Joseph Brooks did not "Light Up My Life" in this idiotic romantic drama that he wrote, directed, starred in and wrote the songs. In fact, I would have given this the award for worst song written for opening movie credits ever, painful to listen to tell both in lyrics and music and definitely for the person singing it. The few people who saw this when it was released probably had nightmares that evening if they were able to sleep since it most likely set in their ears like a big ball of wax that just won't loosen.
I doubt anybody outside of actual jingle writers care about how jingle songs are written and how they are sold, and that make Brooks someone whom the audience most likely didn't care about. It's like the relationship between father Joe Silver and Didi Conn in Brooks previous movie "You Light Up My Life" working as far as vaudevillians in 1977. He might as well have written about mimes or accordion players.
When I hear the name of Shelley Hack, I don't automatically think of "Charlie's Angels" or her TV movie, but a wisecrack made at her expense on "Golden Girls". She's a decent actress who unfortunately will forever have her name associated for one of the most reviled movies ever, and was awarded along with Brooks a nomination of worst couple, beaten out by John Travolta and Lily Tomlin in "Moment by Moment". This got worst film that year, not a surprise.
1978 was the first year I really started seeing a lot of movies in the theater, so I've seen my share of stinkers from back then, and I must agree that this is the worst of those. The stars have absolutely no chemistry and Brooks is completely unappealing leading man, even though you're supposed to have sympathy with him being a widowed father. The film relies too heavy on manipulating emotions and when it lightens up, it's to corny to describe. The sound recording makes both Brooks and Hack sound like they're talking in a tunnel which doesn't give any sense of romance. Unfortunately, it lacks unintentional camp because it's an excruciating bore on the level of a Lifetime movie, the type of film that would never be considered for mainstream theatrical release.
I doubt anybody outside of actual jingle writers care about how jingle songs are written and how they are sold, and that make Brooks someone whom the audience most likely didn't care about. It's like the relationship between father Joe Silver and Didi Conn in Brooks previous movie "You Light Up My Life" working as far as vaudevillians in 1977. He might as well have written about mimes or accordion players.
When I hear the name of Shelley Hack, I don't automatically think of "Charlie's Angels" or her TV movie, but a wisecrack made at her expense on "Golden Girls". She's a decent actress who unfortunately will forever have her name associated for one of the most reviled movies ever, and was awarded along with Brooks a nomination of worst couple, beaten out by John Travolta and Lily Tomlin in "Moment by Moment". This got worst film that year, not a surprise.
1978 was the first year I really started seeing a lot of movies in the theater, so I've seen my share of stinkers from back then, and I must agree that this is the worst of those. The stars have absolutely no chemistry and Brooks is completely unappealing leading man, even though you're supposed to have sympathy with him being a widowed father. The film relies too heavy on manipulating emotions and when it lightens up, it's to corny to describe. The sound recording makes both Brooks and Hack sound like they're talking in a tunnel which doesn't give any sense of romance. Unfortunately, it lacks unintentional camp because it's an excruciating bore on the level of a Lifetime movie, the type of film that would never be considered for mainstream theatrical release.