Glitterball

A marvelous film about the secret life of children who are all too often forgotten and left to their own devices in the day-to-day activities of adults and what happens when another boring Saturday is suddenly made not-so-boring with the discovery of a mysterious little alien being with unusual powers, who is scared, hungry and very lost.

Hilarious and fast paced adventure from a child's eye view, with exciting chases, escapes and pratfalls. General chaos and havoc are wreaked on a small town as the Army and an evildoer gangster independently seek to capture the alien for their own purposes and collide with a group of children who have joined forces to help the little alien-who only wants to return home.

It's about being very small in a big scary world, and the power of friendship and trust. Highest recommendation.

A good little film that I saw years and years ago about a silver ball from outer space with special powers. It would probably appeal more to kids, but adults may like it too. There's one howlingly hilarius line in it "hey those crisps cost me 5p" suggesting that was a lot of money, which had me on the floor with laughter. Average price in 2002 £32p. Anyway 7 out of 10. Fun

Holy Mary Mother of Gadd. This film simply has to be the most crunching Children's Film Foundation title since Billy And His Magic Pond. I literally weeped with joy after watching this film.

Glitterball is now commonly regarded as the "best film of all time" by Ben Baker of "Taxi for Baker" fame. Other greats to endorse this cinematic genius include Jason Bunyan and "Paul" from Australian soap Neighbours.

Made 5 years before ET this is the quintessential alien film with each one of the 56minutes causing mind-bending pleasure only compared to "Dream Baby" by The Glitter Band.

Join me in this celebration of children's cinema and raise your glasses.

COUGARS

Two lads (one a lonely RAF brat) encounter a very small, spherical alien stranded on Earth and help him return him home with 5p crisps and 500 000 volts of electricity. They become the good pals as well.

Good to see these charming, modest British made films being shown in the satellite / cable channels. Or released on DVD. A few familiar faces are there - notably Ron Pember, Derek Deadman and Linda 'Birds of a Fevtha' Robson - which only adds to the experience.

And who at that age didn't want to have a cool gang hut, tree house or den like that to hang around in?!

You'll have to excuse the bias that I clearly exhibit when watching 1977's 'The Glitterball' - a film about an alien, er, ball, that comes to Earth and meets some local British kids. Who needs E. T. eh? I watched it so much as a kid that I practically know the script word for word. I can't help but still feel that it's a charming slice of seventies British family entertainment, blending sci-fi with a dose of childhood adventure.

It's so family friendly all the way and offers an innocent, nostalgia-soaked trip back to an era when storytelling for younger audiences prioritized heart and imagination over massive action set-pieces and alien sky-beams destroying New York. The two young protagonists do their best to protect our spherical extraterrestrial from the usual suspects: bumbling crooks and skeptical adults.

It's a classic setup, but its simplicity works in the film's favour, allowing its quirky humor and likable characters to shine. The Glitterball itself is the star of the show - even though it's merely a glowing orb with an endearing personality that communicates through lights and an appetite for earthly delights-particularly human food.

The special effects, especially for the alien ball, hold up surprisingly well. While it's not on the level of 'Star Wars' (released the same year, believe it or not!), the practical effects used to depict the Glitterball's movement and interactions are inventive. Watching it devour biscuits and other snacks is both amusing and oddly mesmerizing, adding a playful charm to the film.

I know I'm biased, but I still think most people will find 'The Glitterball' is good, wholesome fun (and who can't help but root for a plucky sentient snooker ball against a bad guy called 'Filthy Potter?')