Twist Around the Clock (1961)- The plot is simple, there isn't one just excuses to have people peddle their hits and in Chubby's case, shitty, non-hits. This movie, like the other, portrayed Checker as a will o' the wisp, barely there in his own life and celebrity. As an actor he makes Muhammad Ali seem like Sir Alec Guinness. Sadly one could raise the specter of racism on this classic movie. Chubby is only seen on stage, near it or leaving it. Chubby has no story/plot. In this boneheaded film, the star is some talent executive is looking for twisting acts and of course the munificent Checker is his go to guy. Really excitin'! The "cast" here is wanting too. Here we get to see Dion lip-synch the always annoying "Runaround Sue" and whatever else he did. New York radio personality Clay Cole got to massacre a few non-hits and Chubby, well, he didn't do a heck of a lot--see picture on the upper left.
Rating: **
Don't Knock the Twist- (1962) Oddly enough this was more thought out and believable than the other one. This is basically the Deer Hunter of the twisting movies. The premise was a TV guy trying to assemble a Twisting TV show to help a network in the ratings. The dude also had a boring-ass girlfriend/clothing designer. He soon dropped kicked her ass for some young doxy he saw through a window, doing--The Twist!Where was Chubby in all of this? On stage, where else. He again was the go-to guy, assembling the talent and inflicting yet another cachet of twisting songs on a thoroughly tired public. The most hilarious thing here is someone named Vic Dana did this dirge-like song, "Alter Boy" in the middle of a rocking set. Killjoy. Unlike the other shitting ass movie, Chubby actually was invited into someone's home and got to lie on the couch for a spell. Ain't that great?
Rating: ***
Alternative Ending: Checker does "Limbo Twist" politely excuses himself, comes back on stage with a musket, kills crowd. The End.
2 comments:
"This is basically the Deer Hunter of the twisting movies."
Gold.
Sadly, I have never heard of these gems. You'd think Chubby would have told me, as he used to live on my couch. :-(
Thanks Steve :) Since you know Chubby (I'm jealous) you owe it to yourself to see this thespian at his peak. Both movies were oddly watchable but sadly, "Don't Knock the Twist" did some "stuff" to my nervous system--haven't been the same since...
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