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In our ongoing series, we’ve turned our focus to a specific person or genre we want to try and shine a light on. Today our topic is summer-themed. While it’s not exactly a venerated subgenre, the beach party movies are enjoyable nonetheless for evoking the surf craze and the teen beach c read more

It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals. In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 500. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals. This week’s musical: “Beach Party” (1964)– read more

Take a beach party movie a la Frankie and Annette, mix it with the creature from the Black Lagoon, and shake it till it loses most of its brain cells and that's The Beach Girls and the Monster (1965). Far from his heyday playing hunky leading man to Dorothy Lamour and Maria Montez, John Hall direct read more

It’s June, it’s almost summer. It’s time to swim, go at the beach, drink lemonade, but also, for us, bloggers, it’s time for the Beach Party Blogathon. This wonderful event is hosted by Speakeasy and Silver Screenings. For the occasion, I’ve decided to explore Roberto read more

This was not the film's original title. As visitors to this blog know, we are Beach Party proponents, Annette admirers, and Frankie aficionados. Yes, we like our BP movies, but what is one to make of the last--and least--entry in American International's seven-film series? Frankie and Ann read more

Jun 9 Posted by aaronwest The above picture is my yet to be unpacked suitcase. It is packed with unrealistic expectations. Often when I travel, I’ll have free time and (surprise!), I spend it watching movies. As you can see, I have a few movies in there — The Seventh Seal, Make Way for read more

Jun 9 Posted by aaronwest The above picture is my yet to be unpacked suitcase. It is packed with unrealistic expectations. Often when I travel, I’ll have free time and (surprise!), I spend it watching movies. As you can see, I have a few movies in there — The Seventh Seal, Make Way for read more

When I think of my favorite beach movies (and I do have some favorite beach movies!), I must admit that film noir doesn’t exactly spring to mind. But when I learned of the Beach Party Blogathon, hosted by Kristina at Speakeasy and Ruth at Silver Screenings, the first movie I thought of was Drive read more

Jun 9 Posted by aaronwest The above picture is my yet to be unpacked suitcase. It is packed with unrealistic expectations. Often when I travel, I’ll have free time and (surprise!), I spend it watching movies. As you can see, I have a few movies in there — The Seventh Seal, Make Way for read more

Beach Party blogathon!  Our hostesses for this June 8 - 12 cruise along coastal cinema are Ruth of Silver Screenings and Kristina of Speakeasy.  Check here for the sunny line-up. When I read the Nancy Drew mystery The Secret of the Golden Pavilion as a young girl I longed to visit Hawaii read more

Today, as usual in March (in Quebec) it was snowing it Montreal… I love snow, but real spring and summer have to be on their way! Because on June 8th to June 12th 2015, The Wonderful World of Cinema will be part of the Beach Party Blogathon hosted by  Ruth of Silver Screenings and Kristina read more

It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals. In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 500. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals. This week’s musical: “Muscle Beach Party” read more

What? No Beach Party movies and no Gidget? We excluded the Beach Party films from this list for two reasons: (1) they have already been covered extensively at the Cafe; (2) they would dominate this list and we wanted to promote some of the other "spring break movies." As for Gidget, while it ma read more

A – It’s for Annette, of course! (Though Avalon is a fine choice, too.) B – Beach Party, the 1963 movie that started it all. Or, it can also be for Bonehead, Frankie’s dimwitted pal played by Jody McCrea (Joel’s son). Candy Johnson. C – Candy Johnson, the fr read more

Frankie surfing...in front of a rear screen. With one notable exception, 1963's Beach Party--the first entry in American-International's seven-film series--provided the blueprint for a new genre: the teen sand 'n' surf musical. It wasn't the first teen movie with surfing (see Gidget) and certainly read more

Beach Party (1963), was the first of seven beach party films from American International Pictures. Director: William Asher and written by Lou Rusoff. Cast: Robert Cummings, Dorothy Malone, Frankie Avalon, and Annette Funicello. The film is about, a group of fun-loving teenagers who live on their ow read more