American Hot Wax (1978)

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

Throughout the '70s, '50s Rock 'n' Roll music was experiencing a revival, thanks to the Broadway musical Grease, the movie American Graffiti, and the TV show "Happy Days". But by 1978, it seemed to have peaked in popularity. Sure, the movie version of Grease was the top grosser of the year, but it was probably helped by added songs sung by Olivia Newton-John and one written by Barry Gibb sung by Frankie Valli that very much sounded more like the era it was made in instead of the era it took place in. The Buddy Holly Story starring Gary Busey as Holly was a good biopic on his life and got Busey an Oscar nomination though I don't know if it did well enough, box office-wise. This one, starring Tim McIntire as legendary DJ Alan Freed, is also entertaining. But it flopped at the box office possibly because too much was going on, it's mostly fictional with real-life elements only scattered here and there, and there's no modern music stars-only vintage ones like Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Frankie Ford (those last two being natives of my home state of Louisiana-Ferriday and New Orleans, respectively), and Screamin' Jay Hawkins. Still, like I said, this was mostly entertaining from funny banter between Jay Leno and Fran Drescher, a touching turn by a kid named Moosie Drier as the president of the Buddy Holly fan club when talking about Holly after his death to Freed on air, and Laraine Newman as an aspiring songwriter mentoring an African-American Doo-Wop group. I also loved the brief dialogue exchange between Berry and McIntire as Freed having just seen Berry do the same with the real Freed in Go, Johnny, Go! After first watching this 14 years ago, I was even more enthralled with this just now watching this on YouTube. So that's a high recommendation for American Hot Wax. Oh, and I dedicate this review in memory of the late Mr. Berry. R.I.P.

Just like Elvis had the guts to sing like a black man, Allan Freed had the guts to actually play a black man's recording on the air. I love to hear that crazy Little Richard. He's still cool! Rock n Roll! There's nothing else like it. This movie takes you back to a time when the establishment actually thought that they could stop Rock n Roll just by stopping Mr Freed. He gave his life to Rock n Roll and through his efforts it did live on. He's a hero in the classic sense!Just hearing all those great tunes alone would make this movie great. Add to that the constant battle of freedom where each new age raises the barrier just a little. I remember when the song '60 Minuite Man' was banned. Before that the Strauss waltzes were banned. Then in my teenage years in the 60s, the Rolling Stones hit: Can't get no satisfaction was banned. That seems mild to today's music. If people didn't want it there wouldn't be a market for it. It's self expression. I went into a church down here in the south. The music and the preaching got loud. People started getting out of their seats and acting like chickens. I elbowed the woman next to me and said, "Well, I guess we're not in Kansas anymore." I got a mean stare. Express yourself!

you'll all be thrilled to know that "American Hot Wax" is available in DVD format from Whirlin' Disc.com........the quality is not outstanding but it's certainly watchable.....Centerpieces of this terrific little film remain the late Tim McIntire's fabulous performance as Alan Freed as well as the great late 50's rock soundtrack................Who can forget that sensational scene when Freed gets a disturbing call from his father in Ohio....Freed hangs up, cues up the Drifters and says in a voice husky and mysterious "it's raining in Akron Ohio, but it's a beautiful night in New York...here are the Drifters and "There Goes My Baby"....He turns up the swirling string intro as loud as he can and you can tell the music soothes something deep inside him just as it did for the rest of us...Maybe someday Paramount will get hip and commercially release "WAX" for the home video market.

Amusing look at Hollywood's version of the birth of rock n' roll. Some good old tunes were played throughout, the acting was good, the radio station looked like the real thing, but some of the picture didn't ring true [and I don't mean Chuck Berry's lousy acting]. Those rabid anti-rockers were so far out with their "rock music will end civilization" rant as to be totally hilarious; although there were some back then that held that opinion. I liked the film, the doo-wop harmony singers were great, McIntyre played his character to the hilt, and it just felt like going back in time to re-live the events all over. The old timer rockers should go for this one.