Imagine my shock at realizing this is probably the best-preserved rock movie I’ve ever seen - the color, the clarity, everything. Its downright scary.
A sappy, genuinely surreal subplot follows a wannabe teen idol, squeaky clean CASEY PAXTON and his cutesy gal pal KATHERINE QUINT as they roam America, harassing real-life disc jockeys BOB FOSTER, HY LIT and ARNIE GINSBURG while lip-syncing their "hit" single "East is East" whenever we need a snack bar break.
Along the way we’re treated to over 20 great performances by vintage rock acts culminating in an astounding "almost live" medley by FREDDY CANNON and the raunchy ROCKIN’ RAMRODS. The American stuff is a glorious garage band montage of pool parties, mini-skirts, surf guitar and high school hops. The British sequences by Hickox (who would later direct THEATRE OF BLOOD and ZULU DAWN) are presented in lively, plush, full-fledged music video splendor complete with lavish sets, costumes, dancers, etc. Somehow, it all fits together.
The songs and artists in order of appearance: "Hide & Seek" by A BAND OF ANGELS; "Teenage Valentino," and "The Fox" by THE BACHELORS; "Oh Those Eyes" by THE VAGRANTS; "Leave Me Alone" by PETER & GORDON; "Nobody Knows" by THE CHIFFONS; "You Were Made for Me" by FREDDY & THE DREAMERS, "if I had a Hammer" by JOHNNY B. GREAT-, "It’s So Hard to Be Good" by LOUISE CORDET-, "Tell Me When" by THE APPLEJACKS; "Locomotion" by JACKIE & THE RAINDROPS; "Milkman" by THE MERSEYBEATS; "Play It" by THE ROCKIN’ RAMRODS; "Low in the Valley" by THE BACHELORS; "Mr. Scrooge" by THE ORCHIDS; "Sugar Dandy" by MILLIE SMALL; "Soft As the Dawn" by Peter & Gordon; "Tallahassee Abigail Beecher," "Buzz Buzz a-Diddle-it," and "Beachwood City" performed live by FREDDY CANNON with THE RAMRODS; and "Just for You" by FREDDY & THE DREAMERS.
From the groovy original 35mm negative. --Johnny Legend
SKU: 3709
Year: 1966
Color: Color
Starring: Casey Paxton
Co-starring: Katherine Quint
Other cast: Bob Foster, Hy Lit, Arnie Ginsburg
Directed by: Vince Scarza (U.S.) Douglas Hickox (U.K.)