Review of Telstar: The Joe Meek Story (2008) by Duncan S — 30 Jun 2009

A film of two halves, telling a compelling true story. The first half is very funny, as a driven obsessive succeeds in conditions of cramped and frequently comical chaos.

As some of the film's funniest moments show, Joe Meek's judgement regarding the potential of new musical acts could be truly terrible - we see him refusing to take calls about a certain new 'Merseybeat combo' from Brian Epstein. On the other hand, Meek's best moments of inspiration were truly marvellous, leading to innovative global hit records being created in his tiny studio above a shop in north London. The film does a great job of conveying the rush of creative excitement surrounding the making of huge hits like The Tornadoes' 'Telstar' and John Leyton's 'Johnny Remember Me'.

The story inevitably takes a much darker turn in its second half, as Meek's psychological instability grows along with his intake of amphetamines. Con O'Neill's performance as Meek makes him largely sympathetic even as his paranoia pushes him to appalling verbal and physical attacks on almost all around him; you can believe that his charisma and talent would have made some of those people stick around despite everything.

It's ultimately a sad story about mistrust, loneliness and betrayal, but the music is often great and the story is fascinating for anyone with an interest in pop history. I mean, is it any wonder that poor Joe cracked up when he had to deal with a band containing both Ritchie Blackmore, soon to become the heavy metal hero of Deep Purple, and Chas Hodges, later of Chas 'n' Dave?