Search/Recent Changes
DBTropes
...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!

The Apple

 The Apple
type
TVTItem
 The Apple
label
The Apple
 The Apple
page
TheApple
 The Apple
comment
A 1980 dystopian, sci-fi, biblical-allegory showbiz disco-rock opera about an evil, all-powerful media mogul and his powerful Boogalow International Music (BIM) Mega-Corp, the young starlet fallen under his corrupting influence and the all-Canadian baby-faced hero determined to get her back out of his evil clutches.Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_1'); })In the far off future of 1994, Canadian singer-songwriters Alphie and Bibi compete in the Worldvision competition. Despite being their being more talented and popular with the audience, Boogalow International Music (BIM) rig the contest to ensure their own band, featuring glam rockers Pandi and Dandi, succeeds instead. In spite of their loss, the wicked Mr. Boogalow attempts to sign the two of them to his label, 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 world as Alphie fights to get her away from Boogalow's diabolical control.One of Cannon Films' first English-language efforts, in trying to capitalize on the success of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Saturday Night Fever and Grease, its outlandish premise winds up having more in common with Brave New World, 1984, All That Jazz and Xanadu, with a little 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 the sharp decline of Disco.Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_2'); })Despite some rather heart-pumping songs and choreography, the prosaic lyrics, trippy aesthetic and off-the-wall script place it squarely in camp territory. However, starting with a 2004 DVD release, the film began to gather a small but dedicated cult following and started appearing on the midnight circuit, especially thanks to the Alamo Drafthouse. A hilarious commentary by RiffTrax was released in 2013.Soundtrack available here.
 The Apple
fetched
2022-08-25T04:26:51Z
 The Apple
parsed
2022-08-25T04:26:51Z
 The Apple
isPartOf
DBTropes
 The Apple / int_11e0d645
type
Arc Symbol
 The Apple / int_11e0d645
comment
Arc Symbol: Triangles. BIM's symbol is a triangle, and they spam it everywhere. The A in the film's title screen is shaped like a triangle.
 The Apple / int_11e0d645
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_11e0d645
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_11e0d645
 The Apple / int_19660a62
type
Non-Specifically Foreign
 The Apple / int_19660a62
comment
Non-Specifically Foreign: Boogalow seems to have no specific nationality. He speaks numerous languages fluently, but has a foreign accent when he speaks English. He tends to drop French into his speech, such as "voila!" His actor, Vladek Sheybal, was Polish.
 The Apple / int_19660a62
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_19660a62
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_19660a62
 The Apple / int_2df4fa08
type
Omniglot
 The Apple / int_2df4fa08
comment
Omniglot: Boogalow gives interviews in English, German, French and Italian. The actor was actually Polish.
 The Apple / int_2df4fa08
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_2df4fa08
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_2df4fa08
 The Apple / int_2ed5e99d
type
Depraved Bisexual
 The Apple / int_2ed5e99d
comment
Depraved Bisexual: Shake and, implicitly, Mr. Boogalow as well.
 The Apple / int_2ed5e99d
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_2ed5e99d
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_2ed5e99d
 The Apple / int_35b241c0
type
Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping
 The Apple / int_35b241c0
comment
Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping: 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.
 The Apple / int_35b241c0
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_35b241c0
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_35b241c0
 The Apple / int_3fca462c
type
Deus ex Machina
 The Apple / int_3fca462c
comment
Deus ex Machina: A near-literal example with Mr. Topps, who is not only a seemingly all-powerful Messianic Archetype, but is never mentioned until moments before he arrives to rescue the heroes.
 The Apple / int_3fca462c
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_3fca462c
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_3fca462c
 The Apple / int_4a852458
type
Big Good
 The Apple / int_4a852458
comment
Big Good: Mr. Topps, who reveals himself in the closing moments of the film to be the obvious God counterpart.
 The Apple / int_4a852458
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_4a852458
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_4a852458
 The Apple / int_53f5119f
type
The Dragon
 The Apple / int_53f5119f
comment
The Dragon: An almost literal example with Shake to Boogalow, who even appears at several points in a flamboyant snake costume to hammer into your head what Biblical allegory he is.
 The Apple / int_53f5119f
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_53f5119f
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_53f5119f
 The Apple / int_58a7abae
type
God Was My Co-Pilot
 The Apple / int_58a7abae
comment
God Was My Copilot: Alternate versions have the hippie patriarch transform into Mr. Topps, instead of the grand entrance from the golden flying car. Makes sense, considering that they're played by the same actor.
 The Apple / int_58a7abae
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_58a7abae
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_58a7abae
 The Apple / int_5da37ab5
type
Triumphant Reprise
 The Apple / int_5da37ab5
comment
Triumphant Reprise: It's not easy to decipher, but the hippies are singing a choral reprise of "Universal Melody" as they march off into the sky to be raptured.
 The Apple / int_5da37ab5
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_5da37ab5
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_5da37ab5
 The Apple / int_5e032315
type
One-Book Author
 The Apple / int_5e032315
comment
One-Book Author: This was George Gilmour's (Alphie) only film role.
 The Apple / int_5e032315
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_5e032315
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_5e032315
 The Apple / int_6b35bdff
type
Serious Business
 The Apple / int_6b35bdff
comment
Serious Business: The BIM Hour, where everyone, regardless of whatever they're doing, breaks into choreographed dance numbers by force of law. In the middle of a house fire. Even during surgery!
 The Apple / int_6b35bdff
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_6b35bdff
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_6b35bdff
 The Apple / int_6bda9a30
type
Meaningful Name
 The Apple / int_6bda9a30
comment
Meaningful Name: Mr. Topps turns out to be God, at the top of it all. Alphie is Adam, the first man. In other words, the alpha. Bibi is Eve, the second human. The Beta, or B.
 The Apple / int_6bda9a30
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_6bda9a30
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_6bda9a30
 The Apple / int_6d332aea
type
Driven to Suicide
 The Apple / int_6d332aea
comment
Driven to Suicide: Alphie almost gives fully into this, according to his landlord after his first attempt to convince Bibi to leave BIM fails. Of course, whether he actually intended to do so or not is, like so many other things in this film, unclear.
 The Apple / int_6d332aea
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_6d332aea
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_6d332aea
 The Apple / int_7130202a
type
Jewish Mother
 The Apple / int_7130202a
comment
Jewish Mother: Alphie's landlady.
 The Apple / int_7130202a
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_7130202a
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_7130202a
 The Apple / int_722b3319
type
Camp Gay
 The Apple / int_722b3319
comment
Camp Gay: Even in a film that oozes camp, Shake is noticeably campier than everyone else as well as a Depraved Bisexual.
 The Apple / int_722b3319
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_722b3319
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_722b3319
 The Apple / int_771f6307
type
Brother–Sister Incest
 The Apple / int_771f6307
comment
Brother–Sister Incest: It's unknown whether Pandi and Dandi are supposed to be siblings. During the trip to Hell, Pandi refers to Dandi as his sister. Unfortunately, with all the ambiguity of what is and isn't considered real or fantasy, one can only figure so much out.
 The Apple / int_771f6307
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_771f6307
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_771f6307
 The Apple / int_7c58fe32
type
Louis Cypher
 The Apple / int_7c58fe32
comment
Louis Cypher: Boogalow again as a human(ish) identity of Satan.
 The Apple / int_7c58fe32
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_7c58fe32
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_7c58fe32
 The Apple / int_7d3f1d63
type
The Ending Changes Everything
 The Apple / int_7d3f1d63
comment
The Ending Changes Everything: In the climax, Mr. Topps - never mentioned until minutes before his arrival - 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 Boogalow's business but is not necessarily a stand-in for hippy culture. With this ending, it completely takes sides in favor of the hippies and portrays them and their love/peace-cause as unambiguously good. 2.) All of Alphie's 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.) Alphie and Bibi are no longer the main characters but the hippies - not introduced until the third act and receiving next to no character development or being spotlighted on their culture - are and get an eschatological meaning. A sequence where Mr. Topps creates the world and Boogalow falls from grace as a prologue was planned, but abandoned due to production troubles (according to The Other Wiki, involving a tiger escaping from the set.)
 The Apple / int_7d3f1d63
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_7d3f1d63
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_7d3f1d63
 The Apple / int_8504b817
type
Where the Hell Is Springfield?
 The Apple / int_8504b817
comment
Where the Hell Is Springfield?: It's unclear where all the action is supposed to take place. Everyone speaks English, save for a few international reporters, but there are a wide range of accents in the cast, including some that aren't supposed to be there. We know that they're not in Canada because Alphie and Bibi are Moosejaw, 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 film was primarily shot in Germany.
 The Apple / int_8504b817
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_8504b817
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_8504b817
 The Apple / int_863fa679
type
What Happened to the Mouse?
 The Apple / int_863fa679
comment
What Happened to the Mouse?: After telling Bibi where to find Alphie, the landlady simply disappears, never to be heard from or even know whether she gets raptured.
 The Apple / int_863fa679
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_863fa679
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_863fa679
 The Apple / int_86b21114
type
Badass Boast
 The Apple / int_86b21114
comment
Badass Boast: The final line, when Boogalow insists that no world can exist without him:
 The Apple / int_86b21114
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_86b21114
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_86b21114
 The Apple / int_86ee8070
type
World of Ham
 The Apple / int_86ee8070
comment
World of Ham: Clearly, subtlety died by 1994.
 The Apple / int_86ee8070
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_86ee8070
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_86ee8070
 The Apple / int_8acbc572
type
Fire and Brimstone Hell
 The Apple / int_8acbc572
comment
Fire and Brimstone Hell: An entire (imagined) musical number takes place there. Compared to the hippie commune of Paradise, it seems quite pleasant.
 The Apple / int_8acbc572
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_8acbc572
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_8acbc572
 The Apple / int_970c790a
type
Big Bad
 The Apple / int_970c790a
comment
Big Bad: Mr. Boogalow, the least subtle analog to Satan ever.
 The Apple / int_970c790a
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_970c790a
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_970c790a
 The Apple / int_9ad6a037
type
Mark of the Beast
 The Apple / int_9ad6a037
comment
Mark of the Beast: The BIM mark, which is a holographic sticker of the company's logo that Boogalow mandates society wear on their person, to the point that violators will be threatened with fines or arrest.
 The Apple / int_9ad6a037
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_9ad6a037
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_9ad6a037
 The Apple / int_9e09fbd7
type
New-Age Retro Hippie
 The Apple / int_9e09fbd7
comment
New-Age Retro Hippie: The only people who try to live free of BIM. Most of them are old enough that they may very well be first wave hippies.
 The Apple / int_9e09fbd7
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_9e09fbd7
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_9e09fbd7
 The Apple / int_aa8dcc21
type
MegaCorp
 The Apple / int_aa8dcc21
comment
Mega-Corp: 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 and dance to their music for an hour each day.
 The Apple / int_aa8dcc21
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_aa8dcc21
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_aa8dcc21
 The Apple / int_ab8e26e2
type
Slipping a Mickey
 The Apple / int_ab8e26e2
comment
Slipping a Mickey: Dandi drugs Bibi early on, and later Pandi does the same in order to sleep with Alphie.
 The Apple / int_ab8e26e2
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_ab8e26e2
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_ab8e26e2
 The Apple / int_ac69f953
type
Lyrical Shoehorn
 The Apple / int_ac69f953
comment
Lyrical Shoehorn: "Meet an actual, actual, actual vampire!"
 The Apple / int_ac69f953
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_ac69f953
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_ac69f953
 The Apple / int_b5b5ba3c
type
Rape Portrayed as Redemption
 The Apple / int_b5b5ba3c
comment
Rape Portrayed as Redemption: Bizarrely inverted. In the first party scene, Pandi orders two (presumably drugged) drinks for her and Alphie, but he downs both 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. Thus at the end, Topps allows her to join the hippies in the Rapture.
 The Apple / int_b5b5ba3c
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_b5b5ba3c
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_b5b5ba3c
 The Apple / int_b5c56995
type
Corrupt the Cutie
 The Apple / int_b5c56995
comment
Corrupt the Cutie: BIM's efforts to control Bibi.
 The Apple / int_b5c56995
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_b5c56995
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_b5c56995
 The Apple / int_b63019a5
type
High-Heel–Face Turn
 The Apple / int_b63019a5
comment
High-Heel–Face Turn: Pandi at the end of the film.
 The Apple / int_b63019a5
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_b63019a5
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_b63019a5
 The Apple / int_bd2812b5
type
Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence
 The Apple / int_bd2812b5
comment
Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence: The fate of the hippies in the end. See The Ending Changes Everything below.
 The Apple / int_bd2812b5
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_bd2812b5
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_bd2812b5
 The Apple / int_bef696dd
type
Mind Screw
 The Apple / int_bef696dd
comment
Mind Screw: 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 or isn't meant to be part of the narrative.
 The Apple / int_bef696dd
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_bef696dd
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_bef696dd
 The Apple / int_c289826f
type
Double Standard Rape: Female on Male
 The Apple / int_c289826f
comment
Double Standard: Rape, Female on Male: Pandi drugs Alphie's drink in order to have her way with him. Not only is this not treated with the seriousness one would expect if the genders were reversed, but Pandi ends up being the only one of Mr. Boogalow's minions to be accepted by Topps despite her committing an act of sexual violation.
 The Apple / int_c289826f
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_c289826f
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_c289826f
 The Apple / int_ca52cc92
type
Canned Orders over Loudspeaker
 The Apple / int_ca52cc92
comment
Canned Orders over Loudspeaker: The setup for the Dark Reprise of "BIM (BIM's on the Way)".
 The Apple / int_ca52cc92
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_ca52cc92
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_ca52cc92
 The Apple / int_d429d0f6
type
Canada, Eh?
 The Apple / int_d429d0f6
comment
Canada, Eh?: Alphie and Bibi are said to be from Moosejaw in Canada, which is repeatedly stated to be a backwater in the middle of nowhere.
 The Apple / int_d429d0f6
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_d429d0f6
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_d429d0f6
 The Apple / int_dbfe8427
type
Intercourse with You
 The Apple / int_dbfe8427
comment
Intercourse with You: Pandi's "Coming" manages to make "Love to Love You Baby" seem subtle, even without the bed-based choreography.
 The Apple / int_dbfe8427
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_dbfe8427
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_dbfe8427
 The Apple / int_e2e4edb2
type
Yiddish as a Second Language
 The Apple / int_e2e4edb2
comment
Yiddish as a Second Language: Alphie's Jewish landlord calls him meshuggah (crazy).
 The Apple / int_e2e4edb2
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_e2e4edb2
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_e2e4edb2
 The Apple / int_e540d1e6
type
Camp
 The Apple / int_e540d1e6
comment
Camp: It's hard to classify the film as anything else due to its outrageous fashion, surreal musical numbers and everyone giving the most ridiculously over-the-top performances committed to celluloid.
 The Apple / int_e540d1e6
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_e540d1e6
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_e540d1e6
 The Apple / int_ea38ddd5
type
Sissy Villain
 The Apple / int_ea38ddd5
comment
Sissy Villain: A huge portion of Boogalow's inner circle fits one overblown Camp Gay stereotype or another.
 The Apple / int_ea38ddd5
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_ea38ddd5
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_ea38ddd5
 The Apple / int_f2d29e14
type
Evil Brit
 The Apple / int_f2d29e14
comment
Evil Brit: Boogalow's bodyguards/henchmen are thuggish, Cockney-esque types with overbites, right down to being played by British actors.
 The Apple / int_f2d29e14
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_f2d29e14
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_f2d29e14
 The Apple / int_f32d85ab
type
20 Minutes into the Future
 The Apple / int_f32d85ab
comment
20 Minutes into the Future: Made in 1979-80, set in the future dystopia of 1994. Originally to be set in 1984 for obvious reasons, but Golan decided that such a date was far too close by to feel futuristic enough and pushed it back by ten more years.
 The Apple / int_f32d85ab
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_f32d85ab
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_f32d85ab
 The Apple / int_f511ea9b
type
Product Placement
 The Apple / int_f511ea9b
comment
Product Placement: A box of Cheerios is visible, as well a factory distributing Coca-Cola.
 The Apple / int_f511ea9b
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_f511ea9b
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_f511ea9b
 The Apple / int_name
type
ItemName
 The Apple / int_name
comment
 The Apple / int_name
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Apple / int_name
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Apple
hasFeature
The Apple / int_name
 The Apple / int_name
itemName
The Apple

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 The Apple
hasFeature
Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence / int_9dad32e3
 The Apple
hasFeature
Camp Straight / int_9dad32e3
 The Apple
hasFeature
Going Cosmic / int_9dad32e3
 The Apple
hasFeature
Rock Me, Asmodeus! / int_9dad32e3
 The Apple
hasFeature
The '90s / int_9dad32e3
 The Apple
hasFeature
WTH, Costuming Department? / int_9dad32e3