Times Square

A few days ago I posted some stuff from "The Decline of Western Civilization." That film documented the Los Angeles punk scene circa 1980. Around the same time, Alan Moyle was directing a movie called "Times Square." "Times Square" purported to be based on a diary of a mentally-disturbed young woman. The movie told the story of two girls who form a punk band in New York. According to IMDB, it "was such an unpleasant experience for the neophyte filmmaker that he succumbed to a stress-related disorder that caused all his hair to fall out."

In the two-and-a-half decades since its release, "Times Square" has found a cult following among gays and lesbians because of the perceived relationship between the characters Nicky, played by Robin Johnson, and Pamela, played by Trini Alvarado. Moyle's commentary on the DVD release indicates the original cut of the film contained more obvious lesbian content, which was excised at the request of producer Robert Stigwood. Despite a critical panning, Moyle feels the film is important in that it captures the grittiness of Times Square before it was Disney-fied.


The soundtrack itself features an eclectic mix of artists ranging from Suzy Quatro to Lou Reed, with a little Robin Gibb thrown in - apparently to appease Robert Stigwood. I've picked a handful of the stuff I think is interesting.

Suzy Quatro Rock Hard.mp3
Robin Johnson and Trini Alvarado Your Daughter Is One.mp3
Patti Smith Group Pissing In the River.mp3
Gary Numan Down In the Park.mp3
David Johansen and Robin Johnson Flowers In the City.mp3
Joe Jackson Pretty Boys.mp3

"Times Square" was Robin Johnson's first film. There is an unofficial site here, dedicated to her career since.
There is an unofficial site for Trini Alvarado here.
And - IMDB's info about "Times Square" is here.

posted by aikin @ 5:42 PM