Quadrophenia (2 Disc Special Edition) [1979]

Customer Reviews:

Quadrophenia......IS the way of life........2008-03-01

This is a film that has stayed with me throughout my life. It was a film I grew up with and has always been a film close to my heart. Quadrophenia is the story of Jimmy, a mod who rides fast on his lambretta and lives faster fuelled by drugs, drink and a huge ego. Back in the 1970's Quadrophenia was a mere idea of musical rebeliance on vinyl. Later with Franc Roddam (who later directed "Auf Wiedersehen, Pet") they brought flesh and blood to a now legendary rock opera to the big screen. With key british talent playing the youth of tomorrow, Quadrophenia the movie was born. No-one at the time knew what cult classic it would become later in life but it has and will forever be. Quadrophenia is a movie where you can relate to the characters and you feel you are right with them through all the loud parties and the runs on the scooters right up to the fights and the arguements. Jimmy is after being the "face" the leader of the mods and as we journey through this film we can see that his wish may be the nightmare that he doesn't want. Filled with anger and hate, Jimmy's world slowly begins to crumble, he stands to lose everything that he holds dear to his heart. His world of delusions is dragging him kicking and screaming back to the real world. Phil Daniels gives a heartwarming performance as Jimmy that makes you believe exactly what the character is going through and makes you eventually sympathize with Jimmy. Ray Winstone is great and sometimes funny as his mate Kevin who has a new surprise for Jimmy. It's good to see Two of the cream of London Cockney's working together in a film that boasts the old trate of MADE IN BRITAIN. The first time that they worked together was as rivals in the brutally realistic movie SCUM. I'd love to see another movie with these two sparring off against each other. Toyah "it's a mystery" Wilcox does a star turn in this as the girl who wants to get off with Jimmy, Dave Wingett makes you laugh as Dave, Jimmy's best mate, Phillip Davis provides some laughs as Chalky (check out the scene in the chemist) Leslie Ash does well in the role as Steph, the girl who Jimmy wants, and Sting as the face of the mods who Jimmy tries to outstage in Brighton. Backed by The Who's rocktastic soundtrack, Quadrophenia is a movie about what it's like to think you're somebody when you aint and then get brought back to reality with a thud. The spectacular ending to this is the cream on top of this cult classic soffle with the song that perfectly compliments the final scene sung with gusto by Roger Daltrey "I'VE HAD ENOUGH" which clearly words exactly what is going through Jimmy's mind at that particular point of the film. My advice is see it now if you haven't seen it before someone spoils the ending for you.
Can you see the real me.......can ya?.........CAN YA?!!!

Great Film.......2007-08-29

Despite being digitally remastered, the picture isn't great and is in fact very grainy in places. You can't complain at this price but if you already have a copy of the film then there's nothing extra here to make it worthwhile buying another copy.

This film changed my life!!!!!!.......2007-07-27

Of course before i watched this amazing film i loved ben sherman and harrinton jackets and all that crap. But this film has a meaning, a meaning in general is a classic.

Quadrophenia tells the story of Jimmy, a young man who is a mod in the early sixties. He takes pills, rides a scooter, wears cool clothes (including a classic fred perry) and lives with his parents in the edge of London. Then him and all the mods head down to Brighton to wage war on the rockers.

It is a definate classic, one of the best films ive seen in along time. And now im inspired, its made me get out more and made me alot cooler.
Watch this film, im only 12, dont tell me but i know a good film when i see one and this is a good film. Get it...

A WAY OF LIFE.......2007-07-11

Franc Roddam, the director of Quadrophenia, did not disappoint me with his interpretation of The Who's rock opera (unlike Tommy, which had it's moments but didn't was all over the map so to speak). He lets a viewer, who may not be entirely familiar to what occurred between the mods and the rockers in the early to mid 1960's Britain, in on what the energy, the attitudes were like among the young and old. It's not even classifiable as a rock opera as a film, because it becomes a hybrid- it's part motorcycle flick, with some well staged, intense fight scenes, rumbles, riots, etc; it's part anti-establishmentarianist take on what it's like to be at an age when you don't know what to do you with your life, and outside of the pleasures of being with friends and kicking' ass you tend to be aimless or work for people you don't like. It's also, major in fact, a psychological character study of one of these anti-establishment kids, a mod named Jimmy (Phil Daniels), who may be a little off balance in the head due to a fueling desire to be both with the excitement of his gang and with his need to find himself by himself, as well as to the "blues" pills.

There isn't as much of a story as there is character development, which sticks true to the source material, written by the clever and driving force of The Who, Pete Townsend. As Jimmy goes through parties, fights, a little love with a girl (Steph, played well by Leslie Ash), a riot, and problems with his parents and job, he enters a downward spiral. This is a tricky sort of story and character to pull off, because lay it on too thick and the audience could see the character as naive (and perhaps the character is, which makes sense in a sense), but add on the toughness and one-dimensional side of the biker attitude and it becomes a B-movie motorcycle flick. This doesn't happen.

Somehow the elements come together in the film, with the performances (by the way, Sting's debut performance is both mysterious and, ultimately, kinda funny), the documentary-style direction and editing (by Brian "Trainspotting" Tefano), and the music. The Who themselves serve as musical directors, and it's highly interesting for both Who and non-Who fans in how they choose only parts of songs sometimes (Punk and the Godfather, Dr. Jimmy) and leave some out completely (Sea and Sand, Drowned, two songs I hoped would've made the final cut). By the time the third act reaches it's heated peak, the music starts to perfectly embody what the character's going through. It also doesn't come off as cheesy due to the power of the songs.

Besides it contains some of the Who's most daring, somber, and fun work (5:15, Bell Boy, I'm One), its themes are very knowing of what it's like for any guy at that point of crossing the bend from childhood to adulthood. Not to mention it rivaled Tommy in its ambition via the compositions, the entertainment value, etc. So I was almost hesitant to watch the film, as I thought I might have my expectations raised too high and it would be too loosely translated and made as not my kind of rock musical (i.e. like Tommy). For me, the experience was contradictory to what I thought- I ended up learning more about this atmosphere, the essence of living in Brighton by the beach and feeling the need for competition, acceptance, and then anger and loneliness. By the end of Quadrophenia I looked at Jimmy as being a character in the tradition of Humphrey Bogart in Treasure of the Sierra Madre- an anti-hero that may be doomed, but a viewer can still care about him.

Overall, an un-expected treat, and will surely please both Who and non-Who fans alike, though for Who fans the added treat is that the the emotion and strength of the group and songs translate excellently in the film. A+

At last..........2007-04-27

This is what I've been waiting for. I've various copies of this movie, from the original video release through the region 2 and region 1 versions but although the extras that were gradually added were interesting, the film itself was still the original grainy print.

This 2 disc edition has a new digitised version of the film, crystal clear and properly formatted for widescreen.

The new extras are great, the making-of documentary contains some great interviews with the cast and the brief guide to the locations is quite interesting and will save you doing the Brighton tour.

Finally, the verbal sparring between Phil Daniels and Franc Roddam in the commentary is amusing and worth a listen. Even if you already have a copy of the film, this is probably still worth buying.

Average customer rating:
Berserker [1988]
Starring: Josef Alan Johnson , Greg Dawson , and Valerie Sheldon
Director: Jeff Richard
Manufacturer: Moonstone Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005QB92
Release Date: 2001-10-22

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