…in fact, I got the film titles backward. Absolute Beginners is first. But this looks a little better, graphically (he said, twisting himself to justify the goof).
This is the second of our three “lost” episdoes, and it seems like we managed to cover all the same points we did the first time around. Unfortunately, Sean wasn’t feeling well when we did this one, and I say that so you know why he doesn’t have his usual pep.
In this episode we look at a pair of musicals that have David Bowie in them, and in singing roles besides. And while Bowie is one of only a few live actors in one film, he’s still a relatively minor character, from a screen-time standpoint.
Both of these films are from 1986. As I noted above, we’re starting with Absolute Beginners, directed by Julien Temple. It stars Eddie O’Connell and Patsy Kensit as a pair of young adults working their way into British society and learning that their ideals have an unfortunate way of bumping into reality.
In Part 2 we check out Labyrinth, directed by Jim Henson. It stars Jennifer Connelly, David Bowie and a bunch of muppets. It was Henson’s last big project before his untimely death. Connelly does a fantastic job as a teenage girl who gets what she wishes for…and realizes what a mistake she’d made. We’d tell you to look for Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s Gates McFadden (the film’s choreographer) in the ballroom scene, but she’s wearing a mask, so you’re out of luck.
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
It’s the last of the Lost Episodes as we present films that are based on concept albums. First, from 1979 it’s Quadrophenia, and then we look at Pink Floyd: The Wall from 1982.