Times square 1980 when canadian filmmaker allan moyle moved to new york city in the late 70s, he bought a second hand couch to furnish the seedy 42nd st. Schlock corridor where all the weirdest, wildest and best. And of course diy is now pervasive, which was a big part of the times square show in art, fashion, film and performance. Theres a lot going on in times square, the 1980 coming of age film that captures nycs then slimy epicenter in all its filth, fury and fun.
A latenight new york disc jockey tim curry follows the punkrock antics of two runaway teenage girls trini alvarado, robin johnson. The duo starts a band and, with the help of an fm disk jockey, publicize their music around town. Times square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment center, and neighborhood in the midtown manhattan section of new york city, at the junction of broadway and seventh avenue. Its a film about punk, about new york city as it was in 1980 gritty, rundown, full of drugfuelled excess. How the times square show changed the new york art world. Times square 1980, usa is a punk teen film directed by allan moyle. In the 1980s, the city of new york was burnedout, nearly bankrupt and destroyed. Theyre important works in the punk screen canon for females, even if written and directed by men. Times square the 1980 dance music movie featuring robin johnson and trini alvarado at the award winning 80s movies rewind. Times square 1980 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Perhaps being overlooked gives them greater cult status by keeping them films you have to be in the know to seek out.
Stepping back in time some 30 years, times square would be unrecognizable to most visitors currently on their way to the disney store, toysrus, or. Charlie ahearn and jane dickson, times square show poster, 1980. Tssr returns to the original events of 1980 in an attempt to understand the origins of the tss and to recover missing elements vital to comprehending the. Robin johnson became a sudor hero to me as i sought this type to hang wi. Times square show revisited will be on view at the hunter college art. Times square is a 1980 american drama film directed by allan moyle and starring trini alvarado and robin johnson as teenage runaways from opposite sides of the tracks and tim curry as a radio dj.
Since were talking about 1980, movie soundtracks had yet to become vehicles for newly signed acts in dire need of attention and promotion to sell their yettobe. In the 1980s, new york citys times square wasnt so much the crossroads of the world as it was the wrong side of the tracks. Times square was released in 1980 and was produced by emi and rso films, the latter being the motion picture arm of robert stigwood. The library of congress does not own rights to material in its collections. The film is a complete recreation of 1980s times square, mostly from paul stones own memories. In 1980 before giuliani sold the city to the highest bidder to turn it in to disney world, times square was a rough area with porn theaters and dark corners every which way. Times square is allan moyles second directorial effort, the first being 1977s the rubber gun. The film features actual people from the book and real people cast as actors. As an aspiring artist, starting at 17ish, i would travel to ny every once in awhile to show my illustrations.
The film culminates in a rock show, featuring an array of rockers performing on top of a marquee on 42nd street. In the spring of 1980, there were plans under consideration for a convention center, two hotels, and an urban theme park to be called the city at 42nd street eliot 1834. It was an american film released in 1980 but i discovered it in the early 1980s. Tim curry, trini alvarado dvd synopsis and information. Initially overlooked but later a cult favorite, moyles movie was part of a welcome wave of female comingofage dramas. The original motion picture soundtrack times square. Presented in a brandnew digital transfer, allan moyles cult feature of 1980 is a. A fascinating story that takes place in the middle of times square, a indigent young girl becomes well known, a well off girl gets courageous. Onesheet poster for the allan moyle directed film times square 1980 starring tim curry of rocky horror picture show fame, trini alvarado, robin johnson, peter coffield. The plot embodies a punk rock ethic of misunderstood youth articulating their frustrations toward adult authority through music. Posts about times square 1980 movie written by defeatedandgifted. Times square rarely comes together into anything more than a good idea that fails, but there are times when it seems on the brink of wonderful things.
Jan 10, 2020 i loved this movie i can still recall the day i lied to the ticket seller. Times square 1980, 18 presswell pressing, vinyl discogs. Unbeknownst to him, a teenage runaway had tucked her private journal into the sofa cushions. Upon its release in 1980, the soundtrack to the film times square garnered more attention than the movie. According to the thornemi australian video release sleeve notes by marjorie bilbow, the film was made on location in the tough areas of new york, in streets lined with porno cinemas, sex shops and shady clubs. It was released on dvd a few years ago complete with commentary by the director and lead actress, its only available as a region 1 dvd but its still worth getting hold of. See more ideas about times square, i movie and 1980 films.
The girl who played pamela was also convincing, though not as good as her co star robin johnson, who was easily the best actress in the movie. Before times square was a global attraction, it was home to sex shops and drug dealers, earning a reputation as the sketchiest part of new york city. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events. Times square rarely comes together into anything more than a good idea that fails, but there are times when it seems on the brink of. Director moyle is able to film new york brilliantly, with a lot of great wide shots and dolly shots of the corners of new york and the setting for the film. Saigon times square in ho chi minh city formerly saigon entertainment. The times square show revisited, returns to a groundbreaking exhibition that in june 1980, inaugurated new trends in contemporary art. Times square is a 1980 film, set in new york city, starring trini alvarado and robin johnson as teenage runaways from.
Two runaway teens face life on the streets in new york city with a. Steiner will present a rare film screening of the dyke cult classic, times square. Brightly lit by numerous billboards and advertisements, it stretches from west 42nd to west 47th streets, and is sometimes referred to as the crossroads of the world, the center of the. This is a movie that has all the trappings of a typical teen flick, with rebellious youth in revolt against their parents, not to mention an impressive soundtrack featuring the likes of the ramones. Nail your tv to the floor and lock up your daughters. Of all the bad movies ive seen recently, this is the one that projects the real sense of a missed opportunityof potential achievement gone wrong.
The opening title sequence of allan moyles times square is an introduction to a character and their place in the universe. Times square is a dynamite depiction of gritty new york city circa 1980 and the undeniable power of rockergirl angst. Fresh out of the nuthouse, teenaged terrors trini alvarado and robin johnson make a bee line for the hectic heart of nasty new york to run amok before earning underground infamy as punk rock duo the sleez sisters. New york city back in the 1980s great future stories. Before it became a tourist trap, the times square was dirty and dangerous, with the sex market and drug trade thriving in the area. Films are carefully curated to capture the essence of old. While times square is a great new wave not punk movie it suffers for me the.
Fans of punk music and punk movies will love this film. Trini alvarado and robin johnson meet and bond in a psychiatric hospital, then leave to live by their wits near the hudson river and form punk band the. In the 1980s, new york citys times square wasnt so much the. The soundtrack is one of my favorite movie soundtracks of all time. Times square is an entertainment and business district in new york city, united states. Times square, new york, new york library of congress. Times square, the heart of the city, is suffering, and pulsing at its center, axe in hand, is nicky marotta. Times square dvd 1980 for sale tim curry trini alvarado add full soundtrack on cdr. Times square is a 1980 american drama film directed by allan moyle and starring trini alvarado and robin johnson as teenage runaways from opposite sides.
Remembering the lost theaters of times squares deuce. Times square irt 42nd street shuttle, serving the s 42nd street shuttle times square church, located near times square, new york city. A fascinating story that takes place in the middle of times square, a indigent young girl becomes well known, a well off girl gets courageous and one special friendship will not be tamed. Todays times square is known as the iconic tourist destination of new york, becoming the most visited place on the globe and attracting over 1 million visitors a year. As a 17yearold, he would travel to nyc to document the now longlost treasures that times square once held in the 80s. Director allan moyle and actress robin johnson discuss the film and its opening scene on the times square dvd audio commentary. The soundtrack to allan moyles 1980 teen runaway adventure times square is a rather solid mix of new wave and punk. Times square rarely comes together into anything more than a good idea that. Times square film from the grindhouse cinema database. Quite a feat given the massive gentrification transformation that.
In fact, its a rare example of hollywood getting things right when it comes to representing a subculture of sorts. Times square 1980 11973 movieart original film posters. Times square 1980 is one of the great underseen teen films. How the times square show changed the new york art world in 1980. Times square 1929 film times square 1980 film times square soundtrack, 1980 soundtrack album for the film. Peter coffield herbert berghof genres comingofage odd couple film teen movie release info october 17, 1980 color 111 minutes see more films from 1980 see more about this film on our. About one hundred businesses trading in sex and pornography had been closed goldstein 32, including the massage parlor at the times square show site. Tssr features works shown at the tss, in addition to ephemera and documentation of the original exhibition. Not surprising, as it was one of the best soundtracks of the 80s and perfectly captured the waning 70s punk scene and the emergence of 80s new wave. As a film, its not a great work of art by any stretch of the imagination, but the soundtrack kicks butt and takes names and robin johnson is astounding in one of her few lead roles. Therefore, it does not license or charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot grant or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute the material. The girl who played pamela was also convincing, though not as good as her costar robin johnson, who was easily the best actress in the movie. Two young girls run away from a psychiatric institution and make a home for themselves in the middle of times square.
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