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TCM Spotlight: The History of Rock on Film: The 1980s
TCM, Beginning at 7 p.m.
Turner Classic Movies rocks the house one last time with this month’s final lineup of notable films that were accompanied by soundtracks of popular musical genres from a particular decade. Tonight, it’s musical films from the ’80s, beginning with Breakin’ (1984), a breakdancing-themed production that includes plenty of the titular breakin’ moves, hit tunes like “Breakin’” and “There’s No Stopping Us” and rapper Ice-T in his feature-film acting debut. Next is Smithereens
(pictured) (1982), co-writer Susan Seidelman’s (Desperately Seeking Susan) directorial debut, about a young woman hoping to make it in New York City’s waning punk-rock scene. Moving into later evening and early tomorrow morning, the lineup continues with: Foxes (1980), about teenage girls coming of age in suburban Los Angeles at the end of the disco era, with a cast led by Jodie Foster, Scott Baio and Cherie Currie, lead singer of the Runaways, and a soundtrack boasting many big pop and disco names of the era; Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982), director Alan Parker’s live-action/animated psychological drama based on prog-rock band Pink Floyd’s iconic 1979 rock opera The Wall; Fame (1980), also directed by Parker, a musical drama about youngsters attending New York City’s High School of Performing Arts, with a cast including Irene Cara, who also performs the Oscar-winning title tune; and Absolute Beginners (1986), a musical about life in late 1950s London, with a cast including music icon David Bowie, who also wrote and performed the theme song that became a much bigger hit than the movie itself.