People are voting emotionally.

A lot of fun.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Can't Stop the Music (1980) ** (out of 4)Jack MOrell (Steve Guttenerg) is a struggling writer with the help of his friend (Valerie Perrine) manages to strike up a band called The Village People. Their attempt at getting someone to take them serious is a challenge but soon the whole world is going to catch on.CAN'T STOP THE MUSIC was a notorious flop when it was released and there have been all kinds of reasons given. It was supposed to hit during the disco craze but it turned out to be released as that music genre was quickly dying. Another problem is that the film itself got horrible reviews and this just helped keep more people away. Over the past decade or so the film has gained a strong cult following due to how campy it actually is.I honestly didn't think the film was too bad but there's no question that there are some major issues here. For starters, this was meant to show off The Village People but it doesn't do that. In fact, the film paints them as pretty boring people all around. Whenever they aren't singing they basically just stand around watching things so seeing their "success" story doesn't really hit us because they're so boring. If you don't like their music then you're even deeper into the "I don't care" thing. Is the film campy? Sure but aren't The Village People kinda campy now? The film has a really silly vibe to it as if the director was simply trying way too hard to make the characters and situation seem cool. Another problem is that some of the song clips are pretty much done in a video format and they are embarrassing. This is especially true for Y.M.C.A., which has to be seen to be believed.The performances from The Village People really aren't that good but there are a couple catchy songs. Steve Guttenberg is always fun to watch but he's not given too much to do here. I did think Perrine was quite good in her role. Then there's Bruce Jenner who is quite embarrassing here but his silly and over-the-top performance does add a few laughs.As it stands, CAN'T STOP THE MUSIC isn't nearly as awful as its reputation would make you believe but at the same time it's a pretty big embarrassment that fell well short of where it wanted to be.

Yet I'm reviewing it anyway. I saw it on HBO airing, and can't remember too much about it. Valerie Perrine was a hot commodity coming off of her stint in Superman, and I'm guessing the producers wanted to see if she could be a draw at the box office as a star. She gave it her all, but she's not leading lady material, and the production wasn't that sterling in the first place. It was more or less a dud of a bomb. There were crowds on opening weekend, but word of mouth carried the day for the great disco flick that almost was.Perrine teams up with the Village People for a disco romp. I can't think of much else to add. If you were into 70s disco (a French creation no less), then you might want to check this film out. But don't say I didn't warn you.Watch at your own risk.

Whenever this movie is on, I simply cannot turn the channel, so wretched it is! I think the thing that I love about it the most is the fact that the "band's"(and I use that term VERY loosely,) target audience seems to be lonely, middle aged women. All throughout the movie, those are the people that are helping them along the way and they are the ones who are joining them onstage for their dance numbers. Now I realize that the disco movement in music was a very safe form of artistic expression. I mean, you wouldn't find women such as this helping out the Dead Boys or Ramones. I am also sure that since the director, Nancy walker, was a middle aged woman herself, she probably reasoned that she was "hip" and therefore all women of this age were just as much into the disco scene as she was. The other thing that I found just astounding was the totally unrealistic portrayal of the music industry. One moment these guys are "practicing" in a makeshift, backyard set-up with car speakers for a PA system, the next they are in the recording studio. Not only are they in said studio but, wow, there just happens to be pre-recorded music for them to sing to for these original compositions. I know that lightening does occasionally strike and a smalltime band is discovered and launched into their careers very quickly. But for this to happen to the Village Persons after practicing a total number of...hmmmm...how many times according to the movie? Oh yea.....ONCE? Well, all I can say is realism must not have been a priority for Ms. Walker.There are also a few things that are just downright irritating about this movie though...the first being the fact that Steve Gutenberg has a smile that NEVER leaves his face! OK, a person that is THAT happy ALL the time was just, well, annoying. The 2nd is the fact that there is a man that dresses in a Native American headdress wherever he goes...and this is before the Village Persons came together as a "band." As a Native American myself I was a little put off by that...and I am not the type to get upset over such trivialities either. For instance, I don't get upset about the Cleveland Indians logo or the Washington Redskins name. But a man who wears that garb as a meaningless costume is a bit much. Finally, Bruce Jenner's acting is well beyond bad. I got a chill every time he appeared on the screen because I knew that I was going to feel embarrassed FOR him, on his behalf! Where as other people yell at their televisions when their sports team is doing badly, I was screaming for him to EMOTE, REACT, or merely LOOSTEN UP! It was simply painful!For pure, unadulterated and wide-eyed terrible movie watching pleasure, you simply cant beat this film! It has everything required for such label: simplistic and unconvincing plot, acting so bad that wood and ham are embarrassed to be compared to the cast, atrocious dialog - both in writing and in it's delivery, and, sadly, direction that has no ambitions of being the least bit complex or challenging. It is like watching a movie through a very long, very fast viewmaster, but without the 3-D stereo vision!

"Can't Stop the Music" from director Nancy Walker, and writers Allan Carr and Bronte Woodard, was nothing but a pure vehicle for the rising stars of disco, "the Village People". Though I guess that's hardly a profound statement.The catchy tunes and flashy numbers are now corny and hopelessly outdated. And of course nobody, not Steven Gutenberg, Valerie Perrine and especially not the band, can act their way out of a wet paper bag.All a bit of a yawn. The title song and "Y.M.C.A." are still pretty groovy however.Saturday, January 17, 1998 - Video