We had a rare Friday Film Night - a double header as well. With the bloody Estuary Wilds rain pissing it down all day and all evening, this was no time to be tripping the light fantastic outdoors.
And so we went in early. Work tools were downed at strictly 5pm, and then the first screening soon followed. A short break for an evening meal, and then the second sitting of Film Night.
Being screened was That’ll be the Day, and then Stardust - the David Essex films from the mid 70’s that document the rise and fall of a rock star.
Sounds familiar? Both films are rock ‘n’ roll cliches; both draw heavily on The Beatles, Bowie and Bolan.
I’ve seen That’ll be the Day before, although I wasn’t overly familiar with all the plot twists and turns. Stardust was new to me.
My interest was prodded through a casual name check of both films in the excellent This is Clobbered podcast - a YT channel that is taking up my time, and my monthly clothes allowance.
The two Marks explained how the first film gets the look and style of early UK rock ‘n’ roll spot on; Stardust meanwhile was referenced as being something much, much darker, and a very different proposition altogether.
They weren’t wrong.
That’ll be the Day is bloody great.
Ringo! Keith Moon! Shagging!
Plus more SHAGGING!
You couldn’t get away with some of the scenes and scripts these days, etc.
It roughly tells the story of working class dreams and failures. BALLS to The Man and the life path you are expected to take. Why not run away and join the fairground instead?
There’s a fantastic soundtrack throughout. You really can’t go wrong with early rock ‘n’ roll.
I’d forgotten that the film has anything but a happy ending. It was a bit of an oh, is that it moment, when the end credits rolled.
Not so.
A brief break for a meal, and then we streamed Stardust.
wtf.
Where to start?
tl’dr with a MAJOR spoiler:
It’s a classic tale of a Rock ‘n’ Roll suicide. But there’s still some unintentional comedy moments to be found.
Both films have roles from actors either on the way up, or on the way down.
Blimey! There’s JR Ewing - or rather Larry Hagman - muscling in on Adam Faith as the business manger for David Essex’s rock star role. And he’s basically playing JR in an English music movie.
The storyline goes BONKERS way too early.
It was however a clever move to trackback with a funeral for a character from the first film. This allows the connection to be made. Without this, That’ll be the Day and Stardust would have little to no narrative between them.
The timeline takes a huge leap. One moment we’re all Buddy Holly in the first film, and then without much cultural explanation or reference, we’re BALLS deep in the world of Bowie and Bolan.
That’ll be the Day is by far the more authentic film; Stardust is more interesting.