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Times Square | caption ''Times Square'' DVD cover | director Allan Moyle | producer Jacob BrackmanRobert Stigwood | writer Jacob Brackman (screenplay)Allan Moyle (story)Leanne Ungar (story) | starring Trini AlvaradoRobin JohnsonTim CurryPeter CoffieldHerbert Berghof | music Blue Weaver | cinematography James A. Contner | editing | distributor Associated Film Distribution | released 1980 | runtime 111 min. | country | awards | language English | budget | image Times Square VideoCover.png }}

''Times Square'' is a 1980 film starring Trini Alvarado, Robin Johnson, and Tim Curry. The plot of the film essentially embodies a punk rock ethic - misunderstood youth forming a band and, through music, articulating their frustrations toward adult authority, personified in the film as parents, the medical establishment, and politicians. In terms of themes and plot, ''Times Square'' can be seen as a precursor to director Allan Moyle's later film ''Pump Up the Volume'' (1990).

Synopsis[link]

The film is about two teenage runaways, Nicky Marotta (Robin Johnson) from a poor family and Pamela Pearl (Trini Alvarado) from a rich family, living in New York City. After escaping from a hospital (where they are being examined for mental illness), Nicky and Pamela link up with sympathetic disc jockey Johnny LaGuardia (Tim Curry). The two girls form an underground punk rock band, The Sleez Sisters, and become a hit with the city's disillusioned youth after broadcasting their volatile songs and speeches on LaGuardia's radio station. The climax of the film features all the fans of The Sleez Sisters congregating in the streets of New York's Times Square for a rooftop concert.

Production[link]

''Times Square'' was directed by Allan Moyle from a script written by Moyle and Jacob Brackman. The movie was inspired by a diary, found in a second-hand couch bought by Moyle, detailing the life on the streets of a young mentally disturbed woman.

The original cut of the film contained lesbian content which was mostly deleted from the final print (which still has subtle lesbian overtones). Moyle revealed in the DVD audio commentary that the film's integrity was compromised by the removal of the more overt lesbian content, and the addition of several inappropriate songs to the film's soundtrack at the insistence of producer Robert Stigwood. Stigwood wanted the film to be another ''Saturday Night Fever'' and insisted that the soundtrack be a double album to make the film more commercially viable. Moyle and Johnson remarked on the audio commentary that the loss of key scenes made the narrative disjointed and damaged the story's emotion and characterisations. They give as examples the film's focus jarringly changing from Pamela to Nicky and how the increasingly outlandish and unrealistic story undermines the movie's gritty, on-location documentary style. Moyle left production before the film was completed, and further scenes were shot under the supervision of others, mainly footage backed with the new soundtrack additions. The version of the film released to theatres was not Moyle's preferred cut; however, he still acknowledges the finished film's importance as it documents a Times Square that no longer exists. The film was shot on location and captured Times Square's seedy, grindhouse atmosphere before it was cleaned up in the mid 1990s.

Reaction[link]

The movie was not initially a commercial or critical success. However, it has since been rediscovered and has become a cult classic and a staple at gay and lesbian film festivals, because of the aforementioned, subtly-portrayed lesbian relationship between the film's two female leads. Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill and Le Tigre cites this as one of her favorite films. Welsh rock group Manic Street Preachers have made several references to the movie throughout their career: they covered the original song "Damn Dog" on their debut album ''Generation Terrorists'' (1992) and quoted dialogue from the film in the album liner notes ("Damn Dog" was, however, excluded from the American release of the album). The Manics also named their song "Roses in the Hospital" after Pamela's line, "What about the roses in the hospital?" (alluding to the scene in which Nicky eats roses to distract Pamela from the doctors and her father). The song's music video features a girl tied down to a hospital bed, almost certainly influenced by scenes from ''Times Square''. In 1993, for stage performances and publicity shots, Manics bassist Nicky Wire wore bankrobber-mask-style eye makeup like Nicky Marotta does in the film.

Home video[link]

The movie was released on DVD by Anchor Bay Entertainment in 2000. Audio commentary was provided by director/co-writer Allan Moyle and star Robin Johnson. Moyle has stated that a director's cut is unlikely to ever surface because the footage needed for its restoration is missing.

Soundtrack [link]

The movie features a soundtrack of punk rock and New Wave music with a wide range of artists including The Ramones, The Cure, XTC, Lou Reed, Gary Numan, Talking Heads, Suzi Quatro, Roxy Music, Robin Gibb & Marcy Levy, Patti Smith and The Pretenders. The song "Down in the Park" is credited as being performed by Gary Numan although technically it was recorded when Numan was using the band name Tubeway Army. The Suzi Quatro track, "Rock Hard," is identified in the film as being Nicky and Pamela's favourite record.

The soundtrack also features original songs sung by the film's actors, "Damn Dog" by Johnson, "Your Daughter Is One" by Johnson and Alvarado, and "Flowers of the City" by Johnson and David Johansen. The soundtrack, as a compilation of some of the most important new wave and punk music from the era, achieved far more notoriety than the film did on its release. It also became a collectors' item among fans of XTC, because it included the specially-written XTC track "Take This Town", which for many years was only available on this soundtrack.

In his audio commentary for the ''Times Square'' DVD, Alan Moyle mentions that David Bowie was commissioned to provide a song for the movie's soundtrack, but Bowie's label at that time wouldn't let the filmmakers use it (at the time, Bowie was still under contract with RCA Victor Records, and the ''Times Square'' album was issued by RSO Records, at the time distributed by RCA Victor competitor PolyGram; however, it's also notable that Lou Reed, who does appear on the album, was also under contract to RCA Victor). Desmond Child has mentioned in a magazine interview that he collaborated with David Bowie on the song "The Night Was Not" (the song did appear on the ''Times Square'' soundtrack, performed by Child's band, Desmond Child & Rouge). Another rumour is that Bowie intended to provide a re-recorded version of his 1971 song "Life on Mars?" for the ''Times Square'' soundtrack. Although it has not been confirmed whether or not Bowie re-recorded a studio version of "Life on Mars?" in 1980, it is worth noting that in that same year, Bowie performed a rearranged, punkier version of the song during a live appearance on ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson''.

References[link]

External links[link]

Category:1980 films Category:American LGBT-related films Category:Riot grrrl Category:Films set in New York City Category:Punk films Category:English-language films Category:American teen drama films Category:1980s drama films

ru:Таймс-Сквер (фильм)

name	Allan Moyle
birth date
birth place	Shawinigan, Canada
occupation	Film directorActorScreenwriter
yearsactive	1974 - Present }}

Allan Moyle (born 1947 in Shawinigan, Quebec) is a Canadian film director. He is best known for directing the films ''Pump Up the Volume'' (1990) and ''New Waterford Girl'' (1999).

Biography[link]

His first major film was ''Times Square'' (1980). During the editing of the film he clashed with producer Robert Stigwood who reportedly wanted dialogue scenes removed and replaced with more musical sequences, so that the accompanying soundtrack recording could be expanded to a double-album. Moyle refused to make the cuts so Stigwood fired him and made the cuts himself.

In the eighties he wrote a novel that was never published but became the basis for his screenplay of his movie ''Pump Up the Volume'', which he also directed. It was released in 1990.

Moyle has since directed ''The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag'' (1992), ''Empire Records'' (1995), ''New Waterford Girl'' (1999) - for which he won the Best Direction Canadian Comedy Award in 2001, ''XChange'', and the made-for-TV movies ''Jailbait'' (2000) and ''Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story'' (2004). His most recent film, ''Weirdsville'', debuted at and headlined the 2007 Slamdance Film Festival in January. The film's stars include Taryn Manning.

He is divorced from actress Dianna Miranda and currently married to Chiyoko Tanaka. He attended McGill University in Montreal and apprenticed at the New London Barn Theatre in New Hampshire.

Filmography[link]

''The Rubber Gun'' (1977) (Director/Co-Writer, with Stephen Lack)

''Times Square'' (1980) (Director/Story, with Leann Unger)

''Pump Up the Volume'' (1990) (Director/Writer)

''Red Blooded American Girl'' (1990) (Writer Only)

''The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag'' (1992) (Director)

''Love Crimes'' (with Laurie Frank) (1992)

''The Thing Called Love'' (1993) (uncredited)

''Empire Records'' (1995) (Director)

''Exhibit A: Secrets of Forensic Science'' (1997) (TV)

''New Waterford Girl'' (1999) (Director)

''Jailbait'' (2000) (TV) (Director)

''XChange'' (2001) (Director)

''Say Nothing'' (2001) (Director)

''Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story'' (2004) (TV) (Director)

''Weirdsville'' (2007) (Director)

References[link]

External links[link]

allanmoyle.com

Category:Canadian film directors Category:1947 births Category:McGill University alumni Category:People from Shawinigan Category:Living people Category:Date of birth missing (living people)

fr:Allan Moyle

name	Garland Jeffreys
background	solo_singer
origin	Brooklyn, New YorkUnited States
born	1943
instrument	Vocalist
genre	Rock and roll, Americana, reggae, blues, soul
occupation	Musician, songwriter, record producer
label	Atlantic Records, A&M; Records, Epic, RCA/BMG, Universal, Luna Park Records
website
notable instruments	}}

Garland Jeffreys (born 1943, Brooklyn, New York) is a part African-American, and Puerto Rican American, singer and songwriter, transversing the musical genres of rock and roll, reggae, blues and soul.

Career[link]

Jeffreys is from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. He majored in art history at Syracuse University where he met Lou Reed, before The Velvet Underground became active. In 1966, Jeffreys began to play in Manhattan nightclubs including Gerde's Folk City, The Bitter End, Gaslight, Kenny's Castaways, and later Reno Sweeney, where he began to explore racially conscious themes in his work, sometimes utilizing blackface masks and a rag doll named Ramon in performance. Jeffreys played guitar on John Cale's 1969 debut solo album ''Vintage Violence'' and contributed the song "Fairweather Friend". In 1969 he founded Grinder's Switch with Woodstock-area musicians including pianist Stan Szelest, guitarist Ernie Corallo, and percussionist Sandy Konikoff. Lew Merenstein produced this one album before the band dissolved in 1970.

In 1973, he released his first solo album, ''Garland Jeffreys'', on Atlantic Records. Around the same time Atlantic also released a single, "Wild in the Streets", that was not included on the album. Jeffreys wrote the song after hearing about a pre-teen rape and murder in the Bronx. Dr. John played clavinet and helped arrange the song, with backing from guitarist David Spinozza, drummer Rick Marotta, the Brecker Brothers on horns and David Peel on background vocals. The track received airplay on the progressive FM album-oriented rock stations, and has become one of his best-known songs.

"Wild in the Streets" has become something of an unofficial anthem for the skate community and been covered by several musicians, including:

The Circle Jerks, on their album '' Wild in the Streets''

Chris Spedding, on the album ''Hurt''

British Lions, on their album ''British Lions''

Hot Water Music, on the album ''Til the Wheels Fall Off''

Hurriganes, on ''Fortissimo''

In 1977 Garland recorded his ''Ghost Writer'' album for A&M; Records, with "Wild in the Streets" included on side two. All the tracks are autobiographical, encompassing bittersweet tales about coming of age as an artist in the big city ("Ghost Writer"), of racial separatism ("Why-O"), of interracial romance ("I May Not Be Your Kind"), and of overcoming conflict at home ("Cool Down Boy").

The next years saw a string of albums, five within five years, and the release of the perennial European radio favorite "Matador" which charted in the top five of a number of countries. This burst of productivity culminated with the criminally underrated Guts for Love, a meditation on the challenges of monogamy and fidelity. After a long hiatus, much of it spend woodshedding, reading and researching, Jeffreys released ''Don't Call Me Buckwheat'', devoted to the complexities of race in America. The title was triggered by an incident at Shea Stadium where Jeffreys was enjoying the game and feeling carefree. He stood to go get a hotdog when a voice shouted "Hey buckwheat, sit down!" The casual epithet was a jolt and it spurred a number of memorable songs including "Don't Call Me Buckwheat, " "I Was Afraid of Malcolm," "Racial Repertoire." In February 1992, Jeffreys' recording of "Hail Hail Rock 'n' Roll" (RCA PB49171), spent one week at #72 in the UK Singles Chart.

Jeffreys was featured in the 2003 documentary ''The Soul of a Man'', directed by Wim Wenders as the fourth installment of the documentary film series ''The Blues'' produced by Martin Scorsese. The film explored the musical careers of blues musicians Skip James, Blind Willie Johnson and J. B. Lenoir. Jeffreys was also featured on the cover of ''Beyond Race Magazine'' in February 2007. "Wild in the Streets" can be heard in the 2012 video game ''Max Payne 3''.

On May 28, 2012, at the Pinkpop Festival in Landgraaf, Holland, Jeffreys joined Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band onstage for a performance of ? and the Mysterians' 1966 hit "96 Tears", which Jeffreys had covered on his 1980 album "Escape Artist".

Discography[link]

Solo[link]

1969: ''Grinder's Switch featuring Garland Jeffreys''

1973: ''Garland Jeffreys''

1977: ''Ghost Writer''

1978: ''One-Eyed Jack''

1979: ''American Boy & Girl''

1980: ''Escape Artist''

1982: ''Rock 'n' Roll Adult''

1983: ''Guts for Love''

1992: ''Don't Call Me Buckwheat''

1992: ''Matador & More...''

1997: ''Wildlife Dictionary'' (only released in Europe)

2007: ''I'm Alive'' (only released in Europe)

2011: ''The King of In Between''

Contribution to others[link]

1998 ''Diamond Cuts: Turning Two (Vol. II)'' (Hungry For Music) 2003 ''Johnny's Blues: A Tribute To Johnny Cash'' (Northern Blues) 2003 ''Light of Day Tribute To Bruce Springsteen'' (Schoolhouse Records) 2003 ''Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues: The Soul Of A Man'' (Sony) 2005 ''Elliott Murphy: Live Hot Point'' (Last Call Records)

References[link]

External links [link]

Facebook Page

Category:American singer-songwriters Category:Living people Category:People from Brooklyn Category:1943 births

de:Garland Jeffreys fr:Garland Jeffreys hu:Garland Jeffreys nl:Garland Jeffreys

birth date	May 24, 1964
birth place	Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York City }}

Robin Johnson (born May 24, 1964), is an American actress. Johnson grew up in Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York City. She graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School in 1982.

Filmography[link]

Films[link]

1980: ''Times Square''

1983: ''Baby It's You''

1984: ''Splitz''

1985: ''Miami Vice''

1985: ''After Hours''

1988: ''D.O.A.''

Television[link]

1984 and 1988: ''Guiding Light'' (television)

1985: ''Code Name: Foxfire''

Theatre[link]

1997: ''An Unhappy Woman'', Moving Arts Theatre, Los Angeles

External links[link]

Category:1964 births Category:American child actors Category:American film actors Category:Living people Category:Actors from New York Category:People from Brooklyn