Friday, May. 6, 2016

06:00 PM – 08:00 PM
US/Central

Courtesy of Park Circus

Presented by director Julien Temple, who also participates in the post-film discussion moderated by Bill Arning, director of the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

This unconventional musical set in 1950s Britain centers on an 18-year-old photographer (Eddie O'Connell) with a fondness for the neon nightlife of jazz clubs. He is in love with Crepe Suzette (Patsy Kensit), an ambitious young beauty who abandons him for a powerful fashion designer. The former lovers take parallel paths to success, capitalizing on the youth mania gripping the nation. The film's nostalgic, yet gently satirical, look at teen culture is tempered by a recognition of the era's social tension, particularly a disturbing rise in racism. Despite these serious undertones, however, the film tells its story with a colorful vibrancy reminiscent of both MTV and old Hollywood musicals, filled with such show-stopping numbers as a memorable sequence in which David Bowie dances on a giant typewriter. —Allmovie.com

Preceded by "Jazzin’ for Blue Jean"
(Directed by Julien Temple, UK, 1984, 20 minutes) In the extended video for David Bowie’s “Blue Jean,” Vic (Bowie) falls for a girl and promises her tickets for the hottest act in town: rock star Screaming Lord Byron (also played by Bowie). He attains only one ticket, gives it to her, and tries to find another way into the concert. Two other Bowie songs are also included: “Don't Look Down” and “Warszawa.”