History Film / TheApple

The film details the story of Alphie and Bibi, a pair of musicians in the far off future of [[TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture 1994]] who compete in an international music competition. Despite being the most talented group there, the Boogalow International Music Group (known as BIM) rig the contest to ensure their own band featuring Pandi and Dandi succeeds instead. In spite of their loss, Mr. Boogalow tries to sign the two of them to his label anyway, enticing Bibi into a life of sinful rock and roll that is also slowly corrupting all of humanity. Bibi's popularity allows BIM to eventually take over the entire planet as Alphie struggles to get her away from Mr. Boogalow's diabolical control.

One of [[Creator/TheCannonGroup Cannon Films]]' first English-language efforts, in trying to [[FollowTheLeader capitalize on the success]] of ''Film/SaturdayNightFever'' and ''Film/{{Grease}}'' its outlandish premise winds up having more in common with ''Literature/BraveNewWorld'', ''Literature/NineteenEightyFour'', ''Film/AllThatJazz'' and ''Film/{{Xanadu}}'', with a little ''{{Theatre/Godspell}}'' thrown in hastily at the last minute. In addition to having a very complicated and {{troubled production}}, it proved a major [[BoxOfficeBomb financial]] and critical flop, concurrent with [[DiscoSucks the sharp decline of Disco]].

Despite some rather heart-pumping music and dance numbers, the prosaic lyrics, [[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs trippy aesthetic]] and off-the-wall script place it squarely in {{Camp}} territory. However, starting with its DVD release in 2004, it began to gather a small but dedicated cult following and started appearing on the midnight circuit, especially thanks to regular showings by the Alamo Drafthouse. It was also released in 2012 as a Podcast/{{Rifftrax}} video-on-demand download with their hilarious riffing commentary added.

!!This film contains examples of:

* BadassBoast: The last line of the film, when Boogalow insists that no world can exist without him:
-->'''Mr. Topps''': Let's give it a try.

* BigGood: [[spoiler:Mr. Topps]] who reveals himself in the closing moments of the film to be the obvious God counterpart.

* CanadaEh: Alphie and Bibi are said to be from Moose Jaw in Canada, which is repeatedly stated to be a backwater in the middle of nowhere.

* DepravedBisexual: Shakes and, implicitly, Mr. Boogalow as well.

* DrivenToSuicide: Alphie almost gives fully into this trope according to his landlord after his first attempt to convince Bibi to stop working for Boogalow fails. Of course whether he actually intended to do so or not is, like so many things in this film, unclear.
* TheDragon: An almost literal example with Shakes to Mr. Boogalow, who even appears at several points in a flamboyant snake costume to hammer into your head what Biblical allegory he is.

* EvilBrit: Bibi's bodyguards/captors are the thuggish, Cockney-esque type, right down to being played by British actors.

* GodWasMyCopilot: Alternate versions have [[spoiler:the hippie patriarch transform into Mr. Topps, instead of the grand entrance from the golden flying car. Makes sense, considering that they were played by the same actor]].

* IntercourseWithYou: Pandi's "Coming for You" manages to make "Love to Love You Baby" seem subtle, even without the bed-based choreography.

* MarkOfTheBeast: The BIM mark, which is a holographic sticker of the company's logo that Mr. Boogalow mandates all people wear on their face, to the point that violators will be threatened with fines or arrest.

* MindScrew: The entire film is a bizarre trip where dance numbers and fantasies come out of nowhere and it's very difficult to tell what is meant to be part of the narrative and what isn't.

* {{Omniglot}}: Boogalow gives interviews in English, German, French and Italian. The actor is actually Polish.

* RapePortrayedAsRedemption: Bizarrely {{inverted|Trope}}. At one of the party scenes Pandi orders two (presumably drugged) drinks for her and Alphie, but he drinks down both of them while she smiles sheepishly. Later she has sex with him while he's under the influence. The next day, she, the rapist, is the one who is redeemed, and finally decides to help Bibi escape. [[spoiler: Thus at the end of the film, Mr. Topps allows her to join the hippies in the Rapture.]]

* TriumphantReprise: It's not easy to make out, but [[spoiler: the hippies are singing a choral version of "Universal Melody" as they march off to be raptured]].

* WhereTheHellIsSpringfield: It's unclear where the action is supposed to be taking place through most of the film. Everyone speaks English except a few international reporters, but there are a wide range of accents in the cast, including some that [[OohMeAccentsSlipping aren't supposed to be there]]. We know that they're not in Canada because Alphie and Bibi are from there, and it's not clear whether they're actually in America, because when BIM announces that Bibi will tour America, and she reacts like she's not already in the country. The movie was mostly filmed in Germany.

One of [[Creator/TheCannonGroup Cannon Films]]' first English-language efforts, in trying to [[FollowTheLeader capitalize on the success]] of ''Film/SaturdayNightFever'' and ''Film/{{Grease}}'' its outlandish premise winds up having more in common with ''Literature/BraveNewWorld'', ''Literature/NineteenEightyFour'', ''Film/AllThatJazz'' and ''Film/{{Xanadu}}'', with a little ''{{Theatre/Godspell}}'' thrown in hastily at the last minute. In addition to having a very complicated and {{troubled production}}, it proved a major [[BoxOfficeBomb financial]] and critical flop, concurrent with [[DeaderThanDisco the sharp decline of Disco]].

A [[TheEighties 1980]] [[GenreBusting dystopian, sci-fi, biblical-allegory showbiz disco-rock opera]] about an [[CorruptCorporateExecutive evil, all-powerful media mogul]] and his powerful Boogaloo International Music (BIM) MegaCorp, the [[TheIngenue young starlet]] fallen under his [[CorruptTheCutie corrupting influence]] and the [[AllAmericanFace all-Canadian baby-faced hero]] determined to get her back out of his evil clutches.

* OohMeAccentsSlipping: Scottish George Gilmour ''cannot'' maintain a Canadian accent as Alphie. This is especially noticeable given that co-star Catherine Mary Stewart is an ''actual'' Canadian.

* ThisIsYourPremiseOnDrugs: ''WebVideo/TheCinemaSnob'' said it was a cracked out ''Film/PhantomOfTheParadise'' which was cracked out already.

* ArcSymbol: Triangles. BIM's symbol is a triangle, and they spam it everywhere. The A in the film's title is shaped like a triangle.

* CanadaEh: Downplayed with Alphie and Bibi, who are revealed to be originally from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, but you wouldn't tell from them, as there isn't anything that looks stereotypically Canadian from them.

The film details the story of Alphie and Bibi, a pair of musicians in the far off future of [[TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture 1994]] who compete in an international music competition. Despite being the most talented group there, the Boogalow International Music Group (known as BIM) rig the contest to ensure their own band featuring Pandi and Dandi succeeds instead. In spite of their loss, Mr. Boogalow tries to sign the two of them to his label anyway, enticing Bibi into a life of sinful rock and roll that is also slowly corrupting all of humanity. Bibi's popularity allows BIM to eventually take over the entire planet as Alphie struggles to get her away from Mr. Boogalow's diabolical control. In the grand finale, [[spoiler:the grooviest God and Satan appear to fight for the soul of humanity, with the conclusion being the only Rapture to include a golden Rolls Royce driving off into the sky]].

* GodWasMyCopilot: Alternate versions have [[spoiler:the hippie patriarch transform into Mr. Topps, instead of the grand entrance from the golden flying car]].

* SeriousBusiness: The BIM Hour, where everyone, regardless of whatever they're doing, breaks into choreographed dance numbers by force of law.

The movie details the story of Alphie and Bibi, a pair of musicians in the far off future of [[TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture 1994]] who compete in an international music competition. Despite being the most talented group there, the Boogalow International Music Group (known as BIM) rig the contest to ensure their own band featuring Pandi and Dandi succeeds instead. In spite of their loss, Mr. Boogalow tries to sign the two of them to his label anyway, enticing Bibi into a life of sinful rock and roll that is also slowly corrupting all of humanity. Bibi's popularity allows BIM to eventually take over the entire planet as Alphie struggles to get her away from Mr. Boogalow's diabolical control. In the grand finale, [[spoiler:the grooviest God and Satan appear to fight for the soul of humanity, with the movie ending in the only Rapture to include a golden Rolls Royce driving off into the sky]].

One of [[Creator/TheCannonGroup Cannon Films]]' first English-language efforts, in trying to [[FollowTheLeader follow the success]] of ''Film/SaturdayNightFever'' and ''Film/{{Grease}}'' its outlandish premise winds up having more in common with ''Literature/BraveNewWorld'', ''Literature/NineteenEightyFour'', ''Film/AllThatJazz'' and ''Film/{{Xanadu}}'', with a little ''{{Theatre/Godspell}}'' thrown in hastily at the last minute. In addition to having a very complicated and {{troubled production}}, it proved a major financial and critical flop, concurrent with [[DeaderThanDisco the sharp decline of Disco]].

Despite some rather heart-pumping music and dance numbers, the prosaic lyrics, [[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs trippy aesthetic]], and off-the-wall script place it squarely in {{Camp}} territory. However, starting with its DVD release in 2004, it began to gather a small but dedicated cult following and started appearing on the midnight movie circuit, especially thanks to regular showings by the Alamo Drafthouse. It was also released in 2012 as a Podcast/{{Rifftrax}} video-on-demand download with their mocking commentary added.

* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: Made in 1980, set in the future {{dystopia}} of 1994. Originally the movie was to be set in 19'''84''' for obvious reasons, but Menahem Golan decided that such a date was far too close by to feel futuristic enough and pushed it ahead by ten more years.
* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: The fate of [[spoiler:the hippies]] in the end of the movie. See TheEndingChangesEverything below.

-->'''Mr. Topps:''' Let's give it a try.

* CannedOrdersOverLoudspeaker: The setup for the DarkReprise of "BIM ([[RefrainFromAssuming BIM's On The Way]])". "It is now one minute to four o'clock. Time to stop ordinary activities and prepare for the National BIM Hour. (...) The National Fitness Program is watching ''you''. Five, four, three, two, BIM."[[note]]'''[[Podcast/{{Rifftrax}} Bill Corbett]]:''' (As Creator/JeffFoxworthy) If you ever notice crews installin' hundreds of loudspeakers to tell you what to do, you might live in a cliched dystopia.[[/note]]

* DeusExMachina: A-near literal example with [[spoiler:Mr. Topps]], who is not only a seemingly all-powerful MessianicArchetype, but is never mentioned until moments before [[spoiler:he arrives to rescue the heroes]].
* DrivenToSuicide: Alphie almost gives fully into this trope according to his landlord after his first attempt to convince Bibi to stop working for Boogalow fails. Of course whether he actually intended to do so or not is, like so many things in this movie, unclear.
* TheDragon: An almost literal example with Shakes to Mr. Boogalow, who even appears at several points in the film in a flamboyant snake costume to hammer into your head what Biblical allegory he is.
* TheEndingChangesEverything: In the very end, [[spoiler:Mr. Topps - never mentioned until minutes before he arrives - appears in a Rolls Royce and takes all hippies to heaven or a new planet (or both)]]. This means: 1.) [[spoiler:Up to this point, you could interpret this film as anti-commerce message when Bibi is corrupted by Boogalow's business but is not necessarily a stand-in for hippy culture. With this ending the movie completely takes sides in favor of the hippies and portrays them and their love/peace-cause as unambiguously good.]] 2.) [[spoiler:All of Alphies visions are to be taken literally (Boogalow is not metaphorically that devil but literally, Bibi does not take the forbidden fruit metaphorically but literally etc.)]] 3.) [[spoiler:Alphie and Bibi are no longer the main characters of the movie but the hippies - not introduced until very late in the film and receiving about zero character development or being spotlighted on their culture - are and get an eschatological meaning.]] A sequence where [[spoiler:Mr. Topps creates the world and Boogalow falls from grace]] in the beginning of the movie was planned, but abandoned due to production troubles (according to Wiki/TheOtherWiki, involving a tiger escaping from the set.)

* GodWasMyCopilot: Alternate cuts of the film have [[spoiler:the hippie patriarch transform into Mr. Topps, instead of the grand entrance from the golden flying car.]]

* IntercourseWithYou: Pandi's "I'm Coming" manages to make "Love To Love You Baby" seem subtle, even without the bed-based choreography.

* MindScrew: The entire film is a bizarre trip where dance numbers and fantasies come out of nowhere and its very difficult to tell what is meant to be part of the narrative and what isn't.

* OohMeAccentsSlipping: Scottish George Gilmour ''cannot'' maintain a Canadian accent as Alphie. This is especially noticeable given that his co-star Catherine Mary Stewart is an ''actual'' Canadian.

* TriumphantReprise: It's not easy to make out, but [[spoiler: the hippies are singing a choral version of "Universal Melody" as they march off to be raptured.]]

* OohMeAccentsSlipping: Scottish George Gilmour ''cannot'' maintain a Canadian accent as Alphie.

* WorldOfHam: Clearly, subtlety was dead by 1994.

* TheEndingChangesEverything: In the very end, [[spoiler:Mr. Topps - never mentioned until minutes before he arrives - appears in a Rolls Royce and takes all hippies to heaven or a new planet (or both)]]. This means: 1.) [[spoiler:Up to this point, you could interpret this film as anti-commerce message when Bibi is corrupted by Boogalow's business but is not necessarily a stand-in for hippy culture. With this ending the movie completely takes sides in favor of the hippies and portrays them and their love/peace-cause as unambiguously good.]] 2.) [[spoiler:All of Alphies visions are to be taken literally (Boogalow is not metaphorically that devil but literally, Bibi does not take the forbidden fruit metaphorically but literally etc.)]] 3.) [[spoiler:Alphie and Bibi are no longer the main characters of the movie but the hippies - not introduced until very late in the film and receiving about zero character development or being spotlighted on their culture - are and get an eschatological meaning.]] A sequence where [[spoiler:Mr. Topps creates the world and Boogalow falls from grace]] in the beginning of the movie was planned, but abandoned due to production troubles (according to TheOtherWiki, involving a tiger escaping from the set.)

One of [[Creator/TheCannonGroup Cannon Films]]' first English-language efforts, in trying to [[FollowTheLeader follow the success]] of ''Film/SaturdayNightFever'' and ''Film/{{Grease}}'' its outlandish premise winds up having more in common with ''Literature/BraveNewWorld'', ''Literature/NineteenEightyFour'', ''Film/AllThatJazz'' and ''Film/{{Xanadu}}'', with a little ''{{Theatre/Godspell}}'' thrown in hastily at the last minute. In addition to having a very complicated and troubled production, it proved a major financial and critical flop, concurrent with [[DeaderThanDisco the sharp decline of Disco]].

* DrivenToSuicide: Alphie almost gives fully into this trope according to his landlord after his first attempt to convince Bibi to stop working for Bugalow fails. Of course whether he actually intended to do so or not is, like so many things in this movie, unclear.

* TheEndingChangesEverything: In the very end, [[spoiler:Mr. Topps - never mentioned until minutes before he arrives - appears in a Rolls Royce and takes all hippies to heaven or a new planet (or both)]]. This means: 1.) [[spoiler:Up to this point, you could interpret this film as anti-commerce message when Bibi is corrupted by Bugalow's business but is not necessarily a stand-in for hippy culture. With this ending the movie completely takes sides in favor of the hippies and portrays them and their love/peace-cause as unambiguously good.]] 2.) [[spoiler:All of Alphies visions are to be taken literally (Bugalow is not metaphorically that devil but literally, Bibi does not take the forbidden fruit metaphorically but literally etc.)]] 3.) [[spoiler:Alphie and Bibi are no longer the main characters of the movie but the hippies - not introduced until very late in the film and receiving about zero character development or being spotlighted on their culture - are and get an eschatological meaning.]] A sequence where [[spoiler:Mr. Topps creates the world and Bugalow falls from grace]] in the beginning of the movie was planned but never filmed.

* SlippingAMickey: Dandi drugs Bibi early in the film and later Pandi does the same in order to sleep with Alphie.

* CaliforniaDoubling: The movie is shot in Berlin, obviously so, but pretends really, really hard to be set in various places on the American east and west coast.

* [[AllAmericanFace All-Canadian Face]] / CanadaEh: Alphie and Bibi, who are revealed to be originally from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

* BigGood: [[spoiler:Mr. Topps]] who appears in the closing moments of the film as the obvious God counterpart.

** This trope did ironical leak out into a RealLife example as well. The director, Menahem Golan, later gave an interview in which he revealed that after the film's disastrous opening in Montreal where it was booed relentlessly, he left halfway through the showing and was preparing to jump from the balcony before his business partner stopped him.
* [[TheDragon The Snake]]: Shakes to Mr. Boogalow, who even appears at several points in the film in a flamboyant snake costume to hammer into your head what Biblical allegory he is.

* IntercourseWithYou: Pandi's "I'm Coming" manages to make "Love To Love You Baby" seem subtle. Even without the bed-based choreography.

* ProducePelting: A RealLife variation. According to legend, the audience at the premiere were so horrified that they chucked the film's ''merchandise'' at the screen.
* RapePortrayedAsRedemption: [[InvertedTrope Bizarrely inverted]]. At one of the party scenes Pandi orders two (presumably drugged) drinks for her and Alphie, but he drinks down both of them while she smiles sheepishly. Later she has sex with him while he's under the influence. The next day, she, the rapist, is the one who is redeemed, and finally decides to help Bibi escape. [[spoiler: Thus at the end of the film, Mr. Topps allows her to join the hippies in the Rapture.]]

* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: Made in 1980, set in the future {{dystopia}} of 1994. Originally the movie was to be set in 19'''84''' for obvious reasons, but Menahem Golan decided that such a date was far too close by to feel futuristic enough and pushed it ahead by ten more years.

* NewAgeRetroHippie: The only people who try to live free of BIM.

* CaliforniaDoubling: The movie is shot in Berlin, obviously so, but pretends really, really hard to be set in various places on the American east and west coast.

* MegaCorp: BIM. Eventually they become so powerful, the government requires everyone to wear their logo (referred to as "the BIM Mark") and stop all activity to listen to their music for an hour each day.

* SeriousBusiness: The BIM Hour, where everyone, regardless of whatever they're doing, breaks into choreographed dance numbers.

Despite some rather heart-pumping music and dance numbers, the prosaic lyrics, [[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs trippy aesthetic]], and off-the-wall script place it squarely in {{Camp}} territory. However, starting with its DVD release in 2004, it began to gather a small but dedicated cult following and started appearing on the midnight movie circuit, especially thanks to regular showings by the Alamo Drafthouse. It was also released in 2012 as a Podcast/Rifftrax video-on-demand download with their mocking commentary added.

* DepravedBisexual: Shakes, implicitly Mr. Boogalow as well.

* DrivenToSuicide: Alphie is indicated as almost giving in fully into this trope by his landlord after failing to convince Bibi to stop working for Bugalow.
** There is also an ironic RealLife example as well. The director, Menahem Golan, later gave an interview in which he revealed that after the film's disastrous opening in Montreal where it was booed relentlessly, he left halfway through the showing and was preparing to jump from the balcony before his business partner stopped him.

* DrivenToSuicide: The director, Menahem Golan, later gave an interview in which he revealed that after the film's disastrous opening in Montreal where it was booed relentlessly, he left halfway through the showing and was preparing to jump from the balcony before his business partner stopped him.

* TheEndingChangesEverything: In the very end, [[spoiler:Mr. Topps - never mentioned until minutes before he arrives - appears in a Rolls Royce and takes all hippies to heaven or a new planet (or both)]]. This means: 1.) [[spoiler:Up to this point, you could interpret this film as anti-commerce message when Bibi is corrupted by Bugalow's business but is not necessarily a stand-in for hippy culture. With this ending the movie completely takes sides in favor of the hippes and portrays them and their love/peace-cause as unambiguously good.]] 2.) [[spoiler:All of Alphies visions are to be taken literally (Bugalow is not metaphorically that devil but literally, Bibi does not take the forbidden fruit metaphorically but literally etc.)]] 3.) [[spoiler:Alphie and Bibi are no longer the main characters of the movie but the hippies - not introduced until very late in the film and receiving about zero character development or being spotlighted on their culture - are and get an eschatological meaning.]] A sequence where [[spoiler:Mr. Topps creates the world and Bugalow falls from grace]] in the beginning of the movie was planned but never filmed.

* DrivenToSuicide: The director, Menahem Globus, later gave an interview in which he revealed that after the film's disastrous opening in Montreal where it was booed relentlessly, he left halfway through the showing and was preparing to jump from the balcony before his business partner stopped him.

* TheEndingChangesEverything: [[spoiler:In the very end, Mr. Topps - never mentioned until minutes before he arrives - appears in a Rolls Royce and takes all hippies to heaven or a new planet (or both). This means: 1.) Up to this point, you could interpret this film as anti-commerce message when Bibi is corrupted by Bugalow's business but is not necessarily a stand-in for hippy culture. With this ending the movie completely takes sides in favor of the hippes and portrays them and their love/peace-cause as unambiguously good. 2.) All of Alphies visions are to be taken literally (Bugalow is not metaphorically that devil but literally, Bibi does not take the forbidden fruit metaphorically but literally etc.) 3.) Alphie and Bibi are no longer the main characters of the movie but the hippies - not introduced until very late in the film and receiving about zero character development or being spotlighted on their culture - are and get an eschatological meaning.]] A sequence where [[spoiler:Mr. Topps creates the world and Bugalow falls from grace]] in the beginning of the movie was planned but never filmed.