... Will he manage to get home unscathed? And how will his experience affect the rest of his life?
Quadrophenia, the film, made in 1979, is based on The Who's rock opera album of the same name from 1973, and is partially written by Pete Townshend, the guitarist of The Who. The Who also own the ... Read review
Franc Roddam's terrifically energetic movie, set to music from the Who'sQuadrophenia, ... more
is--at the very least, the best film ever based on a rock album (and, yes, that includesTommy,Pink Floyd: The Wall, andJesus Christ Superstar). Actually, this tale of...
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Franc Roddam's terrifically energetic movie, set to music from the Who'sQuadrophenia, ... more
is--at the very least, the best film ever based on a rock album (and, yes, that includesTommy,Pink Floyd: The Wall, andJesus Christ Superstar). Actually, this tale of...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
We are the mods we are the mods we are we are we are the mods! London 1964: two rival ... more
youth cults emerge - the mods and the rockers - with explosive consequences. For Jimmy (Phil Daniels) and his sharp-suited pill-popping scooter-riding mates be...
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Production Year: 1995 - Drama - Director: Ang Lee - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Greg Wise, Hugh Laurie, Robert Hardy
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Production Year: 1995 - Drama - Director: Ang Lee - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Greg Wise, Hugh Laurie, Robert Hardy
Advantages: Phil Daniels is superb, fabulous background music Disadvantages: Quality of the DVD isn't great, just one extra
It's London in the 1960s, and Jimmy, with his miserable mailboy job and restrictive parents, is desperate to find a point to his life. He loves his scooter and his music - loving the whole Mod culture to which he is becoming addicted. He spends his nights out on the town, drinking and doing drugs, then struggles to get to work the next day. Then August Bank Holiday is on the horizon and there is a Mod and Rocker event due in Brighton. Jimmy and his ... ...together with the lovely Steph and becomes involved in a riot between the Mods and the Rockers. Will he manage to get home unscathed? And how will his experience affect the rest of his life?
Quadrophenia, the film, made in 1979, is based on The Who's rock opera album of the same name from 1973, and is partially written by Pete Townshend, the guitarist of The Who. The Who also own the distribution company responsible for the film. Like ... more
It's London in the 1960s, and Jimmy, with his miserable mailboy job and restrictive parents, is desperate to find a point to his life. He loves his scooter and his music - loving the whole Mod culture to which he is becoming addicted. He spends his nights out on the town, drinking and doing drugs, then struggles to get to work the next day. Then August Bank Holiday is on the horizon and there is a Mod and Rocker event due in Brighton. Jimmy and his friends decide to go to Brighton, where he finally gets together with the lovely Steph and becomes involved in a riot between the Mods and the Rockers. Will he manage to get home unscathed? And how will his experience affect the rest of his life?
Quadrophenia, the film, made in 1979, is based on The Who's rock opera album of the same name from 1973, and is partially written by Pete Townshend, the guitarist of The Who. The Who also own the distribution company responsible for the film. Like the album, the film is based on the story of the real 'Second Battle of Hastings' riot in 1964, when the Mods and Rockers clashed, causing a 'moral panic' in which the media and much of middle-class Britain were horrified at the behaviour of their young people. [Anyone interested in finding out more should read the superb 'Folk Devils and Moral Panics' by Stanley Cohen - a truly fascinating, and suprisingly easy, read] Against this background, is set the story of Jimmy, growing up at a time when the days of rationing were far behind, but the promises of the future were not yet available to him.
The cast of this British film is made up of a long list of actors and actresses well-known in the UK today; so much so that I spent the first part of the film recognising faces and trying to place them. Phil Daniels (more recently of Eastenders fame) plays Jimmy, in what is a superb portrayal of youthful angst. Jimmy is a very angry young man; things aren't going the way he planned and he can't even get the girl he wants. Amazingly, because I've never really thought much of Daniels as an actor, he manages to carry the film virtually single-handedly, and most definitely gives a performance that I will remember for a long time. He starts off well, but ends even more strongly - there is no need for words to express the confusion he is feeling, it is written all over his face.
A very young Mark Wingett (The Bill and Eastenders) plays Jimmy's best friend Dave. He really looks the part of a Mod and, although the role is very secondary to that of Phil Daniels, his performance is also memorable - particularly for his violent outburst towards the end. There are a couple of other familiar faces from Eastenders - Kate Williams (who has recently played Libby's grandmother) is Jimmy's mother in this film, and does a marvellous job of being a vicious, screaming battle-axe. Then there is John Altman (Nick Cotton in Eastenders) who has a fairly minor role, but gets the chance of being remarkably gobby nevertheless!
Leslie Ash deserves a mention for her role as Steph - a very beautiful girl who proves to be not quite so beautiful on the inside. Ray Winstone plays an old schoolfriend of Jimmy's who happens to be a Rocker - he memorably manages to get beaten up twice, poor guy. Sting plays the head of the Mods, someone for whom Jimmy has a serious attack of hero worship. Other familiar faces include Michael Elphick, Toyah Willcox, Timothy Spall, Gary Holton and Phil Davis - with the exception of Elphick, who plays Jimmy's father, all look incredibly young, and all of them, without exception are spot on with their performances, however small the roles.
I found the backdrop to the story fascinating. Anyone who has studied criminology or sociology will have heard about this 'moral panic' that followed the riots between the Mods and the Rockers, and this was a fantastic opportunity to get a visual taste of what happened. Phil Daniels has apparently said that the acting during the riots was as realistic as it could get - he remembers punching and kicking the 'policemen' for all he was worth - and it really is completely convincing. I really appreciated the fact that the story is based on reality - it made it all the more entertaining and I enjoyed the reminder that rebellion wasn't invented by today's youth, even if they think it is!
Much of the setting is made up of various grubby bars and cafes where the Mods congregated. However, director Franc Roddam still took advantage of the beauty of the Brighton coast and surrounding areas. The opening shots of Jimmy wondering up towards the headland with the sunset in the background are really beautiful, and the ending, along the tops of some cliffs is equally eye-catching. I also loved shots of Jimmy down a Brighton alley, which comes to represent a happy memory for him. All very well done without being in the least bit pretentious. After all the anger and violence of the rest of the film, it is a real relief to have something restful to watch.
The music is truly superb. I am a big fan of The Who anyway, so it was a real treat to hear so much of their music. It doesn't overly dominate the film though; it really only comes to the fore when Jimmy is suffering. However, when it does, it matches Jimmy's actions and feelings perfectly - I had to keep reminding myself that it was the music that came first and the film was written for the music, rather than the other way around. There is a great selection of other music throughout the film, including James Brown, The Supremes, Manfred Mann and The Ronettes - it is rare that I notice soundtracks, but in this film it is very much part of the whole package.
This version of the DVD has just one special feature; a featurette, which consists of a series of stills and clips from the movie - set to The Who music. I was really disappointed by this - I thought that there would at least be a documentary about the riots. And the quality of the film is not brilliant, making it look older than it really is - there has obviously been little attempt to digitally remaster it. There is another version, which comes with a whole host of special features and has the digitally remastered version of the film. I think it is certainly worth looking out for the that - I still enjoyed the film, but would have preferred an enhanced copy.
I really don't have much to criticise with this film. It has a whole host of excellent British actors and actresses, and Phil Daniels gives a remarkable performance as an angst-ridden teen. It may not appeal to everyone though - it is quite depressing and certainly shows a side to life that some would prefer to avoid when it comes to entertainment. There is also a huge amount of swearing, drug-taking, violence and sex, so it thoroughly deserves the classification of 18. However, if you like The Who and don't mind the gritty topic, it is well worth a watch. Just make sure you get hold of the latest, and digitially enhanced, version of the DVD. Highly recommended.
This version of the DVD is available from play.com for £3.99. The special edition, complete with digitally enhanced film and extras, is available for £4.99.
Advantages: A stellar cast, headed by the brilliant Phil Daniels Disadvantages: Ray Winstone is given far too limited screen time
Wow! Doesn't this classic musical drama still rock after over 30 years since it premiered. Written by Franc Rodder (who also directed this film), Dave Humphries and Martin Stellman, "Quadrophenia" (1979) was rock group The Who's explosive, enthralling musical tribute to the mods and rockers of the swinging sixties.
"Quadrophenia" boasts a stellar cast list, headed by a riviting, powerful performance from the ever-great Phil Daniels. The rest of ... ...legendary ex-lead singer of The police, Sting, Mark Wingett (later famous for his role as DCI Jim Carver in ITV's police drama "The Bill"), Philip Davis (who's list of film and television credits are endless), Leslie Ash (long before her days as one of the leading stars in ITV's action-drama "C.A.T.S Eyes" and the classic BBC sitcom "Men Behaving Badly"), singer Toyah Wilcox, the ultimate screen hard-man Ray Winstone (though is disappointingly given ...
IanPhillips 26.08.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Quadrophenia (DVD)
Advantages: Realistic feel - language, scenery, clothes and music are all spot on, excellent acting Disadvantages: Strong language may put some people off, definitely no happy ending in sight
Franc Roddam's tale of teenage disaffection in the 1960s has recently enjoyed something of a renaissance, earning the critical acclaim it was unfairly denied upon release in 1979. It was re-released on DVD with a new subtitle, ‘A Way of Life’ in 1997, handily timed to coincide with an upsurge in interest in British cinema – I had heard of the film a few years ago, but never really knew what it was about. However, a quick look at ... ...music from the past couple of decades: Ray Winstone, Phil Daniels, Toyah, Leslie Ash, Sting, Michael Elphick, and Mark Wingett (DC Carver from ‘The Bill’, you’ll recognise him as soon as you see him!). That alone was enough to recommend it, and I have to say that ‘Quadrophenia’ does not disappoint. It is the story of Jimmy (Phil Daniels), a youngster living in suburban hell somewhere in northwest London. He has a boring ...
JVL 08.11.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Quadrophenia (DVD)
Advantages: Brilliant piece of work Disadvantages: none
Quadrophenia is one of thos films that sound alot of rubbish and to be honest i thought it was going to be, but, When i got it and put it on for the first time 3 months ago it was Brilliant. I couldnt have been more wrong.
The stars of this 70's classic arent all that unknown, you will have seen some of them in Eastenders, the bill,on stage(singer) etc
Here are the stars of this movie......
Phil Daniels ... James Michael 'Jimmy' Cooper Leslie ... ...... Steph Philip Davis ... Chalky Mark Wingett ... Dave Sting ... Ace Face Ray Winstone ... Kevin (as Raymond Winstone) Garry Cooper ... Peter Gary Shail ... Spider Toyah Willcox ... Monkey Trevor Laird ... Ferdy Kate Williams ... Mrs. Cooper - Jimmy's mother Michael Elphick ... Mr. Cooper - Jimmy's father Kim Neve ... Yvonne Benjamin Whitrow ... Mr. Fulford Daniel Peacock ... Danny This film is set in the 60's, Jimmy is hating his life, from his ...
scottishWARRIOR22 06.08.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Quadrophenia (DVD)
Advantages: some great music Disadvantages: alot of drug taking
London 1964,
The film is based around rival gangs of Mods and Rockers and in particular a young mans struggle on coming to terms with growing up. And his best mate (Ray Winstone) turning out to be a Rocker.
Jimmy (Phil Daniels) is the young man; he believes there has to be more to life, than being an office junior.
He doesn't want to be like his council tenant, TV watching parents.
Jimmy spends his time being part of a scooter riding Mod gang, ... ...release his frustration.
It portrays the Mods as snappy smooth dressers, Parka coats and neatly styled hair, and the Rockers as scruffy leather clad thugs.
Not always the case in reality though, my mother was a Hells Angel in years gone by, and was always clean, tidy and dressed superbly.
Jimmy's gang head of to Brighton for their annual bank holiday weekend break, where a clash with rival Rockers is inevitable.
All hell breaks loose as to be ...
dreamscancometrue 01.01.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Quadrophenia (DVD)
Advantages: Get a picture of the 80s scene Disadvantages: basic film made with a limited budget
...dancing and brawling with Rockers. QUADROPHENIA episodically depicts Jimmy's struggles with his seemingly empty existence, alleviated only by his relationships with his pals, most of whom are in the same grim boat. Adapted from a double album written by Pete Townshend and performed by the Who (who also acted as executive producers for the film), QUADROPHENIA is one of the best films about youth ever made, beautifully illustrating the frustrations ... ...First-time director Franc Roddam does a fine job with his young cast and his re-creation of period detail is nearly perfect. Daniels gives an amazing performance as the confused Jimmy, looking for an identity and coming literally to the brink of self-destruction--so intense and full of divergent emotions, he seems ready to explode at any moment. ...
ConLepore 18.11.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Quadrophenia (DVD)
This film caused a sensation when it was released. It accurately recreates all the excitement and aggression of the Mods and Rockers in the 60s. Includes an 8 minute montage.
"...Gritty and ragged and sometimes quite beautiful..." (New York Times, p.C6, 02/11/1979)
"...An authentic piece of nostalgia....With a fine soundtrack by The Who which plays a strong integral part in the storytelling..." (Variety, 02/05/1979)
DVD Description
It's the Mods versus the Rockers in this striking adaptation of the Who's classic rock opera about alienated youth in the 1960s. The film follows Jimmy (Phil Daniels) an angry young man who feels that he can only achieve a sense of identity and meaning in life through his gang and rock & roll music. This edgy time capsule also features Sting (in his acting debut), Leslie Ash, and Ray Winstone. In addition to Who songs such as "Love, Reign O'er Me," "The Real Me," and "My Generation," the soundtrack includes R&B classics by James Brown, Marvin Gaye, and others. Acting debut for rock musician/performer Sting.
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