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Telstar
2009
Blackly comic, music-infused biopic about the life - and tragic death - of maverick British songwriter and record producer Joe Meek. Flamboyantly gay in a time when homosexuality remained outlawed, tone deaf, drug addicted, famously paranoid and obsessed with black magic, Meek (Con O'Neill) was responsible for a string of 1960s .. Read more
| Starring | Kevin Spacey, Con O'Neill, Pam Ferris, JJ Feild |
|---|---|
| Director | Nick Moran |
| Genres | Drama, Gay/Lesbian, Music/Musical |
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Telstar
Blackly comic, music-infused biopic about the life - and tragic death - of maverick British songwriter and record producer Joe Meek. Flamboyantly gay in a time when homosexuality remained outlawed, tone deaf, drug addicted, famously paranoid and obsessed with black magic, Meek (Con O'Neill) was responsible for a string of 1960s chart-toppers including 'Have I the Right', 'Just Like Eddie', 'Johnny, Remember Me' and the groundbreaking 'Telstar'. Kevin Spacey co-stars as 'Major' Wilfred Banks, the businessman who bankrolls Meeks's home studio at 304 Holloway Road in North London.
| Starring | Kevin Spacey, Con O'Neill, Pam Ferris, JJ Feild, James Corden, Tom Burke, Ralf Little, Sid Mitchell, Shaun Evans |
|---|---|
| Director | Nick Moran |
| Studio | MOMENTUM PICTURES |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 54 mins Watch now: 1 hr 54 mins |
| Certificate | DVD: , Watch Online: |
| Genres | Drama, Gay/Lesbian, Music/Musical |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 28 Sep 2009 Watch now: 18 Nov 2009 Production year: 2009 |
| Watch now | £3.49 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews
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For better or worse, its an extraordinary piece of British pop history: former RAF radar boffin Joe Meek installs... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful member's review
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Very interesting
Based on true accounts of music producer Joe Meeks from the 60's.
This guy was really screwed up....... but a genius all the same.
Not the sort of film i'd want to watch again and again, but if you're interested in musical pioneers it's a must. -
Most recent members' review
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Great performances
The film held my attention all the way through, although the stage-based nature of the setting was more than a little claustrophobic at times. (Just like Meek's flat, I suppose...) Joe Meek is a curious case - he was some kind of twisted genius, but he never made a really great record...they're redolent of their time, and bring back loads of memories (although 'Have I the Right' was a stinker in 1964 and it still is), but they don't stand up to the sort of things that Phil Spector was turning out at the same time. Anyway, lots of eye-catching performances brought it all back and made for an enjoyable viewing experience. It may be that the thing wasn't strictly accurate, but that's the nature of the biopic, and my enjoyment was in no way spoilt by the fact that the numberplates were wrong...the guitars were right!
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News and features
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Telstar: Con O'Neill
- 09 Oct 2009
After playing music producer Joe Meek both on stage and the big screen, it’s fair to say that Con O’Neill is a bit of an expert. We caught up with him to talk about Telstar, a biopic black comedy about Meek’s tragic life. LOVEFiLM: You first played the role of Joe Meek on stage in the play and now you’ve moved on to be in the film adaptation. Did you know much about Joe Meek before you took on the role? Con O'Neill: I didn’t. I knew nothing about Joe when I first... Read more
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