, she discovers a bomb, and the girls scream before Emma slams the trapdoor shut again. The girls finally arrive at the Albert Hall, and run up the steps
Rocky Steps
The 72 stone steps before the entrance of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania have become known as the "Rocky Steps" as a result of their appearance in the triple-Oscar-winning film Rocky and four of its sequels, Rocky II, III, V and Rocky Balboa, in which the eponymous...
to the Rocky theme
Gonna Fly Now
"Gonna Fly Now", also known as "Theme from Rocky", is the theme song from the movie Rocky, composed by Bill Conti with lyrics by Carol Connors and Ayn Robbins, and performed by DeEtta Little and Nelson Pigford...
, but they have one more obstacle to overcome; a London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
policeman (Kevin McNally
Kevin McNally
Kevin McNally is an English actor who has worked in theatre and radio extensively as well as in film and television.-Life and career:...
) charged the girls with: "dangerous driving, criminal damage, flying a bus without a license, and frightening the pigeons". Emma is pushed forward, and she told him that they were late for their performance. Emma smiles at him, and the policeman lets the girls off.
The film ends when the girls perform their song "Spice Up Your Life
Spice Up Your Life
"Spice Up Your Life" is a song by the British pop group Spice Girls. It was written by the group members, with Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard, at the same time as the group was filming scenes for their movie Spice World...
". Footage airs during the closing credits of the supporting cast talking about the girls' film and interviewing with them. Mel C
Melanie Chisholm
Melanie Jayne Chisholm is an English singer-songwriter, actress and businesswoman professionally known simply as Melanie C . She is best known as one of the five members of the girl group Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed "Sporty Spice"...
breaks the fourth wall and tells the other girls that the outgoing audience is watching them. The girls talk to the audience and discuss various things about their film; Victoria says to a certain woman in the audience: "Hey, you. No, not you, behind you. Yeah, to the left a bit. I like your dress. Is that a Gucci one?"; Mel B
Melanie Brown
Melanie Janine "Scary Spice" Brown , often better known as Mel B, is an English pop singer-songwriter, actress, author and television presenter...
says: "C&A, mate"; Emma says: "Do you know what some people are watching this on video, is there nothing on telly then?!"; Geri
Geri Halliwell
Geraldine Estelle "Geri" Halliwell is an English pop singer-songwriter, author and actress. After coming to international prominence in the late 1990s as Ginger Spice, a member of the girl group the Spice Girls, Halliwell launched her solo career in 1998 and released her album Schizophonic...
says: "Yeah, but you know what they're wondering now, don't you?"; when Mel C suddenly asks: "What happened to the bomb on the bus?!", her question is answered by a loud explosion from the distance.
The Spice Girls
| Actress | Also known as |
|---|---|
| Victoria Beckham Victoria Beckham Victoria Caroline Beckham is an English singer-songwriter, dancer, model, actress, fashion designer and businesswoman. In the late 1990s, Beckham rose to fame with the all-female pop group Spice Girls and was dubbed Posh Spice by the July 1996 issue of the British pop music magazine Top of the Pops... |
Victoria/Posh Spice |
| Melanie Brown Melanie Brown Melanie Janine "Scary Spice" Brown , often better known as Mel B, is an English pop singer-songwriter, actress, author and television presenter... |
Mel B/Scary Spice |
| Emma Bunton Emma Bunton Emma Lee Bunton is an English pop singer/songwriter and TV and radio presenter. She was a member of the 1990s girl group, the Spice Girls, in which she was known as Baby Spice as she was the youngest member. In 2010, she joined the judging panel on ITV's Dancing on Ice... |
Emma/Baby Spice |
| Melanie Chisholm Melanie Chisholm Melanie Jayne Chisholm is an English singer-songwriter, actress and businesswoman professionally known simply as Melanie C . She is best known as one of the five members of the girl group Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed "Sporty Spice"... |
Mel C/Sporty Spice |
| Geri Halliwell Geri Halliwell Geraldine Estelle "Geri" Halliwell is an English pop singer-songwriter, author and actress. After coming to international prominence in the late 1990s as Ginger Spice, a member of the girl group the Spice Girls, Halliwell launched her solo career in 1998 and released her album Schizophonic... |
Geri/Ginger Spice |
Supporting characters
| Actor/actress | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Richard E. Grant Richard E. Grant Richard E. Grant is a Swaziland-born British actor, screenwriter and director. His most notable role came in the film Withnail and I. He holds dual British and Swazi citizenship.-Early life:... |
Clifford | The Spice Girls' manager |
| Claire Rushbrook Claire Rushbrook Claire Rushbrook is an English film and television actress best known for her lead and support roles in various episodic television series.-Background:... |
Deborah | The Spice Girls' assistant |
| Roger Moore Roger Moore Sir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London... |
The Chief | The head of the girls' record label |
| Naoko Mori Naoko Mori is a British-Japanese actress known for roles as Sarah, Saffron's "odd" friend in Absolutely Fabulous, Mie Nishikawa in Casualty, and Toshiko Sato in Doctor Who and Torchwood.-Early life:... |
Nicola | The Spice Girls' best friend outside the band |
| Barry Humphries Barry Humphries John Barry Humphries, AO, CBE is an Australian comedian, satirist, dadaist, artist, author and character actor, best known for his on-stage and television alter egos Dame Edna Everage, a Melbourne housewife and "gigastar", and Sir Les Patterson, Australia's foul-mouthed cultural attaché to the... |
Kevin McMaxford | Media tycoon |
| Richard O'Brien Richard O'Brien Richard Timothy Smith , better known under his stage name Richard O'Brien, is an English writer, actor, television presenter and theatre performer. He is perhaps best known for writing the cult musical The Rocky Horror Show and for his role in presenting the popular TV show The Crystal Maze... |
Damien | Paparazzo photographer |
| Alan Cumming Alan Cumming Alan Cumming, OBE is a Scottish stage, television and film actor, singer, writer, director, producer and author. His roles have included the Emcee in Cabaret, Boris Grishenko in GoldenEye, Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler in X2: X-Men United, Mr. Elton in Emma, and Fegan Floop in the Spy Kids trilogy... |
Piers Cuthbertson-Smyth | Film director |
| George Wendt George Wendt George Robert Wendt III is an American actor, best known for the roles of Norm Peterson and Tug Clarke on the television shows Cheers and Modern Men.-Early life:... |
Martin Barnfield | Hollywood writers |
| Mark McKinney Mark McKinney Mark Douglas Brown McKinney is a Canadian comedian and actor, best known for his work in the sketch comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall. Following the run of their television series and feature film , he went on to star in Saturday Night Live from 1995 to 1997... |
Graydon | |
| Michael Barrymore Michael Barrymore Michael Kieron Parker , better known by his stage name Michael Barrymore, is a British comedian who appeared as a presenter of game shows and light entertainment programmes on British television in the 1980s and 1990s. These included Strike It Lucky, My Kind of People, My Kind of Music and Kids Say... |
Mr. Step | the choreographer |
| Jools Holland Jools Holland Julian Miles "Jools" Holland OBE, DL is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer, and television presenter. He was a founder of the band Squeeze and his work has involved him with many artists including Sting, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, The Who, David Gilmour and Bono.Holland is a... |
Musical director | |
| Kevin McNally Kevin McNally Kevin McNally is an English actor who has worked in theatre and radio extensively as well as in film and television.-Life and career:... |
Policeman | Dance of the Goblins disassociator |
| Kevin Allen Kevin Allen (actor) Kevin Allen is a British screenwriter, film director, film producer and actor. He is best known for writing and directing the cult black comedy feature Twin Town set in Swansea . He also directed the films The Big Tease and Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London and hit UK TV series Benidorm... |
Gainer | TV director |
| Peter Sissons Peter Sissons Peter George Sissons is a broadcast journalist in the United Kingdom. He was the presenter of the BBC Nine O'Clock News and the BBC News at Ten between 1993 and 2003, as earlier a newscaster for ITN, providing bulletins on ITV and Channel 4. He is also a former presenter of the BBC's Question Time... |
Newsreader | |
| Stephen Fry Stephen Fry Stephen John Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter and film director, and a director of Norwich City Football Club. He first came to attention in the 1981 Cambridge Footlights Revue presentation "The Cellar Tapes", which also... |
Judge | |
| Richard Briers Richard Briers Richard David Briers, CBE is an English actor whose career has encompassed theatre, television, film and radio.He first came to prominence as George Starling in Marriage Lines in the 1960s, but it was in the following decade when he played Tom Good in the BBC sitcom The Good Life that he became a... |
Bishop | |
| Dominic West Dominic West Dominic Gerard Fe West is an English actor best known for his role as Detective Jimmy McNulty in the HBO drama series The Wire.-Film and TV:... |
Photographer | |
| Bill Paterson | Brian |
Cameos
| Actor/actress | Role |
|---|---|
| Jonathan Ross Jonathan Ross (television presenter) Jonathan Stephen Ross, OBE is an English television and radio presenter, best known for presenting the BBC One chat show Friday Night with Jonathan Ross from 2001 until he left the BBC in 2010. Ross began hosting a new chat show on ITV1 starting 3 September 2011... |
Himself |
| Elvis Costello Elvis Costello Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader... |
Bar Tender |
| Elton John Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor... |
Himself |
| Bob Geldof Bob Geldof Robert Frederick Zenon "Bob" Geldof, KBE is an Irish singer, songwriter, author, occasional actor and political activist. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats in the late 1970s and early 1980s alongside the punk rock movement. The band had hits with his... |
Himself |
| Bob Hoskins Bob Hoskins Robert William "Bob" Hoskins, Jr. is an English actor known for playing Cockney rough diamonds, psychopaths and gangsters, in films such as The Long Good Friday , and Mona Lisa , and lighter roles in family films such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Hook .- Early life :Hoskins was born in Bury St... |
Geri's Disguise |
| Jennifer Saunders Jennifer Saunders Jennifer Jane Saunders is an English comedienne, screenwriter, singer and actress. She has won two BAFTAs, an International Emmy Award, a British Comedy Award, a Rose d'Or Light Entertainment Festival Award, two Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards, and a Peoples Choice Award.She first came into... |
Fashionable Woman/Party Guest, possibly Edina Monsoon Edina Monsoon Edina Monsoon is the main character in the BBC programme Absolutely Fabulous, played by Jennifer Saunders, who is also the creator of the show. The character is known for her extravagance and various attempts to follow new crazes and trends.... |
| Meat Loaf Meat Loaf Michael Lee Aday , better known by his stage name, Meat Loaf, is an American hard rock musician and actor... |
Dennis the Bus Driver |
| Hugh Laurie Hugh Laurie James Hugh Calum Laurie, OBE , better known as Hugh Laurie , is an English actor, voice artist, comedian, writer, musician, recording artist, and director... |
Poirot |
| Stephen Fry Stephen Fry Stephen John Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter and film director, and a director of Norwich City Football Club. He first came to attention in the 1981 Cambridge Footlights Revue presentation "The Cellar Tapes", which also... |
Judge |
Production
Director Bob SpiersBob Spiers
Bob Spiers was a director. He is particularly noted as the director of the early series of Absolutely Fabulous , the musical comedy Spiceworld, and of the second series of Fawlty Towers . He also worked with Steven Moffat on Press Gang and Joking Apart...
had been working in America on the Disney film That Darn Cat at the peak of the Spice Girls' popularity. He was unaware of the group when first offered the job until friend Jennifer Saunders
Jennifer Saunders
Jennifer Jane Saunders is an English comedienne, screenwriter, singer and actress. She has won two BAFTAs, an International Emmy Award, a British Comedy Award, a Rose d'Or Light Entertainment Festival Award, two Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards, and a Peoples Choice Award.She first came into...
advised that he take it. He arrived at a meeting with them in a New York hotel unaware of what they looked like.
Gary Glitter
Gary Glitter
Gary Glitter is an English former glam rock singer-songwriter and musician.Glitter first came to prominence in the glam rock era of the early 1970s...
filmed a four-minute cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
as himself, but shortly before the film was to be released he was arrested on child porn offenses. The Spice Girls and the production team agreed that his cameo should be deleted from the final print. However, the girls were shown performing Glitter's "Leader of the Gang".
Two real world deaths after filming prompted edits to the movie. Mentions of Princess Diana
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
and scenes including the designer Gianni Versace
Gianni Versace
Gianni Versace was an Italian fashion designer and founder of Gianni Versace S.p.A., an international fashion house, which produces accessories, fragrances, makeup and home furnishings as well as clothes. He also designed costumes for the theatre and films, and was a friend of Madonna, Elton John,...
were made in the film but cut out because they were both alive when the film was made but both died before its release.
Audience
Spice World took in US$75 million dollars at the worldwide box office, including $29,342,592 in the U.S.Critical
Despite being a commercial success, the film was widely panned by critics. The Spice Girls each won the award for Worst Actress at the 1998 Golden Raspberry AwardsGolden Raspberry Awards
A Golden Raspberry Award, or Razzie for short, is an award presented in recognition of the worst in movies. Founded by American copywriter and publicist John J.B. Wilson in 1981, the annual Razzie Awards ceremony in Los Angeles precedes the corresponding Academy Awards ceremony by one day...
. It also received nominations for Worst Picture, Worst New Star (Spice Girls), Worst Supporting Actor (Roger Moore), Worst Screenplay, Worst Screen Couple ("any combination of two people, body parts or fashion accessories"), and Worst Original Song ("Too Much").
Film aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
gave Spice World a "rotten" rating of 29%. AllMovie gave it a 2/5 stars.
Noted American film critic
Film criticism
Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films, individually and collectively. In general, this can be divided into journalistic criticism that appears regularly in newspapers, and other popular, mass-media outlets and academic criticism by film scholars that is informed by film theory and...
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
gave the film 0.5/4 stars and listed Spice World as one of his most hated films, saying: "The Spice Girls are easier to tell apart than the Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a fictional team of four teenage anthropomorphic turtles, who were trained by their anthropomorphic rat sensei in the art of ninjutsu and named after four Renaissance artists...
, but that is small consolation: What can you say about five women whose principal distinguishing characteristic is that they have different names? They occupy "Spice World" as if they were watching it: They're so detached they can't even successfully lip-synch their own songs."
Although it got a negative reception from critics, the movie received a cult following, as well as earning positive reviews from fans thanks to Columbia TriStar Home Video's home video releases of the film.
DVD release
Spice World - The 10th Anniversary Edition was released on DVD on November 19, 2007 in the UK and Australia and November 27, 2007 in the U.S.Cultural references
- Among the many in-jokeIn-jokeAn in-joke, also known as an inside joke or in joke, is a joke whose humour is clear only to people who are in a particular social group, occupation, or other community of common understanding...
s is Dennis saying, when asked to fix the toilets, that he'd do anything for the girls, "but I won't do that!", a reference to Meat LoafMeat LoafMichael Lee Aday , better known by his stage name, Meat Loaf, is an American hard rock musician and actor...
's single, "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)I'd Do Anything for Love (but I Won't Do That)"I'd Do Anything for Love " is a song composed and written by Jim Steinman, and recorded by Meat Loaf. The song was released in 1993 as the first single from the album Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell. The title of the song confused some listeners, who were curious to know what "that" is...
". - The film reunited Meat LoafMeat LoafMichael Lee Aday , better known by his stage name, Meat Loaf, is an American hard rock musician and actor...
and Richard O'BrienRichard O'BrienRichard Timothy Smith , better known under his stage name Richard O'Brien, is an English writer, actor, television presenter and theatre performer. He is perhaps best known for writing the cult musical The Rocky Horror Show and for his role in presenting the popular TV show The Crystal Maze...
from The Rocky Horror Picture ShowThe Rocky Horror Picture ShowThe Rocky Horror Picture Show is the 1975 film adaptation of the British rock musical stageplay, The Rocky Horror Show, written by Richard O'Brien. The film is a parody of B-movie, science fiction and horror films of the late 1940s through early 1970s. Director Jim Sharman collaborated on the...
. - The film also reunited O'Brien and Barry HumphriesBarry HumphriesJohn Barry Humphries, AO, CBE is an Australian comedian, satirist, dadaist, artist, author and character actor, best known for his on-stage and television alter egos Dame Edna Everage, a Melbourne housewife and "gigastar", and Sir Les Patterson, Australia's foul-mouthed cultural attaché to the...
from Rocky Horrors "sequelSequelA sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
", Shock TreatmentShock TreatmentShock Treatment is a 1981 musical-black comedy film and a follow-up to the film The Rocky Horror Picture Show. While not an outright sequel, the movie does feature several characters from the movie portrayed by different actors and several Rocky Horror actors portraying new characters...
. - Victoria's big bus chase scene is a spoof of SpeedSpeed (film)Speed is a 1994 American action-thriller film directed by Jan de Bont, and set in Los Angeles. LAPD officer Jack Traven becomes the focus of a bomber and extortionist, retired Atlanta bomb squad sergeant, Howard Payne...
. - The Bus is shares properties with Dr. Who's TARDISTARDISThe TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
- it is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. - Sir Roger Moore's character of the Chief shares cinematic tropes of Ernst Stavro BlofeldErnst Stavro BlofeldErnst Stavro Blofeld is a fictional character and a supervillain from the James Bond series of novels and films, who was created by Ian Fleming and Kevin McClory. An evil genius with aspirations of world domination, he is the archenemy of the British Secret Service agent James Bond and is arguably...
- namely, a big plush rotating chair, and a pet white fluffy persian cat. - Geri can be seen watching The Strange Love of Martha IversThe Strange Love of Martha IversThe Strange Love of Martha Ivers is a black-and-white film noir released in the United States in 1946, starring Barbara Stanwyck, Van Heflin, Lizabeth Scott and Kirk Douglas in his film debut. The movie is based on the short story "Love Lies Bleeding" by playwright John Patrick, using the...
in her hotel room. - The scene where Emma is sleeping, a "Ch, ch, ch, ha, ha, ha" can be heard; this is a reference to Friday the 13th.
Soundtrack
- "Too MuchToo Much (Spice Girls song)"Too Much" is a song by the British pop group Spice Girls. Written by the group members with Paul Wilson and Andy Watkins—the songwriters and production duo known as Absolute—at the same time as the group was filming scenes for their movie Spice World, it was produced by Wilson and Watkins for the...
" (opening titles) - "Do It"
- "Say You'll Be ThereSay You'll Be There"Say You'll Be There" is a song by British pop group Spice Girls. It was written by the Spice Girls and Eliot Kennedy, for their debut album Spice, released in November 1996. Production duo Absolute incorporated a mix of pop and R&B into the song, which includes an harmonica solo, played by Judd...
" (concert version) - "MamaMama (Spice Girls song)"Mama" is a song by British pop group Spice Girls. It was written by the Spice Girls, Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard, and produced by Rowe and Stannard for the group's debut album Spice, released in November 1996...
" - "Denying"
- "Saturday Night Divas"
- "StopStop (Spice Girls song)"Stop" is a song by the British pop group Spice Girls. It was written by the group members with Paul Wilson and Andy Watkins—the songwriters and production duo known as Absolute—at the same time as the group was filming scenes for their movie Spice World...
" - "2 Become 12 Become 1"2 Become 1" is a song by the British pop group Spice Girls. Written by the group members, Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard during the group's first professional songwriting session, it was produced by Rowe and Stannard for the group's debut album Spice, released in November 1996...
" - "Leader of the Gang"
- "Never Give Up on the Good Times"
- "Sound Off"
- "My Boy LollipopMy Boy Lollipop"My Boy Lollipop" is a song written in the mid-1950s by Robert Spencer of the doo-wop group The Cadillacs, and usually credited to Spencer, Morris Levy, and Johnny Roberts. It was first recorded in New York in 1956 by Barbie Gaye...
" (Millie SmallMillie (singer)Millie is a Jamaican singer-songwriter, often known as "Little Millie Small", and in the United States as "Millie Small", and is best known as the singer of the 1964 hit, "My Boy Lollipop".-Career:...
) - "Viva ForeverViva Forever"Viva Forever" is a song by the Spice Girls from their second album, Spiceworld. Originally set to be released alongside the track “Never Give Up on the Good Times” the B-Side was then pulled as member Geri Halliwell left the group. The song was released on July 20, 1998 in the United Kingdom and...
" - "WannabeWannabe (song)"Wannabe" is the debut song by British pop group Spice Girls. Written by the group members with Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard during the group's first professional songwriting session, it was produced by Rowe and Stannard for the group's debut album Spice, released in November 1996...
" (demo version) - "Who Do You Think You AreWho Do You Think You Are"Who Do You Think You Are" is a dance-pop song performed by British pop group Spice Girls. It was written by the group members with Paul Wilson and Andy Watkins,—also known as Absolute—for the group's debut album Spice, released in November 1996. The song is heavily influenced by early 1990s...
" (Morales Club Mix) - "Spice Up Your LifeSpice Up Your Life"Spice Up Your Life" is a song by the British pop group Spice Girls. It was written by the group members, with Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard, at the same time as the group was filming scenes for their movie Spice World...
" - "The Lady is a Vamp" (closing titles)