If hippiedom had taken root in the 1980s, this musical shows how things might have worked out in the 1990s. Of course you have to use your imagination here. The story describes a nightmarish society wherein everyone must eat, breathe, and sleep for something called "Bim", as promulgated by a capitalistic music mogul named Mr. Boogalow. This Mr. Boogalow rather conspicuously resembles the devil; he tempts the lead male and female singers with an apple, because their love song is a threat to his disco empire. I'm not quite sure what "Bim" refers to, except maybe the perpetuation of disco dollars, along with big bucks for bizarre costumes and garish makeup, of which the film has tons.
The entire production is so overdone, so excessive, so lacking in subtlety it's laughable. But there is a worthwhile message here. And that's the idea that people are easily manipulated to become slaves to greed and superficial images; that part of the future the film got right.
As for performances, George Gilmour, the lead male, can sing but can't act; Catherine Mary Stewart, the lead female, can act but can't sing; they make a dandy duo. Songs tend to be uninspired and repetitious; the first musical number is awful. But I did like "Cry For Me", toward the end.
Others have described "The Apple" as the worst musical of all time. I wouldn't know, since there are many musicals I have not seen. But what is certain is that this film is quaint, to say the least. It's a historical film curio, a cinematic time warp back to another era when disco was king, and Reagan was just an American actor trying to be a President with capitalistic ideas.
The entire production is so overdone, so excessive, so lacking in subtlety it's laughable. But there is a worthwhile message here. And that's the idea that people are easily manipulated to become slaves to greed and superficial images; that part of the future the film got right.
As for performances, George Gilmour, the lead male, can sing but can't act; Catherine Mary Stewart, the lead female, can act but can't sing; they make a dandy duo. Songs tend to be uninspired and repetitious; the first musical number is awful. But I did like "Cry For Me", toward the end.
Others have described "The Apple" as the worst musical of all time. I wouldn't know, since there are many musicals I have not seen. But what is certain is that this film is quaint, to say the least. It's a historical film curio, a cinematic time warp back to another era when disco was king, and Reagan was just an American actor trying to be a President with capitalistic ideas.