Vinyl

Whats not to like about this great film? The soundtrack? Phil Daniels? Perry Benson? Seeing the music biz being caught with their pants down? That last notion is worthy enough as a plot for a movie but watching the story unfold with Phil Daniels leading the charge, as only he can with his 100mph attack on life, makes this tidy little film truly worthy of your time watching it. The story will make you laugh, it may make you cry and it will definitely leave you feeling good and glad you watched it. It is a fun caper that never takes its self too seriously yet succeeds in showing all of us that rock n roll should always be 'by the people, for the people and of the people'. If you grew up in the 70s or 80s you will love it and many of its touch points. If you are still "growing up" watch and learn. FREE ROCK N ROLL

Vinyl is just a fun movie. The movie is fantastic and you can tell it was a labor of love to get this film made. No, it's not going to win an Academy Award (well, maybe for the soundtrack), but what's wrong with 90 minutes of good entertainment and a story that will have you leaving the theater with a smile on your face? I was fortunate enough to attend the American premiere in New York City. Back then, distribution was seen as a major issue. It's good to see the film is getting on some screens in the UK. I'd certainly like to go see it again and hope it can get on some screens here in the States. I was lucky enough to talk to director Sara Sugarman and -- unlike what the twit at the bottom of the screen said -- found her to be utterly charming. You could see the dedication and sacrifice she put in to get this film made.

Go see this movie!

I managed to catch Vinyl at the Santa Barbara Film Festival. Wasn't expecting much from it as I'd not read anything about it and didn't recognize any of the cast. But I was so happy that I saw it. It was such a pleasant surprise. And it was based on a true story which made it feel even more charming. It follows an old British rock group trying to break back in to the music scene with no luck. So they audition and create a younger group who mime to their songs and become successful. The songs are great especially the main song, I guarantee you'll be singing it for days after you see it. A real crowd pleaser. Would love to see it again. Hope it comes out soon.

Plenty of laughs in this file which is loosely based on a true story (and full of in-jokes for those in the know). It could easily have fallen into the trap of being predictable but it doesn't. It comes over as fresh, quirky and fun. The serious moments are very natural, not forced, the music is good and the young band are very easy on the eye for the younger viewers. For the rest of us, there's Phil Daniels as the ever-optimistic Johnny Jones and Keith Allen, looking typically curmudgeonly as Minto, plus some well-aimed swipes at the contemporary record industry. Very much in the tradition of Very Annie Mary or The Full Monty.

Wow, it was great to catch up with Phil Daniels after all these years! Living in the USA, I literally hadn't seen him in anything since I ventured into a Mpls. theater in late '79 for my initial viewing of "Quadrophenia". Oh, I'd heard him 'rapping' on Blur's "Parklife" and as the lead voice in "Chicken Run", but it was my first actual Phil sighting since the 70's! And I've got to say, he can still bring it as a lead actor. We're roughly the same age, so please keep it going, Phil. It's nice to see there's still hope for the over 55 crowd when you're getting plum roles, even if I'm still sitting here at this god-awful desk.

As for the movie, I'm going with a six rating. I was unfamiliar with Mike Peters' 2004 hoax where he released a song under a pseudonym, but I'm glad he was able to pull one over on the music industry which ultimately led to this film. And I always liked The Alarm, even if they were slagged off as short-lived "U2 wannabes" in the states.