This was a huge hit among teens at my school in 1983 when I was 16. I never got around to see it back then – and it's a strangely fascinating feeling watching this hybrid of a teen movie/music video tale trying to come across as serious, today. We learn – following 3 male teen buddies after school graduation – spelled-out IN CAPITALS how frustrating teen love is, how bad smoking pot is and how low it is to sell out and let your rock band friends down.
The tone works fine for about 20 minutes into it. From then on, the embarrassing scenes just keep-a-coming. Dialog and performances run from workable to simply atrocious. Former legend rock singer Uggla hams his gay club owner up like he was in a bushwhack farce – and IS fun – but was this seriously director Hildebrand's intention?
The nicest thing I can say (apart from a few nice songs on its soundtrack) is that the blue-eyed ambition of a lost time period has an almost endearing cuteness to it... and its amateurish awkwardness (and cheap production value) IS indeed highly entertaining being so, and keeps off my lower rating. Therefore it's also one of the unintentionally funniest movies I've seen. Several bits had me literally roaring with laughter. I simply MUST end my review by ranking them in laughing-order:
1. The "Nattens dockor" video by the pop group Freestyle. Costume, make-up, lyrics and choreography in this have to be seen to be believed – Youtube it! Takes hilarious awfulness to a whole new level as Wahlgren fondles female mannequins' breasts.
2. Wahlgren and Örn slow-dance, run (completely dressed in white!) over summer lawns and skinny-dip in a public pool to the tunes of "I'll find my way home" by Jon & Vangelis. Add the after-sex song duet in bed by the two lovers, and you will NOT a thicker chunk of teenage-love-cheese to cut for the whole decade! The uncensored nudity is refreshing, though and would be unthinkable today (sadly enough).
3. Skröder and his mother Fröling share a reconciling moment on the bedside after he has cut both the dope (just like that!), his long hair... and donned orange 80's pastel pants! The end dialog about having tea and honey toast sounds like something a 9-year old could have written – it's THAT bad!
4. Håkansson's end song from the stage as he re-unites with his old band; its moral-lesson-lyrics directed at his friends on the dance floor... pricelessly horrible.
3 out of 10 from Ozjeppe
