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Times Square

Play trailer Poster for Times Square R Released Oct 17, 1980 1h 51m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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50% Tomatometer 16 Reviews 73% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
A late-night New York disc jockey (Tim Curry) follows the punk-rock antics of two runaway teenage girls (Trini Alvarado, Robin Johnson).
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Times Square

Critics Reviews

View All (16) Critics Reviews
Gary Arnold Washington Post Until something more objectionable hits the fan, "Times Square" will suffice as the new movie most worth ducking. May 10, 2017 Full Review Fiona Ferguson Time Out Socially irresponsible and refreshingly optimistic: a Wizard of Oz for the '80s. Jun 24, 2006 Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Times Square rarely comes together into anything more than a good idea that fails, but there are times when it seems on the brink of wonderful things. Rated: 2/4 Oct 23, 2004 Full Review Imran Khan PopMatters A sheer punk rock drive engenders them. Johnson and Alvarado simply get up in front of the cameras and show the world what they’re made of. Rated: 7/10 Aug 10, 2022 Full Review Eve Tushnet Patheos There are so many iconic love scenes here... Jul 14, 2022 Full Review Jas Keimig The Stranger (Seattle, WA) Times Square is almost a really good cult movie. But the jumbled narrative (and a weird scene where the girls sing a racist song) makes the film lack a certain gut punch. Feb 1, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jim P A bang average movie about runaways in NYC. But with a banging soundtrack! Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/08/24 Full Review Steve D I had a blast and think the actors should have been stars after this. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Nicky Marotta (Robin Johnson, D.O.A.) and Pamela Pearl (Trini Alvarado, The Frighteners) meet in a place where it seems like all hope is gone: New York Neurological Hospital. Nicky just got sent there by the cops after she wouldn't stop playing guitar in the streets and trashed a car. Pamela is there so she can stop embarrassing her father (Peter Coffield), a wealthy politician out to clean up Times Square. They define fast friends and why Nicky has to return to see her social worker, she breaks Pamela out and they hide out on the Chelsea Pier. DJ Johnny LaGuardia (Tim Curry, as always incredible) figures out that the missing rich girl and a regular listener named Zombie Girl are one and the same. As part of his battle against the campaign to gentrify the Deuce, he reaches out to the girls who have formed a band called The Sleez Sisters. He helps get the word out — perhaps to further his own agenda — as the girls write scathing letters to the adults in their lives, perform raucous concerts on the air and throw TV sets into the streets from tall buildings. The rebellion and joy they find in the band ultimately pushes the two apart, as it helps Pamela recognize that she's a worthy person while Nicky runs from belonging and safety. But the redemptive power of rock and roll can save everyone. "If they treat you like garbage, put on a garbage bag. If they treat you like a bandit, black out your eyes!" yells Nicky at one point. Moyle was inspired by a diary that he found hidden in a second-hand couch, one that told the life story of mentally disturbed young woman who lived on the streets. He said, "This girl was burning the candle at both ends. She would go into bars — she was too young — but she would go in anyway and get arrested. She had no intention of reaching the age of 21." Somehow, this movie made its way to producer Robert Stigwood, who saw it as another Saturday Night Fever. He deleted the lesbian scenes — which is near impossible, as the entire movie is about the relationship between two young women. Moyle left the film before it was finished, upset that he needed to include scenes to sell the soundtrack. Man, Robert Stigwood… As part of her role in this Times Square, Johnson signed an exclusive three-year contract with the Robert Stigwood Organization. RSO would develop film and music projects for her and market her as the "the female John Travolta." As her contract legally barred her from accepting offers or auditions from rival companies, she turned down work for years and worked in a bank until her contract ran out. She finally gave up on acting and worked as a traffic reporter on a Los Angeles radio station. As for the soundtrack, it features The Ramones, The Cure, XTC, Lou Reed, Gary Numan, Talking Heads, Garland Jeffreys, Joe Jackson, Suzi Quatro, Roxy Music, Patti Smith and The Pretenders. The RSO influence comes in for the Robin Gibb and Marci Levy song "Help Me!" that runs over the credits. There are also songs by the cast: "Damn Dog" by Johnson, "Your Daughter Is One" by Johnson and Alvarado, and "Flowers of the City" by Johnson and New York Dolls singer David Johansen. The lyrics to those songs came from the film's writer, Jacob Brackman, who also wrote "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" and "Haven't Got Time for the Pain" with Carly Simon, as well as the song "Two Looking at One" from The Karate Part II and the movie The King of Marvin Gardens. Times Square wasn't a success upon release, but much like Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains, the fans that it made — like Manic Street Preachers and Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill and Le Tigre — would make their own noise soon enough. As for Moyle, he'd go on to make two other generational films that didn't find an immediate audience: Pump Up the Volume and Empire Records. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member The story of two young girls in New York City. One is a shelter and nervous girl (Trini Alvarado) and the other (Robin Johnson) is a tough punk from the streets. The two meet in a hospital and escape together. This film has style and the soundtrack is great. Tim Curry is good as a radio DJ. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Audience Member Love this Soundtrack Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 11/30/17 Full Review Audience Member not a great movie, but a killer soundtrack that i still listen to today. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/23/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Times Square

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis A late-night New York disc jockey (Tim Curry) follows the punk-rock antics of two runaway teenage girls (Trini Alvarado, Robin Johnson).
Director
Allan Moyle
Producer
Robert Stigwood, Jacob Brackman
Distributor
Associated Film Distribution
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 17, 1980, Limited
Runtime
1h 51m
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