Can't Stop the Music (1980)

A film that managed to be dated even before it was released, Can't Stop the Music is one of those movies that is so unbelievable that it's entertaining -- in small doses. Created (too late) to cash in on the late 1970's disco craze, Music is directed with no sense of style, tension, pacing or musicality by Nancy Walker. There IS a unique look to the film -- and audiences can be thankful that it is the only look of its kind. Although the cast tries hard, nobody is able to overcome the limitations of the material. Steve Guttenberg gives a truly inept performance, one that seems to embarrass him from the first moments, when we see him attempting to roller skate down the city streets while at the same time groovin' to the music -- and doing neither one convincingly. Even worse is Bruce Jenner, whose outsized, bug-eyed reactions quickly become wearying. Village People fans will like the songs, and the staging of most numbers cannot fail to make an impression. ("Highlights" include "YMCA's" speedo-clad Busby Berkeley take-offs and "Macho Man's" flaming baton sequence.) A true mess of a movie, Music is still so much a one-of-a-kind experience that it should be seen -- once. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide