Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

Borserie it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

Doomtomylo a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Jonah Abbott There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

kpb1962 I think if I'm right this is the Ian Gregory who worked with Joe meek great all star cast a film wouldn't be complete without kenneth Connor love frank truly Thornton it's a bit dated but typical of the great music films such as dateline diamonds and I've gotta horse I'm a fan of sixties music and music films

screenman Far better cinema lies lost and forgotten.I confess to actually seeing this on its release at the local flea-pit. In mitigation, I claim to have been dragged there by an older sister. I was about 14 years old at the time and blame that viewing for reversing my puberty. Or something...Gonks were a sort of precursor to the 'Cabbage-Patch Doll'. They enjoyed a very brief and over-hyped fashion boom. And I suspect this movie was all part of the same, though it pretty well proved to be the kiss of death, for obvious reasons to those who have viewed it.At the time I thought it pointless, but interesting for the music. Can't remember my sister's opinions. Two feuding nations called Beatland and Ballad-isle. Yeah, right.Other commentators seem to have missed the best joke of the movie. The Martian's name is Wilco Roger. That's the reverse of 'Roger, wilco'. Get it? Hilarious. It was the radio response from 'Carry On Cabbie' also starring Kenneth Connor.I don't think it won any Oscars.

jamesraeburn2003 A martian called Wilco Roger (KENNETH CONNOR) is sent to Earth by his people to resolve a feud between communities known as Beatland and Balladisle. The dispute is over musical differences. Beatland ("If you're with it you're in") loves beat music and rhythm and blues whilst Balladisle is into the softer sentimental ballad music. Each year the top groups from both communities take part in "The Golden Guitar Contest" thrown by the reclusive Mr A&R (FRANK THORNTON) and the winner receives the prize of a golden guitar whilst the losers have their musical instruments confiscated until eight months before the next contest. As much as the two communities despise each other, they are not above sneaking into each other's territory to steal each others musical ideas. Wilco and A&R decide to resolve the chaos before it erupts into war ("It'll mean exile to planet Gonk for me" sniffs Connor) by bringing together a boy and girl, one lives in Beatland and the other in Balladisle, who love each other but the feud is keeping them apart. Wilco and A&R use their mystical power to get them to the contest and they perform a duet which incorporates both musical styles. Mr A&R declares them the winners and orders that both communities will now live in harmony and all types of music will be allowed from now on.An unbelievably stupid attempt to combine swinging sixties pop culture with a Romeo And Juliet inspired romance. The romance is bland without an ounce of Shakespearian tragedy and the comedy falls flat. I.e "I was told that there was a famous author from Earth's past" says Wilco Roger to Mr A&R. "William Shakespeare?" he asks. "Well yes he shook something or other" Wilco replies. That's about as funny as it gets. The sets are cardboard and the tunes are poor. This is a big disappointment as some of the acts that the producers, Peter Newbrook and Robert Hartford-Davis, have assembled for the film are quite impressive. For instance, The Graham Bond Organisation, contained musicians whom were later to become rock legends in their own right such as Ginger Baker with the legendary rock trio, Cream, with Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton. Bond's sax player Dick Heckstall-Smith who can be seen here would go on to join prog rock heroes Colloseum whilst Bond himself (he died in 1974) is now considered to be an important figure of the British R&B boom of that time. They try and make the most of a lackluster number written for them especially for the film, "Harmonica". Even Lulu And The Luvvers and The Nashville Teens are at a loss here too.The story was written by the director Robert Hartford-Davis and cinematographer-producer Peter Newbrook. Both of whom did some interesting work within the British horror wave with the elegant costume horror film, The Black Torment and the Peter Cushing vehicle, Corruption. But both are at a loss here like the beat groups who allowed themselves to be drafted into this rubbish.In summary, if you are thinking of buying the DVD from your local mega store for the music alone, it isn't worth it despite the caliber of some of the musicians on offer. A big disappointment but then again there were so many pop movies made in those days and a lot of them were dire.

Oct Connoisseurs of dreadful movies cherish the memory of this British equivalent of "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians", stuffed with acts whose plot opposition reflects the clash between post-Beatles rock and slushy romance in the mid-1960s charts. Yes, folks, for every Amen Corner there was an Engelbert Humperdinck, and for each "Hard Day's Night" there was a pop flick like this, with comedians mugging and strutting about the set to give the mums and dads something to laugh at. It should be explained that a gonk was a round, stuffed toy whose gormless features often gaped from the counterpanes of girls' bedrooms. In the catalogue of forgotten UK musical cash-in movies, this one ranks with "Just for Fun" and "The Cool Mikado".