Voice Over (1981)

Shot in 16mm with no-frills sets and no-frills acting – the film only cost £11,500, mostly supplied by the Welsh Arts Council – Voice Over depicts the world of late-night radio show host “Fats” Bannerman (Ian McNeice) who has developed a cult following by reading his own romance novellas over the airwaves.

His life changes when he discovers a woman in a red dress (Bish Nethercote) on the side of a road who has been stabbed and beaten to the point of catatonia. He decides to takes her into his flat and cleans and dresses her.

He gets a doctor to look at her and is advised to take her to an institution for professional help. However, Fats dismisses the advice and keeps the woman. Eventually, he buys a respectable, middle-class house and moves there with the woman, whose only name – the name Fats has given her – is Bitch.

Meanwhile, Fats’ radio demeanour begins to give way. He stammers on the air, broadcasts multiple tapes of his voice simultaneously and in general suffers a collapse.

At the film’s end, Fats hacks his housemate to death in a rhythmic, sexual manner and crouches vacantly over her corpse. She never says a word.

Fats Bannerman
Ian McNeice
Bitch/Elizabeth
Bish Nethercote
FX Jones
John Cassady
Celia
Sarah Martin
Frank
David Pearce
Doctor
Stuart Hutton
PAP Boss
Eira Moore
RDOV Boss
Paul Chandler
Bitch’s friend
Carol Owen
Captain Thompson
Jon Groome

Director
Christopher Monger