Thorkell A Ottarsson This was a huge favorite of mine as a teenager. I have been looking for a copy of the film for the longest time and finally found one in Germany. It's strange that it's so hard to get a copy of a big cult film like this one.The film captures well the essence of punk. It is about Nicky and Pamela, two teenage NYC girls. Nicky is from the streets with a dark past and from a broken home. She has serious anger issues but is street smart and has artistic talents. Pamela is from a rich (political) family, with the security that Nicky never had but suffers because her father does not understand her. She is a great poet and full of empathy but has never dared to live her life or take a chance. They meet at a hospital and run away. Together they start a mini punk renaissance in New York CIty.Into this mix comes a radio host called Johnny LaGuardia (played by Tim Curry) who got a letter from Pamela before she ran away. When he finds out that Pamela is living on the streets he decides to use it to get a small scoop but also to fight against the politics Pamela's father stands for. Johnny LaGuardia wants NYC to stay as it is while Pamela's father wants to clean up the streets. Tim Curry is the weakest link in this film. It's hard to tell if it is because of the script or because he or the director did not understand Johnny LaGuardiahe. Tim Curry plays him as some kind of prophet while everything points to him being a self serving, fame seeking egocentric megalomaniac. Tim Curry is at least never a convincing prophet and we never get the feeling that Tim Curry is playing him sarcastically either. Not every scene works in this film and it does not hold perfectly together but it has a very rich soul and a desire for sincerity which is very contagious. It also captures well the culture of NYC in the late 70s/early 80s and the reason why punk spoke to the youths. And it has one of the best sound track ever (including The Ramones, The Cure, XTC, Lou Reed, Gary Numan, Talking Heads, Garland Jeffreys, Joe Jackson, Suzi Quatro, Roxy Music, Patti Smith and The Pretenders.) and a lot of wonderful poetry, like this one:"Dear Daddy, I am not kidnapped. I am me-napped, I am soul-napped, I am Nicky-napped, I am happy-napped.We are having our own renaissance."

moonspinner55 Nothing within the musical scenario of "Times Square" rings true. The minutiae of the narrative (slim as it is) never matches up with the film's look, nor the soundtrack selections, nor the age-old theme about struggling talents hoping to break through. Two teenage girls (Trini Alvarado and Robin Johnson, both likable), who are patients in a New York City hospital, escape their confines and move into an abandoned warehouse; after attracting media coverage via a prominent disc-jockey, the kids become cult celebrities. Johnson, who resembles a young Joan Jett, comes on like a little punk rocker-in-the-making, so its surprising (and rather disconcerting) when her moment in the spotlight finally arrives and she's transformed into a New Wave caricature (or, perhaps, a "Rocky Horror" patron). The filmmakers here are clueless as to musical trends, and probably couldn't separate punk from pop or rock from New Wave if they were forced to. It's a lazy, disjointed fairy tale, a film so shallow that it never resembles what the story is meant to be about: young outcasts finding their voices and their freedom through music. For director Allan Moyle, it's all about putting on a show. Perhaps he'd seen too many Judy Garland pictures... *1/2 from ****

Nicolaus-4 Times Square was my favorite movie 20 years ago and I still love it today! I watched it again this weekend and now I can't stop thinking about it. It is such a shame that no one can find the deleted scenes. I would pay almost anything to see them.Robin Johnson was my hero as Nicky, and the proto-type for the kind of butch girl I've been attracted to ever since. I wish she was still acting. After hearing her on the commentary of the DVD, I wonder how long it took her to lose her New York accent. Does anyone know if she is gay?I still love the sound track and didn't even mind the obviously mismatched inclusion of the BeeGees song (my musical tastes are very eclectic)--I thought the lyrics went with the plot.Thanks to Allan Moyle for the great idea for the movie and to Robin Johnson for helping me out of the closet!

astojek Maybe I was too young and dreamy when I watched this movie, but my friends and I could not stop talking about this through high school years. It is unfortunate that Robin Johson did not pursue her career, I did recognize her in Miami Vice (she played a hooker former-hooker or something), though. On the other hand, I did not recognize Trini at all in Paulie. No offense, but I doubt that curly hair Pepsi kid would grow up to look like her.in retrospect, story may have not been that great over all, but sound track is awesome. I spent too long trying to find a used record.The movie magazines I used to read said that Robin Johson was found out by a talent agency when she was going to Brookly Vocational School or something, but it could be wrong like many other stories like how Natalie Portman was spotted at a Pizza place on Long Island.... Does anyone know for sure how Robin was scouted??? I'm too curious, now...