May 4, 2024 is the 40th anniversary of the theatrical release of Breakin' - the cult classic breakdance film! Here is an encore presentation of our original episode from 2022.

Also check out:

Rock the Bells: Oral History of Breakin'

Credits

Hip Hop Movie Club is produced by your HHMCs JB, BooGie, and DynoWright. Theme music by BooGie. Follow @hiphopmovieclub on Instagram!

Mentioned in this episode:

HHMC Rewind: Breakin'

Originally released May 11, 2022.

Joe Reagan normal.

2

Welcome to Hip Hop Movie Club, where three

old heads put their old heads together

3

to vibe on some of the most memorable

or forgettable

4

hip hop themed movies of all time.

5

And here's HHMC with your emcees Boogie.

6

JB and DynoWright.

7

C'mon! Bring it!

8

Welcome to Season one, Episode three.

9

Breakin'

10

Breakin', also known as "Breakdancing:

11

the Movie" was directed by Joel Silberg

with story by Charles Parker

12

and Allen DeBevoise.

13

The two of them also wrote the screenplay with

14

Gerald Scaife. The film stars

Adolfo "Shabba Doo" Quinones as Ozone,

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Michael "Boogaloo Shrimp" Chambers

as Turbo and Lucinda Dickey as Kelly.

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Christopher McDonald and Ice-T

also featured

17

in this movie.

18

Breakin' is a 1984 movie

in which a young, aspiring

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jazz dancer, Kelly, aims

to elevate her skills to a new level.

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Perhaps into a main profession,

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as well as

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escape her lustful dance

instructor Franco.

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She finds escape and is enlightened

into the world of street dancing, a.k.a.

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breakdancing.

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Upon meeting Ozone and Turbo,

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young stars in this innovative style

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as their friendship blossomed,

so does her skill set.

28

She is all in on

promoting the art of breakdancing

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and exorcizing her past

and any haters along the way.

30

One

31

So what do we like about this film?

32

You want to kick us off Boogie?

33

Sure.

34

Breakin' is one of those movies

35

that I grew up watching,

so I always enjoyed watching it.

36

This is one of those coming of age movies

where you have people that are trying

37

to make a way when they feel like

they don't have a way, and in happenstance

38

they come across someone who offers them

hope and a chance

39

to kind of take what they're doing

and make the situation better.

40

So with that,

I mean, the scenes and the dance battles

41

and dancing in the movie is always

something I always enjoyed watching.

42

I always tried to emulate that dancing

when I was a kid.

43

I used to have my box out out in the

front of the house in my music playing.

44

You know, the dancing always was something

that captivated me, you know, Turbo

45

and Ozone, the two characters played by

46

The late great

Shabba Doo and Boogaloo Shrimp.

47

They had a chemistry like a

a Laurel and Hardy

48

type chemistry where they fed off

of each other's energy.

49

So the scenes with the two of them,

they had a lot of comedic presence

50

about the two of them, even when they were

not necessarily trying to be comedic.

51

I think it was more so the tone of

the movie, they kept it light hearted

52

So even in some of those serious scenes,

they were very comedic.

53

So it's always good

to see those two onscreen together.

54

The dancing and the lightheartedness

of the movie was something I always enjoy.

55

It focuses on breakdancing,

but it's not necessarily

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a lot of rap music in it, although you do

see some cameos of rappers in the movie.

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But the tone of the movie was always

something that I enjoy.

58

Donna. Right. Want to add anything?

59

So I like that.

60

Since we had two New York movies,

we're now on the West Coast

61

and actually see what that culture's like

in terms of early hip hop.

62

So I enjoyed that. Yeah, I agree.

63

It was nice to see the West Coast right

I enjoyed the film.

64

I hadn't seen it since I was a kid

65

and for some reason, break

into stood out to me more in my memory.

66

Maybe because the catchy title, Electric

Boogaloo but I'm glad I rewatched it.

67

I would think for all intents

and purposes, breaking really

68

for real, put breakdancing

into the mainstream of American conscious.

69

Right.

70

I think the other films that we reviewed

so far, like a beach street

71

while still more like still underground,

still a little bit more raw.

72

Now you see children breakdancing,

you see them having a good time with it,

73

converting jazz dancers

into break dancers.

74

And I remember as a kid

wanting to also emulate ozone

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and Turbo,

we're emulating their moves and all that.

76

If I saw this correctly,

the movie had a small budget

77

of like 1.2 million, and it garnered

almost $39 million at the box office.

78

Back. And,

you know, back then, that's huge.

79

Oh, yeah, absolutely.

80

Major distributor Golden Globe is,

you know, that's a major distributor

81

for films at that time.

82

So it definitely pushed it

to the forefront, as you say.

83

And it kicks off right away.

84

You see the fashion moonwalk, right?

85

And the opening scenes and

there was a little dude there, not Turbo,

86

but a real little dude who was like, well,

this is their hot shot.

87

But that's what it

88

appears on both breaking

and breaking to me.

89

Both of them. Were so impressive, right?

90

The term pop in and lock in is used.

91

That's the first time I had heard that.

92

And there are some like epic scenes

in the Turbos Broom dance scene

93

where he's dancing alongside the broom

outside the convenience store where

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he knows own work.

95

And it's almost like a magic trick.

96

He's, like, controlling the broom

and dancing around it.

97

And that was that was pretty sweet.

98

Yeah. That's a classic scene right there.

99

Anybody that you know knows break

and remembers that scene.

100

And they always point that scene out

when they were in a store.

101

And Orson Welles was they refer to him

as Fred Astaire, and he's like,

102

Who And then he goes outside his door

and he has a Fred Astaire moment.

103

Yeah.

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I mean, not to get ahead on breaking two,

but I think, you know, when Reagan two

105

is the one where the you know,

he dances on this on the side of the walls

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and on the ceilings.

107

And so that and that they emulated

some Fred Astaire with that also.

108

So they tried to bring some classic there

109

culture really was shown

and the Ozone Dubs

110

Kelly special k, you know that's a

you know people monikers and nicknames

111

and I like that there was a storyline

in that you could understand.

112

Yeah.

113

Like I mentioned in the synopsis, Kelly's

dance instructor was a creep.

114

Very lustful. Right.

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Tried to advance on her with a kiss,

and she's she wants none of it.

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And, you know, she runs away.

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And it's a theme throughout.

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Even the agent that she taught

agent is a shady character

119

where it's almost like

he wants to be a love interest for. Her.

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And she just wants to advance her career.

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So you see a lot of that

and that agent James James Wilcox,

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I think it was was played

by McDonald was the name Chris.

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Chris, Chris.

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McDonald.

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Chris Chris McDonald, who played

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Shooter McGavin is part I remember him

most for and Happy Gilmore film.

127

I saw him with the like curlier hair

and I'm like, that's shoot him again.

128

And so that. Was kind of fun.

129

Yeah.

130

Yeah.

131

I remember him from all this, too.

132

Please remember.

133

Yeah.

134

Yeah. He's been with a lot of stuff.

135

Yeah, he's he's had extensive career.

136

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

137

Into some TV shows and whatnot, right?

138

Yeah, there was some,

there were some funny scenes.

139

There was a one scene also.

140

They were having lunch and there was these

redneck guys maybe demonstrate

141

throwing a quarter at them.

142

And then Turbo, you know, love Turbo's

Moxie standing up to the people.

143

And you'll see that throughout.

That's the series, right?

144

And he just stands up comes water.

145

And the guy, the barroom brawl ensues

and they end up escaping

146

and they're beating each other up.

So that was kind of silly.

147

I like that.

148

Yeah.

149

There's a lot of can't be fun in

this movie, which I enjoyed

150

it. Just the whole leotard thing within

151

the eighties is nostalgic and fun for you.

152

You don't really see that anymore

153

unless you're like on purpose

trying to be retro or vintage.

154

But of.

155

Funny to see that leotard and leg warmers

156

as contrasted with like all the leather

studded leather belts and bracelets

157

and things that I forgot that

whole part of the whole early hip hop.

158

Scene.

159

And the big.

160

Dangling earrings would.

161

Think dangling earrings.

162

I was drawing connections

to like the punk scene with like that

163

had leather belts and stuff.

164

Absolutely.

165

There's there's some kindred spirit

happening between early hip hop and.

166

Oh yeah. At that time with punk.

167

I had a moment.

168

Yeah. I mean, these are all outside.

169

You're against the norm. Right?

170

Nobody has seen

171

this style of Dance Street, and they're

both kind of like street cultures, right?

172

Yeah. Yeah. Subcultures and

173

ahead of their time.

174

Sure.

175

Also thought you saw

176

the battle

177

between ozone and turbo and electro rock.

178

Oh, yeah, true. Right.

So there's electro rock crew.

179

That's they're the rivals

so you see them bump heads a few times.

180

Was interesting.

181

Yeah.

182

I liked I always like the presence

of the electoral rock guys, man.

183

One of my favorite pop lockers is actually

184

one of the electoral electoral rock,

Bruno Falcon.

185

He's a very well known West Coast

pop laugher.

186

Even if you you know Google his name.

187

I remember maybe, maybe a year or so ago,

there's videos circulating

188

on Facebook with him pop locking,

and he's got like long gray hair.

189

Yeah. Still going at it.

You know, doing it.

190

Yeah.

191

Still doing it.

192

It was some classic songs as well.

193

Like you mentioned Boogie.

194

There was not real like true

hip hop in this.

195

A lot of beats, but also but there was

the classic there's no stopping us

196

early on, Molly and Jerry.

197

Mm hmm. Classic.

198

Right. In the opening.

199

And that kind of sets the tone.

I like that.

200

There was another Chaka Khan song later on

201

and not recalling it right now or anybody.

202

Yeah, I know, but here we go.

203

You know? But it's the exact great, right?

204

Yeah.

205

Yeah, that was when

206

there was some little romantic interludes

kind of between Kelly and Ozone, right?

207

That's. You see that song? Come on. The

208

classic song right there, or.

209

I love that song.

210

Yeah.

211

Although I had the name slipped my mind

for a second, too.

212

Yeah.

213

That's why I was like, the

the contrast between terminals.

214

Kind of like a street dance and culture.

215

And, you know, they come at a high class

party at the end and they show up.

216

There was a funny line with Turbo,

who just is the more comedic one,

217

as you said, and there's a type of cheese

that he never saw.

218

Oh, you you say you said something like,

219

would you like this pig cheese

or something?

220

Yeah.

221

He's the cheese.

222

Big cheese.

223

Pizza, single woman. Awesome. Pig cheese.

224

Yeah. Yeah,

225

see another. One? Cheese.

226

Yeah.

227

He's charming the older ladies, right?

228

But I absolutely loved him.

229

Yeah, exactly. He did.

230

Yeah.

231

There was another.

232

So that whole juxtaposition with the

the ultraconservative folks,

233

and there's a big contest at the end,

and they're getting denied.

234

This is a common theme.

235

Kelly

kept getting denied in her own auditions.

236

At one point,

she put on a wig to try to look blond.

237

That's not what they wanted, right?

238

She kept failing.

And then even this bigger contest

239

where the creepy Franco instructor was at,

right?

240

James, the agent, had a hard time

getting called all this contest.

241

Couldn't get them in.

242

Finally, you know,

he has them show up in top hats and suits,

243

looking all formal

and got them under a fake name.

244

Put them a Trojan horse.

245

Yeah, he's. Actually a lawsuit, right?

246

He called them, like Allegro,

which is a fancy Italian act.

247

Right. And he gets them in.

248

They start breakdancing and stuff

like that and turning heads,

249

and they kind of told, you know,

we don't like your style, whatever,

250

these old, decrepit judges and whatnot,

but they still rip

251

in the sleeves and just, you know,

continue to dance, don't give up.

252

And I like that scene at the end.

253

There is a good scene.

254

Makes redemption.

255

Yeah.

256

They broke through in. A.

257

Got there there

well deserved shine and they got noticed.

258

Right there.

259

But nobody wanted to give him a chance

260

and they had even seen what they could do

he just went off of pure appearance.

261

I don't like the look like,

oh, no, you're not professional.

262

But when they sat down and let them do

what they could do, they all enjoyed it.

263

Exactly. It was funny.

264

The old crusty judge kept saying,

Go away like three or four times.

265

Finally, the younger judge was like,

Hold on a second, I want a second.

266

And then they finally all came around.

267

They were like even dancing on the tables.

268

And Franco was trying to get them

269

to get the judges to dismiss them,

and they were like, Pull away.

270

You ever watch this.

271

Frankenstorm sound like the baby?

272

That is.

273

And then there's a big music video type

feel at the end.

274

Again, there's no stopping us.

275

Was headlining at the Street Jazz Show.

276

You know, towards the end,

they they teased the sequel.

277

I remember the closing credits, so we knew

that there was going to be a sequel.

278

Oh, you think they voted no right away?

279

Yep. This story is true.

280

So we report.

281

See exactly what? Ice-T.

282

Yeah.

283

Yeah.

284

Very young and spry. Ice-T.

285

I mean, he spry now,

but was really like, wow.

286

Like, he's back from back then.

287

He's from back in the day.

Back in the day.

288

Yeah. Yeah.

289

Now he's on my cereal box

in the back of my Cheerios.

290

You see that?

291

That's the dance in

the morning with coach Ice-T.

292

I'll put that in the stories.

293

But I was like, Oh, that's nice.

294

T like the body can't get it.

295

Like Team Cheerios, cereal Cheerios. Box.

296

Are they on

297

anyway? Ice-T.

298

Yeah.

299

Iced teas, rapping,

emceeing the event at the radio Tron Club.

300

And, yeah, he's

one of his early performances.

301

Absolutely.

302

Salute to the OG Ice-T.

303

Oh, the one of the funny thing,

too, is the agent, James McGavin.

304

You know, he's trying to fit in, right?

305

And he's, like, trying

306

he doesn't know how to do a handshake

with Turbo, and he wants to be caught.

307

He ends up buying them matching jackets

with the initials TCL if you cut that off,

308

you'll. Feel.

309

Right for each of their initials,

you know, Turbo, Kelly and Ozone.

310

And that's what they go buy

an old pickle group.

311

I mean.

312

He actually liked that being two.

313

These fit two was perfect.

314

It was. It is a great name.

315

Yeah. It's the perfect name for them.

316

Yeah.

317

There was a scene, too.

318

I was really impressed by the

by the dancing.

319

This was great.

320

Introduced the dancing to the mainstream

break dancing

321

there was a kid

dancing with crutches at the end.

322

If he caught that.

323

Oh, yeah, he would.

The president was great.

324

That was impressive.

325

I mean, upper body strength

for sure. Yeah.

326

So overall, I mean.

327

He had some cameos in there, too.

328

Yeah. It's all about our friend

that was in there.

329

Yeah. Go ahead, boogie. Now you got it.

330

So so one of the early scenes

when Kelly is

331

introduced

to Turbo and Ozone at the beach,

332

you see a bunch of these muscle

guys in the background.

333

And if you look to the left,

you see Jean-Claude Van Damme

334

and that beach scene. In a. Unitary.

335

Exact.

336

Yeah, we could

337

post it on a social media, but it's neat

and it's pans on him for a little bit.

338

You could definitely tell him, Oh yeah.

339

He's doing that bop that he did

in that movie that he was doing.

340

Was was it a Katrina movie? Right now?

341

It's a famous movie that he did

the dancing.

342

Oh, he's doing the same day as he's

343

rocking yes.

344

That's funny.

345

I just remember Kickboxer was a great one.

346

Yeah.

347

It might have been kickboxing.

348

Was it maybe. Kickboxer?

349

Yeah, it was Kickboxer.

350

Yeah, boxing yeah.

351

Kickboxer, you. Know.

352

Extensions. Yes.

353

He's got one move. I mean, it works.

354

It works.

355

You talk about the key stars, as you

mentioned, Shabba, do a Adolfo Quinones.

356

Yes. Unfortunately, passed away

at the end of 20, 20 at age 65.

357

But legendary breakdancer

and you could find him at all

358

types of shows and cameos.

359

And he was in a lot of music videos like

360

Lionel Richie's all night long,

both him and Turbo were in that.

361

And Chaka Khan,

I feel for you in those videos.

362

Yeah.

363

He is a well-established

choreographer and dancer.

364

Yeah.

365

He did a lot of work

for Madonna of choreography and

366

I dug in a little bit more

and I found out that Shabba Do

367

was a member of the dance crew,

the original lockers, along with Fred

368

Berry, a.k.a Rerun from What's Happening,

one of my favorite shows of all time.

369

Me, too.

370

Tony Basil Singer from

Hey Mickey and Don Campbell,

371

known as Campbell Lock, who is credited

of starting the pop and lock.

372

So it's pretty cool. Yeah.

373

It's definitely cool.

374

And speaking of some coolness,

I came across a documentary

375

on Boogaloo Shrimp a few years ago

coming to find out he was the person

376

who's credited with teaching

Michael Jackson the moonwalk.

377

And I just before we got on, I checked in.

378

That documentary is still on.

379

It's on Amazon Prime right now.

And it's also on people.

380

TV's called The Boogaloo

Shrimp Documentary.

381

So if you get a chance,

anyone, you'll check that out.

382

It's got a lot of history

383

and it talks about how you got started out

and how I started in

384

what he's been up to.

385

So yeah, that's pretty cool.

386

Disney promotion, Boogaloo Shrimp, also.

387

Michael Chambers, right?

388

Yeah, very well established.

389

In those videos I mentioned also.

390

And I was also reading,

he played the character

391

of Mike Scat Cat and Paula

Abdul's opposites attract.

392

Oh man. Yeah.

393

He wasn't the rapper,

but they they used his moves.

394

And he's got Cat Charlotte FC sketch.

395

This cat cat. Underrated emcee.

396

Somewhere else.

397

And that's a throwback.

398

Yeah.

399

You know, I looked up Cilla Dickie,

and she she was on solid gold.

400

She was a solid gold dancer, solid rock.

401

And I don't.

402

Know how why I've never known that,

403

but she was a solid gold dancer prior

to snagging the role in breaking.

404

And I was like, Wow, that's really cool.

405

But now, now I want to go back

406

and see if I can catch her in

some of the older episodes.

407

Yeah, they must be on YouTube.

408

We got to go look.

409

Yeah, that's right.

410

Kids today don't know it's solid

gold, is it?

411

Of solid gold?

412

Solid gold.

413

Now, I used to wash it every Saturday.

414

Every Saturday. Exactly.

415

Why Soul Train

416

late morning, early afternoon.

417

After the cartoons are done.

418

So Soul

Train comes on right as a solid gold.

419

And Cornelius.

420

Yeah.

421

You know, I was watching

one of my favorite actresses.

422

She's got a small kid.

423

She's got a cameo.

424

She's actually

in both breaking and breaking, too.

425

She's a cameo in the opening

credits lead over Shaun.

426

I was watching it. I'm like,

Wait a minute.

427

How come I've never noticed her dancing

in the beginning of the movie?

428

But she's dancing in the beginning of

the movie, and I'm like, Check that out.

429

And you still keep in touch with her.

430

Oh, no, I don't know where.

431

But, you know,

I just like I just like her.

432

Her her as an actress.

433

Yeah, OK. Awesome.

434

That was also saw something about Shabba

do choreograph

435

the 36 Mafia's performance

on the Academy Awards.

436

That. Right.

437

That one was that one

for the original song.

438

It's hard out here for a pimp.

439

Yeah, I choreographed that now.

440

Yeah. Nice.

441

Yeah,

that's one of the classic Oscar moments.

442

Yeah, that was that was groundbreaking.

443

Very well established.

444

I mean, these

these guys did so much for the culture

445

with great dance,

and that's what we're here about on

446

the podcast, is like,

you see people doing all these

447

types of dancing,

and this is kind of the origins.

448

So it's neat for the young folks out there

to kind of see where it started.

449

Yeah. I mean, break is now international.

450

You know, you got the Red

Bull Championships, and I love watching.

451

I watch those

every time I catch clips of them anywhere

452

and, you know, things

that they're able to do now.

453

It's it's amazing.

454

But it all ties back to,

you know, what we're talking about

455

in the last couple of podcasts.

456

So, you know, it definitely blossom

in Rome and they see it's international.

457

It's a way of life. It's a culture.

458

It's cool. Very cool. Yeah.

459

Yeah,

460

yeah.

461

To boogie boogie.

462

You owned the vinyl.

463

Is that what you were talking about

last time?

464

We're showing us recently.

465

There it is.

466

Got the vinyl with the plastic on it

still.

467

Oh, yeah.

468

I still. Got a sticker from The Wiz.

469

In. Reverse.

470

How much does that? 699.

471

Oh, what a deal.

472

Yeah. I love this, man.

473

This is. This is.

474

Yeah.

475

It's real.

476

Ali and Jerry on their right.

477

It's them. See what's on here.

478

Yeah.

479

There's no stopping this

freak show on the dance floor.

480

Body work. 99 and a half.

481

Maybe not even half is a good song. Too

good song.

482

Yeah.

483

The Showdown Heart of the Beat Street

people, which they perform at the end.

484

Right.

485

Cut it.

486

Ain't nobody and reckless with

I only thing

487

I wish you would have had,

but it probably was a lot of improvising.

488

I wish I would have had my team stuff.

489

But yeah, that stuff

was probably improvised on the spot.

490

It probably wasn't even a studio record.

491

It probably was probably just freestyling.

492

Yeah.

493

I may have had the vinyl.

494

I can't recall now,

but I don't have it any longer.

495

Nice to have you out there listening.

496

Let us know if you

if you did that on the spot on the day

497

at final level, you hit us up.

498

Through

499

I'm. Curious. Now

500

I wonder if you could find those lyrics

anywhere else other than in the film.

501

I am saying let's figure it out.

502

A listener,

if you if you know this already hit us up.

503

Absolutely.

504

Yeah.

505

I'm always curious

to do to tag them in asking.

506

Him. Out. He came.

507

I did come up with it.

508

Is he definitely response to the fans?

509

I hit his up

510

three.

511

Three, three, three.

512

You think this movie could be made today?

513

Either in this state

514

like remade and preserved

like this, or a remake of it somehow.

515

What do you think?

516

I think so.

517

Same thing I said earlier. With.

518

Speed Street,

they make it as like a period piece.

519

I think it'd be really cool

520

to see a place in modern

filmmaking techniques, 4K and all this.

521

But I think as a remake of the time,

I think it could be done.

522

Yeah, I'd have to agree with Daniel

right on that one, I think.

523

And I was waiting for him to say

524

and he said exactly what I thought

you were going to say,

525

you know, just kind of use it as a period

piece with using some modern techniques

526

I totally agree.

527

I think that's what would make it possible

to have it redone.

528

Yeah, yeah, I agree.

529

Preserve it as it is.

530

Don't try to do anything more with it now.

531

I really enjoyed it.

532

So as we do at the end of each episode,

let's give our A rating, our take on that.

533

So the question is bring that funky flick

back,

534

bring that funky flick back

or leave it in the vault

535

boogie.

536

Oh, man,

I got to bring that funky flick back.

537

This is just the classic.

538

Even with some of the

some of the cheesy eighties references

539

and things like that,

you can't now bring it back.

540

Got to bring it back.

541

I know. Right, right.

542

That's funky flick back.

543

It's not Hamlet or King Lear,

but it's really fun.

544

It's just so much fun.

545

I agree. Bring that funky flick back.

546

I really enjoyed it.

547

We take us out.

548

Yeah, take it out.

549

Left, right. This

550

frigging Global.

551

Hip Hop Movie Club is produced

by your eight emcees Boogie, JB and Dino.

552

Right

553

Be Music is by Boogie.

554

Special thanks to Susan Berger,

Tawanda Edwards and Allison Jerez

555

hit us up at hip

hop movie club at gmail.com or

556

on Facebook, Twitter

and Instagram at hip hop movie club.

557

You can also check us out at hip hop movie

Forbes.com.

558

The next episode of hip hop Movie Club

Podcast drops in two weeks.

559

Subscribe today

on your favorite podcast app

560

and you won't miss it

and want to help us out.

561

Share this podcast with a friend.

562

Shout out to you listeners.

563

Thanks for listening.

564

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565

bring it on.