Blinded By The Light DVD Review and Giveaway (Cert 12A) Sent for review.

Blinded By The Light is a UK movie brought to us by writer/director/producer Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham). Released by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, based on the book Greetings from Bury Park: Race, Religion and Rock N’ Roll, and inspired by the real life of author Javed Manzoor.

There is a superb cast, with credits including Bend It Like Beckham, Game Of Thrones and Gavin And Stacey, and a soundtrack featuring a host of late 1980's hits, as well as Bruce Springsteen's back catalogue.

The movie starts in 1980, with young Javed talking about his life and setting the scene. This is when he decides to start keeping a journal, and his story begins.

We skip to 1987 and Javed's now a young adult (played by Viveik Kalra), living in industrialised Luton, going to college and dreaming of something more exciting. His friend Matt has also grown up, but he goes on fancy holidays abroad and is in a politically active band. Javed needs more.

The soundtrack is brilliant. Cutting Crew, Pet Shop Boys and a host of others play along as the 1980's kids jiggle, lip synch and push a car to get it started in the morning, in a much more realistic version of 1987 than most.

During the infamous storms, Javed blocks out the noise by picking up his mate's cassette player and turning it on. He hears Bruce Springsteen for the first time, and Bruce's words sing to him. He feels a connection.

This is when he decides it's time to change. His dream is to be stronger and lead a more positive life, with Bruce Springsteen's music as his backing track. And he's going to achieve it.

Blinded By The Light is rated a 12A. My 11 year old son watched and really enjoyed it. It has a couple of 'lingering kisses' with love interest Eliza (Nell Williams), and it covers racism, which was rampant in places in 1987. It was still seen as socially commonplace to use a lot of threatening language and behaviour which would appal pretty much anyone. That side of 1987 is one I'd rather forget, and one that shocked my son.

Blinded By The Light is a fantastic movie, possibly extra special to me because the main character is the same age as I am. It's a great way to show my kids just what it was like when their parents were teenagers - although mass song breakouts really didn't ever happen. and Javed must go to a pretty middle class school. His has a school radio and school newspaper. My 1987 comprehensive had no facility to teach music and broke records for teenage pregnancies.

A feel good positive film that will appeal to today's teenagers and young people as well as their parents, and their parents too. Nostalgia and if nothing else it'll make you feel a bit better about the UK, and our dress sense, in 2019.

‘Blinded by The Light’ is available on Digital Download, DVD and Blu-Ray (HMV Exclusive) from today, 9th December, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Available now priced around £10, including from Amazon* (affiliate).

I'm delighted to say that Universal Pictures Home Entertainment have kindly offered a copy of Blinded By The Light on DVD for one of my readers. Entry to the giveaway is by the Gleam form below.

If you are new to Gleam there is a link to help, as well as my other UK giveaways, on my Giveaways page. This giveaway is open to UK entrants only and will end at midnight Sunday 22nd December. The prize will be delivered in the New Year.

Blinded By The Light DVD Giveaway

We were sent our copy of Blinded By The Light for review. Amazon links are affiliate, because just like Jared's parents in 1987, we have to try and keep food on the table somehow. I earn a few pence if you buy through my link, but you never pay a penny extra.