Der Formel Eins Film

I saw it today. It's a typical sunday afternoon movie, where you can sit down and relax. It doesn't bother if the actors aren't that good. It's mostly played by musicians so don't expect oscar worthy scenes. It has great music, legendary stars like Falco and it's nice to see that everyone has having a good time in this idiotic story. That's what makes this movie a kind of exciting to watch.

Well, the storyline is dead simple, so no surprises there (people want to appear in a famous TV show). They try hard to be funny, but that did and does not work very good, so don't expect a good comedy, but a cheesy one.

When the movie was released, the "Formel Eins" TV show was the only regular one to feature pop music and videos on all three available channels in Western Germany. So this movie had success for the brand name in '85.

40 years later it is still a not-so-funny cheesy flick, but it brings back a lot of memories, not only for the music acts and their careers since then, but for all the props, clothing, cars and places. You can ignore dialog and story, just focus on how it was back then... So yes, it is a bad comedy. Some acts are forgotten for a good reason, but not all of them. And if you lived in the 80s in europe, you will return to the feeling of this now distant era - and you will enjoy the movie for capturing the Zeitgeist.

What would you expect from a movie that opens with a slate "This film should be played LOUD"?

"Der Formel Eins Film" was a sad effort to adapt a successful "Top-of-the-pops"-like TV music show to the big screen. Obviously the producers had the idea that it would be enough to throw in a couple of pop stars and then get away with no story, no actors and no humour. Probably all participants had their deal of fun doing this, but watching it is almost unbearable.

I guess it would be quite funny to ask Campino, mastermind of German punk legend "Die Toten Hosen", about their appearance in this movie as "running gag", trying to sneak in the show in various idiotic disguises (at least that lead to a funny mini-album).

Example of the gags? You've been warned: "Let's go to the fitness center". - "F**kness center?"

The 80's might have become some kind of cult era. If the whole decade would've been like this movie, we'd have to thank our maker that we've gotten out there alive... Go and watch some MTV instead.

I saw this movie ages ago when I left the VCR running when I was recording another film. This gem of movie was recorded by accident. It then took me years to track it down. Its an 80's feel good movie.

This is a true 80's movie. If you are a child of the 80's you will appreciate this movie and enjoy it. Its got Meatloaf, Falco and Limahl in it, for heavens sake. Contrary to the previous review, it does have a plot, flimsy though it may be; its still a plot.

So the jokes are cheesy, so what, so were the 80's, thats its charm. 'Meatloaf', 'Limahl', 'Falco' and 'Die Toten Hosen' all in the same film, how often does that happen?

Rock me Amadeus!

If for some reason the movie would have made the international market, this would have been a genius title! It's demented, it's an 80s bunk fantasy, and one main character actually bunks off. While there are some seasoned talents, the main acting is brutally amateurish, which presumably as hoped-for is quite charming though. From what is available, Sissy Kelling seems to be a working musician first, so this part does come natural to her, while Ingolf Lück effortlessly showcases his cabaret skills. This movie - just like the other 80s FRG big screen relic, "Hanging Out/Gib Gas Ich Will Spaß" - is another extension of the classic racket and junk tradition of W-German cinema, which started in the early 50ies, displaying the same obvious golden thread up until the 90s ("Manta Manta", e.g.): Love, Othello psychosis, cars, in fact an independent freespirit young female character, music, and stars. Not shabby here, against all odds extensively engaging Falco and Die Toten Hosen, and Limahl, all displaying a pleasant self-irony, with Pia Zadora, and The Flirts on the other end. Still, a rainy, perefectly grey train station goodbye scene, featuring Purple Schulz's, "Nur Mit Dir", is what does save this movie from a one-star rating! This scene is great, but futile in only a healf-hearted attempt to provide the movie with a serious nuance, only touching the entire set of troubles that comes with general military conscription. There are a couple of other scenes inhering that too, and maybe if you happen to have experience, male or female side, it will make you reflect on how that generation never really addressed how abnormal and offbeat that situation was, since you compare it to the standards not of today's youth, but, as always, with the harsh substandard of your parents, and grandparents. Also, the 80s were a ticking time-bomb in more than one way, with just another massive numbered age-group always lurking to take over from the one before! What was pop in 1984, seemed outdated only 10 months later, I don't even know, but I assume this movie was fated not to be a box-office-hit for that reason alone. Yet, movie historians get treated to a run around the Bavararia studios, including set-visits of "Das Boot" (ridiculously small), and, "Rote Erde". If you are in the know, you will also appreciate authenticity of actual circumstances, like, the Bundeswehr being massively slapsticked was absolute Zeitgeist, or, the most expensive clothing being your underwear. Hindsight and nostalgia in this pov included, bottom line, this is still a trashy movie, but - keep an eye on props, sets, and other details, there's some subtle fun, and, I suppose messaging going in there. Hence with a grain of salt, or two, this movie does provide a quite accurate insight to mid 80s W-German way of life, you might want to watch it for that reason, or the music.