The Apple
A 1980 dystopian, sci-fi, biblical-allegory rock opera film about an evil, all-powerful media mogul, the young starlet fallen under his corrupting influence and the all-Canadian baby-faced hero determined to get her back out of his evil clutches. Trying to follow the success of Saturday Night Fever and Grease, it's outlandish premise probably has more in common with Brave New World, Nineteen Eighty-Four, All That Jazz and Xanadu, with a little Godspell thrown in hastily at the last minute. It proved a major flop concurrent with the sharp decline of Disco.
Despite some rather heart-pumping music and dance numbers, the prosaic lyrics, trippy aesthetic, and off-the-wall script place it squarely in Camp territory.
You can see a trailer for it here.
- Aerith and Bob: Bibi and Alphie
- Big Bad: Mr. Boogalow
- Big Good: Mr. Topps.
- Depraved Bisexual: Shakes, implicitly Boogalow as well
- Deus Ex Machina: A-near literal example with Mr. Topps, who is not only a seemingly all-powerful Messianic Archetype, but is never mentioned until moments before he arrives to rescue the heroes.
- The Dragon: Shakes
- Corrupt the Cutie: BIM's efforts to control Bibi.
- Evil Brit: Bibi's bodyguards/captors are the thuggish, Cockney-esque type.
- Evil Is Stylish: In universe at least.
- Fire and Brimstone Hell: An entire (imagined) musical number takes place there.
- High Heel Face Turn: Bibi and later Pandi
- How Do You Like Them Apples?: Well, it's in the title. Used with heavy-handed symbolism as Mr. Boogalow tempts Bibi with an oversized prop apple.
- Intercourse With You: "Coming For You" isn't subtle. Once Grace Kennedy, the actress playing Pandi, caught the innuendo immediately and asked the filmmakers to change it to no avail, she was left in tears after performing it.
- Louis Cypher: Mr. Boogalow
- Lyrical Shoehorn:
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- Mega Corp: BIM. Eventually they become so powerful, the government requires everyone to wear their logo and stop all activity to listen to their music for an hour each day.
- New Age Retro Hippie
- Jewish Mother: Alphie's landlady.
- The Power of Rock: Invoked in the Tagline on the poster, as seen above.
- Rape as Redemption: Bizarrely inverted. At one of the party scenes Pandi orders two (presumably drugged) drinks for her and Alphie, but he drinks down both of them while she smiles sheepishly. Later she has sex with him while he's under the influence. The next day, she, the possible rapist, is the one who is redeemed, and finally decides to help Bibi escape.
- Sissy Villain: A huge portion of Shake / Buoogalow's inner circle fits one overblown Camp Gay stereotype or another. Unfortunate Implications abound.
- Slipping a Mickey: happens at least once.
- Twenty Minutes Into the Future: Made in 1980, set in the future Dystopia of 1994.
- World of Ham