ran across this by accident...
and I'm so glad! I really, really, really like it! Altman was a genius. I am sad that he's not with us to make any more movies.
Nobody likes a blonde in a hamster ball.
am watching this right now on fox movie channel and the flick is good, paul dooley is great and the love story is sweet, but it's got to be said that Altman had a tin ear; the music is god-awful, it was awful then and awful now, music was definitely not altman's forte, it's always the weakest part of his movies.
All you need for a movie is a gun and a girl. - Godard
Let's go. Let's risk it. - Herzog
One of the reasons the music is so bad is that this flick was made in 1979 and the late 70's music was just plain bad.
shareNot true at all and I kinda thought I would get a reply stating just that, there was tons of great music in the late 70's, much more so than today, that's why it's even more glaring why this music sucks. It's well produced and seems to hit all the correct technical aspects of state-of-the-art late 70's pop but absolutely has no human feeling to it at all. Which doesn't mean good music has to be soulful or emotional - it can be angry and sarcastic and full of fear (like so much great punk/new wave of that very same year), but has to have something to it, something another human being can cling to, a lousy hook or two would've helped immensely . . . Altman had no clue what was good contemporary music and he would dwell on it way too long in his scenes, he got lucky from time to time w/ leonard cohen in mrs. miller and mccabe and keith carradine in nashville but even in nashville the set country pieces were lousy and would always stop the flow of the movie dead in it's tracks much the same as the music in the perfect couple.
All you need for a movie is a gun and a girl. - Godard
Let's go. Let's risk it. - Herzog
I agree, mule66... there has been good and bad and mediocre music in every decade. The music in this story is just pop and fits the time perfectly.
I saw the movie when it ran in the theater and from what I remember, the band was somewhat like Pablo Cruise; serious and talented musicians, but not a band that will probably ever make it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Here's their song "What You Gonna Do?" from 1977:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdZj2GcUKB8
The music in the movie is representative of the time.
In the 1970's and 80's classical orchestras were into reproducing the "instrumentation and sound of the original era" This accounts for the slightly off key rendition of the music performed during the opening credits. I disagree with this academic notion; I think classical musicians were more atuned and in-tune back in the 1700's and 1800's.
The featured band "Takin 'em off the Streets" flawlessly represents 70's pop. Impassioned singers and musicians competently performing spirited and tight, if slightly simplistic, tunes. I like them a lot!
Personally, I'd take "Takin 'em off the Streets" ANYTIME over any of the current melancholic, self-absorbed, suicide-inducing grunge/emo bands you see on MTV or VH1! Takin 'em off the street is a refreshing and inspirational musical group.
Take Em Off the Streets is the reason punk rock was invented. Thank god.
Interesting film, but I agree that too much of the band and not enough of the relationship kind of ruins it. Dooley's family was a bit over the top for me to buy into them as well. Overall, a bottom tier Altman film.
Is that woman anorexic or what?
Dictated, but not read.
I'm not going to try to analyze why this music is good or bad or the same abouyt present day music. I think the songs are great. The romantic songs were sang beautifully. The more rock type songs kicked butt, especially the ones the girl sang. Overall I love almost every song. The movie was good, but nothing special. If they put out a DVD of the music I'd buy it.