I was recently describing to a friend this movie, with Scott Baio and Jodie Foster, to a friend and he almost didn't believe it was a real film. It's a musical (songs and lyrics by Paul Williams!) set in the Roaring Twenties about gangsters, and children play the adult parts. But the songs are all dubbed over by adults, and none of the adult singing voices sound anything like the children's speaking voices. An instead of shooting bullets, their guns shoot marshmallow fluff.

It's apparently a cult favorite in the UK, but it was a huge flop in the US. And deservedly so: it's not in the least bit funny or interesting. It's just kind of busy, although it's worth seeing as a curio.

Here's the big number Jodie lipsyncs, "My name is Tallulah."

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by Anonymous

reply 15

April 15, 2024 7:06 PM

The film is banned in Honduras.

by Anonymous

reply 1

April 14, 2024 2:59 AM

It works best as a quite enjoyable soundtrack...like STAR! and Lost Horizon.

by Anonymous

reply 2

April 14, 2024 3:02 AM

[quote] It's apparently a cult favorite in the UK

The stage version was certainly a favourite of my secondary schools drama department. They did it at least twice in the five years I was there.

by Anonymous

reply 3

April 14, 2024 3:04 AM

Scott Baio ruins it for me now.

by Anonymous

reply 4

April 14, 2024 3:11 AM

Fun facts: when it was made into a stage musical for London's West End (and had a successful run for 300 performances), Mickey Dolenz of the Monkees was the director, and Catherine Zeta-Jones had the Jodie Foster starring part of Tallulah.

by Anonymous

reply 5

April 14, 2024 3:13 AM

1976 was a huge year for Jodie, with Taxi Driver, The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane, Freaky Friday and Bugsy Malone. It's amazing how big of a star she was during that time. She was up there with Streisand, Fonda and Dunaway as biggest female star of 1976.

by Anonymous

reply 6

April 14, 2024 3:16 AM

It’s one of those movies that’s probably more entertaining as a series of highlight clips so you can watch with your jaw on the floor in amazement that something like it could have been made. I can imagine kids who grew up on it might love it but for anyone else the novelty wears thin quickly

by Anonymous

reply 7

April 14, 2024 3:24 AM

It looks hideous. I'm almost asleep.

by Anonymous

reply 8

April 14, 2024 3:57 AM

I remember seeing this in the theater with my friends. Do kids get to go to the movies without their parents anymore?

by Anonymous

reply 9

April 14, 2024 4:05 AM

[quote]The film is banned in Honduras.

The one positive thing you can say about that country.

by Anonymous

reply 10

April 14, 2024 4:10 AM

Doesn't everyone but the nice boy and girl "die" at the end?

by Anonymous

reply 12

April 15, 2024 6:18 PM

Well, not really. When people get "splurged" by the marshmallow guns they don't really die. In fact, all the characters in the big splurging massacre sing a song (with the marshmallow all over their faces) at the very end.

by Anonymous

reply 13

April 15, 2024 6:52 PM

R6- Freaky Friday was released in 1977.

by Anonymous

reply 14

April 15, 2024 6:57 PM

I remember the porno knock-off "Jugsy Malone". The print ads had to say that it was not to be confused with "Bugsy". Like a line of kids would show up outside the Pussycat Theater.

by Anonymous

reply 15

April 15, 2024 7:06 PM