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5.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Thrill of a Lifetime remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you find yourself missing the days when movies felt like a variety show hosted by people in tuxedos, pull up a chair. But if you get annoyed by plots that resolve themselves just because the clock is running out, you’ll probably want to fast-forward through the middle.
Howdy Nelson is the kind of guy who thinks he’s smarter than the room. He runs this summer camp with a chip on his shoulder, convinced that love is just a chemistry experiment he can force on anyone.
The whole thing is built on a lie, really. The Yacht Club Boys show up acting like big-shot producers, and for some reason, everyone just goes along with it. It’s the classic 1930s movie logic where nobody checks IDs.
The musical numbers have that frantic energy you only get when people are terrified of standing still. It feels like they were filming in a rush, just trying to squeeze in as many tap shoes as humanly possible before the sun went down. 💃
There is this one moment with Betty Grable where the camera just locks onto her, and you can tell she’s the only one who knows exactly where she’s supposed to be. It’s a nice anchor in a movie that otherwise feels like it’s drifting out to sea.
It’s not as tightly put together as something like Monte Carlo, but it has this weird, frantic charm. It’s the kind of film that doesn’t care if you buy the premise, it just wants you to keep watching the next song.
The ending is exactly what you think it is. Howdy gets his comeuppance, everyone pairs off in record time, and the whole thing wraps up with a bow that feels a little too tight. It’s light, it’s fluffy, and it’s completely disposable. Sometimes that’s enough. 🍿