Fireball 500/Thunder Alley (Midnite Movies Double Feature)
by Richard Rush
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DVD details
Actor: Annette Funicello, Diane McBain, Fabian, Jan Murray, Warren BerlingerDirector: Richard Rush
Brand: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENT
Cinematographer: Monroe P. Askins
Cinematographer: Floyd Crosby
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 181 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-06-07
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: American International Pictures (AIP)
DVD Reviews of Fireball 500/Thunder Alley (Midnite Movies Double Feature)
DVD Review: good annette movies
Summary: 5 Stars
these are very good movies they are not the beach party movies that have annette and frankie but they are still good
Linda
DVD Review: ANNETTE FUNICELLO COLLECTOR ITEM
Summary: 5 Stars
Annette has been one of my favorites since her Mousketeer days with the Disney Studio. If you like Annette, Frankie and Fabian, this is right up your street. Two movies, one each side, a good space saver. DVD Review: Film Editing Team Rises to the Challenge
Summary: 3 Stars
This review is only about "Fireball 500" (1966), technically the best production to ever come out of "American International". The cinematography looks as good as the best Hollywood productions from that period; with unexpectedly good shot selection and nice close-ups that you would expect to see now but were highly original back in 1966.
This is a film that should be shown to would-be film and video editors, as there are few finer examples of matching stock footage with first and second unit output; all done by linear editing (try it some time if you want a real challenge). When a low budget film tries to be high budget by inserting stock footage it is usually a disaster, but here there is a pretty good match of film stock and the track announcer's audio makes the action sequences easy to follow. You might recognize Fred R. Feitshans Jr's editing style from the old "Adventures in Paradise" television show.
The story is ordinary-straight action adventure and romance, no comedy like AIP's beach movies even though it does feature alumni Frankie, Annette, and Harvey Lembeck. There are three good Hernrig and Styner songs: "Fireball 500", "My Way", and "Turn Around"; sung by Frankie with help on the last one from Julie Parrish. Annette sings "Step Right Up" which mostly leaves you amazed that anyone ever bought her records.
As usual Annette is very buttoned-up and chaste but Parrish is hot enough to carry the whole film. Interestingly Annette pairs up with Fabian and Frankie gets Julie. Fabian also has a group of racetrack groupies who follow him around, four of the them are mid-60's Playboy centerfolds with one of those the Playmate of the year.
Frankie gets into a serious fight with both Fabian and Lembeck. These are decently staged and cut but unnecessary to the story and rather comical when you consider the participants. Casting these two singers was apparently an attempt to expand the target audience from teenage boys and stock car fans by including something for teenage girls. This was at best a lame idea since by 1966 those two were considered wimpy has-beens compared to "Herman's Hermits", let alone the "Beatles" and the "Stones".
There is tons of interesting stock car footage, making "Fireball 500" a nice historical archive. Overall it was a fun film to watch but nothing you would take very seriously.
Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.
DVD Review: A childhood gem of a flick finally on DVD
Summary: 3 Stars
While somewhat different from the more innocent Beach Party movies, this is still a treat for Frankie and Annette fans! As a child, I know there are those who can relate to me in the respect of always getting excited when looking at the TV guide (and the more simplistic channels of just CBS, ABC, NBC, and PBS!) and seeing the Frankie and Annette movies listed. I never tired of watching the frolicking romp associated with light plot lines and surfer bubble gum 60's pop music with Frankie and Annette planted right in the middle.
I loved Fireball 500 from the first time I saw it. The car racing action and characters, the music, it was just a fun popcorn type movie. But it's been hard to catch since I saw it as a child! Even in the endless stream of tv channels nowdays, I could hardly catch it. So it was to my delight when I typed in Fireball 500 in the [...] browser and wow! There it was.
Ok, so Frankie and Annette do not wind up together at the end and some hardcore fans will never accept that. And yes, Frankie drinks and does some serious fist fighting. It's still Frankie! Still, while it's not any movie of Oscar calibur, it's still a treat. And the vivid, detailed new anamorphic widescreen transfer is awesome!
Thunder Alley I think I had seen once when I was younger, but it was a treat to have it added to make a double feature. I especially liked the snazzy guitar laden, go-go dancing frosted title tune. And as an avid fan of vintage stock car racing, this movie was a treat. Plenty of spills and crashes and great racing abound here. And it was fun to see Annette play a feisty stunt car driver!
The one thing I didn't like about this movie, though, was the party scene where the teenagers went wild and spilled liquor all over themselves and it just seemed mindless and the scene plays out way too long. I was like ok, where's the fast forward button on my remote. Otherwise, a good movie.
So for vintage car racing fans, Frankie and Annette fans (who can accept some changes in the characters!), this is a good pass the time and just have fun movie watching experience!
DVD Review: Not for Fans of Beach Party Movies...
Summary: 1 Stars
If you're seeing Frankie and Annette on "Fireball 500" and thinking yet another classic romp with America's sweethearts, think again. This movie was not a campy comedy--- far from it. You have to know, it had NOTHING to do with the beach movies at ALL. This is not Frankie and Dee Dee playing games with each other--- this is Dave and Janie, and they do NOT end up together in the end. Perhaps I am a bit in a box, but, seeing a Frankie and Annette flick, I expect them together--- I expect most others would, too.
Description of Fireball 500/Thunder Alley (Midnite Movies Double Feature)
Fireball 500Frankie Avalon Annette Funicello and Fabian trade in their beach towels for monkey wrenches in this rip-roaring romance "set against a backdrop of hopped-up racecars bootlegging and morals" (Variety)! When Daytona-bound Dave (Avalon) stops in a small town to run some moonshine and race against a cocky local named Leander (Fabian) he not only gets noticed by Leander's girl (Funicello) but also by the Feds!Thunder AlleyFasten your seat belts for "action and speed" (LA Herald-Examiner) as Annette Funicello and Fabian star as two stock-car drivers on the thrill circuit who kick their mutual affection into full-throttle romance! But Tommy (Fabian) must first cure himself of his racing blackouts which may have caused the death of a fellow racer before they kill him and his Indy 500 dreams!System Requirements: Running Time 181 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre:?COMEDY Rating:?NR UPC:?027616903006 Manufacturer No:?1006077General DVDs
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