Toomorrow

Like many Olivia Newton-John fans, I sought out TOOMORROW to catch an early film performance by Olivia (and also because I enjoy seeking out "lost movies"), and while the film is certainly lightweight and contrived I'll admit I enjoyed watching it. The concept here was to take a prefabricated rock group (sort of a British take on The Monkees), inject a sci-fi story line and tie everything together with a groovy pop music soundtrack (with the requisite soundtrack LP and singles). History has told the story: the "aliens desperately looking for new musical vibes" plot was way out there, the tunes were too lightweight and the resulting film opened and closed quickly then promptly disappeared. Despite all that TOOMORROW is still worth viewing for those fortunate enough to come across it. Olivia is absolutely charming here as a college student/band member, and while she later admitted in interviews that she literally resorted to shouting in order to project her voice it really doesn't detract from her performance or the film. Her interaction with her bandmates is lighthearted and carefree. The music is pretty much by-the-numbers pop bordering on bubblegum (perhaps Don Kirshner leaned a little too close to his musical creation The Archies here) and it's a bit of a stretch imagining an alien race finding just the thing they're looking for in these tunes. Hugo Montenegro's musical interludes are definitely dated but they're in context with the time and setting, and the special effects are also decent considering the age of the film. There's also an amusing bit of light farce when a female Alphoid named "Johnson" is summoned "to seduce Vic Cooper"; problem is, Johnson apparently wasn't informed as to which one was Vic Cooper and her crash course in the art of seduction came from viewing a couple of nudie flicks. I'll concur that while TOOMORROW isn't exactly top-rate, it's worthy entertainment (if approached with the mindset of a "midnight movie") and it certainly deserves to be rescued from obscurity. I'm not holding my breath, but if by some miracle "the powers that be" who are keeping TOOMORROW from being officially rereleased have a change of heart, I'd love to see a genuine DVD issue with some cool bonuses to do the film justice (especially if Anchor Bay is given that chance).

One of the first films I went to see on my own (in 1970), at the tender age of 14. Well into the synth music of the time, a short piece on TV pushed me to go and see it.

I understood RCA had a number of legal problems with it and thought it would never see the light of day again. However, I managed to obtain a copy of the sound track some 25 years later, but would still love to see the original film again.

Fetching and talented young stars, a delightfully groovy soundtrack that really bops; a primary plot that seems a precursor for 'Bill and Ted's excellent adventure' and its sequels; a subplot revolving around student organization and collective action - this movie has it all! There's much about 'Toomorrow' that's a bit dated, yet cheesy as it may be, the fun hasn't aged one bit. I can't help myself: this is a really good time!

It's not lost on me that musical movies are quite relegated to a very niche audience. Pick a genre, from singing cowboys to 'A hard day's night,' from Disney ditties to 'Pitch Perfect,' and there's no denying that they are likely in one way or another to appeal to only select audiences. That's kind of unavoidable with the kitsch that often accompanies performance, to say nothing of personal preferences when it comes to music. This is really quite unfortunate, as not only does a lot of work go into these pictures, but if one can get past their preconceptions, there's a whole lot to like about them. Like the titular band, 'Toomorrow' only wants to have a blast, and that's just what we get. The original songs penned by Ritchie Adams and Mark Barkan are rich and enticing, and from one to the next it's hard to pick a favorite - though as the first sound to greet our ears, the title song has an unfair advantage. For that matter, the original score of Hugo Montenegro is also a definite treat. One certainly wishes the contributions of Adams, Barkan, and Montenegro were all featured even more throughout the length.

The cast are wonderfully charming; though there's no real depth to the characters, all on hand do a fine job of bringing the parts to life with great spirit - and naturally, Olivia Newton-John rather steals the spotlight. Like the character writing, the plot is very light. It's all that it needs to be, however, to provide 90 minutes of satisfying entertainment, and there are some smart inclusions at one point or another, including some sly cleverness in the dialogue and scene writing to pepper the picture with a touch of humor by way of quips and sight gags. There's no missing the jest poking fun at then-burgeoning electronic music; I deeply appreciate the passing line that rightly criticizes a young civilization governed by old minds. Just because 'Toomorrow' is built for uncomplicated amusement doesn't mean that it can't also bear some wit and intelligence!

The special effects are pretty much on par for the timeframe. The more heavily they're centered in a scene, the less believable they are, but at large the post-production measures are just fine. The filming locations are swell, while the sets built at legendary Pinewood Studios are rather fantastic. The alien spaceship could have gone very wrong, but it looks duly trippy in keeping with the tone of the film; the aliens themselves leave a bit to be desired, but we don't see much of them. The costume design and hair and makeup work are super, and for that matter, basically all the work put in behind the scenes is just swell. The real focus in 'Toomorrow' is on the music, and to a lesser extent on the cast, with writing sufficient to give form and pretense to the silliness. When all is said and done this maybe isn't an essential must-see, but I also rather think it's sadly neglected - more than a little gauche, 'Toomorrow' only wants its audience to enjoy themselves, and I for one absolutely did. Recommendable especially for viewers who admire pop music of the late 60s and early 70s, as far as I'm concerned this is well worth a mere 90 minutes of your time!

This thing is a mess but a fun mess. A strange hybrid of sci-fi aliens, lame rock music and counter culture message film. Yes, a very young and darling Olivia Newton-John stars as the lone girl in a band called Toomorrow and they play the softest, non-threatening "rock" you've ever heard and yet the hippies and the stoners go crazy for them like they are hearing Hendrix at Monterey. The "special" effects are ridiculous and the movie really is entertaining for all the wrong reasons - jaw dropping dialogue (like when the band is zapped aboard an alien UFO "Hey man, I don't dig space!") and lame attempts to inject Beatles/Monkees type comedy with a few of them sharing bathwater and changing clothes in the car on their way to a big gig. So of it's time, so dated and yet real fun. Hard to find - the DVD we got had Japan subtitles and as someone else mentioned - when the movie ended - it also had Olivia appearing on Johnny Carson as a big new singing sensation in America (no mention of Toomorrow though - hmmmm). The whole script has that feeling of fifty year old writers typing away what they think "the long hairs" are saying and doing. Laff riot.

Toomorrow is definitely not as bad as has been reported. It is actually an enjoyable movie. It is no "Grease" but definitely better than "Two of a Kind." It is equal to "Xanadu" and probably better.

To me Olivia was being natural with her perky personality. Her acting did not seem like acting as it did in Xanadu when she tells Sunny that she is a muse. Instead everyone in the Toomorrow group seem to be enjoying themselves as they go through the film.

Granted the movie is not Oscar material but considering how bad so much is today, I would love to see Toomorrow on the big screen or at least come out on DVD.

Definitely worth a look.