MovieChat Forums > Times Square (1980) Discussion > one of the greatest movies of all time

one of the greatest movies of all time

posted 20 years ago by onceuponatime500
22 replies | jump to latest

The music is great, the acting is great, the message is clear: hey hey hi ho western civilization got to go! I wanna be sedated! Long live the Ramones!

[–] 20 years ago

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[–] onceuponatime500 20 years ago

yeah, they need to release the origin version. the blatant censorship of films and tv is unbelievable. And I looooooooove that song. I'm a damn dog now!

[–] faerie_amos 19 years ago

yes, i LOVE IT!!! times square is the best! haha

[–] LegendaryRambler 19 years ago

Yes, do you have the DVD, with the alternative soundtrack conversation with Robin Johnson and one of the directors? It explains a lot of stuff that seems inexplicably changed,like quick wardrobe changes, and admits to poor editing. I think that it's best understood by those who lived and understood the time it was made, and spent time in Times Square, and NYC in general. Although there are some scenes that are poorly filmed to the point of emarrassment, (re: Pammy's debut as an "exotic dancer"), there are others that can stand with some of the best-made movies (like the point where the girls realize that they can't go on as they have, nor further rely on each other or the DJ (all to the great Patti Smith song-yes, I know it's title, but don't want to end up getting censored...). A film that requires something from the viewer, and could have approached true greatness with a better editor. Still, it truly rocks! That the soundtrack should remain out of print is a shame that we can only hope will someday be corrected!

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] Kitale 20 years ago

I have to say I may be the ONE person who saw this movie more times than anybody else when it was first released in the theater. It ran for 2 weeks and I saw it once a day every day. I didn't know there were any fans of this movie anywhere. The last showing I watched it alone.

I know the editing was clumsy and they cut out so many scenes that sometimes it didn't make any sense, but it is such a fun movie. the soundtrack is the best ever. The Ramones, Suzi Quatro, Patti Smith, Pretenders, Robin Johnson, The Cars (not included on the soundtrack), etc. This movie introduced me to New Wave and punk. There are so many neat scenes in the movie:
- The seduction - non-verbal with only Ramones singing "I Wanna Be Sedated - of Pammy by Nicky to leave the hospital.
- The card game on the street "You snooze you lose"
- Running through the adult theater.
- The hilarious hold-up
- Dropping TVs to The Cars' "Dangerous Type"
- "Your Daughter Is One"
- Any scene with Tim Curry - "Life, more than Television."
- Both performances of "Damn Dog"
- "Hit me again, you're a big man"
- Pammy dancing to Lou Reed's Take A Walk On The Wild Side.
- Waking up to Suzi Quatro's "Rock Hard".
- "I may be brave but you're the pretty one. I'm a freak of f**king nature"
- Pammy dancing to Desmond Child & Rouge's "The Night Was Not".
- The Sleaze Sisters and their imitators wearing trash bags.
- The opening credits to Roxy Music's "Same Old Scene"
- Stealing the ambulance and getting away with it.
- "M-e-t-h-o-d-i-s-t- e-p-i-s-c-o-p-a-l" "Take a piss you a**hole"
Do I love this movie or what?

"Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine." Patti Smith - Gloria.

[–] faerie_amos 19 years ago

i dunno..ya might be running with me..lol my story goes as..
when i was in 7th grade, i was home from school with strep throat. well, my mom worked at a local video store and brought home this movie to me. it sat there almost a whole day..but finally mom insisted i watch it. "this is great movie, hon. i promise you'll love it." but i was in jr high. some "movie from the year before i was born is going to suck"- i thought. but she put it any anyway. and i'll be damned if i didn't forget about my strep and watch this movie for 2 days straight. after she took it back, i rented it every other week. and when she looked up the rental record, i had rented it 47 times. lol this movie had a huge impact on myself and my musical taste (that movie actually credits my obsession with music). it sort of "opened me up" to whatever i liked. basically knocked the "follower" out of me. this movie was brilliant and its one i'll always love.. i thought me to be myself. screw everyone else. ;)

[–] Kitale 19 years ago

Wow faerie_amos!
I didn't know there was anybody else who saw this movie more than 2 times.
It was a big influence on my musical taste. I nearly bought albums from ALL the artists on the soundtrack. Suzi Quatro, Lou Reed, Roxy Music and others stood out. I still watch the DVD at least twice a month.
Long live Times Square!

"Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine." Patti Smith - Gloria.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] vanity6fan 19 years ago

I found a white-label two record set of the soundtrack in a used record store several years ago. Imagine how excited I was to find such a rare oddity (being it was for radio use only). It sounds like I better get the DVD soon. I still watch the old Thorn/EMI tape from the 80's. :)

[–] Kitale 19 years ago

Vanity6fan, go buy the DVD. You'll love the commentary. And you'll love the crisp picture and digital sound. I still have the tape too. Paid $60 for it in the 80's.
P.S. 'Nasty Girl' is perhaps the sexiest song ever!

"Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine." Patti Smith - Gloria.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] Kitale 19 years ago

Thank you very much binky.
That was a great eye-opener.
I knew there were a lot of things left out from the script and what you said made a lot of sense.
They should have just filmed the entire script. It makes a lot more sense.

"Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine." Patti Smith - Gloria.

[–] Devoidoid 18 years ago

They *did* film a lot of it. But Robert Stigwood, the producer, was more interested in selling the oundtrack album and didn't have that much faith in the film, so he demanded the film be re-edited to make more room for more music. Allan Moyle, the director, refused, was fired, and the film was re-edited without him (and in some places reshot).

Also, as you'll learn from the DVD commentary, Tim Curry improvised tons of icredibly creative stuff between shots, but they could only afford him for two days and were lucky they managed to get his scripted lines on film. And then, RSO cut most of his motivation (i.e., his heavy drug use).

Despite all that, I love the film just the way it is, and will defend it against anyone, even though in many ways it can't be defended.

JD
http://www.robinjohnson.net

[–] sisterdebmac 18 years ago

Johnny's heavy drug use? Well, there's a plot point I never knew about. Wow, JD, I learn something more about what landed on the cutting room floor everyday with you guys. Also, thanks to Binky for the other things I'd never read about described above. This is great!

Deb

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] coolbluegreen 15 years ago

faerie amos wrote: <<nning with me..lol my story goes as..
when i was in 7th grade, i was home from school with strep throat. well, my mom worked at a local video store and brought home this movie to me. it sat there almost a whole day..but finally mom insisted i watch it. "this is great movie, hon. i promise you'll love it." but i was in jr high. some "movie from the year before i was born is going to suck"- i thought. but she put it any anyway. and i'll be damned if i didn't forget about my strep and watch this movie for 2 days straight. after she took it back, i rented it every other week. and when she looked up the rental record, i had rented it 47 times. lol this movie had a huge impact on myself and my musical taste (that movie actually credits my obsession with music). it sort of "opened me up" to whatever i liked. basically knocked the "follower" out of me. this movie was brilliant and its one i'll always love.. i thought me to be myself. screw everyone else. ;)>>

I love my mother dearly; she is one of the warmest, kindest people I have ever known and I am grateful to have her as my mother, BUT she was HORRIFIED that I loved this movie. You're lucky to have such a cool mom -- make sure you tell her that. I have to say, I think it's so cool that you rented it 47 times. Good on you, kid!

[–] jess_sayin 14 years ago

Times Square is one of my favorite movies. I think it's special to a lot of people for different reasons. I was a young teenager when this film came out. I remember how everything changed right around the late 70's/early 80's. Punk was becoming more mainstream and "new wave" haircuts and fashion and music were changing times. It was an exciting time. There seemed to be a big difference between the hippies/baby boomers and the new generation. If you like Times Square you might like Over The Edge. It came out around the same time and has a great soundtrack and teenage cast.

[–] Devans00 13 years ago

Thanks for the tip about Over the Edge jess_sayin. Like Times Square, I was probably too young to see the film in first run but I can watch it now.

The fact that it's Matt Dillon's first film and it was based on the Foster City CA community really got my interest. Plus the writer, Charles Haas, went to University of California Santa Cruz. My alma mater

The movie is at the top of my Netflix queue.

No two persons ever watch the same movie.

[–] sisterdebmac 13 years ago

Oh yeah, that's a great one. I've probably seen it at least five times over the years. Matt Dillon's terrific, but so is the kid in the lead, Eric Kramer.
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[–] torontodi 19 years ago

I never saw this in the theatre but back in the early 80's it just happened to be on TV every time my friend Andre and I were trippin. We were living in Burlington, Ontario as teenagers. I guess I've seen it about 5 or 6 times because I just love it. It reminds me of the kind of friendships I had at that age (of Pamela, 13). Having a girlfriend who was a bad influence and all the trouble we got into. You don't have friends like that as a adult. Discovering things together and all the free time you have. Years later while visiting Andre on Vancouver island we played that soundtrack a lot in the car. It's not the greatest movie but it's always been my favourite for it's rebelion and sweetness. Also love how the wardrobe is a timeless, effortless, thrown-together style of dressing that's absolutely the coolest way to be.

Was just given (at this late date) a DVD player and a copy Times Square by a guy with a crush on me. He remembered me mentioning it. I'm enjoying this movie even more than before.

[–] keeponlivinn 18 years ago

I just saw this movie and I LOVE IT!