Movie Cosmos - Back to the Beach

Description:

Cowabunga! The surfing '60s ride into the new wave as Frankie and Annette star in this hip update of their old-time, good-time beach movies. With special appearances by Bob Denver, Tony Dow, Pee-Wee Herman, Jerry Mathers and other familiar faces. Frankie and Annette grow up and have kids in the midwest. They return to LA to visit their daughter who is shacked up with her boyfriend and tries to hide the fact. They begin to have marriage problems when Frankie runs into Connie, who has erected a shrine to him in her night club. Their punk son has joined up with the local surf toughs, and things all come to a head when the toughs challenge the good guys to a surfing duel

Top Cast >

Frankie Avalon

As Annette's Husband

Annette Funicello

As Annette

Lori Loughlin

As Sandi

Tommy Hinkley

As Michael

Demian Slade

As Bobby

Joe Holland

As Zed

John Calvin

As Troy

David Bowe

As Mountain

Laura Lanoil

As Robin

Connie Stevens

As Connie

Don Adams

As Harbor Master

Barbara Billingsley

As Announcer

Edd Byrnes

As Valet

Bob Denver

As Bartender

Tony Dow

As Judge #1

Alan Hale Jr.

As Bartender’s Buddy

Jerry Mathers

As Judge #2

Paul Reubens

As Pee-Wee Herman

Linda Carol

As Bridgette

Marjorie Gross

As Airline Hostess

Hartley Silver

As Fleishman

Alan Barry

As Salesman

Thomas David Parker

As Salesman

Todd Bryant

As Webby

Floyd Foster Jr.

As Ernie

Emil McKown

As Odie / Band Member

Jon Paul Jones

As Punk

Eddie Vail

As Surf Dude

Drew Steele

As Surfer / Band Member

Lola Rose Thompson

As Punk Baby

Honey Lea

As Baby’s Mother

Nicholas Hales

As Autograph Hound

Rodney Bingenheimer

As Self

Dick Dale

As Self

Stevie Ray Vaughan

As Self

Angelo Moore

As Fishbone

Kendall Jones

As Fishbone

Norwood Fisher

As Fishbone

Walter A. Kibby II

As Fishbone

Christopher Dowd

As Fishbone

Phillip Fisher

As Fishbone

Steve Aschoff

As Band Member

Gary Usher Jr.

As Band Member

Ron Eglit

As Band Member

Tony Avalon

As Band Member

Frankie Avalon Jr.

As Band Member

Rick Avery

As Surfers & Punks

Robert Keller

As Surfers & Punks

Pat Banta

As Surfers & Punks

Bruce C. Magee

As Surfers & Punks

Geoff Brewer

As Surfers & Punks

Dwayne McGee

As Surfers & Punks

Jamie R. Brisick

As Surfers & Punks

A.J. Nay

As Surfers & Punks

Bob Brown

As Surfers & Punks

Mark Orrison

As Surfers & Punks

Cooper Hamilton Bailey

As Surfers & Punks

Noon Orsatti

As Surfers & Punks

Jay C. Currin

As Surfers & Punks

Víctor Quintero

As Surfers & Punks

Greg Gault

As Surfers & Punks

Charlie Skeen

As Surfers & Punks

Randell Dennis Widner

As Surfers & Punks

O. J. Simpson

As Man At Airport (uncredited)

Scott L. Treger

As Connie's Beach Date (uncredited)

Top Crew >

Lyndall Hobbs

Director

Lou Rusoff

Characters

David Finfer

Editor

Jane Jenkins

Casting

Terry Haggar

Color Timer

Frank Mancuso Jr.

Producer

Blake Leyh

Supervising Sound Editor

Christopher Kennedy

Music Editor

Denise Chamian

Casting

Janet Hirshenson

Casting

Gary Littlefield

Transportation Coordinator

Julie Pitkanen

Script Supervisor

Marlene Stewart

Costume Design

Donald J. Remacle

Set Decoration

Ingrid Ferrin

Costume Design

Lori Eastside

Choreographer

Bruce Surtees

Director of Photography

Jerry Trent

Foley

Gregg Barbanell

Foley

Gary Pike

Stunt Coordinator

Steve Meerson

Screenplay

Annette Funicello

Co-Executive Producer

Becky Mancuso-Winding

Music Supervisor

Steve Dorff

Original Music Composer

Michael Helmy

Production Designer

Frankie Avalon

Co-Executive Producer

James Komack

Story

Peter Krikes

Screenplay

Chris Thompson

Screenplay

Bill L. Norton

Story

Bruce Kirschbaum

Story

Marty Hornstein

Production Manager

Spencer Gross

Assistant Editor

Arnold Finkelstein

Assistant Sound Editor

Kathryn Camp

Assistant Editor

Frances Bergman

Hairstylist

James Lansbury

Second Assistant Director

Michael Amundson

Second Second Assistant Director

Cybele O'Brien

Assistant Sound Editor

Hallie D'Amore

Makeup Artist

Michael D. Pariser

First Assistant Director

Kim H. Ornitz

Sound Mixer

Rick Avery

Stunt Double

Dody Dorn

Dialogue Editor

Robert J. Visciglia Sr.

Property Master

Julia Evershade

Dialogue Editor

Reviews:

Wuchak (5/10)

Revisiting those zany beach party flicks from the mid-60s

Frankie & Annette are now married and living in Ohio. Frankie’s a workaholic business owner and neglecting Annette, so they decide to fly out to SoCal to visit their daughter and old haunts on their way to Hawaii.

“Back to the Beach” (1987) pays homage to those dozen AIP ‘beach party films’ that were released from 1963-1968, half of them starring Frankie Avalon and/or Annette Funicello. The movie is amusingly hammy, poking fun at those madcap 60’s flicks. Connie Stevens is on hand, looking great at 48, along with several cameos of familiar faces, like Bob Denver from Gilligan’s Island.

Siskel & Ebert praised the movie on their show (the episode is available on Youtube). And, sure, it’s entertaining to a point, but I was disappointed. It’s just no where near as great as they made it out to be. Still, if you’re in the mood for an innocuous musical with a goofy beach milieu, give it a watch.

The flick runs 1 hour, 32 minutes, and was shot in Malibu and Santa Cruz.

GRADE: C+

2023-08-21