Fireball 500/Thunder Alley (Midnite Movies Double Feature)

Starring:Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, Fabian, Chill Wills, Harvey Lembeck, Julie Parrish, Douglas Henderson, Baynes Barron, Sandy Reed, Mary Hughes, Patti Chandler, Karla Conway, Hedy Scott, Salli Sachse, Jo Collins, Maria McBane, Linda Bent, Luree Holmes, Sue Hamilton, Jason Johnson
Director: William Asher, Richard Rush
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Product Type: DVD

Frankie & Annette MGM Movie Legends Collection (Beach Blanket Bingo / How to Stuff a Wild Bikini / Beach Party / Bikini Beach / Fireball 500 / Thunder Alley / Muscle Beach Party / Ski Party)

Average customer rating:

Midnite Movies boxed up
Annette!!!

Frankie & Annette MGM Movie Legends Collection (Beach Blanket Bingo / How to Stuff a Wild Bikini / Beach Party / Bikini Beach / Fireball 500 / Thunder Alley / Muscle Beach Party / Ski Party)
Starring: Frankie Avalon , and Annette Funicello
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Classic Comedies | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Esther Williams Collection, Vol. 1
Elvis - The Hollywood Collection (Charro / Girl Happy / Kissin' Cousins / Live a Little, Love a Little / Stay Away, Joe / Tickle Me)
Classic Musicals from the Dream Factory, Vol. 2 (The Pirate / Words and Music / That's Dancing / The Belle of New York & Royal Wedding / That Midnight Kiss & The Toast of New Orleans)
Lucille Ball Film Collection (Dance Girl Dance / The Big Street / Du Barry Was a Lady / Critic's Choice / Mame)
Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 4 (Act of Violence / Mystery Street / Crime Wave / Decoy / Illegal / The Big Steal / They Live By Night / Side Street / Where Danger Lives / Tension)

ASIN: B000PMFRXS
Release Date: 2007-07-10

Description

Disc 1 Side A: Beach Blanket Bingo Disc 1 Side B: How To Stuff a Wild Bikini

Disc 2 Side A: Beach Party Disc 2 Side B: Bikini Beach

Disc 3 Side A: Fireball 500 Disc 3 Side B: Thunder Alley

Disc 4 Side A: Muscle Beach Party Disc 4 Side B: Ski Party

Customer Reviews:

Midnite Movies boxed up.......2007-05-26

These are the 4 Midnite Movie Double Features of AIP Beach Party films that were released a few years back. I enjoy being able to sit back and watch the surf nonsense. Eric Von Zipper is king. Shame they don't run these as afternoon flicks in the summer on WLVI in Boston. Also a shame they didn't create a double feature of Pajama Party and Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine.

The only question is if MGM ever fixed How to Stuff a Wild Bikini. The orignal release claimed it was an anamophic version of the Scope transfer, but it turned out to be the pan and scan.

Annette!!!.......2007-04-26

What can I say. I had a big crush on Annette growing up. I will definitely want this collection. Annette in a bikini!! Enough said.

Fireball 500/Thunder Alley (Midnite Movies Double Feature)

Average customer rating:

ANNETTE FUNICELLO COLLECTOR ITEM
Film Editing Team Rises to the Challenge
A childhood gem of a flick finally on DVD
Not for Fans of Beach Party Movies...
"My way GETS ME my way!"

Fireball 500/Thunder Alley (Midnite Movies Double Feature)
Starring: Frankie Avalon , Annette Funicello , Fabian , Chill Wills , and Harvey Lembeck
Director: William Asher , and Richard Rush
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Adventure | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Ghost Of Dragstrip Hollow/The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini (Midnite Movies Double Feature)
Beach Party/Bikini Beach
Beach Blanket Bingo / How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (Midnite Movies Double Feature)
Muscle Beach Party/Ski Party
Ride the Wild Surf

ASIN: B000787YO0
Release Date: 2005-06-07

Customer Reviews:

ANNETTE FUNICELLO COLLECTOR ITEM.......2006-11-03

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.

Film Editing Team Rises to the Challenge.......2006-08-26

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.

A childhood gem of a flick finally on DVD.......2006-08-12

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!

Not for Fans of Beach Party Movies..........2006-07-06

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.

"My way GETS ME my way!".......2005-09-19

Two A.I.P. drive-in flicks, both of them last gasps for the aging "Beach Party" cut-ups. "Fireball 500" has been hidden away for years, so it's fun to finally see it even though it's a weak, barely-involving action/comedy/drama/musical. Frankie Avalon is the ace stockcar driver who gets recruited by bootlegger Harvey Lembeck to transport moonshine, but internal agents are onto him. Fabian, as Frankie's nemesis, and Annette, who seems to divide her feelings between Frankie and Fabian, are both under-used. This is Avalon's vehicle, he does a lot of swinging and singing and brawling, but the Daytona footage at the end seems to carry the movie through to an irrelevant conclusion (the plot has already been wrapped up 10 minutes prior).
"Thunder Alley", on the other hand, is Fabian's movie, and he's not too bad as a stockcar racer who suffers from blackouts on the track. Annette co-stars as his love-interest and gives one of her best 'mature' performances (she also gets to sing, the haunting "When You Get What You Want").
Both films suffer from low-budget-itis, and the overwhelming fact that times had changed and yet these kids still act like they're ready for a beach barbeque. Interesting B-movie history, and worth a rental for "Thunder Alley".

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