Rating: 
Summary: Utterly Hilarious. Smashing!
Review: A wild, wacky knockabout farce as only the British can do! Rita Tushingham is a sugary little cough-drop tag-along to chum Lynn Redgrave, a saucy loud-mouth "bird" with stars in her eyes for the Pop Scene of the Swinging Sixties. It's silly, it's completely inconsequential, but it's a riot from start to finish. BUY IT!
Rating: 
Summary: Very Switched-On
Review: Devotees of modsploitation will be able to turn on to this hip scene. Multiple food-fights set the broad comedic tone, while delightfully awful songs (including the hilariously over-produced "I Can't Sing, but I'm Young") remind us that 60's music didn't always have a leg up on current manufactured pop drivel. Austin Powers fans will recognize Michael York (AP's Basil Exposition) in one of his earliest roles as, of all things, a trendy fashion photographer in a mop-top wig. Need I say more?
Rating:
Summary: Very groovy
Review: For anyone fascinated by the London take on the swinging sixties circa 1966 to 67, this is the one to watch. Actually, there's not that much competition; The Knack is overrated and handicapped by being black and white (this was NOT the time to be black and white), Help! is outrageously cooky and more about the Beatles than the 60s. Darling, and Alfie also spring to mind, but they are less interested in the "scene" than this film is. The plot is essentially a string of semi-independent set pieces strung together, some more successful than others, but for the 60s connoisseur the great thing is how they all set out to capture the mood and action of the time. Therefore, we have in the front line a hip photographer, a Northern girl manufactured into an overnight pop star, a wild party in the Post Office Tower revolving restaurant (that dates it, doesn't it? Before the bombs...), a far-out boutique named "Too Much" owned by a titled but trendy deb-type, and an "in" restaurant. What the makers also capture, perhaps unwittingly, is the fact that hip London was just a tiny island in the middle of a sea of a country still emerging only slowly from the morass of post-war penury. So we also see the desperately grimy and dismal streets of London, the inside of a typical Camden café (and we are definitely talking caff here, not caf-fey) and a dismal example of ghastly exploitative TV (no great change there then). The main thing is the sheer creative exuberance of the time and the joie-de-vivre of the young hipsters. The sixties were radically out of fashion by the Thatcherite eighties, and if you want to know why this film gives a few pointers. The self-confidence and self-importance of the time looked distinctly like adolescent innocence by the time London had run through the terrorism, recession, explosion of sex and violence in film and TV and near collapse of the country in the seventies. Fortunately for those of us with a soft spot for this kind of thing, the last ten years has seen a reevaluation which finally recognises just what a fantastically creative and imaginative period this was. Not a film to watch for character development or depth, but unparalleled as an inside glimpse of a special corner of the sixties.
Rating:
Summary: Very groovy
Review: For anyone fascinated by the London take on the swinging sixties circa 1966 to 67, this is the one to watch. Actually, there's not that much competition; The Knack is overrated and handicapped by being black and white (this was NOT the time to be black and white), Help! is outrageously cooky and more about the Beatles than the 60s. Darling, and Alfie also spring to mind, but they are less interested in the "scene" than this film is. The plot is essentially a string of semi-independent set pieces strung together, some more successful than others, but for the 60s connoisseur the great thing is how they all set out to capture the mood and action of the time. Therefore, we have in the front line a hip photographer, a Northern girl manufactured into an overnight pop star, a wild party in the Post Office Tower revolving restaurant (that dates it, doesn't it? Before the bombs...), a far-out boutique named "Too Much" owned by a titled but trendy deb-type, and an "in" restaurant. What the makers also capture, perhaps unwittingly, is the fact that hip London was just a tiny island in the middle of a sea of a country still emerging only slowly from the morass of post-war penury. So we also see the desperately grimy and dismal streets of London, the inside of a typical Camden café (and we are definitely talking caff here, not caf-fey) and a dismal example of ghastly exploitative TV (no great change there then). The main thing is the sheer creative exuberance of the time and the joie-de-vivre of the young hipsters. The sixties were radically out of fashion by the Thatcherite eighties, and if you want to know why this film gives a few pointers. The self-confidence and self-importance of the time looked distinctly like adolescent innocence by the time London had run through the terrorism, recession, explosion of sex and violence in film and TV and near collapse of the country in the seventies. Fortunately for those of us with a soft spot for this kind of thing, the last ten years has seen a reevaluation which finally recognises just what a fantastically creative and imaginative period this was. Not a film to watch for character development or depth, but unparalleled as an inside glimpse of a special corner of the sixties.
Rating:
Summary: Oooh ....Smash-in! Great Nostalgia.
Review: I was just culling my dvd collection and had this movie in the "out" box before I thought I'd have a look at it again. I'm glad I did. It is a wonderful 'time capsule' of Swingin' Sixties London filmed entirely on location. This is a great companion piece to Shawn Levy's book "Ready, Steady, Go!" It shows the fashions, furniture, cars and heads of the 60s but I don't know if this is a send-up of the "scene" or whether it really is the "scene". Either way it's kinda giddy. Two Northern girls arrive in London with high hopes of making it. After a dodgey start and having their money stolen, one (Redgrave) becomes a pop star and the other (Tushingham) a photograhers model. They have personality clashes, a few adventures with local weirdos, realize that there is no place like home, pack it in and take the train back up North. That's basically it. Not really funny anymore (the humor is embarrassing in some places) but great eye candy for jaded baby boomers like myself. The Anchor bay dvd has a good wide screen picture from a nice print. It is NOT anamorphic. There are absolutely no extras on the disc... not even a trailer. I think this obscure little film deserved at least a commentary from some of those concerned. I really enjoyed Spencer Davis' comments on Anchor Bay's "The Ghost Goes Gear" dvd..... another overlooked little gem. Not a classic by any means, but a charmimg little slice of the Sixties.
Rating:
Summary: Oooh ....Smash-in! Great Nostalgia.
Review: I was just culling my dvd collection and had this movie in the "out" box before I thought I'd have a look at it again. I'm glad I did. It is a wonderful 'time capsule' of Swingin' Sixties London filmed entirely on location. This is a great companion piece to Shawn Levy's book "Ready, Steady, Go!" It shows the fashions, furniture, cars and heads of the 60s but I don't know if this is a send-up of the "scene" or whether it really is the "scene". Either way it's kinda giddy. Two Northern girls arrive in London with high hopes of making it. After a dodgey start and having their money stolen, one (Redgrave) becomes a pop star and the other (Tushingham) a photograhers model. They have personality clashes, a few adventures with local weirdos, realize that there is no place like home, pack it in and take the train back up North. That's basically it. Not really funny anymore (the humor is embarrassing in some places) but great eye candy for jaded baby boomers like myself. The Anchor bay dvd has a good wide screen picture from a nice print. It is NOT anamorphic. There are absolutely no extras on the disc... not even a trailer. I think this obscure little film deserved at least a commentary from some of those concerned. I really enjoyed Spencer Davis' comments on Anchor Bay's "The Ghost Goes Gear" dvd..... another overlooked little gem. Not a classic by any means, but a charmimg little slice of the Sixties.
Rating: 
Summary: Ninety-six Minutes of Cotton Candy
Review: If you approach this film with no expectation you will walk away feeling rather pleased, but not remembering anything five minutes later. If you're expecting the Lynn Redgrave of "Georgy Girl" or the Rita Tushingham of "Taste of Honey" or even "The Knack . .And How To Get It" it may have you climbing the walls. The film doesn't remotely approach Richard Lester's wit or style. The style, what there is of it, is very broad, somewhat embarassing slapstick that gives you the idea it was made up as it went along. The script is non-existant and seems to have been written under a combination of Preludin and Cannabis. It's easy to see how this film became something of a model for "Austin Powers". The music, by John Addison (who did Tom Jones) is good but out of place. The real discovery, the tunes by Skip Bifferty (a band whose one album is highly sought after by collectors) are frustratingly short. Certainly not a pretentious film like "The Trip" or "Riot On Sunset Strip", but an interesting curio to be savored like Cotton Candy. The film, like the times it portrays is on that cusp of youthful naivte before reality raced in. For a roller coaster ride, see this film and "Medium Cool" at the same time - that might give you an idea of what the 60's were at least partially about.
Rating:
Summary: Ninety-six Minutes of Cotton Candy
Review: If you approach this film with no expectation you will walk away feeling rather pleased, but not remembering anything five minutes later. If you're expecting the Lynn Redgrave of "Georgy Girl" or the Rita Tushingham of "Taste of Honey" or even "The Knack . .And How To Get It" it may have you climbing the walls. The film doesn't remotely approach Richard Lester's wit or style. The style, what there is of it, is very broad, somewhat embarassing slapstick that gives you the idea it was made up as it went along. The script is non-existant and seems to have been written under a combination of Preludin and Cannabis. It's easy to see how this film became something of a model for "Austin Powers". The music, by John Addison (who did Tom Jones) is good but out of place. The real discovery, the tunes by Skip Bifferty (a band whose one album is highly sought after by collectors) are frustratingly short. Certainly not a pretentious film like "The Trip" or "Riot On Sunset Strip", but an interesting curio to be savored like Cotton Candy. The film, like the times it portrays is on that cusp of youthful naivte before reality raced in. For a roller coaster ride, see this film and "Medium Cool" at the same time - that might give you an idea of what the 60's were at least partially about.
Rating:
Summary: An Undiscovered MODern Classic
Review: If you love slapstick films or anything from the 1960s, this DVD is for you. This obscure film deserves to be seen and enjoyed by all lovers of the Swinging Sixties. Rita Tushingham and Lynn Redgrave (Mollie Sugden from "Are You Being Served?" probably got the idea for her character's wigs after seeing Redgrave here) are two girls who decide to make their mark in Swinging London. This film was shot entirely on location and is filled with wonderful shots of Carnaby Street and 1960's London. Tushingham, who appeared so vulnerable in "The Knack...and How to Get It", really shines in this comedic roll, especially in a scene where she sneaks into the apartment of the man who is trying to seduce a drunk Redgrave. The resulting sabotage is a pleasure to watch. Anchor Bay released this in widesceen but there are no additional extras on it. After viewers see this, they'll not only wish that there had been some extras, they'll also wish that additional movies about these characters had been made.
Rating:
Summary: An Undiscovered MODern Classic
Review: If you love slapstick films or anything from the 1960s, this DVD is for you. This obscure film deserves to be seen and enjoyed by all lovers of the Swinging Sixties. Rita Tushingham and Lynn Redgrave (Mollie Sugden from "Are You Being Served?" probably got the idea for her character's wigs after seeing Redgrave here) are two girls who decide to make their mark in Swinging London. This film was shot entirely on location and is filled with wonderful shots of Carnaby Street and 1960's London. Tushingham, who appeared so vulnerable in "The Knack...and How to Get It", really shines in this comedic roll, especially in a scene where she sneaks into the apartment of the man who is trying to seduce a drunk Redgrave. The resulting sabotage is a pleasure to watch. Anchor Bay released this in widesceen but there are no additional extras on it. After viewers see this, they'll not only wish that there had been some extras, they'll also wish that additional movies about these characters had been made.
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