It probably had parents running to lock up their daughters 50 years ago, but in 2011, Beat Girl is simply an entertaining and amusing cult classic. A very British take on teen rebellion. Oh yes, it's also free to watch online.
By online, we mean YouTube, which seems to have a glut of old black and white flicks on the video site in full, courtesy of Craze Classics. So if that's your bag, fill your boots.
But back to Beat Girl, the classic tale of a man, a stepmother and a daughter seemingly scorned - taking refuge in London's beatnik scene at the dawn of the 1960s and going all-out to shock the folks. Watch it below (but be warned, there are ads in it).
To be honest, I have little or no time for northern soul nostalgia. Yes, I enjoy a chunk of the music from that particular scene, but I can do without the never ending desire to re-create the 'Wigan Casino years'. I'm sure it was a good night out, in fact I know it was as two older sisters of mine were regulars there. But they moved on - and maybe others should too. Although for some people, the Wigan nostalgia is a very profitable way of life, so that's hardly going to happen, is it?
Anyway, that nostalgia phobia is exactly the reason why I didn't go and see Soulboy at the cinema and the same reason why I've put off watching and reviewing the DVD that popped through the letter box on Christmas Eve. But today, I bit the bullet and you know what? It's not so bad after all.
If one film was crying out for a release by the BFI's Flipside arm, it was surely Guy Hamilton's <b>The Party's Over</b>. Why? Well, this obscure cult gem has pretty much been out of circulation since its mid-60s debut and is well deserving of a wider audience. But also, because the original film was hacked apart by the censor - which means a reissue would require some loving care by sympathetic experts. Experts like the BFI's team of movie obsessives.
Guy Hamilton went onto bigger things, involving himself in everything from Bond classics to the original Superman flick, but The Party's Over remains his most controversial work. At least at the time, this tale of a beatnik gang and the myseterious disappearance of an American heiress wouldn't qualify as an '18' these days, but back in the 60s, it was cut severely by the British Board of Censors and packed off to the 'adult' circuit with an 'X' certificate. But it's hard to tell you why without giving away the 'twist' in the movie. So you'll just have to take my word on it.
We have mentioned this release before, but now we have full details of The Party's Over release on dual format disc (DVD and Blu-ray) via the BFI and Flipside. 17th May is the date for your diary.
Written by Marc Behm (Charade, Help!) and scored by John Barry, this controversial film originally fell foul of the British censors, forcing director Guy Hamilton to remove his name from the credits, but is now finally made available in a never-before-seen uncensored pre-release version.
Controversial on its release and rarely seen since, the BFI's cult movie arm Flipside will be releasing Guy Hamilton's controversial The Party's Over (1965) in a dual-format DVD and Blu-ray edition on 17th May 2010.
Here's the tale. Young American Melina (Louise Sorel), falls in with a group of Chelsea beatniks and catches the attention of the gang's leader, Moise (Oliver Reed), as well as scorn and jealousy from the other members, including Moise' lover Libby (Ann Lynn). At one wild and drunken party, the group's games go too far. Only when Melin's fiancé, Carson (Clifford David), begins investigating does the truth reveal itself.
Originally banned by the censors for its controversial content, a high-definition version is on the market with a host of extras, as you would expect. These include an alternative export cut of the main feature, archival short films and documentaries and a fully illustrated booklet including comprehensive notes and essays from academics and film historians. Pre-orders being taken already, £13.899 secures you one.
