Lewis Pritchard
Back to the Beach (1987) Masked Criticisms ReviewHunterSo the premise is simple, we watch a film at random, sometimes it's good… mostly it's not, this is Masked Criticisms.EisensteinI think from the title alone one can tell which of the two basic categories this film belongs to. Hunter If you mean it was poop, then yeah it was poop.EisensteinNow let's not be too hasty. Back to the Beach is a comedy film from the 1980's that spoofs surfer pictures from the 60's. It follows two old film stars that return to the seaside to relive their glory days and embarrass their hip kids. This film is part of a series, but honestly I had no idea until just now when I looked it up on IMDb.HunterYou wouldn't need to see the others to understand what the hell was going on. It was so random and unpredictable and yet cliché at the same time. I guessed the ending ten minutes into the film, however I would never have imagined Pee Wee Herman to come out of nowhere to sing surfing bird then literally fly away, but that mind fart certainly happened.EisensteinThis whole film had a lot of set ups for cameos but I guess we're too young to recognize any of them. Except, that is, for OJ Simpson. Not the film makers fault, I mean they couldn't have guessed he'd kill his wife, but it did really date this film. Along with a whole pile of other 80's clichés; skateboards, waist high thongs, surfing, bad hairstyles…Hunter…cocaine…EisensteinThere was no drugs in this film.HunterI meant the director.EisensteinThat would explain the lack of choreography.HunterOh yeah, I kind of forgot it was a musical, I suppose that's a good thing though, I can't stand musicals.EisensteinYou liked Frozen…HunterAnother thing I have to give this film credit for is that everyone in it is fit, not the main family, granted, but everyone else is attractive, sadly no chubby chicks though.EisensteinMy main problem with the characters is that they were all wannabes. The punks who were supposed to be intimidating looked like pantomime Sex Pistols.Hunter… and since it's on a beach the girls are in thongs. I'm not usually a fan of those really long 80's thongs but some of those chicks, man. EisensteinYes well, anyways, what it all comes down to is an out dated film laughing at even more out dated films, unfortunately it really doesn't hold up as I can't tell what's an 80's cliché is and what's a 60's farce.HunterI was thinking of giving this film a 6 out of 10 just for the babes alone, but Eisenstein here says I have to rate the entire movie as a whole so I'm gonna have to say 3 out of 10. It's not so much a beach party, more of a tsunami of poop.EisensteinWhat a poetic analogy to end on. 4 out of 10.
John T. Ryan
The preeminence of a formerly strictly Black type of Music had been with us for well over a decade when the "New" Song & Dance form, now known as "Rock 'n' Roll" was forever fused with the Movies.The Southern California Surfing Scene, the New Mores of permitting the Exhibition and viewing of highly Semi-Nude Human form on the screen and the Economic$ and Realitie$ that possibly for the first time in our history, the Adolescent or "Teen Ager" was beginning to show that it was to show that it was His/Her expendable Ca$h Dollar$ that were a, if not THE, number factor in the Movie Business.The resulting type of Film Genre, the Teen-Age Beach Movie. In the brief period of 3-5 years we were treated to such spectacles as BEACH PARTY, HOW TO STUFF A WILD BIKINI, BEACH BLANKET BINGO, MUSCLE BEACH PARTY; 'B' Films all and all from the gang over at American-International Pictures.* All designed to be shown at that now nearly extinct institution known as The Drive-In Movie Theatre.**IT was a case of Formula Film to the Nth Degree. All that was needed was some Guitar-laden Rock 'n' Roll Music from some semi famous group, such as Lovin' Spoonful, the Buckinghams or the Mainliners. Add a Male and Female lead (how 'bout Annette Funicello & Frankie Avalon?)and a large group of (Woo,woo,woo,woo!) "Stuffed Bikinis" and a corresponding number of Athletic Male Swimmers and Surfers. Next we need some Comic Relief in the form of guys like Don Rickles, Buddy Hackett and "the Great Stone Face" (Himself), Silent Film Comedian, Buster Keaton; they all did Beach Films in that role. The last ingredient would be a Comic Villain and his cohorts. Harvey Lembeck filled that bill very well.The Producers of BACK TO THE BEACH wisely added to the retro-effect and enjoyment of the movie by having stocked the movie with plenty of Denizens of the '60's Scene. Edd Byrnnes ('Kookie' from 77 SUNSET STRIP), Connie Stevens, Alan Hale, Jr. & Bob Denver (Gilligan & Skipper), Tony Dowe (Wally), Jerry Mathers (the Beaver), Barbara Billingsley (June Cleaver), Don Adams (Maxwell Smart, Tennessee Tuxedo's voice)all make some pretty decent sized cameos. Added to the mix we have top Recording Guitarists Dick Dale and Rodney Bingeheimer; providing just for proper Musical Interest, Nostalgia and Authenticity.AS for a Contemporary component, they added a virtually pointless appearance by the then red-hot and very popular Paul Reubens (Pee-Wee Herman) to sing the old Rock 'n' Roll Classic, "The Bird"; and a now ironic spoof of the old Hertz Car Rental Commercials with old O.J. Simpson (himself); accurately lampooning his long running "getting through the Airport" commercials! THE Movie had been sort of prematurely panned and dismissed obviously by a large number of (Everybody, Hurry and Genuflect) Critics who had never even screened it. This hurt it bat the Box Office and by the time that word had gotten out about its true merits, it was headed for Videoland.BACK TO THE BEACH is a truly amusing production and is worthy to be classified with the Modern Comedy work of Messers Woody Allen, Mel Brooks and the Team of Zucker,Abrahams & Zucker.WE now would be all ready to roll the film. And they were highly successful during that brief period. Hence, this Parody-Send Up-Tribute to the whole bunch of films.BACK TO THE BEACH (Paramount, 1987) provides us with a gentle and truly funny film that answers a lot of the heretofore unanswered questions, like: What happens to old Surfers? Is the Beach still open? Did those two Love Birds ever marry? What about the Next Generation? Is 'Kookie' still parkin' them cars? So just remember how they started filming their Beach Scenes with: "Lights, Camera, and EVERYBODY TWIST!"NOTE * American-International or A.I.P. for short; now how could we forget them? They were probably responsible for more Pictures that we DIDN'T WATCH at the Drive-Ins than the other Companies Films we DID SEE!NOTE: ** There was even an "A" Film Beach Movie with DON'T MAKE WAVES (Filmways/MGM, 1967). It was a Top shelf Production with a first rate cast including: Tony Curtis, Claudia Cardinalle, Robert Webber, Sharon Tate, Dave draper, Chet Yorton, Reg Lewis, China Lee, Mort Sahl, Dub Taylor, Joanna Barnes, Jim Backus & Henny Backus (Mr. & Mrs. Jim Backus-uncredited.)
lilmike-1
What makes Back to The Beach so enjoyable is the great cast and cameos that pepper this film. We get a followup to those old cheesy beach movies, with a Chevy Chase Vacation kinda feel. The parents are as mixed up as the teenagers and it's of course all just silly st up for some cute musical numbers. While obviously not a classic love story like Dr. Zhivago or even Sleepless in Seattle, it's just a fun kitsch filled family musical picture. How can you resist Pee Wee Herman flying above the beach doing Surfin' Bird with Fishbone, or Dick Dale rocking with Stevie Ray Vaughan? This film is meant to be enjoyed, not analyzed.
