That Summer! (click on the link to the see the Youtube clip) is one of those films with a soundtrack that's much easier to track down than the film itself. An uncommonly good collection of punk and New Wave tunes, the soundtrack was released by Arista, but the film, directed by Harley Cokeliss and starring a very young Ray Winstone, doesn't seem to have gotten a Stateside release. Winstone is so youthful and fresh faced in these clips that it's hard to believe that he's now playing a contemporary of 65 year-old Harrison Ford and looking far more aged than Ford (Winstone is a mere 51). 1979 was a busy year for Winstone as he appeared in the theatrical version of Scum and Quadrophenia alongside That Summer!.
The film was distributed by Columbia/EMI/Warner in the UK and has appeared on the telly there. I'm not sure if it's appeared at all in the U.S. It's a coming-of-age story involving young Winstone's summer in seaside Torquay after being released from reform school. It apparently got some flak because the soundtrack led many to believe it to be a punk narrative when, in fact, it's a more traditional picture about teens sowing their wild oats. I've seen it called the "unofficial" sequel to Scum. A stretch, I'm sure, but it only whets my appetite more.
Anyway, the soundtrack is like a Rhino primer for pub rock, first wave punk, and New Wave, from both sides of the pond, featuring Ian Dury and the Blockheads, Mink DeVille, Elvis Costello, Patti Smith, The Ramones, Richard Hell and the Voidoids, and others. It's inspired several other articles due to its mythical and influential qualities. Another chap has a site that includes the full soundtrack and assorted clips from the film.
3 comments:
I had forgotten that you'd written some about this movie.
For what it's worth, I did some digging, and you are right, Columbia never gave it a U.S. release. However, a friend at the studio said that they do have an archival print available to play here. So now I gotta see about getting this thing it's U.S. premiere!
Thanks for checking in with this fascinating tidbit, Marc! You'll have to let me know if your U.S. premiere comes off--seems like a it could be up the alley of the New Bev, the Aero, or the Egyptian, particularly if Mr. Winstone is in town to make an appearance.
I wonder if Columbia has any other rights to this film in the States--television, home video? I suspect that music rights were never considered for home video, especially since they never bothered to give the film a theatrical release. Has it even aired on U.S. television?
Marc,
Just listened to your STAINS commentary. Thanks for doing that! And, the bit you mentioned about Winstone meeting his wife on the set of THAT SUMMER! reminded me of your comment here...any update with regards to the unplayed archival print in the Columbia vault?
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