Flashdance
Paramount Pictures (1983)
Some movies are better known for their soundtrack than for the movie itself. Flashdance, which was released 40 years ago today, is at the top of that list. Just about everybody who was alive in the 20th century has heard Irene Cara belt out What A Feeling and Michael Sembello's hit single Maniac, but I'd be willing to bet that fewer than half of those people could identify the movie that it was made for, and an even smaller number of people could describe the plot of the film with anything more detailed than "female welder who is an aspiring dancer".
This movie was torn to shreds by the critics at the time, but it went on to become the third highest grossing film of 1983. Still, it doesn't seem to be held in the same regard today as many of the other hit films of the early to mid 80's. I'm not going to say that it's my all-time favorite or anything, but it's definitely worth watching.
