Music Machine and other disco films

[Leatherman]

Anyone remember the UK Saturday Night Fever rip off called Music Machine. It was mainly filmed at the Camden Place and has a very corny plot hung around a dancing compition (suprise, suprise). There is even a cameo role by Ester Ransen as a judge! Despite it's many flaws I quite like it, though it probably seemed pretty awful when it came out. It is defo more watchable than Thank God....

What other disco films where there?

[Forrrce]

That's good question - I don't think there were any other UK disco films - unless you count Young Soul Rebels which is more or less set towards the end of the disco period, if I recall correctly. 'Music Machine' was pretty bad though.

[efunk_adelic]

Even if it was stupid... i've love to see it... just to hear the music played in it... anybody got more info on it?

I'm sure there's a copy on VHS somewhere..

[Leatherman]

Originally Posted by efunk_adelic

Even if it was stupid... i've love to see it... just to hear the music played in it... anybody got more info on it?

I'm sure there's a copy on VHS somewhere..

I have it on VHS, I'm sure you can pick it up in somewhere like Cash Converters. It isn't a great film, but persoanlly I have a soft spot for Brittish films from the 60/70's which are set in London. Also, it is full of actors you've seen many times before in crap sit coms, which somehow makes it more interesting.

The music was especially done for the film and I'm sure it was seen as pretty naff at the time, but now it doesn't sound too bad - in the same way as much of the disco infuenced TV music sounds ok now - like the the Alan Parker stuff. You still see the Music Machine Soundtrack in junk shops. It isn't at all collectable.

[NickNack]

Originally Posted by Leatherman

There is even a cameo role by Ester Ransen as a judge!

Leatherman,

Please indulge my 'off-topic' question. Who is Ester Ransen? I'm a big fan of Are You Being Served and this name came up in an episode. Of course, the British audience howled but I had no clue why. Solve a mystery for me, if you will. :)

[Leatherman]

Ester used to present a very popular half serious/half silly consumer programme called "That's Life" in 70's. One moment they would be be destroying someones faulty washing machine with a bulldozer, then the next they would be outing some serious con-man. I can't really think of the American equivilant of her.

[Forrrce]

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere's Esther!

[NickNack]

Thanks, guys. One more thing: Might we non-Brits, mistakenly or not, find her attitude or voice in any way pretentious? You know, upper-class, snobby, nose-in-the-air? Again, it's all part of this tv episode.

[Forrrce]

Our Esther wasn't particularly pretentious, though as the peoples' champion on consumers' rights and all that, she's quite a pushy woman (ability to feign indignation and outrage essential). Not really snobby, but aloof and has a slowish, deliberate and middle-classed delivery that lends itself to journalistic, vox pop TV. A bit mumsy, in fact - and positively equine in the dental department. Don't let the once-in-a-lifetime glamour shot fool you.

[NickNack]

OK Forrrce. Now I've got the joke. The "slowish, deliberate, middle-class delivery" is what I needed to hear.

[JussiK]

One more word about the film itself here...A good mate of mine actually attended the premiere of MUSIC MACHINE. He says after the lights came on again people were slumped into their seats totally speechless, apparently trying to come up with something positive to say, doing their best not to make eye contact with anyone involved in the production. I myself paid to see the wretched thing a few months later here and recall sitting there feeling mortified and somehow scared - is THIS what people think my music comes down to? Of course, next month or so I suffered worse while subjecting myself to DISCOFIEBER: "...watch as the hottest disco chicks cream their jeans to the sounds of Boney M!". Still, the main theme of music machine does sound good or what?

[Leatherman]

The music is very poppy UK disco but I think it is ok, not brilliant, but I like it in places. It's quite musical in a BBC Orchestra go disco way with a full band etc, and it's not hi-nrg nonsence. The title track is a bit of a rip off of "Is it love your after". I'm sure when it came out it seemed a totally shit film. It is such an obviously second rate copy of "Saturday Night Fever" and it probably came out about 2 years after the event when the whole thing was very old hat. That premier sounds pretty embarrising! Watching it now as a period piece it is probably slightly better than you remember it, especially Esther's bit.

[infrasound]

"positively equine in the dental department. Don't let the once-in-a-lifetime glamour shot fool you."

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Ha ha ha....what a great description!