Friday, April 15, 2016

Episode 80 - Flickers from the Disco

Apparently, in 1980, the world was gripped with a bad case of Disco Fever!  We prove this theory by talking about two films from this significant year.  With it being our 80th episode (!) we thought it was fitting to look at two from that specific year.  We start off with the totally baffling "The Apple" from producer/director Menahem Golan.  A mind-boggling biblical parable with more makeup than Max Factor and more crazy fashion than one of Lady Gaga's fever dreams. This is a true oddity and something that should be seen by anyone who has ever asked the question "what's the strangest film ever made?"  We follow that up with the bipolar antics of "Can't Stop the Music" from director Nancy Walker.  More known for being the spokesperson for Bounty paper towels, Ms. Walker really pulls out the stops with this highly-fictionalized story of the formation of the Village People.  This group of costumed performers were a huge sensation at the time and this film was an attempt to cash in on that tide of popularity,  The film switches back and forth between wide-eyed innocence and not-so-subtle innuendo that would make a sailor blush.  It is totally charming and more than a little annoying ( especially with it's 2 hour run-time ).  We loved both these movies and would appreciate hearing your suggestions for other musicals that would be appropriate for the podcast. Send us your thoughts and suggestions to flickersfrom@yahoo.com or flickersfrom@gmail.com or post a message on our Facebook page.