Cinema Hall

Great Britain, 129 min, color.
Richard Curtis (Director/Writer)

Each of us who lived in the UK in the middle of 60s remembers this nice time: “BBC” puts on the air weather forecast and literary readings all day and all night long, while the whole country thirst for a rock-n-roll. Who helps those poor ones? Illegal rock radio stations! I feel too lazy to explain what does it mean “rock”, but I perfectly can tell you more about “illegal radio station”. Though it would be easier to go and watch this cute movie. Really.

So, private commercial and illegal radio stations broadcast around-the-clock to the whole UK, hiding from the authorities in the most unexpected places – such as rusted ships anchored near neutral waters. It seems to be pretty mass phenomenon: says that the audience of these stations was about 25 million people in 1966-1967.
And this was not only fun, but professional “melting pot”. It’s not mentioned that the greatest DJ of all time John Peel got his first experience on such pirate radio-waves, but senior DJ of “Rock boat” looks like him (perhaps, it’s coincidence).
If you’ve got The Who 1967 album “Sell Out”, you can easy imagine how illegal radio stations sound. Though it would be easier to go and watch this cute movie. Really.

The movie subject is simple and uncomplicated: a boy arrives on a board one of the pirate radio stations where he will take a closer look at the world of sex, drugs and rock-n-roll. Rusted coffin populated exclusively a male team and all concern only to get profit from advertisers while making “love not war” – in all directions through radio waves spread the sounds of The Kinks, The Who, The Turtles, Procol Harum, The Rolling Stones, The Troggs, Cream, Beach Boys, Otis Redding and Jimi Hendrix.
At the same time somewhere inside of the British Government appears some resistance movement, which trying to stop illegal broadcasts using legal methods. But our heroes don’t care about any government because of barrels of alcohol, tons of canned Heinz and dozen of vinyl records. Also (as in any rock movie) there are huge crows of girl fans and all that stuff.

In general, it’s a trifle movie – a set of gags and funny non-standard jokes. And they are funny and non-standard mostly because based on seldom and unpopular theme. This movie is about infantile overages, which is whether the reason, whether a consequence of that they do nothing, except as worship to a rock-n-roll and work in its glory. Senseless to speak about any high art revelations, but there are couple of scenes that (I guarantee it!) make you rolling on the floor laughing even you are totally indifferent to rock music. For example, the contrast between the Christmas supper in a rock-n-roll bunk room and in a private residence of the British minister will force the most hardcore Harvard’s graduate to renounce all career beliefs. And if such happens (at least in the parallel Universe) the cinema will execute it’s mission.

Of course, there are other ways to see the magnificent stupid rock-and-roll ideas, though it would be easier to go and watch this cute movie. Really.

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