Telstar: The Joe Meek Story (2008)

A music-infused drama about Joe Meek, the flamboyantly gay, tone deaf, songwriter-producer behind the '60s hits "Have I the Right," "Just Like Eddie," "Johnny, Remember Me" and "Telstar."

Director:

Nick Moran

Writers:

Nick Moran, James Hicks

Stars:

Con O'Neill, Kevin Spacey, Pam Ferris

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Con O'Neill	...	Joe Meek
Kevin Spacey	...	Major Wilfred Banks
Pam Ferris	...	Mrs. Violet Shenton
JJ Feild	...	Heinz Burt
James Corden	...	Clem Cattini
Tom Burke	...	Geoff Goddard
Ralf Little	...	Chas Hodges
Sid Mitchell	...	Patrick Pink
Mathew Baynton	...	Ritchie Blackmore
Shaun Evans	...	Billy Kuy
Callum Dixon	...	John Leyton
Tom Harper	...	Alan Caddy
Jon Lee	...	Billy Fury
Nigel Harman	...	Jess Conrad
Carl Barât	...	Gene Vincent

Storyline

In the early 1960s self-taught electronics whizz Joe Meek amazingly produces a string of home made hit singles from his studio in his flat above a leather shop in London. His biggest success is the instrumental 'Telstar' but accusations of plagiarism delay royalties. Joe's mercurial temper causes his artists to forsake him for other labels,in particular his young lover Heinz Burt. Now in debt and after unwisely parting from his chief financier Major Banks,Joe finds himself unable to control his life. Increasingly paranoid,believing he is being bugged by rival record companies and that everybody is out to get him,the last straw comes when landlady Violet tells him she is selling the building in which he lives. Joe had once confiscated a shotgun from Heinz. Now it is dangerously close at hand and about to end the Joe Meek story.

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Plot Keywords:

1960s | music manager | london england | music production | lawyer | 

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Taglines:

Hit after hit... someone's going to get hurt

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, sexual content and brief violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 June 2009 (UK)

Also Known As:

Telstar

Filming Locations:

Holloway Road, Holloway, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

£1,250,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£22,343 (UK) (19 June 2009)

Gross:

£22,343 (UK) (19 June 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Aspiration Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Actors Nigel Harman, James Corden, Ralf Little and Callum Dixon play Jess Conrad, Clem Cattini, Chas Hodges and John Leyton respectively. The real Conrad, Cattini, Hodges and Leyton all appear in the movie themselves albeit in small cameo roles.

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Goofs

The film shows Heinz Burt featuring in the TV show Oh Boy!, which was shown on British TV some years earlier.

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Connections

Referenced in The Wright Stuff: Episode #17.110 (2012)

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Soundtracks

"Telstar"
Written by Joe Meek
Performed by The Tornados

User Reviews

Worst directed British film ever?

Because I am old enough to remember Joe Meek I approached this film with real relish. That was my first big mistake. Telstar is truly appalling, largely due to the direction of Nick Moran. It is a complete mess from start to finish, lurching around at a frightening speed without any real explanation of what is going on, one minute offering up infantile farce, the next Shakespearian melodrama. It is hard to believe that anyone could have taken such an interesting and sad story and made such a dog's dinner of it. But the director is not the only one to blame. It is hopelessly miscast with not one person looking comfortable in their role. Kevin Spacey looks like he's just wandered into the wrong studio from some sixties sitcom while most of the "band" are totally unbelievable. And Con O'Neil with that horrible squeaky voice delivers a performance so over the top that he makes Brian Blessed look like a restrained actor. The whole sorry mess drags on and on for close on two hours without ever being even remotely involving. I wish there was a star rating below one. Telstar is worthy of it.