MUSCLE BEACH PARTY / SKI PARTY

[The Burgomaster]

Here is another of the "Midnight Movies" double feature DVDs that I bought.

MUSCLE BEACH PARTY (1964) - It's Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, and the gang dancing and singing on the beach (as usual).  This time, they run into a group of bodybuilders (led by Rock Stevens who plays "Flex Martian" - yes - I spelled it correctly - "MARTIAN") and their trainer Don Rickles (as "Jack Fanny").  Also along for the stupidity are Buddy Hackett, Morey Amsterdam (who is awful), and Luciana Paluzzi (famous as a Bond girl in THUNDERBALL).  Dick Dale and the Del-Tones and Little Stevie Wonder show up to provide some music.  Even Peter Lorre makes a cameo appearance.  Mixed in among the bodybuilders (and quite unrecognizable) is a young Dan Haggerty (from the old GRIZZLY ADAMS television series).  What more could you ask for?

I'll tell you what more you could ask for - -

SKI PARTY (1965) - While at a ski lodge, Frankie Avalon and Dwayne Hickman decide to disguise themselves as girls so that they can secretly listen in on female conversations and find out "what women want."  This leads to the usual wacky antics, except it all happens in the snow instead of at the beach.  Annette Funicello shows up briefly at the beginning, but she is quickly replaced by Deborah Walley (also in GIDGET GOES HAWAIIAN) and Yvonne Craig (also "Batgirl" on the BATMAN television series).  Musical guests include Leslie Gore (of "It's My Party and I'll Cry if I Want To" fame) singing "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows" on a bus, and James Brown and his Fabulous Flames singing "I Got You (I Feel Good)" while performing signature dance moves.  Robert Q. Lewis guest stars as the flustered lodge manager.  Another fine piece of crappy entertainment!



Post Edited (09-04-04 06:55)

[Yaddo42]

Always enjoyed the Beach movies as good brainless TV fodder. Although I felt sorry for Harvey Lembeck as Zipper after a while, whatever his real age he looked old enough to be the father of the main characters and/or the members of his gang. But the cameos and bit parts used as jokes were always cool. Vincent Price, Buster Keaton, Elizabeth Montgomery. And how can you go wrong with Dick Dale?