Summary
Overview
The How Did This Get Made podcast crew—Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael, and Jason Mantzoukas, joined by guest Alison Brie—dissect the 1984 breakdancing film Body Rock starring Lorenzo Lamas. They explore the film's bizarre plot about Chili, an untalented but inexplicably successful performer, while debating everything from breakdancing's legitimacy as an art form to the film's problematic protagonist and off-beat musical numbers.
Introduction and Film Context
The hosts introduce Body Rock, a 1984 film only available on YouTube, calling it a travesty that such a spectacle isn't in high definition. They welcome guest Alison Brie, who reveals she watched the movie twice and even learned breakdancing for GLOW Season 2. The crew immediately notes how the film captures grimy 1980s New York in a way that's "not super cool" but authentic, and they marvel at Lorenzo Lamas's impressive chest hair and fashion choices.
- Body Rock is only available on YouTube, not in any proper format
- Lorenzo Lamas wears two open vests over what appears to be chest hair so thick it looks like a shirt
- Alison Brie learned breakdancing for GLOW Season 2 and watched Body Rock twice
- The film captures grimy 1980s New York authentically, unlike more stylized films of the era
" At one point, I was like, he's wearing two open vests and then a shirt under it, and I was like, that shirt is his chest. He's just so hairy that I mistook his chest hair for another shirt. "
The Untalented Protagonist Problem
The hosts dissect the fundamental flaw of Body Rock: Chili is a lead character with no discernible talent who inexplicably succeeds. They note he's selfish, violent, homophobic, and misogynistic, treating everyone terribly while never apologizing or redeeming himself. Yet the movie treats him as a hero, with all his friends forgiving him despite his betrayals. The hosts compare him unfavorably to similar characters in Cocktail and Staying Alive, who at least had charm.
- Chili has no talent but succeeds anyway, with no narrative about being exposed as talentless
- Chili treats everyone like shit, then when treated poorly himself, his friends defend him
- The movie includes two learning-to-breakdance montages, but we never see Chili breakdance in performance
- Unlike similar 80s movies, Chili lacks any charm or redeeming qualities
" I don't care for him. And I don't want to. Like, I both, There's a lot of, We're not saying Lorenzo, by the way. We're saying the character Chili is written as having nothing about him that is interesting. "
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