Madness restore their film Take It Or Leave It for cinema rerelease

Madness have restored their 1981 film Take It Or Leave It in 4K and shared a new trailer. The BFI-restored film returns to UK and Ireland cinemas on October 2, with a premiere and Q&A featuring band members on September 30 at BFI Southbank, before making its first-ever Blu-ray release on October 19.

The part-mockumentary film, made with no actors, caught the band playing themselves as they rose through the ranks to become one of Britain's best-loved groups, reliving line-up changes, arguments and gigs on the way to finding their sound. It was shot largely on location, including at Camden's Dublin Castle, with a soundtrack including One Step Beyond, Night Boat to Cairo, My Girl, Baggy Trousers and Embarrassment. It was the feature debut of director and Stiff Records founder Dave Robinson.

The Blu-ray and DVD Limited Edition adds new interviews with Suggs, Mark Bedders Bedford and Robinson, the classic audio commentary from Robinson and Chris Chrissy Boy Foreman, behind-the-scenes footage, the original 1981 trailer and nine Madness music videos. First pressings come with an illustrated booklet featuring new writing alongside Neil Tennant's original review.

The rerelease follows Madness's 45-track career collection Hit Parade, released at the end of last year and spanning their story from 1979 to 2024, including 27 Top 40 hits such as It Must Be Love and their 1982 number one House Of Fun.

Frontman Suggs looked back on the band's early days in a separate NME interview around the Hit Parade release: "There was a parade of serious people going on one side of the pavement," he said, "and we were on the other side with a popped balloon and a kazoo." Asked whether Madness could break through in today's climate, he was doubtful: "It's so hard for bands now," he said. "We certainly wouldn't have got very far on X Factor or Britain's Got Talent."