Can’t Stop the Movie! with Special Guest Bruce Vilanch

It seemed like a good idea at the time, but we were wrong. It was a GREAT idea to ask the one and only Bruce Vilanch to help us kick off our new “Can’t Stop the Movie!” summer series with the granddaddies  of guilty pleasures, 1980’s disco fiasco “Can’t Stop the Music” and 1977’s “The Brady Bunch Variety Hour.”

Bruce discussed his hysterically funny  memoir “It Seemed Like a Bad Idea at the Time” and why “disastrous” TV specials and misguided variety experiments have a longer afterlife now than they did when they first aired. We unpack how "The Brady Bunch Variety Hour" even happened, what the cast thought they were signing up for, and why the show’s awkwardness is inseparable from the real pressures of 1970s television and celebrity branding. Along the way, Bruce shares surprising context on Robert Reed and the uncomfortable reality of trying to stay employable and private in that era.

Then we dive into the ultimate guilty pleasure musical, "Can’t Stop the Music" (1980),  the Village People movie produced by Alan Carr. Bruce breaks down the rewrite chaos, the casting carousel that started with Olivia Newton-John, the wild logistics of putting “wholesome” and “macho” in the same frame, and the truly mind-boggling choice of Nancy Walker as director. We also talk disco backlash, box office damage, and why the soundtrack went on to become global party folklore even when the movie cratered.

If you love classic TV, Hollywood history, camp musicals, and behind-the-scenes storytelling, hit play, subscribe, and share this with a friend who loves a glorious flop. If you’re enjoying the show, please leave a rating and review.

To get a copy of Bruce’s memoir, "It Seemed Like a Bad Idea At the Time" go to: https://www.amazon.com/Seemed-Like-Bad-Idea-Time/dp/0914091921

To watch “Get Bruce!”(1999) got to https://youtu.be/6ZnU_ZVDmQM?is=bkHdaS6l1tIYcX7d

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 Links to Tony's website, and Brad's website at www.goinghollywoodpodcast.com

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To watch "The True Story of the Barrymores," go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CZTHYN6D/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

To watch Tony's WIRED video "Tech Support: Old Hollywood" go to https://youtu.be/6hxXfxhQSz0?si=TO4Xv6q87XhBnqDT

Reach us at goinghollywoodpod@gmail.com

Listen to our Going Hollywood Playlist on Spotify.