Quadrophenia (1979)

London, 1965: Like many other youths, Jimmy hates the philistine life, especially his parents and his job in a company's mailing division. Only when he's together with his friends, a 'Mod' clique, cruises London on his motor-scooter and hears music such as that of 'The Who' and 'The High Numbers', he feels free and accepted. However, it's a flight into an illusionary world. Written by Tom Zoerner {Tom.Zoerner@informatik.uni-erlangen.de}

Director Franc Roddam has brought us an array of young British acting talents who bring back London's nineteen-sixties Mods and Rockers. Set against the soundtrack of The Who's 1973 mighty concept album "Quadrophenia", Phil Daniels plays working-class Jimmy, the drug-induced Mod, who hates his job and is misunderstood by his parents. But by night, he comes alive, with the all-nighters, his pills and his scooter-riding friends. Always on a high, life can't get any better. Then there's the Brighton scooter run, where both Mods and Rockers converge, ending in the battle of the cults on Brighton Beach. What goes up must come down, and with Jimmy's come-down, his life is turned around, and so begins his downward spiral into paranoia and isolation, and the four-faceted mindset: Quadrophenia. With its extremely realistic language, violent overtones and classic sixties soundtrack, this illness is bound to be contagious. Come along for the ride. Written by Cinema_Fan

In 1960s London Jimmy, loathing his dead-end job and dead-end parents, lives for his scooter and his Mod mates. August Bank Holiday in Brighton looks like it will be great, with a chance to see his Vespa-riding hero Ace, do battle with the Rockers, and maybe get lucky with Steph. Sadly, after the weekend, reality and disppointments crowd in all the more. Written by Jeremy Perkins {jwp@aber.ac.uk}