Former Coventry bouncer fears his film will cause him problems

Oct 6 2008 By Adam Aspinall

A BAFTA-winning Midland director and former bouncer claims he fears reprisals after a film of his life was released this week.

Geoff Thompson, 48, from Coventry, wrote the movie Clubbed which was premiered at the Raindance Film Festival in London.

The film is based on his best-selling autobiography, Watch My Back, which charted his journey from factory worker to feared nightclub bouncer.

But Thompson admits the scenes of bloody confrontations will be uncomfortable viewing – and may lead to reprisals.

He said: “There’s always the possibility the film could open a few wounds.

“If you make enemies, sometimes they are for life and that’s going to happen when you work on the door.

“But most of the events shown in the film happened 15 years ago, so hopefully they have been forgotten.

“The people I was dealing with then are either dead or married with children.

“I had a few problems when the book first came out because people weren’t happy with what I had written about them and were looking to settle a few scores.

“But most people just want to shake my hand now.”

Thompson won a BAFTA for his short film Brown Paper Bag and expects some critics will hate Clubbed.

He said: “Most films don’t want to frighten their audiences, so they tone down scenes of violence and make it romantic.

“But we haven’t done that. It is uncomfortable and people should be repelled by what they see and realise they don’t want any part of that lifestyle.

“The film will polarise opinion and I’m sure some people will hate it.

“Some people will just see the violence while others will see the transition taking place.

“It’s the film I always wanted to make. It’s a film about fear and overcoming fear.

“You can be anything you want to be, but you have to negotiate feelings of fear and not run when you feel them.

“Hopefully it will inspire people.”

Thompson is a prolific author and has written more than 30 books but he revealed he has been banned from promoting his books in Waterstone’s.

He said: “Every time I go into one of their shops, a member of staff ends up resigning within a few days.

“That’s why they’ve decided to ban me.

“All I do is ask people if they are happy with their lives and if they really want to be doing what they are doing.

“I’m a working-class kid from Coventry. I’m not supposed to write best-selling books and win BAFTAs. At least that’s what I was told when I was growing up.

“My message is you can do anything if you take responsibility for your own life.

“But you have to be really hungry and have a strong will and self-belief.”