The Apple (1980)

User Rating:

3.7/10   

Director:

Menahem Golan

Writers:

Menahem Golan (screenplay)
Coby Recht (story) ...

Release Date:

21 November 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Musical

Tagline:

A Funky Fantasy That'll Rock Your World!

Plot:

Musical set in the 'future', e.g. 1994. A young couple enters the world of the music industry, but also the world of drugs.

Plot Keywords:

Music Industry | Song | Drugs | Future | Exercise

Cast

Catherine Mary Stewart	...	Bibi
George Gilmour	...	Alphie
Grace Kennedy	...	Pandi
Allan Love	...	Dandi (as Alan Love)
Joss Ackland	...	Hippie Leader / Mr. Topps
Vladek Sheybal	...	Mr. Boogalow
Ray Shell	...	Shake
Miriam Margolyes	...	Landlady
Derek Deadman	...	Bulldog
Michael Logan	...	James
George S. Clinton	...	Joe Pittman, reporter
Francesca Poston	...	Vampire AKA 'Star Rock', Mr. Bugalow's s Receptionist, Keyboard Player in 'BIM' Band and one of Ashley's 'lap-mates' at Mr. Boogalow's Penthouse party
Leslie Meadows	...	Ashley / Dancer
Günther Notthoff	...	Fatdog
Clem Davies	...	Clark James

Also Known As:

Star Rock (UK) (West Germany)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA | West Germany

Language:

English | French | German | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

UK:AA (1980) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Iceland:L | Sweden:11 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Germany

Company:

NF Geria III-Produktion München

Trivia:

Finola Hughes' film debut.

Quotes:

Alphie's Landlady: It's 12:00! How can a man sleep so long?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "TCM Underground: The Apple/Roller Boogie (#1.44)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Speed

A film so horrible, you can't stop watching

Kudos to this German production by Golan/Globus. Who else could have conceived of a Sci-fi/Disco/Musical/Religious epic? Unlike Ed Wood's flicks (such as Plan 9, Glen or Glenda and Bride of the Monster), this movie proves that an embarrassingly silly and awful picture does NOT need to be made on a shoestring budget! Horrible costumes and extremely silly sets cost big bucks!

While some of the actors do actually sing reasonably well, Vladek Sheybal and Ray Shell's singing (among many others) are straight from the "Paint Your Wagon" school of movie-making which states that "just because some actors have NO discernible singing ability does not mean they cannot sing in a musical". I assume based on the banality of the music and lyrics that the same philosophy was also employed. In fact, the same could be said about the acting, sets and directing and choreography (e.g., the great song and dance number in Hell midway through the movie). It's as if Golan/Globus said "let's find as many UNTALENTED people as possible and get them together to make a movie--it will be a real HOOT!".

So, if I hated this movie so much and found it abounding in ineptness, why am I writing this review? My wife tells me I am a masochist and about awful movies, I think she's right. I love to watch wretched movies.

The Apple is not an annoying bad movie (such as ANYTHING involving Pauley Shore), a cheap schlocky bad movie (SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS or ROBOT MONSTER), a disgusting bad movie (any movie involving groups of semi-brain-dead teens being stalked by a hockey masked sociopath) or a boringly bad movie (THE CONQUERER or most of the Jerry Lewis-directed films). Instead, like such notorious greats like THE TRIAL OF BILLY JACK, this movie seems to try VERY hard and yet fail on almost every level. This is definitely the case with THE APPLE.

In summation, I call all lovers of dreck to tune in to The Apple. And, I am happy to say, it is NOW available on DVD!!! This makes this is an absolute MUST SEE!