Paul Fryer

Pauls Telstar, in various timbers
Ranking alongside 'Slade in Flame' in the pantheon of great pop movies that could only have been made in Britain, Telstar chronicles the rise and fall of producer Joe Meek in spiky style. Adapted from James Hicks and Nick Morans acclaimed play, and wisely retaining its original stagestar ,Con O'Neill, this biopic leads us in to the mind of a man who 'heard a new world' which drove him to the edge of madness and beyond.
Eschewing the ersatz glam of his transatlantic counterparts [ Phil Specter et al.], Meek worked worked his strange magic in a north London flat above a leathergoods store, where he tormented the young pop proteges whom he loved and loathed in equal measure. Plaudits are due to actor tuned director Moran who evokes the weird atmosphere of Meeks poky fiefdom with almost Pinteresque aplomb. Not surprisingly , the film has proved a hard sell in the US , where audiences seem to like their bubblegum softer and sweeter. In the UK we should embrace Telstar as a true homegrown hit.