Don't Knock the Twist / Twist Around the Clock
Along with the Twist dance craze in the early 1960s came Twist-themed movies, and this DVD release has two of the more memorable artifacts of the fad.Twist Around the Clock, out of 1961, finds an unemployed promoter recognizing the Twist's potential to make him a lot of money--if only he can figure out how to harness its popularity. Lightweight but enjoyable,Twist Around the Clockis a real treat when it gets down to business, which means performances by Twist king Chubby Checker, the Marcels, and especially Dion, whose great "Runaround Sue" and "The Wanderer" are featured. A sequel toTwist Around the Clock,Don't Knock the Twistis a formulaic yet completely fun story of preparations for a television show about the Twist. Romantic complications and other conflicts arise for various characters, but the presence of Checker, the Dovells, the Carroll Brothers, and Linda Scott are the real reason to immerse oneself in pure nostalgia.--Tom Keogh