Rock All Night

The movie is fun. The atmosphere, setting, acting, characters, and dialogue are well-done. I like the music. At only 100 minutes or so, the movie is more like an episode of a TV show than a movie. There isn't much filler, and the climax comes at the right time.

I think that Al, the bartender, steals the show from Shorty, who gets the protagonist role. As a result, the ending doesn't feel as satisfying as it should. One death scene is poorly executed. I didn't like the conclusion for Julia, the singer. Certain character details and backgrounds are neglected. The plot as a whole relies on several coincidences.

But it's still a decent movie.

Rock All Night (1957)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

This quickie from AIP is basically two films rolled into one but fans of Corman and his cast of characters will probably find themselves entertained. The first half of the movie is a "rock and roll" picture as we countless musical acts including The Platters doing "I'm Sorry," and "He's Mine" as well as The Blockbusters doing "Rock All Night," "I Wanna Rock Now," and "Rock 'n' Roll Guitar" but the fun doesn't stop there as we get two more numbers. Then, the "other" part of the film takes place as a small group of characters are in a bar when a couple killers break in and hold them hostage while they think of a way to escape the police. It's amazing but this 65-minute flick is mainly just musical acts or filler if you will. The first thirty-five minutes feature non-stop music and between the tracks we're introduced to the characters that will take center stage in the second half. I must admit that I thought the film had a terrific flow to it and it turned out to be much better than I was expecting. For starters, the music itself is very good and it was fun seeing The Platters doing their numbers. I think the low-budget nature of the film hurt especially during the lip-syncing stuff because a lot of times the music isn't matching up with the lips. When the "crime" portion of the film started I think the main joy is seeing Corman regular Dick Miller getting to play the lead and not just the lead but a tough punk. Seeing Miller getting to play a tough guy not scared to fight anyone was very fun simply because you don't get to see that from him very often. I thought Miller handled the part quite well and it was just an all around kick seeing him play the tough guy. Robin Morse is also fun as the owner of the club and Mel Welles plays a "hipster" who is trying to promote a new singer played by Abby Dalton. Fan favorite Jonathan Haze is also on hand. You have to tip your hat to Corman who when bad could be really bad but when he got something right it was usually a lot of fun and he did it for very little money. ROCK ALL NIGHT isn't a masterpiece but it's fun to see the director try to mix two genres together and do it in such little time. The movie flies by without any slow moments so if you enjoy this type of film then it's certainly worth watching.

Back in the 1950s and 60s, Roger Corman made a long string of low budgeted films that managed in all but one case to make money. Amazingly, the one that lost money was one of his best..."The Intruder". Here he is again with "Rock All Night"...a film far, far better than you'd expect given its production values and very simple plot.

The entire film is set in a bar. One by one, various folks come and go into the place until, ultimately, two hoods show up and hold everyone hostage...and killing one of the innocent patrons. The only guy who isn't afraid of these thugs is Shorty (Dick Miller) and, inexplicably, the pair don't seem to know what to do with him as he mocks them. What's next? See the film.

There are quite a few reasons to watch the movie. First, the music is often amazing--with the Platters singing a couple of their best tunes and the little-known Blockbusters singing a delightful theme song. Sure, Julie (Abby Dlaton) sings a few klunkers--but she is supposed to be singing poorly. Second, seeing Miller was a treat and this familiar character in Corman films is at his best. Third, the craziest of the two thugs is played very colorfully by Russell Johnson...one of the last guys you'd expect to be playing such a part, as he was the Professor on "Gilligan's Island"! But he was very good...and the film quite enjoyable and yet another example of the quality pictures that filmmakers CAN make if they are stuck with limited funds. Well worth seeing.

Roger Corman's films tend to be cheap and cheerful but this one's mostly just cheap. Mind you, the thin plot (baddies take a group of hostages) has been used for some $100,000,000 movies as well. Thirty minutes of talk, padded out with irrelevant songs. Mr Cameo himself, Dick Miller, turns up in a rare main role. (4/10)

I watched this on YouTube because the Platters did a couple of numbers. Unfortunately the sound was out of sync through the whole movie, but I just ignored that. The opening was great, when a really cool-looking 1957 DeSoto (I think it was) with fins about as big as they ever got pulled up in front of the bar. I assumed the movie was going to be one of those kid rock festival things, like so many other 'rock' movies of the time, but it turned into a psychological drama. Not what I was looking for, but it was interesting enough that I kept watching. The fact that it was only 62 minutes long helped. It was really surprising to see Russell Johnson, the Professor from Gilligan's Island, as a bad guy. I looked at his credits, and I never realized before what an extensive career he had. As for the movie, I think the fact that it all took place in one spot, the bar, made it more interesting. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I think it could make an interesting play. Retro, of course. Kind of a study of 50's mentality. I'd say that the people's interactions were highly unrealistic, but that's part of 50's mentality - isn't it?