Too much of everything

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

I watched this film in February 2017 on British TV (for details see below for others who may wish to watch it).I have to say it is pretty awful. A sci-fi movie giving a retelling of the Romeo and Juliet story. Strange eh !For people who "grew up" in the 1960s (like me) it is hard for people today to realize that watching pop groups at the time was difficult (we did not have 30 music channels on Sky as we have today for example).So a number of films were made trying to cram as many pop groups in as they could. However most of the singers / bands / songs in this film are forgettable (yet another bland pop song rhyming "walk" with "talk", probably the most obvious rhyme you can come up with).I am a fan of "bad" movies and I have to say this is right up there with the best / worst (alongside Dean Martin in his Matt Helm movies). If you are a fan of bad movies do try to catch it.This film was shown on British TV in February 2017. It is on the TV channel "Talking Pictures" which is available on most platforms in the UK (Freeview, Sky, Virgin). The channel shows mostly lost or historical films and is a great place to watch films that may never have been shown on TV before (from all eras - 1930s up to 1990s).

As far as I can make out, "gonks" were very popular, stuffed furry toys in Britain during the 1960s. But in the 1965 British sci-fi musical "Gonks Go Beat," they are also the inhabitants of planet Gonk, the Siberia of the galaxy, where washouts from the galactic Space Congress are sent as punishment. And that is precisely what will happen to agent Wilco Roger (inanely played by Kenneth Connor, of the "Carry On" films) if he fails in his current mission: to bring together the diametrically opposed inhabitants of Earth's Beat Land island and Ballad Isle. To accomplish this seemingly impossible task (the residents of Beat Land are proto-hipsters who only dig high-powered rock and blues; those on Ballad Isle prefer incredibly insipid music of the show tune variety), Wilco--with the assistance of a Wizard of Oz-like character known only as Mr. A & R--hatches a scheme, a la "Romeo and Juliet," to unite the two lands. Anyway, "Gonks Go Beat" is practically indescribable; I guarantee that you have never seen a picture quite like it. Basically an excuse to showcase a slew of British musical numbers (and a generous 16 such are offered up; half rockers, half ballads), the film is otherwise an inane, somewhat boring, occasionally trippy outing that certainly serves as a time capsule of sorts for what passed as "mod" in 1965. The ballads on display here range from excruciating ("Love Is a Dream") to incredibly wimpy ("Broken Pieces") to pleasant ("Penny For Your Thoughts"). As for the rockers, the highlights (for this old Cream fan, anyway) are certainly the Graham Bond Organisation (featuring Jack Bruce on bass and Ginger Baker on drums) pounding out "Harmonica," as well as a segment entitled "Drum Battle," in which Ginger and seven other skin pounders are lined up in two rows, facing each other, and just go at it. Ultimately, the two island nations agree on one song that is agreeable to them both, "Takes Two to Make Love," an upbeat, pleasant but decidedly Broadway show tunish number that should satisfy very few. Take the legendary 1964 film "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians" and combine with an episode of the then-popular TV program "Shindig!" and you'll have a rough approximation of what to expect here. Good luck with this one!

A martian called Wilco Roger (KENNETH CONNOR) is sent to Earth by his people to resolve a feud between communities known as Beatland and Balladisle. The dispute is over musical differences. Beatland ("If you're with it you're in") loves beat music and rhythm and blues whilst Balladisle is into the softer sentimental ballad music. Each year the top groups from both communities take part in "The Golden Guitar Contest" thrown by the reclusive Mr A&R (FRANK THORNTON) and the winner receives the prize of a golden guitar whilst the losers have their musical instruments confiscated until eight months before the next contest. As much as the two communities despise each other, they are not above sneaking into each other's territory to steal each others musical ideas. Wilco and A&R decide to resolve the chaos before it erupts into war ("It'll mean exile to planet Gonk for me" sniffs Connor) by bringing together a boy and girl, one lives in Beatland and the other in Balladisle, who love each other but the feud is keeping them apart. Wilco and A&R use their mystical power to get them to the contest and they perform a duet which incorporates both musical styles. Mr A&R declares them the winners and orders that both communities will now live in harmony and all types of music will be allowed from now on.An unbelievably stupid attempt to combine swinging sixties pop culture with a Romeo And Juliet inspired romance. The romance is bland without an ounce of Shakespearian tragedy and the comedy falls flat. I.e "I was told that there was a famous author from Earth's past" says Wilco Roger to Mr A&R. "William Shakespeare?" he asks. "Well yes he shook something or other" Wilco replies. That's about as funny as it gets. The sets are cardboard and the tunes are poor. This is a big disappointment as some of the acts that the producers, Peter Newbrook and Robert Hartford-Davis, have assembled for the film are quite impressive. For instance, The Graham Bond Organisation, contained musicians whom were later to become rock legends in their own right such as Ginger Baker with the legendary rock trio, Cream, with Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton. Bond's sax player Dick Heckstall-Smith who can be seen here would go on to join prog rock heroes Colloseum whilst Bond himself (he died in 1974) is now considered to be an important figure of the British R&B boom of that time. They try and make the most of a lackluster number written for them especially for the film, "Harmonica". Even Lulu And The Luvvers and The Nashville Teens are at a loss here too.The story was written by the director Robert Hartford-Davis and cinematographer-producer Peter Newbrook. Both of whom did some interesting work within the British horror wave with the elegant costume horror film, The Black Torment and the Peter Cushing vehicle, Corruption. But both are at a loss here like the beat groups who allowed themselves to be drafted into this rubbish.In summary, if you are thinking of buying the DVD from your local mega store for the music alone, it isn't worth it despite the caliber of some of the musicians on offer. A big disappointment but then again there were so many pop movies made in those days and a lot of them were dire.

I still have a copy of this film on VHS video, it came out sometime in the nineties as part of a series of British "musicals" including Tommy Steele and Billy Fury. I have seen it available at boot fairs and second hand record/video shops so i guess others were buying/watching at one time. This is the sort of film that can clear a house of unwanted guests leaving a hardcore of like minded (barking mad) friends to laugh themselves stupid (i know from experience) .it is that bad. like one of the other posters i think the drumming sequence is amazing but the lulu sequence with the "gay looking" backing singer clapping is hysterical "darling do try to look as butch as you can, while clapping your hands in the air, splendid!" as the other posters have noted the songs are not great the acting is awful and the story is virtually non existent so all together a truly awful film right! no! in the right mood and with friends of equal IQ (friday night IQ) its great fun. go and find a copy (somewhere in the UK) and watch. PS when i was at college i even tried persuading the film club to show this, but was turned down in favour of the french film Weekend-from the stupid to the bloody boring...