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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Party Hearty!, July 30, 2003
This review is from: Muscle Beach Party/Ski Party (DVD)
Side A of the DVD contains "Muscle Beach Party." Frankie, Dee Dee (Annette Funicello) and the gang uneasily share the beach with a group of musclemen and their trainer, Jack Fanny (Don Rickles). The muscle men are the natural enemies of the surfers, taking the place of Eric Von Zipper and the Rat Pack, who are sorely missed in this movie. The recently deceased Buddy Hackett is especially funny as the guardian of the rich Italian countess, played by the beautiful Lucianna Paluzzi. At first, the countess only has eyes for Flex Martian, played by Rock Stevens (actually, it's Peter Lupus of Mission Impossible fame). After she meets Frankie and hears him sing, she falls head over heels in love with him. Recording him live at Cappy's nightclub, backed by Dick Dale and the Del Tones, she's determined to release the record and make him an international singing star. The countess almost persuades Frankie to board her yacht and sail around the world with her, when Frankie realizes that Dee Dee is his one true love. Flex and the muscle men follow them to the nightclub and, in order to win over the countess, they duke it out with the surfers. Jack Fanny eggs on the fight, while Cappy (Morey Amsterdam) watches his nightclub get wrecked. Flex's father, played by the great Peter Lorre, comes in and breaks up the fight. The countess says good-bye and sails the seas in search of true love, while Frankie and Dee Dee go on to make more beach movies. Little Stevie Wonder makes his movie debut, performing a song at the nightclub and singing a song during the closing credits.
Side B of the DVD contains "Ski Party," marking the official release of this movie. In this film, Frankie Avalon and Dwayne Hickman play the world's oldest college students, with Annette Funicello making a brief cameo at the beginning as a college professor. Frankie and Dwayne aren't getting anywhere with Deborah Walley and Yvonne Craig, so they decide to join them on a skiing vacation. Finding the men's German ski instructor too tough, they do what any red blooded, all American boy would do. They dress up as women and go to the beautiful women's Swedish instructor to learn how to ski! Robert Q. Lewis plays the inept innkeeper, and Aaron Kincaid is the playboy all the girls are after. The musical numbers in this movie are outstanding, especially "Sunshine, Lollipops And Rainbows" by Lesley Gore and "I Feel Good" by James Brown. A comic highlight is Frankie's ski jump, which has to be seen to be believed! Just for good measure, the action follows the gang back to the beach in time for a swinging number by the Hondells and the obligatory happy ending. Even though the only special features are the theatrical trailers, you really get your money's worth with this double feature DVD. Both movies reflect a more innocent time in America, and their comic appeal is timeless. In addition, the colors are sharp and bright, and the sound quality is superb.
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20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best of the beach movies, February 24, 2003
This review is from: Muscle Beach Party/Ski Party (DVD)
I was shocked to find out Ski Party would be released on DVD. It wasn't even released on video, for crying out loud. But here it is. Fun in the sun turns to the slopes with great songs, funny moments, and witty dialogue mixed in with childish nonsense that you can expect from all beach movies. The Rats aren't in this movie, and "Freddy" (who was Bobby in The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini) is the best and sharpest beach movie bad guy out of all of em. Robert Q. Lewis, the old timey game show host, plays a fun supporting role in the picture. You get to see Deborah Walley looking pretty hot (much better looking than she was in Elvis' Spinout), Yvonne Craig and that drop dead gorgeous body (she has no rythm whatsoever), and James Brown dancing to "I Feel Good". That dude can move! Leslie Gore gets one scene in this movie, singing "Sunshine, Lolipops and Rainbows". Again, musically this might be the best movie of the bunch (I think it narrowly beats out Beach Blanket Bingo). This movie also has the best flow of any of the beach movies...there are no real parts in the movie that are so embarrassing that you need to fast forward, unlike many of the other beach movies. Pajama Party is the second best, and Beach Blanket Bingo is third. Ski Party is definitely the best beach movie AI made, and definitely needs to be in your collection. Lots of fun. Muscle Beach Party is a bonus. Buy the DVD for Ski Party.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
MGM Midnite Movies is the perfect forum for fun, July 20, 2005
This review is from: Muscle Beach Party/Ski Party (DVD)
Doubling-up the B-movie madness on a flip-disc, the Midnite Movies format gets applause for combining two otherwise slight pictures together for one terrific package(I never would have bought "Ski Party" all by itself, so it's a chance for people to see movies they wouldn't normally bother with). Of course, Frankie-and-Annette fans are the main target here and both stars are terrific. "Muscle Beach Party" features dozens of musclebound guys in tight hot-pink trunks(lordy, those bathing briefs were BRIEF & TIGHT back then!)and some of the teen-angst between the leads is surprisingly undated and truthful. "Ski Party" has the brains of a snowball, but it does feature some good music acts and Annette as a sex-ed teacher, which is worth a viewing all by itself! More, Midnite Movies!
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