The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

'Carnival Rock' is different from usual Corman movies than most of us have used to. This is melodrama padded with many musical numbers. David J. Stewart stars as out of luck club owner Christy Cristakos, a naive and disillusioned in his blind love against the club's star singer Natalie Cook (Susan Cabot) who has hots for gambler and business man Stanley (Brian G. Hutton). Christy's club, although with great musical numbers, is still in debts, and when he finally learns the woman he loves can't pay back with mutual feelings, the man loses his club to Stanley in a card game.In it's entirety the film is nothing special - not enough quality neither enough cheese. Although the script is quite strong (for Corman's movie) it flows along very familiar path without offering any surprises. Generic melodramatic love triangle and generic rockabilly songs. Nonetheless 'Carnival Rock' is still entertaining and engaging enough that sitting through the film is everything but suffering.It is easy to pass this film, but if you are really interested in versatility of Roger Corman, then 'Carnival Rock' is recommended by here writer.

Good Music! Good entertainment. Solid little B-picture of a man named Christy whose love for the wrong girl causes him nothing but trouble and heartbreak. Shows how cruel love can be and what it can drive a man to do. Good wholesome entertainment plus it's got Dick Miller which is always a plus!

Some 1950's Z cheap movies are so bad that they becomes good! But not this one: this is simply bad, despite the good intentions. Actors are awful. David J. Stewart is abominable! The story, very simple, had a bit of Blue Angel (of Marlene Dietrich's fame) in it. Corman wants to reach the teenagers of the time, but the artists he hired were not much known to them. Bob Luman is doing two fine numbers. Not really David Houston. The two of them will reach a certain popularity in the more conservative field of country music in the 1960's.

Yes, Roger Corman made the original Little Shop of Horrors. But he also made such losers as The Undead; The Day the World Ended; The Beast with a Million Eyes; It Conquered the World; and Teenage Caveman. In those movies, Corman used his trademark padding technique -- lots of walking. The only difference is that here he pads his movie with singing. Different padding, same director, same horrifying results.Rock tells the story of a Greek carnival show owner named "Christy" who is deeply in love with Natalie. This would be a nice story except for one thing: it's an imagined May - September romance on Christy's part and Natalie has the hots for another. In fact, Christy ends up being unlucky at love and at cards. Christy portrays a happy-go-lucky attitude even when creditors threaten to take his club away. However, this attitude gives him a sense of delusion that prevents him from seeing things as they really are.The Platters make a cameo in this film, but this is essentially a love story with rockabilly music well packed in throughout. Strangely, Natalie starts out singing Mel Torme-like songs after the viewer is subjected to these Jerry Lee Lewis-wannabes. The music is passable, but Natalie's bouncing neck can make you seasick.One definite highlight is Mamie Van Doren's appearance on the 1987 video release of this movie. She still looks good.Sterno says ignore the carnies sit in for a set.