8mm Forum: The Kids Are Alright

This is topic The Kids Are Alright - Piccolo 2x400ft in forum 8mm Print Reviews at 8mm Forum.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://8mmforum.film-tech.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=000242

Posted by Jean-Marc Toussaint (Member # 270) on August 25, 2007, 11:14 AM:

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT
Piccolo Film - 2 x 120 m (2 x 400ft) - colour - flat - mono sound - English with German subtitles

Here's a two-parter that will rock your home.
These two reels from Piccolo concentrate on The Who's performances. The German editors in charge of the cutdown have made the excellent decision of saving just a few archive footage and interviews in order to keep some of the musical numbers in their entirety.

Reel#1 opens with "My Generation" performed on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in 1967, then a quick intro of the band members by Tony Smothers.
After some archive bits, we cut to "Baba O'Riley", recorded live at Shepperton Studios in May 1978, specifically for the movie before an audience of 1,200 lucky guests.
Another bit of interview with guitarist Pete Townsend, where he explains why he's such a crazy animal on stage, and we cut to a studio where the band recreates the recording of "Who are You". Actually, in the full feature, this scenes appears much, much later but for obvious timing reasons, it's spliced here in the super 8 version.

Reel#2 is nothing but music. It opens with a cover of Bo Didley's "RoadRunner" and another version of "My Generation" performed in 1975 at the Pontiac Silver Dome in Michigan. It then jumps to the full version (10 minutes) of "Won't Get Fooled Again", shot in Shepperton with the whole laser show (remember, this was very cutting edge in 1978). The digest ends with the band members' names appearing as closing credits.

My wife and I are big fan of The Who. I was lucky enough to find a brand new print of this super 8 cutdown (I mean new-new, the reels were shrinkwrapped-sealed inside their shrinkwrapped-sealed boxes!!!) and when we projected it a few days ago (to celebrate the return of my GS1200 Xenon), we ended up singing along and clapping. As one of the original reviewer said, this film isn't about rock'n'roll, this film IS rock'n'roll. The exact opposite to "The Song Remains the Same", which is quite a bore (and I do love Led Zeppelin)

The print quality is stunning, as it is often the case with films from Piccolo, even the kinescoped part (opening of reel 2, since these archives were originally shot on video) look incredible.
Colours are fantastically vivid, on par with some other later releases by the company, such as "Das Boot" or "Star Crash".
Mono sound is absolutely booming.

I haven't seen this title much often, but if you're into rock films, it's a must-have.

Side note, for those "who" (haha!) don't know the band and their songs, you might have heard them as "Baba O'Riley" is the main title music to CSI:NY, "Who Are You" to CSI and "Won't Get Fooled Again" to CSI: Miami.

Posted by Chip Gelmini (Member # 44) on August 25, 2007, 02:02 PM:

Also for those 'WHO" might not remember, the album cover for BABA ORILEY. Well, to be blunt, was Number One! [Big Grin]

Posted by Mark Williams (Member # 794) on August 26, 2007, 11:07 AM:

Great review!!!

I will have to look out for a copy now,its good to see THE WHO are still going strong too.

Posted by Dave Cragg (Member # 401) on August 26, 2007, 01:56 PM:

Hi Jean-Marc,
I've been lucky to catch The Who 3 times live in concert.
I will certainly be looking out for this film.
I also want to find out whether 'Live at Pompie' by Pink Floyd is available on Super 8?

Dave

Posted by Andreas Eggeling (Member # 105) on August 27, 2007, 04:02 PM:

Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on August 30, 2007, 11:37 AM:

I was interested to read this as THE WHO is my all time favourite band - I've seen them about 20 times, the latest being in June. I no longer own this release as I obtained a great 16mm print, but although I recall how good the Piccolo print was, I had two different copies both with reel 2 significantly out of sync, so you're fortunate if you don't have that problem. The trailer, featuring Ringo Starr talking to the camera, was also released on Super 8 by an obscure American company, probabably around the last days of US releases.

Incidentally, there's a Niles release that features Pink Floyd in concert: 'Stamping Ground' (a Dutch rock festival). the Floyd sequence must be roughly 8 minutes and is on a 400' version as well as the 5 x 400' full length version.

One rock concert release that's so rare that I wonder if it exists is a 400' version of 'Stones In The Park' (the Rolling Stones Hyde Park performance). I saw this and other US imports on an old cine magazine ad, but has anyone ever come across a print?

Posted by Bill Phelps (Member # 1431) on November 13, 2017, 02:21 PM:

Adrian, you mention Pink Floyd being on the 400' version of Stamping Ground. Was there more than one? I have a 400' and it has Dr. John, The Birds, Santana and Jefferson Airplane but no Floyd. I wonder if I just have an odd reel from the feature? It plays like a digest so I thought it was. Does anyone else have it? And to stay somewhat on topic does the feature have The Who in it?

Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on November 15, 2017, 12:09 PM:

Bill,
Worrying to see that 10 years have quickly passed, but...
I'm virtually certain there was only one '400, so I expect you have an odd reel from the feature. I'm sure my 400' had an opening title, so if your reel doesn't, I think there's no doubt. The Who didn't appear at the festival, but I've just found this page with some good information about the line up, etc: https://johnkatsmc5.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/stamping-ground-holland-pop-festival.html

Posted by Stuart Reid (Member # 1460) on November 15, 2017, 12:52 PM:

Adrian, if you ever decide to move on that print of Kids Are Alright, or indeed any other UK music-based films please let me know. I'm keen to add some to my collection such as this one, Slade in Flame, Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle etc. Thanks!

UBB.classic^TM 6.3.1.2