Dismissed at the time as A HARD DAY’S NIGHT/’64 wannabe, with The DAVE CLARK FIVE in for THE BEATLES, this loosely structured romp & roll begins with the expected New British Cinema vibe, but soon goes its own disruptive way. Or tries to; never quite getting anywhere. We MEET THE FIVE in a converted church, living communal romper-room style. And unlike those Liverpool Lads, always rushing toward, rather than away from crowds. The plot, such as it is, has headman Dave Clark (least photogenic of the bunch) take off with ‘The Meat Girl,’ blonde star of an extravagant commercial the boys are taking part in as backup butchers. She and Dave leave between ‘takes,’ hunting up a magical island that proves illusory. Reported as a kidnapping, they soon have police, production assistants and the rest of the band in hot pursuit. Unaware of the commotion, they stop here and there for snacks, socially adrift squatters and a lot of muddy lanes their car can’t get thru. An odd mix of a movie, but not an unpleasant one, this first feature from director John Boorman and writer Peter Nichols might work better if only the boys had a playlist to match Lennon/McCartney. (And good luck with that!) But after those two title tracks (the film was renamed Stateside), not an earworm in the bunch.
DOUBLE-BILL: Separately, Boorman, with POINT BLANK/’67, and Nichols, with GEORGY GIRL/’66, made their rep on second features.
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