Back to the Beach

BACK TO THE BEACH is undoubtedly one of the best, funniest American Comedies of the last thirty years! It is a great movie - with a great cast, great settings, and great music! Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello are back. They're visiting their daughter in L.A. While there, there are all sorts of hilarious situations, jokes, and even cameos (Don Adams, Bob Denver, Alan Hale Jr.)Fun from first reel to last. A real treasure.

Frankie and Annette, together again. The movie really does contain the silliness of the original beach movies. Not laugh out loud funny but smiles, chuckles and yes, the occasional groan (the good kind...). Nevermind the story, it's' light abnd totally improbable. Again, like the originals.. Look for the jokes, the spoofing of the genre and of Frankie & Annette and the cameos. I mean look at the list...Connie Stevens (more than a cameo, she again plays the "bad girl" that tries to lure Frankie away from Annette), Stevie Ray Vaughan (In a great duet with the King Of The Surf Guitar, Dick Dale... a rare appearance on movie screens by Stevie Ray..), Pee Wee Herman (typically goofy..), Don Adams. Edd "Kookie" Byrnes, Barbara Billingsly, Jerry Mathers and Tony Dow (see a theme here?), Bob Denver and Alan Hale, Jr. Great cameos, worked in in insane ways. Hey, even the band Fishbone and Annette do a song called "Jamaican Ska". This isn't "Schindler's List" here, people, it's light, silly comedy for people in light, silly moods. Worth a try is in the mood.. particularly if you have seen some of the "Beach Blanket" movies..

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?

This film is a wonderfully campy tribute to pop culture. With Cameo appearances from Pee-Wee Herman, Don Adams, Jerry Mathers, Tony Dow, Barbara Billingsly, Bob Denver, Alan Hale Jr., Fishbone, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and many others how could you go wrong. There is some killer surf footage. Plus Demian Slade has incredible comedic timing with his sarcasm. I love this movie.

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!