I bought this DVD a couple of years ago, but have only sat down this afternoon and watched it, because the weather was so bad outside, and all I can say is wow! Sure the concert footage scenes are a little unrealistic due to the clothing of the audience,but you can easily overlook this due to the strength of the story and the performances on show here.Whilst the stars of the film are obviously David Essex and Adam Faith, both who are believable and affecting, the whole cast ably supports them and the casting can't be faulted.If you have an interest in pop/rock music through the decades, make sure you see this film, it's ripe for rediscovery and should be held in higher regard than it appears to be.

I managed to catch this on TV again recently, having not seen it for many years.Rather surprisingly it doesn't look particularly dated, and the storyline still packs a punch. Both David Essex and Adam Faith are good in their roles, and there's never a dull moment on screen. But whatever happened to Ines des Longchamps who played Jim's girlfriend? (Not much, according to the IMDb!)Two very big flaws however stand out on this viewing.Firstly, the songs which apparently sold millions for Jim Maclaine and the Stray Cats just aren't very good or very memorable. The story is obviously based on the Beatles' rise to fame, and for them as well as for every other pop group of the day, it wasn't just a pretty face but catchy, hummable songs that took them to the heights. Jim's are either covers or very weak.And as someone has already mentioned, the crowds at the 'Pollwinners concert' clearly weren't 1960s young people. Obviously the filmmakers just rounded up a crowd when they made the film in 1974 and got them to come and see David Essex. Presumably it would have been far too expensive to dress them in the fashions of a decade before.These two flaws apart, it's a good film, if not your standard popcorn-munching Saturday night fare.

...but he crashed out the sky." 'Stardust' by David Essex. Warning: contains 'spoilers'.Heavily influenced by the story of the Beatles (Ringo Starr declined to reprise the role of 'Mike' in this film because of a section of the story that was based on Pete Best's sacking) 'Stardust' is the archetypal Rock 'n' Roll story of the 1960s and 1970s.David Essex gives a great performance as Jim Maclaine, the easily corrupted singer who finds that after ditching his group and his wife and embarking on an orgy of drugs, sex and bad business deals his world falls apart.What appears to seal his fate is the way in which he treats his jealous and mercenary manager, Mike. After greedily taking two girls to bed when he might have left one and having some involvement in the death of his manager's dog his luck really runs out when he ODs on live television. Mike is left cursing and shaking the limp body of his former friend as he sees his 'investment' drifting away.The title song, penned by Essex, is an absolute classic. It took David Bowie an entire LP to explore similar themes and none of the songs on 'Ziggy Stardust' have half as much heart and soul as 'Stardust'.The 'Stray Cats' of this film are not to be confused with the 1980s American group of the same name. Dave Edmunds, the musical director of 'Stardust' went on to produce Brian Setzer's Rockabilly trio and christened them the Stray Cats after the imaginary group in this film.

Now sadly dated, this movie is STILL one of the best "Rock'n'Roll" movies ever made. The added bonus of seeing that the rockers from the 50s and 60s could act as well as sing made it all the sweeter. Although this was David Essex' starring role, I believe the show was stolen by Adam Faith who gave a completely believable performance as Mike. Lots of excellent music in here, especially the stuff by the Stray Cats (band for the movie). Worth watching 30 or 40 times IF you can find a copy.