Flashdance (1983)

One of the defining cultural touchstones of the decade it came out in, Flashdance is a sloppy, tonally-inconsistent, and amateurishly-crafted film that happens to have an exhilaratingly charismatic lead actress, some instantly-memorable dance sequences, and a soundtrack filled with absolute bangers. While Flashdance got miserable reviews and its studio expected it to be an utter failure, that soundtrack album sold millions of copies and it gradually turned the movie into a word-of-mouth sleeper hit. Ryan is joined by Cheryl and Sylvan for a conversation about this lumpy, ridiculous, and weirdly-compelling movie. Discussion topics include how the movie's central romantic plot points are corrupted by the wide age difference and power levels of the two characters, why Flashdance was smart to prioritize certain elements of itself over others, and how Flashdance is a (probably accidental) indictment of how the neoliberal philosophical ideals popularized by F.A. Hayek affected the arts.