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Bruce Willis' Return Of Bruno is still weird and brilliant 29 years late

posted 8 years ago by TMC-4
12 replies | jump to latest

http://www.avclub.com/article/bruce-willis-return-bruno-still-weird-and-brillian-236523

By Chris Dart
May 10, 2016 1:08 PM

Way back in 1987, when he was just “that guy from Moonlighting,” Bruce Willis starred in an HBO mockumentary called The Return Of Bruno. The movie tells the story of Willis’ musical alter ego, New Jersey rocker Bruno Radolini. (The film also shared a title with Willis’ first album.)

According to the film, Radolini was responsible for everything from getting The Beatles together to inspiring a young Jon Bon Jovi, and was a key part of the “Second Revolutionary War,” a response to the British Invasion.

The movie features an absolutely insane cast, including Paul Stanley, Phil Collins, Ringo Starr, Michael J. Fox, and the Bee Gees, as well as having a really great parody psychedelic-rock video in the middle of it. Someone has taken the liberty of digitizing this weird ’80s gem and putting it online, and you should really take some time today and watch it. (Actually, you only really need to watch the first two-thirds. The last 20 minutes is just a straight-up Bruce Willis concert and no one needs to see that.)

[–] Stratego (29211) 5 years ago

What the hell was Bruce thinking when he did this? His singing sucks big time.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

I just watched a Bruce Willis music video on an old episode of Top of the Pops. It was indeed pretty dire. Thank goodness Die Hard was only a year away.

[–] Stratego (29211) 5 years ago

Top of the Pops is what brought me here!

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

I love watching old episodes of Top of the Pops on BBC4. Brings back such memories, even though I was a little kid at the time.

Bruce's singing was not great, but the female singer in the music video had a pretty good voice.

[–] Stratego (29211) 5 years ago

Same here!👍

I believe that was June Pointer from The Pointer Sisters. She could definitely sing.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

That would make sense. The Pointer Sisters are great.

I'm guessing she wasn't the really deep-voiced Sister though.

[–] Stratego (29211) 5 years ago

I think that was Ruth Pointer who was the one who sang Automatic.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Yep.

I've now got a compulsion to go straight to YouTube and play the Pointer Sisters' greatest hits.

So, I guess I can thank Bruce's music video for that, despite his dire 'singing'.

[–] Stratego (29211) 5 years ago

And I got a good chuckle out of it, so it seems everybody's happy!😁

[–] Honeywolf3 (41) 5 years ago

It was a time when a lot of actors thought they could sing too or was trying to. I'm not going to lie, Respect yourself is a bop tho.

Both actors from Miami Vice had singles. The dude from American Werewolf in London had a single. Patrick Swayze had a song. Lets not forget Eddie Murphy. You'll be surprised how many actors released album &/or singles.

[–] Stratego (29211) 5 years ago

Yeah, I never knew David Naughton had a top 5 hit until I came accros that sitcom I'd never heard of either.

What I don't get is that Bruce actually went as far as making a HBO special to promote his album. Who paid for all of that?

[–] Honeywolf3 (41) 5 years ago

Bruce was riding high off of the hit Moonlighting so he was hot at that time and then he did Die Hard. So I'm guessing the record company.