Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION The Anywhere Machine Can't Stop The Music: The gayest film *ever*

Oh, we had fun this weekend.

See, we went and bought 'Can't Stop The Music', possibly better known as the Village People movie. And we sat and watched it on Saturday night after Doctor Who.

Can I just say 'bwahahahahaha!!!'

Oh. My. God. What a *fabulous* film. I haven't laughed so hard in a long, long time. Forget gay porn, here is the gayest film ever made. Actually, don't forget gay porn because the whole YMCA segment is only very slightly less than gay porn. Muscly men working out in tiny shorts? Check. Men wrestling in tight lycra body stockings? Check. Lots of hot young men all soaped up and enjoying themselves in the communal shower? Check, check, check. Complete soft core gay porn.

Oh, and the story... Just brilliant. It made the Spice Girls: The Movie plot look coherent. You have the bad lady who actually isn't bad at all (but has some brilliant scenes like getting her fingernail stuck in the telephone dial), the ditzy female friend (Lulu) who is very clearly Tim Curry being Frank N Furter only with real tits, the useless model and her 'straight' lawyer boyfriend who is supposed to be incredibly straight-laced but actually walks through the Village wearing the teeniest cut off denim shorts and a crop top. You have Steve Guttenburg desperatly trying to act (but actuall being kinda cute and having a pretty nice body).

And then you have the Village People themselves. Felipe the Indian gets most screen time and is worth it simply because of the fact that writers keep dropping in lines that are supposed to make him be straight when he so clearly isn't. They try and do the same with the Leather Man as well (who has some of the best scenes in the film. 'Leather men don't get nervous, lether men don't get nervous' he he he), and the Construction Worker's reverie with the lovely ladies in red is just... bizarre.

Best bit of the film though is the Milkshake song. The Village People in white versions of their usual outfits (including the leather man in full white leathers including his white leather harness) dancing around singing a song about the virtues of milk. Just... genius. I mean, complete insane geius, but genius nonetheless.

Seriously, if you have any appreciation of high camp and screaming innuendo then it's well worth watching. And it actually has a damn good soundtrack as well (assuming you like camp disco of course). In my opinion it actually manages to beat the other high camp film disaster of 1980, Xanadu, which is also brilliantly bad. Only Xanadu had the potential to be really good. Can't Stop The Music... well, it's Spice Girls: The Movie only glitzier and with more chest hair. Just faaaaabulous.

I saw the movie when I was younger, and probably before I could have completely appreciated the innuendos and camp. I'll have to see if I can find a copy somewhere

Now I'm gonna be humming that catchy theme song...

"Everyone you meet, the children in the street
are swayin' to the rhythm, there's somethin' movin' in them.
There's no place to hide, so, why even try?
Can't you hear it coming your way, it's here to stay.
Music in our walk, music when we talk.
It's really something magic, to lose it would be tragic.
Can't you feel the sound movin' through the ground?
Music makes the world go around.

You can't stop the music, nobody can stop the music.
Take the cold from snow, tell the trees, don't grow,
tell the wind, don't blow, 'cause it's easier.
No, you can't stop the music, nobody can stop the music.
Take the spark from love, make the rain fall up
'cause that's easier to do.

Movin' with the wind since the world began,
the beat is gonna getcha, beat is gonna getcha.
Music for the blues, for your dancin' shoes,
there's music in the way that we kiss, you can't resist.
Movin' through the trees, buzzin' with the bees,
the sound is gettin' louder, sound is gettin' louder.
Music when we play, when we kneel to pray.
There's music in the sound of the wind.

You can't stop the music, nobody can stop the music.
Take the heat from flame, try not feeling pain,
though you try in vain it's much easier.
No, you can't stop the music, nobody can stop the music.
Change the master plan, take the hope from man
'cause that's easier to do.

On the radio, on every TV show
for each and every reason, each and every season.
Music when we love for the moon above,
music for the show of life that never ends.
Music on a plane, music on a train,
sailing in the ocean, music in the motion.
Music in your car, at your local bar.
There's music when you look at a star.

You can't stop the music, nobody can stop the music.
Take the heat from flame, try not feeling pain,
though you try in vain it's much easier.
No, you can't stop the music, nobody can stop the music.
Change the master plan, take the hope from man
'cause that's easier to do.

You can't stop the music, nobody can stop the music.
Take the heat from flame, try not feeling pain,
though you try in vain it's much easier.
No, you can't stop the music, nobody can stop the music.
Change the master plan, take the hope from man
'cause that's easier to do."

Chris and I were talking about it afterwards and decided that it's absolutely begging to be made into a stage musical. They already have the songs in place probably without any need for extra ones (but with the whole of the Village People ouvre to pick from there are plenty they could add), you have the set pieces that would easily be adapted to the stage (the opening number on rollerscates and the whole of New York joining in, the disco with 'Samantha', the back garden sing along, the milk number, YMCA and obviously the big finale with Can't Stop The Music and the audience all dancing and singing along, and even the script wouldn't need much tweaking. It'd probably have to be played pretty straight (excusing the pun) but wouldd just work brilliantly. It'd be one of those big old sing along camp musicals like Rocky Horror or Grease without havign to work old songs into a creaking, crappy plot (a la Saturday Night Fever). Watch the film and see if you don't agree.

I think Good Vibrations has killed the jukebox musical once and for all, but I agree, that IS a great premise.

I dunno about "CSTM," which I've never seen ... but "Xanadu" is one of my guilty pleasures. It's a cheesy plot, rancid SFX, but good gawd ... Gene Kelly's last movie! (and he dances, yet!) and the Electric Light Orchestra! and Olivia in chaps! and everyone on roller skates! To die for, I tell you {g}

I'd not seen Xanadu until a few months ago when Chris got it on DVD (it's one of his favourite films too) and made me sit down and watch it. At the end I sort of sat there dumbfounded (because I had been told I wasn't allowed to talk until it finished after spending the first twenty minutes or so asking what the hell was going on every two seconds)and didn't quite know what to think. It has some great music in it, gene Kelly is as great a dancer as ever and there's the possibility of a really good story in there but... it's just... bizarre. The whole thing at the end with the roller disco dance and Olivia changing into the various different music styles (*love* the country and western frindged affair) just left me absolutely astounded at it fabulous awfulness.

Seriously Grey, if you enjoy the campness of Xanadu then it's probably worth checking out CSTM because it's equally bad in a good way.

I saw "Can't Stop the Music" shortly after it came out and about all I remember is a brief shot of Valerie Perrine bathing topless with the Village People. (Now, that's bizarre.)

But at least there was something for us straight guys, as well.

"Xanadu" was kind of a cute movie, but the soundtrack contained some of ELO's best songs -- "I'm Alive" and "All Over the World" -- as well as good stuff from the Tubes.

Village People in the 70's were so hot, but really lost the plot/jumped the shark when Randy the cowboy bailed out and was replaced by someone else.

My biggest heart-felt gripe: when the Leather Guy Glenn left mysteriously and was replaced by a wannabe with longer hair (and no chest hair to be seen).

I miss the sexier, hairier Leather Dude RIP Glenn, dude

- BrianT

And here was me thinking tha Priscilla: Queen of the Desert had to be the gayest film ever.

Shows how much I know.

Priscilla doesnt even come close, how's about the americanized version of "The Birdcage?"

Did i have the flutters for Robin Williams and his all-man butch look!!!!

So, how does Torch Song Trilogy fit into the whole thing?

Or do you have to be happy to be gay these days?

if life's a drag and your name is virginia hamm...then torch song trilogy is for you!!!

a little left of the topic, but have any of you seen the video clip for Skat Brother's "Give your love to a cowboy man"?

when i worked in the pub it was one of those cheesy songs we'd put on at the end of the day to empty the bar (ahhh, bad music juke box competitions), but the whole thing is so over the top we eventually started putting it on for it's own comic value 'caus in 4 minutes it manages to be camper and funnier than the whole of CSTM.

I just saw this thread and it totally cracked me up! Those were the days! I remember in 1978 begging my girlfriend to let me use my fake ID (a Michigan driver's license ordered fro the back of a Vampirella comic book!) to sneak me into the big Salt Lake gay bar called The Sun Tavern (where they busted Paul Lind when he was living here filming the Donny and Marie Show.) I really, really wanted to see them crown the royalty who would reign at Pride Week and head the fund raisers for the year. She let me go, but since I was 18, I had to go in disguise. My real hair was cut in a butch about 1/4" long (omg, what was I thinking? My armpit hair was longer, lol) so to the bar I wore a lot of makeup and a long wig of reddish hair. My clubwear for the evening was a pantsuit of sparkly silver material with puffy sleeves and giant bellbottom pants that belonged to my mother. I looked so outrageous they let me in with my fake ID, but everyone thought I was a hot young GUY in drag! Never been felt up more in a bar, ever, as people kept grabbing my top to see if 'they were real.' I'm so old I've seen The Village People in concert more then once, and Donna Summers and Gloria Gaynor too. I saw Can't Stop The Music when it was first on screen, and I still cry every time I even think about Torch Song Trilogy. (I have a ton of respect for Matthew Broderick for taking on that role!) Anyway, thanks for the memory jog!

I only saw the Village People in concert once, about 10 years ago. They were performing in an "oldies" concert in Ogunquit, along with the Shirelles and Lesley Gore. Good clean healthy fun! And there's nothing funnier than seeing grandparents doing the "YMCA" moves

Or else having second-rate actors performing what should be someone else's role - like the cowboy and the leather dude...the originals were so much better...