Java_Joe Without a word of a doubt, this has to be the gayest movie I've ever seen. I don't mean that in a bad way but there is just so much gay in this movie that it's practically overflowing with rainbows. The movie is a fictionalized explanation of how the Village People came to be. Their prime audience, at least at the start, were gay men and the outfits they wore were supposedly gay fantasy material. But in this movie the whole thing about the band being gay was really toned down to the point where it was never even mentioned. Every time you see one, he's with a woman. It might be his sister or a friend but it's never a lover and they're never alone especially with another man. Maybe this was the movie's way of being subtle. But then they throw in the tryouts for their final member and I swear they're trying to say something. Remember, this is a tryout for a singing position so explain the reasons for tumblers, muscle men who sing to their muscles and I swear a flaming gay stereotype twirling flaming batons which set off the sprinklers. Focus movie! Either they're gay or they're not. What are you trying to say with this?Of course there's Bruce Jenner in his first, and thankfully last, starring role. The man wasn't a good actor. And he's parading around at some point in shorts and a t-shirt with a bare midriff. Do you think they knew something about him even back then?Then there's the scene in the YMCA where they sing YMCA. And again, it's full of buff young men doing sports, changing clothes, swimming and eventually they all tumble down into a giant Y on the final strain of the song. This is giving out mixed signals. It's uneven. It serves as not only a vehicle for the Village People to play some songs but to see if former decathalete and Wheaties spokesperson Bruce Jenner could carry a movie. It failed in both regards.By the time the movie had come out, disco was no longer a thing and that more than anything else, killed it. It's even been said that this movie killed movie musicals for decades afterwards but I don't think that's fair. There were others that came afterwards that were worse. The movie itself is rather unremarkable. It's a bunch of bits tied together by Village People songs and performances. It's not a movie I'd recommend to anybody unless you're into bad movies or movies with heavy gay subtext in them.

Michael_Elliott Can't Stop the Music (1980) ** (out of 4)Jack MOrell (Steve Guttenerg) is a struggling writer with the help of his friend (Valerie Perrine) manages to strike up a band called The Village People. Their attempt at getting someone to take them serious is a challenge but soon the whole world is going to catch on.CAN'T STOP THE MUSIC was a notorious flop when it was released and there have been all kinds of reasons given. It was supposed to hit during the disco craze but it turned out to be released as that music genre was quickly dying. Another problem is that the film itself got horrible reviews and this just helped keep more people away. Over the past decade or so the film has gained a strong cult following due to how campy it actually is.I honestly didn't think the film was too bad but there's no question that there are some major issues here. For starters, this was meant to show off The Village People but it doesn't do that. In fact, the film paints them as pretty boring people all around. Whenever they aren't singing they basically just stand around watching things so seeing their "success" story doesn't really hit us because they're so boring. If you don't like their music then you're even deeper into the "I don't care" thing. Is the film campy? Sure but aren't The Village People kinda campy now? The film has a really silly vibe to it as if the director was simply trying way too hard to make the characters and situation seem cool. Another problem is that some of the song clips are pretty much done in a video format and they are embarrassing. This is especially true for Y.M.C.A., which has to be seen to be believed.The performances from The Village People really aren't that good but there are a couple catchy songs. Steve Guttenberg is always fun to watch but he's not given too much to do here. I did think Perrine was quite good in her role. Then there's Bruce Jenner who is quite embarrassing here but his silly and over-the-top performance does add a few laughs.As it stands, CAN'T STOP THE MUSIC isn't nearly as awful as its reputation would make you believe but at the same time it's a pretty big embarrassment that fell well short of where it wanted to be.

Slasher Films I wish i could review this garbage with one word gay but i can not so i will use several.I hate Disco i hate the village people and i hate this movie.I never saw this movie at the theater since i hated disco but who in the hell green-lit this thing i do not care how big the village idiots were why oh why is this piece of junk even got fans. And to have Steve Guttenberg star in this garbage is beyond me he must of really of needed a paycheck.As for the village idiots they alone get a 0 for being responsible for this junk getting into theaters.I am guessing only gays like this movie this is the worst piece of garbage i have ever seen it's beyond bad it's just bad.

tavm Well, after 30 years of pretty much avoiding this movie that got so many bad reviews and was such a bomb at the box office, I finally managed to watch Can't Stop the Music on a DVD that I borrowed from the library several days ago. Man, what an ultra cheesy movie this was! Where to start...Steve Guttenberg getting the multiple-image treatment when roller skating on the streets of N.Y., a couple of audition scenes like when that guy singing "Macho Man" starts stripping as he shows off his muscled body or that other guy twirling a couple of flaming batons just before it sets the water sprinklers, Bruce Jenner getting hot food dropped on his lap which gets both Steve and Valerie Perrine taking his pants off, and that whole bizarre "Y.M.C.A" number...there's plenty more but I think you get the drift. There's also some funny and some very unfunny moments galore here though it's interesting seeing such accomplished character actors like Jack Weston, Barbara Rush, Tammy Grimes, Paul Sand, and especially June Havoc as Guttenberg's mother do what they can with the material. Actually, while I mentioned that the "Y.M.C.A" number was pretty bizarre, it also provided some energy along with many of the other ones that made many of the just talking scenes just so monotonous or pointless in comparison. In summation, Can't Stop the Music was a mess that first-and-only-time director Nancy Walker couldn't fix and it must have knocked screenwriter Bronte Woodard and his co-writing partner and producer Allan Carr down a notch after their big success with Grease two years before though Carr wouldn't really decline in power until that really awful production number involving Snow White and Rob Lowe at the 1989 Academy Awards. That said, the cheesiness did contribute to the fun I had watching this and I may watch this again if I so desired. Certainly, some scenes with Ms. Perrine would make it worth my while again...P.S. Once again, I have to acknowledge someone involved here that's from my birthtown of Chicago, Ill. This time it's Mr. Carr. And one more thing: A critic back in the day said, "By 2010, this movie will become 1980's The Gang's All Here." Now, considering that picture had such icons as Busby Berkeley and Carmen Miranda, I don't think the comparison's apt. They both have similar camp value, however.