Twist

aka: How Rock 'n' Roll Got its Soul
USA 1992, 74 minutes
Dir. Ron Mann
Rating: [G]
Genres: Documentary, Music / Dance

Topics: Period 1950s.

Aroview: Toe-tapping, snappy chronicle of pop culture's biggest ever dance craze, The Twist, with terrific archival footage from king 'twisters' Elvis Presley, Fats Domino and Little Richard and more recent interviews with Hank Ballard and Chubby Checker, who respectively originated and popularised the song and dance of the same name.

As well as having a danceable beat, this charts the dance's conception, rise, and fall, while reflecting on the complicated racial and class divides of the 1950s, and the shift from pop's staid conformity to the rebel rousing '60s.

NZ International Film Festival 1993

Member Reviews

Average rating (Very Good). Showing 1-1 of 1 member reviews.

I find this review offensive! I don’t agree with this review. I agree with this review.
4 stars (Very Good) Helpfully exposes a cause of the current obesity "epidemic"- lack of dancing and dance music Impressive performances by ordinary folk including the middle-aged performing Rock 'N Roll, the Twist, the Watusi etc is amusing, uplifting & sobering. ~Sandy