The Apple (1980)

[sillstaw 414]

It may be a little too obscure-ish and low-budget, but quite simply, it is the greatest futuristic disco-themed biblical allegory you will ever see. And it's on NetFlix streaming! How can you resist?

[dcicirelli 0]

Could not agree more. Any movie that takes place in the future--1994--is aces in my book. Plus, it has all those hippies living in garbage, the random grope scene, and--oh god--that spectacular ending.

[marginallyclean 4]

I love how the future cars all look like The Homer car from The Simpsons.

[opaque19 1]

I actually signed up on the forum purely for the purpose of bringing this thread back to the forefront.

 

This movie has single-handedly ruined forever every instance in music of sliding from one note to the one just above it. Also? Ending. Amaze-a-balls. And yeah... I think I pretty much remember 1994 being just like that.

 

Oh man, this one MUST be done!

[DavidPetrison 1]

Ok, guys, I just looked through the entire forum and was in disbelief that no one has mentioned this classic 1980 science-fiction musical.

 

The time is the not-so-distant future of 1994. America has devolved into a pseudo-dictatorship, and the pop music industry has taken over all aspects of government and politics. A male/female singing group (Alphie and Bibi) come from Moosejaw, Saskatchewa in Canada to perform at the Worldvision Song Festival. The audience at first despises the musicians, largely because the music has guitar and vocal harmonies and isn't like the 1994-version of disco everyone listens to. After heckling the musicians, they immediately realize that they love the music, and the producers of the contest are able to track this love using an instant rating device that keeps track of the emotional readout of everyone in the world. Realizing that this unpredictable group might win, they cut the power, and the BIM (Boomalow International Music group) beats them, since Mr. Boomalow is in charge of everything. A riot insues, as everyone blames Alphie and Bibi for no longer being able to hear the music without electricity.

 

Meanwhile, the entirety of the US is turning into a dictatorship. Everyone must wear the same clothes, wearing symbols on their clothing reflecting their nation and their alliance to Mr. Boomalow, wherein mass conformity is the norm. They also must at a certain point each day, do a collaborative dance number wherein everyone in the country, including doctors in the middle of surgery, must stop what they are doing and do some synchronized dancing.

 

The BIM come to Alphie and Bibi, hoping to sign them to their record label, wherein they lose all rights and must perform the songs that are written for them in the exact way the studio wants them to. Alphie gets angry and storms off, but due to a drug-fueled musical hallucination, Bibi decides to sign the contract and become an instant star, but in turn loves everything. Alphie suffers a tragic breakdown, realizing he will never find success and that the music industry has taken his true love away as well.

 

This is one of those movies that manages to outdo its own insanity in every subsequent scene. The musical numbers are memorable only for their awfulness, the lyrics are unintelligible, the sets and costumes are gawdy, and the plot is incoherent. To top it all off, the entire film is also a religious allegory. So there's that.

 

I want to hear this movie on How Did This Get Made just so I can figure out what was going on in this movie.

[CamilleSwanson 1]

I signed up for this forum just so I could also recommend this movie. It is by far the most entertaining bad movie I've ever seen.

 

Please consider featuring The Apple on the podcast, you will have a blast watching it!

[Johnny Unusual 525]

Here's the trailer

BTW, rifftrax will be doing this one soon

[jarrycanada 2483]

I have to laugh at the term apple experience that is used in the trailer as I wounder, just wounder if Steve jobs ever watch this movie and got his ideas from it. LOL tripped out on acid and woke up and said we got to have a apple experience with our products..ohh man.

[MiriamWebster 9]

YESSSSSSS. This movie is NUTS.

[Quasar Sniffer 4174]

I'm going to re-resurrect this thread to point out that Rifftrax recently recognized the insanity of this movie. Observe here:

http://www.rifftrax.com/vod/apple

 

Also, thank you for making me aware of this movie. Just the trailer fascinates me; it looks like a combination of Xanadu, Phantom of the Paradise, and terrible, insane ideas. Excellent.

[hannahbluma 0]

I have ALSO signed up for the forums just to reignite this thread. Please do The Apple! It'll be a real treat.

[smallerdemon 0]

The Apple. Do it! Do it! Do it!

[smallerdemon 0]

Because honestly, if they will doing Staying Alive, they can do The Apple.

[Nerdlove 82]

Please, movies like this are why this podcast exists. It's the most amazing thing ever.

 

(And if people feel like they can't bring themselves to watch something so painful, you can always watch the Rifftrax version.)

[jarrycanada 2483]

Really having a hard time finding this movie with out buying it on dvd at crapazon. I just want to rent or watch it on youtube or some streaming site, anyone?

 

When I search Google all find is Steve jobs / apple computer company documentary's.

[sillstaw 414]

Really having a hard time finding this movie with out buying it on dvd at crapazon. I just want to rent or watch it on youtube or some streaming site, anyone?

 

When I search Google all find is Steve jobs / apple computer company documentary's.

 

You could buy the RiffTrax if you don't mind seeing it with commentary.

[jarrycanada 2483]

I found a movie called "Apple Pie" 1976 at amazon LOL no apple.

 

UPDATE: I found The apple 1980 on amazon thanks. not sure if i'm going to break and buy this on dvd yet.

 

I also noticed on Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought page some of you guys have maybe watched this there already. all the clues are there. "Mr. Nanny"

 

 

 

 

Maybe I've got a over active mind or dirty mind. is that woman reaching for what i think that is?

an apple!

 

You'll know it when you see it.

 

no one notice this already? the woman in the middle... HELLO!

[JamesRohling 2]

If they thought Burlesque was a bad movie, they really don't know how bad musicals can get. This classic from 1980 will leave you surprised that there was enough coke to make this possible.

 

 

Yeah, it is that good.

[Scott-M-B 0]

I'm only posting this because I've scrolled back ten pages and can't find this as a suggestion. This is a futuristic disco musical retelling of the story of the Garden of Eden with Joss "DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY!!!" Ackland in the role of a hippy God (who is not a main character). Demented songs and repeated incredulous mentions of the fact that the main characters are from Moose Jaw, Saskatchawan. I don't know. I'm actually disappointed the HDTGM has done Xanadu but not this.

[tigerlilies83 2]

This movie is crazy. You should totally do it.

[WayneMiller 37]

TBF, I've only ever seen the Rifftrax version of this.... And it's bloody good!

[jarrycanada 2483]

all of these years of buying movies on dvd I should of been buying this film and storing them away in a cardboard box to sell on amazon at a later time for 70 dollars. I still can't find a cheap option. I may have to eat this

.

[BrandonShakley 1]

A futuristic, sci-fi musical from Cannon. Seriously guys - this is pure, batshit insanity.

 

Here's a link to the trailer to prove it.

 

[EvanDailey 29]

Another CANNON FILMS production! This looked so terrible in the Electric Boogaloo Doc.

 

[DOMIDARKO 7]

Fuuuuuuccckk. It's the most ridiculous depiction of the future ever imagined.