Can't Stop the Music (1980)

A pseudo autobiography of disco's The Village People.

Director:

Nancy Walker

Writers:

Bronte Woodard (as Bronté Woodard), Allan Carr

Stars:

Ray Simpson, David Hodo, Felipe Rose

4 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ray Simpson	...	Village People: Policeman
David Hodo	...	Village People: Construction Worker
Felipe Rose	...	Village People: Indian
Randy Jones	...	Village People: Cowboy
Glenn Hughes	...	Village People: Leatherman
Alex Briley	...	Village People: G.I.
Valerie Perrine	...	Samantha
Caitlyn Jenner	...	Ron White (as Bruce Jenner)
Steve Guttenberg	...	Jack Morell
Paul Sand	...	Steve Waits
Tammy Grimes	...	Sydne Channing
June Havoc	...	Helen Morell
Barbara Rush	...	Norma White
Altovise Davis	...	Alicia Edwards
Marilyn Sokol	...	Lulu Brecht

Storyline

In this pseudo audio biography of the Village People, Jack Morell (a thinly disguised caricature of the group's founder, Jacques Morali) is a struggling composer desperate to gain fame with his songs, but all he needs is a group to sing them. With the help of his roommate Samantha and a lawyer named Ron, Jack forms a group of six "macho men" from his Greenwich Village neighborhood, and the rest of the film details their rise to fame from New York City to a climatic concert in San Francisco.

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Plot Keywords:

disco | swimming pool | tax lawyer | dancer | singer | 

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Taglines:

The Movie Musical Event of the 80's

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Genres:

Biography | Comedy | Musical

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Caitlyn Jenner ultimately chose to appear in this film instead of a role that had been written for him in Airplane! (1980). That role ended up being re-written for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He also chose this movie over Superman (1978), which also featured Valerie Perrine.

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Goofs

At the beginning of the "You Can't Stop the Music" song finale, the Village People are shown from the front. The cop is on the far left, next to the cowboy. In the very next shot, as they're being shown from the back, the cop is between the Indian and the Biker.

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Quotes

Jack Morell: Lulu, you're crazy.

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Alternate Versions

ABC edited 21 minutes from this film (including the "I Love You To Death" number) to fit the time slot for its 1984 network television premiere.

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Connections

Referenced in 1992 MTV Movie Awards (1992)

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Soundtracks

Danny Boy
(uncredited)
Traditional tune with lyrics by Frederick Edward Weatherly
Irish Folksong
Sung by Glenn Hughes

User Reviews

The duality of 1970's Village People's popularity collides

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.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 June 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

Discoland: Where the Music Never Stops

Filming Locations:

Glendale, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

EMI Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

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

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1