Having a Wild Weekend
by John Boorman
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Product details
Actor: Barbara Ferris, Dave Clark, Lenny Davidson, Mike Smith, Rick HuxleyDirector: John Boorman
Cinematographer: Manny Wynn
Editor: Gordon Pilkington
Producer: Basil Keys
Producer: David Deutsch
Writer: Peter Nichols
Edition: VHS Tape
Audio: English (Original Language), Analog
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, HiFi Sound, NTSC
Running Time: 91 minutes
Release Date: 1998-09-01
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Publisher: Warner Home Video
Studio: Warner Home Video
VHS Movie Reviews of Having a Wild Weekend
Movie Review: More Like "Dave Clark 1"
Summary: 3 Stars
This film, which is a cross between A Hard Days Night and the Marx Brothers, focuses almost completely on Dave Clark as stuntman (and alleged kidnapper) Steve and his relationship with meat poster girl Dinah. The other four members of the band are in the background, partying at their pad, attending a fancy dress ball, and keeping the authorities on a wild goose chase while Steve and Dinah experience one adventure after another on their way to Dinah's dream island. In fact, I don't think Lenny Davidson says one word throughout the picture. On their way they meet a group of half-stoned beatniks, an eccentric older couple, and other interesting folks. The film tries to bring depth to most of the characters, except the Dave Clark 4 who remain rather vacuous fun boys. At the time, the Dave Clark Five were promoted as a cleaner cut, non-smoking, drug-free and athletic alternative to the Beatles (probably only the latter was true, as the band members were former gymnists). Clark's character (strong silent type, serious and rather surly to the point of self righteous) portrays this image quite well. The film highlights two songs off their soundtrack beginning with the original movie title "Catch Us If You Can" and the U.S. title "Having A Wild Weekend". Two other songs are played from their previous album Coast To Coast: "I Can't Stand It," and the quite beautiful "When," which seemed to be the theme song of the film. Curiously, other tracks from the soundtrack that would have been very appropriate for the film ("Don't Be Taken In," in particular) were not used. The music, save for "When", isn't their best material, but it's not bad. The acting is also quite good. British comedy fans will no doubt recognize Clive Swift (Hyacinth's hen-pecked husband Richard in Keeping Up Appearances) as a bumbling detective out to find the "kidnapped" Meat For Go girl.Movie Review: ZZZZZZZZzzzzzzz!
Summary: 1 Stars
This is one of the most disappointing 'Rock' films I have ever seen. It should have been named 'Dave Clark And His Egocentric Wild Weekend'. There is way too much Dave Clark and not nearly enough Mike, Lenny, Rick or Denis. Another annoyance is, I hear some DC5 tunes between the boring incidental music but do not see a single DC5 performance. In fact they are not even musicians in the movie as they portray stunt men. Come on! All is not lost as the film does have it's moments. The party scene with the 'title' track 'Having A Wild Weekend' blaring is excellent and very 60's. The opening credits with the film's original title track 'Catch Us If You Can' is great. The scenes of traveling around England are very nice too. So buy the video- play it once, pack it away and remember just how much better the Beatles films are. No 'British Invasion' video collection is complete without it but be prepared to snooze off half way through this bomb.Movie Review: The Dave Clark Five Do Their Own Thing
Summary: 4 Stars
I was simply shocked at how good "Having A Wild Weekend" was after seeing it for the first time recently. ....The DC5's film borrows the fast pace, ingenious cuts, sense of sprightly enthusiasm and b&w artiness of its forebear, but matches it with a unique plot of its own. Rather than playing themselves, the group here are stuntmen, and the story revolves around one of them (Steve, played by the self-described saturnine Dave Clark) taking a model out for a "wild weekend". The press, egged on by her boss, turn it into a kidnapping story, and the rest of the film follows their attempt to recapture her before she gets to the island she's planning to buy. A suitably thin plot is thickened by scenes which are slightly ahead of their time in dramatic and culturalcontent--Steve and his girl encounter a group of long-haired ex-beatniks who ask for grass and heroin, and quote Zen koans-- and all of this in 1965! A comically bickering couple who eventually takes them in also provides for a marvellous costume party sequence in which director John Boorman, in his first film, shines. The climax, in which the journey is compared to the final result, makes for an interesting discussion; the film's themes of youth vs. elders, people vs. the press/society and the resulting question of whether it was "worth it" or not would become the riding question of the 60s. It's almost like an "Easy Rider" before its time-- the big question then becomes why the DC5 faded soon after this film's release, not being known as counterculture heavies in the least...
Movie Review: The Dave Clark Five Do Their Own Thing
Summary: 4 Stars
I was simply shocked at how good "Having A Wild Weekend" was after seeing it for the first time recently. The DC5's film borrows the fast pace, ingenious cuts, sense of sprightly enthusiasm and b&w artiness of "A Hard Day's Night", but matches it with a unique plot of its own. Rather than playing themselves, the group here are stuntmen, and the story revolves around one of them (Steve, played by the self-described saturnine Dave Clark) taking a model out for a "wild weekend". The press, egged on by her boss, turn it into a kidnapping story, and the rest of the film follows their attempt to recapture her before she gets to the island she's planning to buy. A suitably thin plot is thickened by scenes which are slightly ahead of their time in dramatic and culturalcontent--Steve and his girl encounter a group of long-haired ex-beatniks who ask for grass and heroin, and quote Zen koans-- and all of this in 1965! A comically bickering couple who eventually takes them in also provides for a marvellous costume party sequence in which director John Boorman, in his first film, shines. The climax, in which the journey is compared to the final result, makes for an interesting discussion; the film's themes of youth vs. elders, people vs. the press/society and the resulting question of whether it was "worth it" or not would become the riding question of the 60s. It's almost like an "Easy Rider" before its time-- the big question then becomes why the DC5 faded soon after this film's release, not being known as counterculture heavies in the least...
Movie Review: Put your brain on "autopilot" and enjoy!
Summary: 3 Stars
Yes, it's an obvious rip off of "A Hard Day's Night", but so was EVERY 60's rock group film released on the heels of that ground-breaking classic. "Having A Wild Weekend" benefits from having a "name" director at the helm-John Boorman... The DC 5 unfortunately lacked the screen charisma that served the Fabs so well, but the movie is quite entertaining as a "Swinging '60's" time capsule, and the band's jangly, sunny-side-up songs will have you dancing in your media room. (Many power-pop bands to this day cite the DC 5 as an influence.)Totally gear!
Summary of Having a Wild Weekend
A beautiful model, Dinah lands an ad campaign for meat. Soon afterward, while shooting a TV commercial, she falls for a studly stunt man - Steve. When they run off together, the advertising executives see the loss as an opportunity. They use the couple's leave as a publicity stunt.Music & Musicals Video
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