Back to the Beach (1987) Masked Criticisms ReviewHunterSo the premise is simple, we watch a film at random, sometimes it's good… mostly it's not, this is Masked Criticisms.EisensteinI think from the title alone one can tell which of the two basic categories this film belongs to. Hunter If you mean it was poop, then yeah it was poop.EisensteinNow let's not be too hasty. Back to the Beach is a comedy film from the 1980's that spoofs surfer pictures from the 60's. It follows two old film stars that return to the seaside to relive their glory days and embarrass their hip kids. This film is part of a series, but honestly I had no idea until just now when I looked it up on IMDb.HunterYou wouldn't need to see the others to understand what the hell was going on. It was so random and unpredictable and yet cliché at the same time. I guessed the ending ten minutes into the film, however I would never have imagined Pee Wee Herman to come out of nowhere to sing surfing bird then literally fly away, but that mind fart certainly happened.EisensteinThis whole film had a lot of set ups for cameos but I guess we're too young to recognize any of them. Except, that is, for OJ Simpson. Not the film makers fault, I mean they couldn't have guessed he'd kill his wife, but it did really date this film. Along with a whole pile of other 80's clichés; skateboards, waist high thongs, surfing, bad hairstyles…Hunter…cocaine…EisensteinThere was no drugs in this film.HunterI meant the director.EisensteinThat would explain the lack of choreography.HunterOh yeah, I kind of forgot it was a musical, I suppose that's a good thing though, I can't stand musicals.EisensteinYou liked Frozen…HunterAnother thing I have to give this film credit for is that everyone in it is fit, not the main family, granted, but everyone else is attractive, sadly no chubby chicks though.EisensteinMy main problem with the characters is that they were all wannabes. The punks who were supposed to be intimidating looked like pantomime Sex Pistols.Hunter… and since it's on a beach the girls are in thongs. I'm not usually a fan of those really long 80's thongs but some of those chicks, man. EisensteinYes well, anyways, what it all comes down to is an out dated film laughing at even more out dated films, unfortunately it really doesn't hold up as I can't tell what's an 80's cliché is and what's a 60's farce.HunterI was thinking of giving this film a 6 out of 10 just for the babes alone, but Eisenstein here says I have to rate the entire movie as a whole so I'm gonna have to say 3 out of 10. It's not so much a beach party, more of a tsunami of poop.EisensteinWhat a poetic analogy to end on. 4 out of 10.

In this movie Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon played the characters they played in all those beach party movies. They married, moved to Ohio, have a daughter named Sandy (Lori Loughlin) in Califonia and a rebellious son Bobby (Damian Slade). They also act like the 1960s never ended. They go to California to visit Sandy and find things have changed at the beach. Well...not really. The kids at the beach STILL act like a bunch of idiots (just with better bodies this time), sex and drugs are NEVER brought up, nobody would dare swear and (sigh) there's a rival beach gang (all dressed in black) whose overacting would make Jim Carrey blush!This starts off great with son Bobby always insulting his father and seeing how everybody reacts to Funicello and Avalon's naivety and sweetness. Also the cameos by Bob Denver, Connie Stevens, Don Adams etc etc are fun and Annette sings a really fun song ("Jamaica Ska"). But the jokes quickly get repetitious and the movie completely goes flying out the window when Pee Wee Herman (!!!) shows up to sing "The Bird". Bizarre doesn't begin to cover it. Still it does have a lot of truly funny gags, is VERY colorful and the cast gives it their all. Just ALL the kids on the beach acting like a bunch of morons got on my nerves (I was never a big fan of the original "Beach Party" movies anyways). There are a few funny jabs at Funicello and her peanut butter commercials. I recommend it, but only if you've seen the beach party movies. Otherwise you'll be lost. I give it a 7.

i thought that this movie was not that well done, but i loved pee-wee herman's cameo in this film, when he sings a few songs, inluding 'the bird is the word." other than that, i didn't very much care for the movie that much.

Just plain entertaining, if you don't like this film you don't how to have fun. With cameos from O.J. Simpson and Gilligans Island cast members, and even the voice of inspector gadget, this film is chock full of fun songs, an interesting (if cheesy plot) and of course, lots of surfing.