Punk Rawk Movies: Times Square

When Tim Curry died last month, I immediately began proselytizing for Times Square (1980) because hardly anyone I talked to had seen it. Allan Moyle based it on a diary he found in a used couch he purchased that was written by an emotionally disturbed young woman. Director Moyle, best known for the later music films, Pump Up The Volume (1990) and Empire Records (1995), it tells the story of runaways from different sides of the tracks who meet in a psych ward and start a punk band called the Sleez Sisters. The film purports to be a sort of punk rock Saturday Night Fever (1977) because of the involvement of producer Robert Stigwood. As producer, he wanted less dialogue and additional musical sections, so he fired Moyle. 

Despite this contentious situation, the film is a true gem that should be discussed in any conversation that includes the other commonly cited punk classics: Rock and Roll High School (1979), Ladies and Gentleman, the Fabulous Stains (1982), and Repo Man (1984). The film's characters, including street wise Franky Marotta, neglected upperclass teenager Pamela Pearl (Robin Johnson) , and exuberant WJAD DJ Johnny LaGuardia (Tim Curry) generally shine in a world that does not want to understand teenage struggles. The girls' lesbian coded love affair was originally more overt, but the film still presents a realistic bond between the pair. The two escape the hospital, and Pamela's father, David, who is running a campaign to clean up the city, starts a citywide search for them. The film deftly examines empowerment, class difference, and friendship, even as it presents the girls as snotty vindicators against a neglectful status quo. While Tim Curry's role is smaller than in some of his bigger movies, fans will really enjoy the attitude he brings to LaGuardia. The film also works as a time capsule for a lost New York while presenting themes that still remain as relevant as when it was released.