Flashdance arrived in U.S theaters on April 15, 1983. Critics hated the film but the public loved it. At Just ten years-old, I can remember how torn sweatshirts and leg warmers became must-haves. Because the movie was rated R, I didn’t get to see it in theaters but rented it a couple of years later when it appeared on VHS. Even though my friends and I were only ten, we managed to get ourselves knee-deep in the Flashdance craze. Older brothers and sisters would describe the movie so many times, it started to feel like we’d seen it too. As one of the first films to feature a pop music soundtrack, my friends and I all bought copies of the tape and listened to “Flashdance… What a Feeling” sung by Irene Cara and “Maniac” by Michael Sembello endlessly.
Having seen Flashdance countless times through the years, I can admit it’s still one of my favorite “fun” movies of the 1980’s. The story is kind if flimsy and the acting so-so but there’s something about the music and the idea of a dancing welder that occasionally fits the bill on a rainy Saturday night. Directed by Adrian Lyne (Unfaithful, Fatal Attraction) and written by Thomas Hedley (Circle of Two) and Joe Eszterhas (Basic Instinct, Showgirls) Flashdance also marked the first collaboration between Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson. The duo would go on to produce some of Hollywood’s biggest hits over the next couple of years, including Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Top Gun (1986) and Bad Boys (1995).
Alex Owens (Jennifer Beals) is an eighteen year old girl who works as a welder for a Pittsburgh steel company. At night, she works as a costumed dancer at a joint called Mawby’s. Her big dream is to get accepted at the prestigious Pittsburgh Conservatory of Dance and Repertory. The Problem is, Alex has no real dancing experience beyond her job at Mawbys. When Alex shows up at PCoDR, she looks at the application and instantly realizes she doesn´t have any of the background they are looking for and she gives up on her dream. Her hopes are further dashed when her best friend Jeanie (Sunny Johnson) fails miserably and falls twice during an ice skating competition and Alex sees herself in her friends humiliation.
Things begin to change when she goes on a date with the steel company’s boss Nick (Michael Nouri). Nick drives a Porsche and obviously has some money. Alex really isn’t too keen on getting into a relationship with her boss. However, she eventually gives in and the two embark on a whirlwind romance. The relationship is up and down–Alex get jealous of Nick’s ex-wife–but they always come back to each other. Nick believes Alex has dancing talent and when she finally submits her application to the PCoDR, Nick calls a few friends and arranges for Alex to get a tryout. When Alex finds out about his interference, she gets angry and vows not to attend the tryout. She wanted to do this on her own! When Alex sees her friend Jeanie dancing topless at a competing club, she decides to attend the tryout, setting the stage for one of the most recognized dance sequences in movie history.
Others did most of the dancing for Jennifer Beals. The dialogue between Nick and Alex is shallow at best. Since this is a Joe Eszterhas script, so we’re not talking about Shakespeare here; Flashdance is rated R, because there are topless shots to entice males in the audience. At its core though, Flashdance is a simple movie about dancing and pop music in the early days of the MTV era. If you want to take as quick trip back to 1983, pick up Flashdance – I Love the ’80’s Edition and sing, “Flashdance… What a Feeling” at the top of your lungs; just make sure the windows are closed.
The transfer was taken from a less-than-pristine print, with frequent dirt in the 1.85:1 anamorphic frame being the most noticeable flaw. The image is also a little washed out, though the blacks are solid and there aren’t any compression artifacts.
The film’s Academy Award-winning theme by Irene Cara, “Flashdance…What A Feeling,” m sounds pretty good in surround sound. The film’s frequent music cues spice up the 5.1 mix, though the surround channels are surprisingly underused in the rest of the film–not clinking glasses in the restaurant scene, little environmental sound on the construction site. English and French 2.0 mixes are also available, as are Spanish subtitles and English closed-captioning.
There are no extras except the same 4-track CD of 80s songs that’s being included with all of the I Love The 80’s discs, none of which are from this film.
