brtndr I first saw this movie in theaters when I was 9 years old, and because I was so totally blown away by the entire production, especially Tim McIntire's portrayal of Alan Freed, that I ended-up falling in love with, not only the movie, but the entire genre of Rock n' Roll music of the mid 50's-early 60's, and I still feel the same way today. After I eventually found an 8 track tape to the soundtrack of American Hot Wax in 78', which included all the great artists and groups, performing the great music featured in the movie. I played that tape, over-and-over again until I wore it out. Or, until 8 track tapes eventually became obsolete a few years later, I can't remember which. The only reason this movie doesn't receive a 10 from me, is that it takes some dramatic liberties with the actual dates and locations of some important events of the time the movie is suppose to be representing. Like the year that Buddy Holly died, {Spoiler Alert} and the location of the theater where the movies climatic Rock n' Roll show actually took place(hint:it was actually in Boston not Brooklyn, NY) which led to Alan Freed being charged with inciting a riot, and eventually caused him to declare bankruptcy. Yet, despite these rather obvious factual errors to anyone who knows their Rock n' Roll history, American Hot Wax is as fun and exciting as any Rock n' Roll musical that's ever been produced, without having any of the characters dance and sing directly to an audience, that characters would never do unless they knew they were in a movie. While it's difficult to know for sure why a terrific movie like American Hot Wax had such dismal box office returns, and has been kind of forgotten about over the years. Fortunately, for me, I was able to watch the movie in a theater when it was initially released, and was such a wonderful amazingly joyous experience that I never forgot the moment, or the movie, which is one of several reasons American Hot Wax still remains one of my all time favorite little known gems today.

joedemetrius I saw "Wax" back in '78, bought the excellent soundtrack as soon as it was released, and have wished, ever since, to watch this movie again. It caught me from the opening minutes with its "you-are-there" sense, in both intimate and crowd scenes, of the excitement and energy flowing during the high-water of rock 'n roll. Like "American Graffiti", "American Hot Wax" is about what are labeled "the '50's". "Graffiti" was about the characters, with rock 'n roll as the backdrop; "Wax", however, is about rock 'n roll itself, and about its place in the lives of the characters -- promoters, musicians, and fans -- involved with it.

inspectors71 From about the same time as The Buddy Holly Story, American Hot Wax is another story of the renegade nature of rock and roll. It features an impassioned performance by the late Tim McIntyre (who was the saving grace in Robert Aldrich's imperfectly awful The Choirboys), a slew of solid rock hits, and a general feel for the greatness of the breakthrough musical genre of the late 1950's.I haven't seen AHW since USA showed it on their old "Night Flight" movies in the '80's--remember the state-of-the-art computer animation of flying over a dazzlingly lighted city? I saw the movie and loved it when HBO showed it ten years earlier and enjoyed it just as much the second time around. If you can find a copy, watch it for the nostalgia, regardless of historical accuracy.Back to McIntyre. He was a wonderfully menacing chameleon who could play bad guys on TV, then turn around and nail a renegade disk spinner like Alan Freed. McIntyre holds the movie together and you would be wise in finding a copy of American Hot Wax to add to your video--and music--collections.

h_nelsona2 Viewers of this film should know that this is a piece of historical fiction centering around the 1950's disc jockey Alan Freed, who is credited, erroneously, as the person who first coined the phrase "rock and roll"(the phrase was a sexual euphemism and was used in the lyrics of many blues songs prior to becoming a term to describe a specific musical genre). Viewers of the film may be a bit confused about the actuality of the characters and events depicted. Actor Tim MacIntyre plays Alan Freed. Musicians Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Screamin' Jay Hawkins play themselves. And then there are characters in the movie who never existed in real life, but are meant to represent certain actual persons. For instance, Larraine Newman plays character "Teenage Louise," an aspiring songwriter, obviously based on real-life musician Carol King. The vocal group The Chesterfields are a composite of Frankie Lyman and The Teenagers and The Coasters. Compounding the confusion is the fact that these characters sing actual songs from the fifties that were hits for artists who aren't acknowledged in the movie at all. The end result is a convoluted hodgepodge of actual and fictional characters and events. The real pleasure of watching this film lies in the performances of the actors and musicians. MacIntyre gives a great interpretation of renegade DJ Freed. Ms. Newman, although too old to play a character with the word "teenage" in her name, is touching as a girl pursuing, and realizing, her dream of being a professional songwriter. Jay Leno, then virtually unknown as a stand-up comic, is hilarious as Alan Freed's driver Mike, and the interplay between Leno and Fran Drescher, who plays Freed's secretary Cheryl is wonderful. Comedian Jeff Altman has short scenes as an obnoxious agent trying, literally, to get his foot in Freed's door, and he shines. The highlight of the film, however, is Alan Freed's live Rock 'n Roll show at Brooklyn's Paramount Theatre. The musicianship is top-rate. Pay particular attention to the lead singer of the fictional girl group The Delites, whose vocal on the song "Maybe" is breathtaking. Rock 'n Roll legends Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry perform as well. Lewis is red-hot; Chuck, true to his reputation at the time, gives a perfunctory and uninspired performance with his medley of "Reelin' and Rockin'/Roll Over Beethoven." Lost in the editing of the film is Screaming Jay Hawkins's performance of his R&B hit "I Put A Spell On You." The film devotes only a few seconds to his wonderfully original and oddball stage show. I have the soundtrack album in my collection, which includes Hawkins' song in its entirety, along with other performances that are either not included, or abbreviated in the editing of the film. The soundtrack also includes the original hit recordings of songs performed by Jackie Wilson, Bobby Darin, Buddy Holly, and others, and the soundtrack stands on its own apart from the film. I think I saw a VHS version of the film at a video store, so it may be available. Otherwise, good luck trying to see it. Copies of the soundtrack may be floating around second-hand record shops. If you can't find it, c'mon over to my place and we'll all listen together.