SO very British! But that's what makes it fun, it's a slice of life from a time and place different than what you usually see in these kind of movies. Booze, babes, food fights, and goofiness abound and it's all in good fun. A great soundtrack too! You can actually see where a lot of later teen movies stole stuff from if you've seen enough of 'em over the years,
25 Reviews
Great Soundtrack - Film doesn't live up to it...
keenanchris1 January 2022
Mildly entertaining but pretty much of a misfire. Check it out if you're feeling nostalgic for the early 80s, as the soundtrack is the only real positive about the film, but don't expect a classic of British cinema...
Why do they all leave it off their CV's?
joeE171 August 2005
Warning: Spoilers
OK, so it isn't an obvious choice for a Saturday night in front of the the TV, but as a snap-shot of early 80's Britain it's worth it's weight in gold. My summary title refers to the fact that so many of it's stars never mention it when asked about their early careers. Look at some of the actors who made their big screen debut's here; Daniel Peacock, Karl Howman, Perry Fenwick, Sean Chapman, the late Gary Olsen, Clive Mantle, Caroline Quentin even Nick Berry. I also remember Elvis Costello saying that his theme song, Party Party, was the worst song he'd ever made.
Anyone who went to parties around this time will find something they can identify with. And if there's a film with a better soundtrack, I'll wear Larry's yellow tank-top for a night out.
I laughed, Mrs. Dorkin laughed..........aaah, I feel young again.
Anyone who went to parties around this time will find something they can identify with. And if there's a film with a better soundtrack, I'll wear Larry's yellow tank-top for a night out.
I laughed, Mrs. Dorkin laughed..........aaah, I feel young again.
Superb 80's teen flick!
tony-mc16 January 2005
(Being released on DVD in UK early February 2005) It has been shown on at least one occasion on British terrestrial television and I remember film critics slaughtering it in the TV guides. (Stick to the period drama boys & girls.) If you want to know what life was like for (us) ordinary London teenagers in the 80's, find this and enjoy. Well established British actors with acne, a microcosm of my life back in the day. Dodgy sets, dodgy acting, dodgy continuation, very entertaining nevertheless!!! Food fights, real fights, queues for the toilet, going upstairs for a quickie. A sizzling soundtrack of the day showcasing pop-punk, Bowie and the like. Wild Stallion anyone? Memories.......
definitely a cult 80's nostalgia trip, " ere, can you smell horses"
sonicbloo6 December 2004
Although you probably had to see it first time round to appreciate this superb early 80's Brit-flick(most of the films fans are likely to be in their 40's now)I can still watch this film time after time.
The music and the one-liners are brilliant, "can you smell horses?" every time Toby comes near with his Wild Stallion aftershave, "Has anyone ever told you how pretty you are?" to a suicidal boyfriendless Caroline Quentin in the bathroom scene "No" - "Doesn't surprise me!"
It seems every time I watch it I see someone different who is now famous,(also I never realized til now that Clive Mantle from Casualty played the big biker Bobby Sloane)
I notice that Nick Berry gets star billing on the video cover even though he probably says 2 lines in the whole film, yet the main character Perry Fenwick "Larry" doesn't get a mention. I guess this would change if re-released as he is now on our screens 4 times a week in Eastenders.
"Youths of today" would probably yawn at this film and go off to watch "American Pie",so its probably best left to its fans who were growing up in Britain at the time..........
The music and the one-liners are brilliant, "can you smell horses?" every time Toby comes near with his Wild Stallion aftershave, "Has anyone ever told you how pretty you are?" to a suicidal boyfriendless Caroline Quentin in the bathroom scene "No" - "Doesn't surprise me!"
It seems every time I watch it I see someone different who is now famous,(also I never realized til now that Clive Mantle from Casualty played the big biker Bobby Sloane)
I notice that Nick Berry gets star billing on the video cover even though he probably says 2 lines in the whole film, yet the main character Perry Fenwick "Larry" doesn't get a mention. I guess this would change if re-released as he is now on our screens 4 times a week in Eastenders.
"Youths of today" would probably yawn at this film and go off to watch "American Pie",so its probably best left to its fans who were growing up in Britain at the time..........
great slice of 80's humour!
geoff-snazel15 June 2004
This was one of the first films i ever rented when my family first bought a VCR & 21 years later i still think its one of the funniest British comedies ever!most of the humour will be lost on our American cousins as it is VERY British!(It also helps if you were a teen at this time.Fantastic soundtrack also!Lots of familiar TV faces included(anyone remember Brush Strokes!).Daniel Peacock is brilliant as the hapless Toby,Especially dancing to Gene Genie!This film is so quotable too (Easily as many repeatable lines as say,Pulp Fiction).Not to everyones taste but worth a nostalgic look!
p.s Can you smell horses?
p.s Can you smell horses?
A sort of British prequel to "Animal House"...
taiaha10 June 1999
A sort of British prequel to "Animal House", except that British teenagers relationship with alcohol seems to be more serious than their US counterparts. Almost a series of vignettes featuring early performances from a number of British actors now very familiar on UK TV screens. Some hilarious moments (...the young policemen promising their sergeant that they will "get p***ed in a responsible fashion"), but much of the humour will be lost on crossing the Atlantic. Best viewed with a plentiful supply of beer and peanuts.
Britsh John Huges film
naomiengland10 December 2010
I saw this in 1983 on a Sunday sitting on my mum's laps I live in Luton,Beds 20 years later I saw this again. I still remember all the words. Its another British film that never made it to the USA. To me its like a a version of a John Hughs movie. That may sound odd but thats just me. The mum and dad go out for a party, the kids get to tog her and throw a party. Lots of birds and drink what can go wrong. Lots of things. The actor that made this movie funny, is Toby"Top of Top on" Ha ha classic. Its so 80's. I love that line most of the actors say"Can you smell horese" ha ha. I can kind relate to Toby hes at a party and no one wants to talk to him. I am also love the fact they played Sex Pistols song. SEE THIS
If you was a teen in the late 70s and early 80 its unmissable
xski23 August 2006
I have been quoting this film for the last 19 years and it still makes me laugh today, I recognise that it is very much of its day however I do know of a 21year old who puts this on a list of his favourites too. "See this ear........plastic" the lines just go on and on. don't watch this expecting to see citizen cane, watch it for what it is, a funny silly snapshot of adolescence in the suburbs of London in the 80s. Great fun spotting the cast members Lookout for Wicksy,Billy Mitchell, Jacko and a very young Caroline Quentin. I wish i still had my MK 3 Cortina! or was I the "fast flash passenger"
i love it
i love it
An 80's classic. for nostalgia fiends only
craig.tuohy9 October 2001
If you were an English teenager during the 80's then you MUST see this film. To everybody else it will just be an odd curiosity. For me, it is the funniest film in existence and is one of the only films to have more quotable lines than Apocalypse now.
top on top off
dobber-924 November 2007
Awoke many memories from party's at my mates house when his mum and dad were not there,we were all "fast flash fellas" and my mate also drove a MK3 Cortina.I believe that we all had our own form from "wild stallion" aftershave mine was Brut a Xmas present but I still splashed it all over.This was unfortunately to no avail my mate Micky was always the one who could "pull the birds".This is probably why I could relate with Toby . I am now in my early 40's and living abroad and can not follow what a lot of the British actors are doing now.I try to explain to my brother in law what a cult film this is, this is not very easy as he is German and the humor is very different would be great to see it again on DVD.All the best to the other fans from this film a little it older but still young at heart.
Perfect Cult comic time capsule.. But may not translate to the US
ashwetherall121 September 2019
Party Party is one of those movies that I know completely by heart. Every line every pause every song played over the hilarious script.
The basic plot is that Larry is having a New years party at his house. But he hasn't told his parents.. Also we the audience know that the police have been told not to interfear with the festivities. We are introduced to the various party guests. The cool guy, the easy girl, the frumpy girl, the bully, the drunk, and Toby the party pratt.
Party party is a series of set pieces that any party goer should recognise. Toby's (the prat) desperate attempts to pull the birds.. Larry the host trying to get a last fling in with a girl soon to be married to his mate.
The local biker gate crashing the party and causing trouble.
Plus an aftershave that smells like horses.
Party party is silly but it's also very honest. In 1983 parties were actually like this. You would actually find these people there.
Daniel Peacock as Toby is absolutely hilarious, a kind of composite of Norman Wisdom and a horny Mr Bean.
The late Gary Olsen is one of the best comic Drunks ever. In fact so many good actors got there start in this film and most have been working steadly ever since.
I can't recommend this film highly enough.. But if your from the US chances are that you may not get the humour or the fast paced london dialogue..
Also it has the best soundtrack ever. Let's hope its rediscovered and gets a bluray release.
This film is great!
cherrysnowball4 January 2008
I've watched this film since i was about 12yrs old i'm 29yrs old now and still love it. It really shows a purity of English. And when your parents went to party's while you had a baby sitter you know what they got up to which is pretty cool. Johnny always reminded me of my dad a proper cockney tart (cool fast flash fella!) every character is unique and brilliant i'm so surprised how this film is not well known. whenever i'm a bit down i put this film on and it cheers me up with the many classic lines (top on top off!) and (wild stallion "smells like horses"!) The cast are well known faces of todays television, billy Mitchell (eastenders), Caroline Quentin, Karl know man (flash adverts) tom king (emmerdale) Gary old man (2 point 4 children) and many many more faces. definitely a 10 out of ten for me
An English Cult Movie
theintelligence29 March 2001
This is a classic English film from the early '80's and for those from Britain who were in their late teens at this time it will bring back loads of memories of drunken parties at your friends parents house.
Full of excellent music from this time this film also has lots of faces who have now made it famous on British T.V. If you don't appreciate or understand British (and North European) party and drink culture this film will be totally lost on you...
Full of excellent music from this time this film also has lots of faces who have now made it famous on British T.V. If you don't appreciate or understand British (and North European) party and drink culture this film will be totally lost on you...
Fantastic film
rossfold16 September 2003
This is a vintage film from a vintage era.It gave a realistic look at what the younger generation actually got up to ( especially at christmas,new year time ) during the 80's.It is a film that you can watch over and over again and still laff at ( even with its cheesy one liners )the antics that Toby and company get up to.
Brilliant
justinghaynes23 May 2020
Hadn't seen this for years, so got it on DVD. I'd forgotten how good it was. Anyone who was a teenager in the 80's will remember going to house parties whilst parents were out! Brings it all back! Great cast. We can all relate to the characters and you can guarantee that you had mates like them! Brilliant soundtrack.
An under rated classic!!!
richardstirling23 November 2019
One of the best British comedies of the 80s if not if all time. It is very much of the 80s so it may not stand the test of time for some people. For mr this film has it all comedy, great dialogue, dark moments and an engaging storyline. A great cast and a truly BRITISH classic...
come on we're going racing!!!!!!!!!!!
filrob12326 February 2007
This film epitomises the Eighties teenagers,I genuinely laugh even thinking about it,I can never understand why it is never repeated on TV,The whole cast are superb,parties were really like that in the Eighties, there's also a classic bit when Daniel Peacock explains the size of his manhood by saying ' yeh well it is cold outside ',I don't think our Americcan friends will understand the bit when one of the says what are you doing in the shed? waiting - yeh thought so , No, waiting!!!!!!, Love the bit at the end when Mum and Dad have a little hug for old times sake on the settee !!!!!!!!!!!!!, makes me really want to buy a party seven and a bottle of cider, and put some wild stallion on.
To be honest, i only watched this movie for the soundtrack
tedbidits2 January 2000
To be honest, i only watched this movie for the sound track! The movie itself, wasn't all that was to be expected though. Personally, I thought they stereotyped the whole free-easy going, alcohol driven teenage thing, but all in all, the cast did try their best, and with a soundtrack like that, who could go wrong?!
80s Classic!
MichaelMoore-187-86088423 November 2021
OK, maybe only an 80s classic if you were living in the UK during the 80s (which I was), but this movie exactly captures what life was like in 1983!
Epic soundtrack, lots of good laughs, and a typical teen flick are the essential ingredients for a classic.
It may be a little confusing for an American, and it's definitely a challenge to track down a copy in the US; but it's well worth the effort!
Do you smell horses?
Epic soundtrack, lots of good laughs, and a typical teen flick are the essential ingredients for a classic.
It may be a little confusing for an American, and it's definitely a challenge to track down a copy in the US; but it's well worth the effort!
Do you smell horses?
Why can't they be like we were...?
Goingbegging5 January 2022
Judging from the other reviews, there seems to be a psychological need to celebrate this film as the cult 80's teenage party epic.
Well for one thing, these are certainly not teenagers. They are not even pretending to be teenagers (real teenage talk being quite difficult for adults to replicate.) Three of the party-guests are police, allowed off-duty on New Year's Eve, owing to a rather unlikely ruling not to interfere with family celebrations. One of them is an attractive woman constable (Rebecca), who has already demonstrated her combat skills in the gym, and suddenly recognises a violent gatecrasher whom she recently arrested, and privately hankers after. Another (Terry) is a loser in love, who is just drowning his sorrows, not-too-convincingly either.
The unofficial host is Larry, who has not told his parents (away at a different party) that this event is happening at all. With a cast of 27, it's to be expected that one of them is a suspected gay, the desperately shy Toby, though we can't reveal the truly hilarious way in which he asserts his manhood and acquires his first girlfriend. Glamorous Brenda and under-confident Shirley are best mates, hunting as a pair, though Brenda's well-meant attempt (after too many drinks) to alter Shirley's costume, to make it a bit more low-cut, ends in disaster, with Shirley having to hide in the bath, where a drunk and incapable Terry collapses on top of her, and turns out to be not so incapable after all. Loveliest of the lot is Annabel Mednick, as I can testify, having relished close-up views of her in pub theatre in 1981-2, though she has bravely settled for bizarre make-up for the unlovely role she plays here.
The ending is perhaps the funniest part - also not to be revealed - with Larry's father and mother (Kate Williams, best known as Liz from Eastenders) arriving home to an unexpected welcome, with rather a speeded-up 'Auld Lang Syne' only slightly spoiling the effect.
Well for one thing, these are certainly not teenagers. They are not even pretending to be teenagers (real teenage talk being quite difficult for adults to replicate.) Three of the party-guests are police, allowed off-duty on New Year's Eve, owing to a rather unlikely ruling not to interfere with family celebrations. One of them is an attractive woman constable (Rebecca), who has already demonstrated her combat skills in the gym, and suddenly recognises a violent gatecrasher whom she recently arrested, and privately hankers after. Another (Terry) is a loser in love, who is just drowning his sorrows, not-too-convincingly either.
The unofficial host is Larry, who has not told his parents (away at a different party) that this event is happening at all. With a cast of 27, it's to be expected that one of them is a suspected gay, the desperately shy Toby, though we can't reveal the truly hilarious way in which he asserts his manhood and acquires his first girlfriend. Glamorous Brenda and under-confident Shirley are best mates, hunting as a pair, though Brenda's well-meant attempt (after too many drinks) to alter Shirley's costume, to make it a bit more low-cut, ends in disaster, with Shirley having to hide in the bath, where a drunk and incapable Terry collapses on top of her, and turns out to be not so incapable after all. Loveliest of the lot is Annabel Mednick, as I can testify, having relished close-up views of her in pub theatre in 1981-2, though she has bravely settled for bizarre make-up for the unlovely role she plays here.
The ending is perhaps the funniest part - also not to be revealed - with Larry's father and mother (Kate Williams, best known as Liz from Eastenders) arriving home to an unexpected welcome, with rather a speeded-up 'Auld Lang Syne' only slightly spoiling the effect.
Really very bad
Horics_Guyian2 October 2001
This film is the most dumbest, rubbish film I have ever ever seen. It was worse then a night at the Roxbury (which in itself was one of the worst excuses for a film ever)
Only my drunken gibbon of a mate Lee liked it.
Awful, truly awful.
People who like this should watch good films like Ghost Dog, Way of the Samurai.
TERRIBLE
Only my drunken gibbon of a mate Lee liked it.
Awful, truly awful.
People who like this should watch good films like Ghost Dog, Way of the Samurai.
TERRIBLE
Very entertaining!
RodrigAndrisan23 December 2023
I didn't think I would like this movie so much, I thought I would see a silly little English comedy. But the film is very well made, very well acted and has many comical moments. Phoebe Nicholls and Kim Thomson are both very talented and attractive. And, throughout the film, the best music of the 80s flows song after song, the most famous being: Blondie/Heart of glass, Sex Pistols/Something Else, The Clash/Brand New Cadillac, The Clash/Death Or Glory, Madness/Driving In My Car, Madness/Crying Shame, Go Go's/Our Lips Are Sealed, Go Go's/We Got The Beat, Midge Ure/The Man Who Sold The World, David Bowie/Jean Genie, Roxy Music/Love Is The Drug, Roxy Music/The Same Old Scene, Orchestral Maneuvers In The Dark/Enola Gay, Jeff Beck/Hi Ho Silver Lining, The Stranglers/No More Heroes, Elvis Costello And The Attractions/Party Girl, Elvis Costello And The Attractions with The Royal Guard Horns/Party Party.
If You Were 18 in 1980...
colleypop22 February 2021
...then you will recognise every one of the characters portrayed on the film. Great performance by Karl Howman and Clive Mantle.
You really did have to be there at the time, just like you did in the days of Rave to appreciate it fully.
As for someone recommending "people who liked this" to watch Ghost Dog,Way of the Samuri, the two have nothing in common. It maybe a great film, but no laughs, and no 80's soundtrack. May well have recommended The English Patient. Someone than obviously didn't understand Party Party.....
You really did have to be there at the time, just like you did in the days of Rave to appreciate it fully.
As for someone recommending "people who liked this" to watch Ghost Dog,Way of the Samuri, the two have nothing in common. It maybe a great film, but no laughs, and no 80's soundtrack. May well have recommended The English Patient. Someone than obviously didn't understand Party Party.....
The British brat pack in their finest hour.
malex-3732331 December 2021
Just a great low budget gem of a movie. Watched it more times than I care to remember. Although Caroline Quentin might not agree, probably her finest role as the desperate fat bird on new years eve, searching for anything with a pulse, comes across a paralytic drunk in Gary Olson (Rip) and...... Well find out for yourself.
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