Rien n'arrête la musique

This movie is amazing!! Rarely in the history of mankind have we seen a movie so incredibly awful that it becomes a "must-see film". And, interestingly enough, this film is one of four from 1979-1980 that I have reviewed that all fall into this same category. To what do we owe this honor? Well, 1979-1980, for those of you who are blessed to be too young to remember it, was time of the last gasp of disco AND the short-lived roller-disco craze. And, all four horrible movies I strongly recommend are so bad, so stupid, so over-the-top bad that they are truly must-see films for bad movie fans. So here is my list of the unholy 4--XANADU, ROLLER BOOGIE, THE APPLE and CAN'T STOP THE MUSIC. All four are chock full of disco as well as crappy dialog and minimal production values. My vote for most awful of these is the sci-fi, disco, religious epic THE APPLE, but any of the four is strongly recommended for a good laugh!

Now, for the specifics on CAN'T STOP THE MUSIC--which, when you watch it you may want to re-name "CAN'T STOP THE RETCHING". Back in 1980, the least well-kept secret in America was the fact that the Village People were gay. Believe it or not, many Americans who loved their music lived in complete denial that these were six gay men from Greenwich Village. Well, all doubt and ambiguity is erased in this film! While a few times in the movie, the ultra-horny character, Lulu, makes very clumsy passes at these guys, the long, over-the-top and strongly homo-erotic music videos within the movie make it obvious these men were quite gay--and this is especially true of their rendition of YMCA--which looks sort of like a gay version of Heaven. In fact, the campiness of the movie is sort of like a combination of Liberace with gay disco--with the most flamboyant and silly sets and costumes you'll see outside of a gay pride march. BUT, despite the singing being so incredibly overdone and campy, it actually works in some cases as you'll probably find yourself tapping your feet and getting into the songs--or at least some of them. They are BAD, yes, but still kinda fun at the same time. The final song, CAN'T STOP THE MUSIC, initially is very catchy as well, but goes on and on and on and on until you are nearly ready to go berserk!

So, if the music is strange but not THAT bad, why did I give the movie a 2? Well, that's because when they are not singing, the members of The Village People have very little to say and absolutely no charisma because they are not actors. So, they fill in this gap by having real actors(?) do almost all the dialog. And, for the most part, they assembled the absolute worst actors Hollywood had to offer!! So, the main problem with the movie rests not on the Village People but on everything else about the movie!! To help illustrate HOW bad the acting is, one of the big "stars" for the movie is a very young and obnoxious Steve Guttenburg! He is assisted by the pleasantly built but incredibly bland Valerie Perrine and the ultra-wooden Bruce Jenner!!! This movie, in fact, single-handedly ruined Jenner's bid to become a serious actor, as he had all the personality and chemistry of Mr. Potatohead.

Now, so far this movie offers us one music video after another (many with very gay visuals that will make a few uncomfortable but most just laugh), horrible acting and dialog, a dopey story and wretched direction by Nancy Walker (yes, the Bounty commercial woman). And, when you put them all together you have a movie that is even worse than a sum of all its parts--so bad, that you'll most likely laugh yourself silly and have great time making fun of the ineptness of the film. Call some friends and make this the party film you all won't soon forget!

This is the best bad movie of all time. Ofcourse that means Steve Guttenberg and disco music are in it. I saw this once, ten years ago and will never ever forget it. The construction worker of the Village People does a musical number about milk. The film was directed by the late Nancy Walker of "quicker picker upper" fame. Bruce Jenner stars. The bizzarre factoids surrounding this film never quit. Whoever can watch this and not repeatedly laugh out loud needs to check their pulse. I fear my compulsion to buy the dvd. God help me, the howling indian. Classic badness.

The Village people started as a band who was for the Gay community. Then, something else happened. Teenagers started to like them, but on a totally different level of the disco music and costume theatrics.

When it came time to make a movie, which audience do you try to satisfy?

Well, I guess Alan Carr thought you could satisfy them both.

The result is one of the most incredibly bizarre, unintentionally funny musicals ever made. One that tried to balance Family friendly and Gay friendly to help VP's duel followings to come and enjoy.

But even my naive, young self who saw this movie when it first came out could sense that... something was amiss in the village :)

I mean, the YMCA sequence has quick, almost subliminal cuts of a bunch of guys in the shower, one slapping a towel on the others butt (swear to God!) in between loving, slow motion shots of buff oiled athletic guys and an all male sychronized swimming team scene.

Hmmm....

That was a bit sledgehammer, even for me back then.

Then, I watched it more recently and found a gay movie that was in denial

You have a movie that never says the "G" word but has an incredibly effeminate man with TIGHT gold shorts come in and Juggle "Flaming" fire batons.

The Indian,Felipe Rose, has that nice, smooth look and wears cut off jeans and a headress and when he prances around, makes noise like a wind chime tinkling.

The Leather man, Glenn Hughes (rest in peace)sounds pretty effeminate.

The Construction worker, David Hodo, has a musical number where he tries to escape from a bunch of adoring women...

Then there is Lulu, who seems to be female... mostly, but she reminds me of a drag queen.

Which begs a question? How come almost all the Homo imagery here is for males. How come the lesbians get left out?

And how come a lot of this movie is "looped". Even a lot of stage shot stuff seems to have been redubbed in post production. It made me think I was watching a forign movie sometimes.

Ahhh well, you'll have a lot of fun with this. You'll be in disbelief that the thinly disguised homoerotic undertones went over the heads of the powers that be. Perhaps they were too busy watching Valerie Perrine "stick out".

Bad movie fans will be in their glory too. It's not everyday that a big budget movie like this is so hilariously and ineptly executed.

And hang on to your hats boys and girls, that great video company Anchor Bay has bought the rights to this movie and it will be on DVD in April 2002. Hopefully it will be a special edition, with a widescreen transfer and 5.1 remix and I'll be one of the first to get it.

I still like the Village People and love this campy, bizarre, collosal misfire of a movie.

How many times have they examined, reconfigured and grumbled at Allan Carr's Can't Stop the Music? I have often wondered this because let's face it, if indeed this is one of the best bad movies ever made, then, let me go on record as saying that of the three classic disco movies of the early 80s --- the other two being Xanadu and Thank God It's Friday --- this one, directed by the Bounty lady herself, Nancy Walker --- holds up against the ravages of time because of its basic premise: it is nothing less than the story, as presented through songs and film fantasy, of the origins of the Village People. Particularly, the prime mover of the saga (indeed, its true hero) is Jack Morell, played by Steve Gutenberg. This one-time record store cashier is in love with beautiful, retired fashion model Samantha Simmons, played by Valerie Perrine. Eventually, Sam gets her heart stolen by attorney Ron White, played by Bruce Jenner. It is the odyssey of Jack, Sam and Ron to bring together six men from the diverse subcultures comprising Lower Manhattan's Greenwich Village to form an unusual singing group called the Village People. Before long, their adventure culminates in the Vilage People's first-ever live concert performance, in San Francisco. How is it, I wonder, that after 21 years we still think of this particular film as the ultimate nail in the coffin of Disco? Frankly, I would like to see this film done proper widescreen justice on AMC. And as some of you, my two most favorite moments in the film are here: the re-mixed "YMCA" and the always awesome "Milkshake." Milkshake is especially tattooed in my brain because it was the last major original song written and produced by the Village People's founding threesome: Jacques Morali, Henri Belolo and Victor Willis. Jacques having long since died of AIDS, and Allan Carr himself having succumbed to prostate cancer, we will never know how much of the magic of Can't Stop is, and yet is not, the accepted truth. One thing's for sure: Can't Stop the Music is the last great effort by six awesome guys to make disco the safest music on the Planet. Well, that's my salute to Can't Stop the Music. And now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go do the Shake (do the Shake), do the Shaaaaaaake (do the Shake), do the Milkshake, the Milkshake (do the Shake)!

This movie is unlike anything I have ever seen. It is awful in every sense.

Bad writing, acting, and man, you wanna talk about god awful editing! But when I first saw it on late night TV I could not believe my eyes. Its so bad its good. The whole thing is so happy, so carefree, and so 70's. Even though Steve Guttenberg's character tries to say the Village People are "THE sound of 80's". Yeah, right. This is pure 70's. Back before all the nonsense we have to deal with these days with drugs and sex. The 70's and this movie were all about sex, drugs and rock and roll. And watch at the beginning in the record store scene where all the customers are standing in line to buy Electric Light Orchestra's disco classic album "Discovery". Long live the Village People!