Ever wondered about those strange metallic noises you hear in the street? Ever been unsettled by some random, haunting shouting late at night? Ever pondered on the bizarreness of how a book comes to rest on a bus shelter roof? Wonder no more as the likely culprit is the Clanker Man; a strange, secretive role now revealed for the first time in Ben Steiner’s new mockumentary.
Terry is frustrated with his job. Trained only in the fundamentals of his role, and armed solely with his trademark clanker – a kind of shortened crow bar – he is being forced to operate entirely out of his comfort zone. Primarily responsible for banging and clanging of pipes and railings, cut backs have forced him into the mysterious world of “single glove on railings”, a job for a specialist, and Terry is at breaking point.
Eschewing the shock and visceral horror of previous works The Stomach and The Flea, Steiner has presented a witty, intelligently observed mini-drama in Clanker Man, and it is an enjoyable, if all to brief, insight into a world that, at some point, has affected us all. Wholly simple of premise, Clanker Man works due to its complete relatability – we’ve all heard those strange noises at night – and its absolute believability. You buy into Terry’s story, you sense his frustration, and you empathise with his desperation in trying to do a good job against the odds.
Most akin to a sketch from The Fast Show, Clanker Man demonstrates Steiner’s more approachable, playful side. The Stomach and The Flea showed his love of the surreal and the horrific, of his taste for the macabre and the gruesome. Clanker Man is Steiner simply having fun. If you hear a strange clanging noise on your lunch hour, or have a few minutes to wait for the next bus, seek out Clanker Man – you’ll be very glad you did.
CLANKER MAN / CERT: TBC / DIRECTOR: BEN STEINER / SCREENPLAY: BEN STEINER, ELI SILVERMAN / STARRING: ELI SILVERMAN, SIMON MEACOCK / RELEASE DATE: AVAILABLE NOW
