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The movies are very much like the US Series, American Dreams, with the atmosphere of Ballykissangel and Heartbeat (For ABC fans, it won't come as too much of a surprise that the lush
green Irish countryside and villages are reminiscent of shows like Ballykissangel.
In fact, two actors from the series have key roles (Tina Kellegher
plays the mother-figure while Don Wycherley plays the manager of the
central male singer) and a storyline drawing a self-confessed comparison to The Commitments.
There are some great songs from the 1960s sung by enthusiastic
actors/singers performing in the various music halls and ballrooms
across Ireland.
Showbands
was made in 2004 and tells how a struggling manager of a band discovers
Denise, a young girl singer played by Kerry Katona, and shapes her rise
to fame. Katona is of course, a good looking singer with a great
voice. Because of the film’s popularity in the UK, a sequel was
filmed two years later (creatively called Showbands 2)
and continues the tale, this time explaining how Katona copes with
a drop in popularity and her eventual return to the top. Along
the way, we meet some typical characters - such as the long-suffering
girlfriend of the manager, a shifty villain, a comic Irish “Elvis”
singer and his faithful manager.
While the first instalment is
watchable, it’s a little slow going at the start and has
more clichés than you can poke a copy of Dreamgirls
at. The second one improves slightly, however, it tends to repeat
the key elements of the first as if it was written to a formula (What?
TV written to a formula! Shock Horror!). As a package though,
they generate a very enjoyable 3½ hours of entertainment, perfect for
that Saturday Winter night in. The music scenes, which are well
staged, are a particular favourite throughout both Showbands stories. The soundtrack would most certainly make a damn fine CD as it features some great musical moments from the era.
Unfortunately, part of the problem of Showbands 2
is that it moves away from focussing on Kerry Katona and tends to
overplay the comic elements of the "Elvis" style male singer and
his relationship with his manager.
Overall though, the Showbands DVD duo is an enjoyable journey back to the 1960s set in an idealised version of Ireland.
EXTRAS
Once again, these ABC releases do not have any Extras which should now be viewed as a mandatory component of DVDs.
Conclusion:
Movie 70% Extras: N/A
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