Two classic '80's musicals with killer soundtracks. Which is your favorite?

SEANMAN said:

Two classic '80's musicals with killer soundtracks. Which is your favorite?

Ouch! That is a good question.

Flashdance! Ain't no question for me.

This is a toughie for me. Footloose's story was a little more implausible. I mean, a town where dancing is banned? Although the Flashdance "welder by day/exotic dancer by night" plot is kind of bonkers too. Gotta love the '80s!

Both films serve a purpose to me.

Timmy84 said:

Both films serve a purpose to me.

SEANMAN said:

Timmy84 said:

Both films serve a purpose to me.

I love them both. Can't choose.

Being a smalltown boy Footloose all the way. N a ban on dancing isnt that far fetched in the bible belt.

1sotrue said:

To be honest both films are lame compared to today's standards but if I had to choose based on movie soundtrack, I would go with Footloose. Though Flashdance was a hugely popular the soundtrack IMO was lame. Flashdance and Maniac are the only two songs I remember from it.

When you look at today's musical films (Step Up, High School Musical), they pale in comparison to the musical films of yesteryear. I'll admit the Footloose plot in particular is kinda lame-o, but the exhilaration in Flashdance and Footloose's dance sequences are way above the stuff of today.

Flashdance has some killer songs on it. Laura Brannigan's "Imagination", Joe Esposito's "Lady, Lady, Lady", Shandi's "He's a Dream" and Kim Carnes "I'll Be Here Where the Heart Is" are excellent.

"Flashdance" for me, all the way.

I don't even think I've bothered to actually watch all of "Footloose", before. It starts up and by the end I'm always doing something else besides watching it.

1sotrue said:

To be honest both films are lame compared to today's standards but if I had to choose based on movie soundtrack, I would go with Footloose. Though Flashdance was a hugely popular the soundtrack IMO was lame. Flashdance and Maniac are the only two songs I remember from it.

Today's films are lame compared to Flashdance and Footloose.

Sooo Flashdance. To this day, I don't think I've ever seen Footloose all the way through in one sitting. It just bores me.

DAV123 said:

With all of the shit I cut up to have that look......... FLASHDANCE!

SEANMAN said:

1sotrue said:

SEANMAN said:

When you look at today's musical films (Step Up, High School Musical), they pale in comparison to the musical films of yesteryear. I'll admit the Footloose plot in particular is kinda lame-o, but the exhilaration in Flashdance and Footloose's dance sequences are way above the stuff of today.

Flashdance has some killer songs on it. Laura Brannigan's "Imagination", Joe Esposito's "Lady, Lady, Lady", Shandi's "He's a Dream" and Kim Carnes "I'll Be Here Where the Heart Is" are excellent.

Films that you mentioned that featured dance scenes from this generation to me still exceeds the dance moves from those films. At the time Flashdance came out I thought it was the coolest film ever made. Who didnt love the dance scene at the end? A year later Footloose comes out and basically it was the same moves you seen before. Im sure the other songs you mentioned were good too but Im not familiar with it. I think Donna Summer had a single from the film too. 'He's my Romeo' was the name I think.

Yep, it's called "Romeo".

Movie: Flashdance

Music: Footloose, probably cause I knew it longer though both soundtracks are great.

Flashdance!!!!!

I love everything about this movie. The music, the dancing, everything!!!!! If my life had a theme song Irene Cara's "What A Feeling" would be a most likely candidate.

Laura Brannigan's "Gloria" is AMAZING. I want to make choreography for this damn song....

The finale of the movie..

Seriously...there's nothing about that movie I don't like. Just all around awesome.

[Edited 4/16/11 13:25pm]

ThruTheEyesOfWonder said:

Flashdance!!!!!

I love everything about this movie. The music, the dancing, everything!!!!! If my life had a theme song Irene Cara's "What A Feeling" would be a most likely candidate.

Laura Brannigan's "Gloria" is AMAZING. I want to make choreography for this damn song....

The finale of the movie..

Seriously...there's nothing about that movie I don't like. Just all around awesome.

[Edited 4/16/11 13:25pm]

to everything you said.

FLASHDANCE! Fond memories of seeing that with my girlfriend at the time in the 80s.

I'ma have to go with flashdance on this one...even though I've never seen footloose...but I dont think it would matter anyway.

Love this movie to death....the first hundred times I watched as a little girl, I busted my ass trying to convince myself that I could do that choreography in the audition scene in the finale....every single time. It didn't help that my dinning room had slippery hardwood flooring and when I had my socks on...slipping and sliding everywhere after I had pushed all the furniture outta the way...you couldn't tell me nothing Just a mess.

Plus Irene Cara and "What a feeling" is a huge bonus. Classic for sure.

"Footloose" by far. I only watched a few minutes of "Flashdance" and changed the channel.

OK come on folks!

It's two different kinds of movies.

Flash dance is about a woman who struggles to make it big in dancing, but

during her grand finale, she's suddenly kidnapped and replaced by a 13

year old boy in a wig who does all her dance moves for her, but he's so

fast that none of the judges realize it isn't her---it's about deception.

Footloos is about miracles!

I mean, here's a town of Christian fanatics who have never danced nor

heard rock and roll, and spend their free time going to church and

playing chicken with on-coming vehicles, only to suddenly and

miraculously have everybod in the town doing all of the (at that time)

latest dance moves....IT'S ABOUT MIRACLES.

:footloose-win:

What?!! No one remembers nor loves Tom Cruise dancing in his underwear?!!

SagsWay2low said:

OK come on folks!

It's two different kinds of movies.

Flash dance is about a woman who struggles to make it big in dancing, but

during her grand finale, she's suddenly kidnapped and replaced by a 13

year old boy in a wig who does all her dance moves for her, but he's so

fast that none of the judges realize it isn't her---it's about deception.

Footloos is about miracles!

I mean, here's a town of Christian fanatics who have never danced nor

heard rock and roll, and spend their free time going to church and

playing chicken with on-coming vehicles, only to suddenly and

miraculously have everybod in the town doing all of the (at that time)

latest dance moves....IT'S ABOUT MIRACLES.

:footloose-win:

It was actually Crazy Legs the breakdancer who doubled for Jen Beals during the backspin scene. Most other difficult choreography was performed by Marine Jahan.

It's kind of obvious that a dance double was used for Kevin Bacon in Footloose too--the uncredited Peter Tramm. There were four Kevin's in all throughout Footloose--the real deal, Peter Tramm, gymnast Chuck Gaylord and a stunt guy.

^ YEP!

lawd hammercy, that crazy legs dude is fine as all hell.

French dancer and actress Marine Jahan also went uncredited for a long time as the REAL dancer in Flashdance. That incredible dance at the end of the movie was all her's--not Jennifer Beals.

^^^ Oops! I see Sean already commented on Marine Jahan... Oh, well. Here's some pix of her anyway. BTW didn't know about the male dancer!

[Edited 4/19/11 12:28pm]

Hmm... never seen the movie Footloose and don't remember/know the full soundtrack to either movie, but titlesong.... Flashdance, all the way! I love that song!