Following on from another Top 3 films article  that I posted yesterday, I pondered who to select for the next article.  Of course the title of this gives it away, so no point in trying to surprise you is there. Yes its Josef Altin

I asked Josef, the exact same question that I asked everyone who I felt would be wonderful for these Top 3 articles.

“What are 3 UK films you really love and you think people should watch“

As I did with everyone I did make the stipulation that they were not allowed to be been involved in the production of the films – just to make it fair. Otherwise some sneaky souls might pitch in with their own movies.

But lets hear a bit more about Josef Altin who first came to my attention through that little show called Game Of Thrones.

Appearing in 13 episodes (to date) Josef took the role of Pypar and made it his own, building what could have been a background character and doing what is so very hard to do nowadays. Make a character that you care about.

But it turns out that Game Of Thrones wasnt the first time I had seen him on screen. Game Of Thrones was just the first time I knew the name Josef Altin before I watched the role. The first time I would have actually seen Mr Altin was in the 2007 David Cronenberg film Eastern Promises in his role as Ekrem. I have always been a huge fan of Cronenberg and would have watched this film on its release. Way back in 2007, a time before I even knew the name of Josef Altin.

Since then Josef Altin has cropped up in so many films & shows over the years. Including Misfits Season 1 (and 3), Being Human, and films such as Vendetta, Les Miserables (yes that one), Hummingbird (with Jason Statham), A Long Way Down (which hits DVD very soon), The Hooligan Factory (which also hits DVD and Blu ray in July and looks bloody funny if I can turn this into a review for a second) as well as the wonderfully impressive looking Child 44 alongside Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Dev Patel, and Paddy Considine.

This article would be a waste of time if I were to give you an oversight of his career. Why? Because this guy has more ahead of him than he has behind him.  With over 63 credits (on his IMDB page) since 1999, He shows no sign of slowing down, quite the opposite and there are many more wonderful projects to come from the man himself. You can bet youll see me talking about them on the various platforms I write for.

Appears as ‘Weasel’ in The Hooligan Factory

So lets shove on, you will hear more about Mr Altin in future postings, I assure you. For now lets delve into the film viewing taste of Josef and see which three UK films he selected. I must say.  I am highly impressed with his taste in films.

First up is the Shane Meadows directed classic (yes its a classic) 2004 film which would easily be in my all time Top 10 UK films. Its brilliantly put together, minimal cast, minimal locations but super high tension and creepiness.

Has Paddy Considine ever been better? Has Shane Meadows ever been better?

A soldier (played by Paddy Considine) returns to his hometown to get even with the thugs who brutalized his mentally-challenged brother (played by Toby Kebbell). A basic storyline but there is nothing basic about this film. A brilliant selection.

Next up is a film that for some reason I have only seen once, perhaps its because I dont own the DVD at present. Its certainly not because the film isnt a fantastic one.

From 2012, its the Joe Cole starring Prison film Offender in which Tommy (brilliant played by Joe Cole) has himself jailed on purpose in order to carry out his revenge on the men who committed a violent against his girlfriend and his child. Super powerful, extremely realistic.

Its no surprise that coming from a TV background, since Offender, Joe Cole has several feature films under his belt. This performance is one that places people on maps. Yes the storyline is a simplistic one, but there isnt anything simplistic about Offender.

So which film has Josef selected for his third and final choice. Well its a film I am so happy to see included in this list. Its a film I first heard about on a very early episode of my podcast, when I spoke with actor Nabil Elouahabi who at the time was shooting this film. Its also a film that years later I would be standing face to face with one of its directors, without actually realising that I was standing in front of one of its directors until mid way through a verbal paragraph about ‘frompage2screen’

Its the James Nunn/Ronnie Thompson film Tower Block from 2012.

This film also has  such a short pitch but theres nothing simple about the film.

Tower Block is a film about residents of Tower Block 31 who find themselves being picked off by a sniper. Thats it. Theres your premise. But theres more to this very cool film than a simple premise. I am so fond of this film and have watched it several times over the past couple of years.

With a cast that includes Nabil Elouahabi (HBOs Generation Kill), Russell Tovey (Being Human), Sheridan Smith (Quartet), Ralph Brown (Alien 3), Jack O Connell (Starred Up) to name a few. You really should check out Tower Block. In fact you should really check out all 3 of the films mentioned in this list as well as heading over to Josef Altins filmography and seeing just how many films and shows he has appeared in. You can find it HERE

Danny (Dyer) & Josef Altin in 2013’s Vendetta

A huge thank you to Josef Altin for taking the time out to let me know what his  Top 3 UK films are, those should keep you busy until The Hooligan Factory comes out on DVD and Blu Ray but for those who havent yet checked it out. Lets finish this article with a trailer for it. Spot the coke covered face of Weasel, brilliantly played by Mr Josef Altin.