The Beatniks

That is one song that never fails to crack me up.

Beatniks anyone? See any? There are none to be found here. Tony Travis plays Eddy Crane; rebel and small-time hood, but also sings like a pansy femme?? This definitely ruins any credibility since you really can't straddle the fence. Either tell Iris to shut up, or sing "With a Look"; you can't do BOTH! That audition scene is hilarious getting to see hardcore, tough Eddy crooning sentimentality. HA HA HA HA!!!

Who else shamed themselves? Peter Breck as Mooney. Ham anyone? He takes the manic psycho character to probably the only entertainment in this flop. It's tough to be scared of someone who threatens you with "I'm gonna MOON you!!". His soliloquy regarding the barkeep is also priceless scene followed by on odd whiny fit. Then there's annoying broad Iris who's dancing can scar even those unprepared for random corkscrew gyrations. Mr. Morrissey taught me that to succeed as a talent agent, get in an auto accident, call for a tow, and listen to the guy near the jukebox!! Then there's a dive called Charlie's run by a guy named Gus(?).

Despite this corny premise, maybe the makers of Beatniks were trying to make a statement about life; it's not all wavy gravy and the man always square forcing the minds of our best generation to conform to antiquated norms while suppressing self expression. Rail against the establishment!! Whoops, slipped into Beatnik mode there. Well, someone had to because this film sure doesn't!!

"I KILLED THAT FAT BARKEEP!"

It's true...it's not what you say, but how you say it.

First, a caveat: There are no actual beatniks in this film. Nary a beret or black turtleneck or bongo to be seen. As for the movie itself, to steal a line from Roger Ebert, "The Beatniks" is transcendently bad. It soars above ordinary badness as the eagle soars above the mosquito.

The plot is a common one of the era: kid from the wrong side of the tracks is spotted by a talent agent, but alas, his crazy friends ruin it all for him. To call the characters two-dimensional is an insult to planar surfaces. To call the plot threadbare is an insult to rags. To call ... Oh, never mind. You get the idea.

The entire production screams, "high school drama club project," though the actors playing the teens are a bit long in the tooth for the youth set, dig it? MST3000 had great fun with it, though, and thus it's worth a watch.

This has to be one of my favorite MST3K episodes of all time. And a reason why Paul Frees has stuck to animation and cartoon voice overs, since this was his first and last live action feature film he has ever done.

Though the movie is suppose to be a serious musical/crime drama, I sure laughed my head off over it, especially with Joel and the bots there to save it. It deals with an Elvis clone named Eddy Crane whom hits the top when a music agent and a sexy blond woman discovers his so-called "talents". However, his so-called "beatnik" friends want him to come back to him and stop singing, especially a nutcase named Mooney, whoms immortal lines were "One word outta you and I am gonna moon ya!" "MOON, YOU!". That part right there cracks me up.

And another thing, why did Paul Frees decided to call this movie "Beatniks"? It is a gang of juvenile deliquents (perhaps special ed rejects?) whom like to get into trouble. What was Paul Frees on when doing this?

Oh well, at least Frees learned his lesson here, while there are some much worse so-called "talents" whom have not.

No Beatniks appear in this film, the acting by the young leads is execrable, the song lyrics are both insane and badly lip-synched, and the plot is dumb. As others have commented, radio and voice actor Paul Frees assembled quite a nice cast of fellow radio and voice actors to play the "normal" people in this tale of troubled youth, but he neglected to cast credible actors as the over-the-hill "teens" who hang around engaging in delinquent acts of senseless violence. I was quite pleased to see radio and voice actor Stanley Farrar on screen, and, like other comment writers i wonder whose rather nice voice actually sang the lame songs that the character Eddie was inexpertly mouthing along to, but all in all, this one is a loser. Having read all the reviews here, some folks will no doubt seek it out for its sheer badness. To them i say, "Come back later and tell us if it was really worth it!"

One of the very worst of the "troubled teenager" genre so popular in the late '50s/early '60s. Tony Travis as Eddie Crane is a dull hero who seems to be wandering aimlessly through life (and this movie), his girlfriend is about as interesting as dishwater, and his beatnik friends, especially Peter Breck as the horribly over-the-top Moon, give new meaning to the word "stereotype". However, I urge everyone to see the Mystery Science Theater 3000 version of The Beatniks - it's hilarious.