Back to the Beach

source: Back to the Beach

Frankie and Annette were hanging on the sand when Frankie got a letter from his uncle Sam, it said get Moondog and all your clan your all invited to a beach party Viet Nam, cooking hot dogs with napalm beach party Viet Nam. Holy lord what turds. Sometimes there are movies that require booze or drugs to watch it cause the movie so does suck, the amount of drugs or booze you got to use to successfully watch Back to the Beach is dangerous. Dangerous! Oh man, does this movie not work properly, it's broken in so many ways and broken so fundamentally, there is no fixing it other than using fire- fire to burn it all away. Good ole cleansing bright fire. What do you people want from movies? I mean why do you give people your money? It only validates the very worst behavior.

Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello co-produced this nostalgic romp about two swingin' teen sweethearts from the '60s now married and middle-aged, coping with the passing of time (not good material for a comedy) and the problems of their own punk kids. It has guest spots and musical numbers galore but, unlike the themes in "Grease", for instance, this doesn't have the impact or widespread appeal to be wildly successful; it just doesn't work. The film has a very weak script, which certainly was no help to the director, and the scenes don't build any momentum. Even the nostalgia-factor in seeing Avalon and Funicello together again is low (where's the chemistry? All they do here is bicker). A lot of people put their time and talent into this picture, but it doesn't soar, doesn't spark fond memories. It's a wash-out. *1/2 from ****

you'll like this movie.. It's completely non-serious. It doesn't try to BE a beach movie of the 1960's...it tries to be a silly remake. The costumes and sets are delightful - every known form of beachie cabana style is represented. Annette looks adorable in her cartoonish costumes, and is an inspiration to get out to the beach for all us "old folks." The cuts with real surfing footage are enough to keep real surfers mesmerized, and the bathing suit styles are updated and sexy. What more could you want on in the background on a Saturday afternoon?

Back to the Beach is one of my favorite movies of all time. Imagine my delight to find it in a local thrift store for $4.00! It made my day. And it still cheers me up on a rainy day! You have to love Bobby, Frankie and Annette's son! He is HILARIOUS! I also think Lori Loughlin is so beautiful and young in this movie. It makes me want to visit California. Are there really beach parties like that?

Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, whose series of "Beach Party" films were huge hits for teenage crowds back in the 1960's resurrect the series with this lame 1987 Paramount release. By this time, Avalon and Funicello are too old to be believable anymore in those surf bum roles and younger costars don't help either. Star gazers may appreciate this film only for its cameos by many stars of popular 1960's TV series.

This movie missed the chance to be a classic. Now, I loved the Beach movies....they are in that "so bad that they are good" genre by now. Right up there with QUEEN OF OUTER SPACE and BAD GIRLS GO TO HELL. But this movie really didn't parody the old movies and that's where it missed. If they had really gone out and tried to lampoon the source like THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE, it could have been great. The beach could've been like that David Lee Roth CALIFORNIA GIRLS video and we could've had some more risque humor. As it was, we got a made-for-TV feel to it. I propose they remake the beach movies with Rose McGowan as Annette's character and anybody they want as Frankie

but very enjoyable, none the less. I'm 26 and still enjoy watching this movie. :) Seeing Annette & Frankie together is like all those 50s beach movies returned - and ya gotta love PeeWee Herman because 'the bird IS the word'! ;)

Back to the Beach (1987) was an interesting movie that was produced during the 80's. The Big Kahuna (Frankie Avalon) is a family man now who's wife (Annette) is a preppy housewife who has a kitchen cabinet full of Skippy's peanut butter (creamy) with a 50's housewife aura. She's always smiling and just so happy. The kids are at the rebellious age and are weirded out by their strange behavior. That's until the family heads back to the beach and the kids discover their parents lively background! You can't go wrong with this movie if you're a big fan of the 60's films that starred Annette and Frankie. A true nostalgia flick filled with several older stars (The Skipper and Gilligan) and new ones (i.e. Pee-Wee Herman). What keeps this from being a real keeper is the way the film ends, but if you're a fan of the stars it wont matter. A nice reunion picture. Recommended for Beach Blanket Bingo fans. Others yield caution before viewing!

Yes, I grew up with the Beach movies - well, I was a young child, but I saw them. No, this "reunion" isn't worth watching. It is produced by Frankie and Annette, and thus primarily self-serving. The director has been involved with only a handful of projects over the years, and the lack of experience is evident. Cameos by Gilligan, Skipper, Don Adams, and the "Leave It to Beaver" gang are forced. Pee Wee's little number is more in tune with the 50s-in-the-80s funkiness of the script. It's an innocent romp, but will appeal only to those who are hardcore fans of the original 60s Beach flicks. "Psycho Beach Party" actually did the retro thing much better, but that R-rated film with a drag queen as the lead sure won't make too many of you happy.