Can't Stop the Music (1980)

User Rating:

3.4/10   

Director:

Nancy Walker

Writers:

Allan Carr (writer)
Bronte Woodard (writer)

Release Date:

20 June 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Music | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

The Musical Comedy Smash of the 80's!

Plot:

This is a Pseudo autobiography of disco's The Village People

Plot Keywords:

Disco | Lawyer | Pop Group | Gay Cowboy | New York City New York

Awards:

2 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Alex Briley	...	Alex the G.I.
David Hodo	...	David the Construction Worker
Glenn Hughes	...	Glenn the Leatherman
Randy Jones	...	Randy the Cowboy
Felipe Rose	...	Felipe the Indian
Ray Simpson	...	Ray the Police Officer
Valerie Perrine	...	Samantha Simpson
Bruce Jenner	...	Ron White
Steve Guttenberg	...	Jack Morell
Paul Sand	...	Steve Waits
Tammy Grimes	...	Sydney Channing
June Havoc	...	Helen Morell
Barbara Rush	...	Norma White
Altovise Davis	...	Alicia Edwards
Marilyn Sokol	...	Lulu Brecht

Also Known As:

Discoland: Where the Music Never Stops (USA) (working title)
You Can't Stop the Music! (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | USA:PG | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1987)

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

EMI Films

Trivia:

This film is listed among the 100 Most Enjoyably Bad Movies Ever Made in Golden Raspberry Award founder John WIlson's book THE OFFICIAL RAZZIE® MOVIE GUIDE.

Goofs:

Continuity: While the friends talk in the street, before the YMCA song, the Indian appears behind Samantha, then walk being behind the cowboy and then he appears again behind Samantha before they keep on walking.

Quotes:

Lulu: Oh, the Indian is hot. I go for exotic types, especially when they're half-naked.
Samantha: Lulu!
Lulu: You tell him I'll make up for all the indignities they suffered in "Roots."

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Favouritism: Boy George's Queerest TV Moments (#1.1)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Can't Stop the Music

Someone please stop the music...

Boy, where to start? My memory might fail me, but how about Steve Gutenberg rollerskating down the streets of New York, dancing to his transistor radio and wearing his corduroy OP short shorts and an Izod shirt with the collar flipped up? The mirroring camera "tricks" are sophomoric and silly, and the entire sequence sets the tone for the implausible film that follows. I wouldn't be surprised if that scene took months to film as Gutenberg was probably beaten up a multitude of times and they needed to splice together bits and pieces of footage. It isn't exactly Rocky running through the warehouse district of Philly, is it? No... No it's not. How about the brilliant decision to cast Bruce Jenner, fresh off the crowd-pleasing performance on a box of Wheaties? The best moments of the film are of the Village People following closely behind Jenner in his bare midriff t-shirts with cozy little smiles on their faces. Not even Jenner's classic method acting style was enough to help the rest of the cast rise to the ankle-level material here. I seem to recall a scene where they decide on a name for the band... "Hey... We're all from the Village, so why not The Village... PEOPLE?" Then the Village Person dressed as the Indian chief showed his approval by employing the classic Indian war call; hooting while popping his hand over his mouth. I nearly fell out of my chair.

And what about the fellow who comes to the band "try-outs" with the flaming batons? I think there was a message in there somewhere...

This film is hysterical for a million different reasons and therefore, a complete failure. Surely a must-see in order to provide acute awareness of the bad taste high-water mark.