Monday, June 26, 2023

Movie review - "Rock n Roll" (1959) ***

 Long missing concert film was found in New Zealand, cleaned up and given a nice sheen. It's fun. No Fabian, who was cut out, but in a way that helps the nationalistic aspect - it builds up to the appearance of J O'K, who was inserted into the movie from a later concert. Johnny O'Keefe steals the show, as he should. He's got It. So too as Col Joye but not as much as JOK.

Only one singer plays to the camera. Other bands are more run of the mill like The Graduates. Johnny Devlin does a great Elvis impersonation.

Overlay scream sounds which contrast with the audience sitting down. Some great audience cutaways - girls screaming, kids just sitting there, some old codger nodding off.

The audience of boomers I saw it with talked excitedly through the film and sang along with some of the songs. Cute.

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