Amazing as it may sound, but there was a time when Freestyle had its fifteen minutes of celluloid fame. Many comedies and teen flicks of the eighties and ninties included freestyle music to its soundtracks. Here is a collection of some known and not so well known films from the big and small screen. You'd be suprised to find out how many films had references to Freestyle music. Many of these films are not only great time capsules to a time when it was cool to style big hair and wear wild clothing, but a great reference to the genre of Freestyle. If you don't think this is a complete list or may have seen other films with a freestyle moment, just send an e-mail.

Beat Steet (1984) Drama/Crime Rated R 105min. VHS and DVD
Directed By: Stan Lathan
Starring: New York City Breakers and Rock Steady Crew, Grandmaster Melle Mel and the Furious Five, Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force, Shango

Freestyle Moment: Tina B. Real Audio"Nothings Gonna Come Easy" and Brenda K. Starr Real Audio"Vicious Beat"make cameo appearences singing early dance tracks.

Scene: Both Tina B. and Brenda K. Starr audition to get a recording deal.

Plot: An aspiring DJ, from the South Bronx, and his best friend, a promoter, try to get into show business by exposing people to hip-hop music and culture.

Do the Right Thing (1989) Drama/Comedy/Crime Rated R 120min. VHS and DVD
Directed By: Spike Lee
Starring: Danny Aiello, Rosie Perez, Samuel L. Jackson

Freestyle Moment: A poster of Sweet Sensation is seen hung on Tina's (Perez) bedroom wall.

Scene: In a scene where character Tina (Perez) and her mother argue over her boyfriend Mookie (Lee).

Plot: It's the hottest day of the year in the Bed-Stuy Brooklyn and racial tensions are growing that end in a riot.

East Side Story (1988) Comedy/Musical/ Out of Print
Directed By: Frank Di Sardo
Starring: Corina,India, Safire and Mark Anthony

Freestyle Moment: Sadly this film has yet to become available to Freestyle fans. There's nothing better than seeing artists like Corina, Safire, India and Marc Anthony all work together on film. It's a great experience to see them as young teenagers early in their careers. This rare musical has some great latin freestyle and salsa moments. All of the energy in the film stem from the dancers and singers who all have a dream to be in show business. Try to get your hands on this old rarity. This is a true gem.

Plot: A story of Latino singers who try to break into the New York music business.

Fast Forward (1985) Musical/Comedy Rated PG 110 min. VHS Out Of Print
Directed By Sidney Poitier
Starring: Don Franklin, Michael DeLorenzo

Freestyle Moment: This lost dance musical includes two Freestyle tracks like Shannon "Give Me Tonight" and Siedah Garrett "Do You Want It Right Now."

Scene:When out of town Dancers walk the streets of NY, they come upon a group of breakdancers poping to Shannon's "Give Me Tonight."

Plot Summery: Eight talented teenagers arrive in New York City to compete in a national dance contest. During the course of the trials, each of them learns to cope with both success and failure.

Girls Just Wana Have Fun (1985) Comedy Rated PG 90 min. VHS and DVD
Directed By Allen Metter
Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Lee Montgomery, Helen Hunt

Freestyle Moment: There are no actual Freestyle songs in this teen flick, but the entire film is filled with fun catchy dance songs. One song that was an actual Pop hit was Q-Feel Real Audio"Dancing in Heaven"

Scene: (during the last minutes of the DTV danceoff) Dancers Jeff and Janey perform to a great song titled Real Audio"Technique," by an unkown artist named Rainey.

Plot Summery: Janey is new in town, and soon meets Lynne, who shares her passion for dancing. When a competition is announced to find a new Dance TV regular couple, Janey and Lynne are determined to audition. The only problem is Janey's father doesn't approve of it.

I Like It Like That (1994) Comedy R 107 min. VHS and DVD
Directed By: Darnell Martin
Starring: Lauren Velez, Jon Seda, Rita Moreno, Griffin Dunne

Freestyle Moment: Two songs included in the film's soundtrack are not necessarily freestyle songs but one is sung by former TKA member Kayal, now known to be with K7, with "Come Baby Come" and the Cover Girls with "You Better Change."

Scene: When frustrated Lisette locks herself in the bathroom to vent out her complicated life, there's a shot of Lisette Melendez's "A Day In My Life" 12 cover on the wall.

Plot:Lisette and husband Chino face marital difficulties. She is fed up with the kids, while he has job troubles. Things get even worse when Chino goes to jail and Lisette gets a good job uptown. Can this marriage be saved?

Krush Groove (1985)Drama/Music Rated R 97min. VHS and DVD
Directed By: Michael Schultz
Starring: Kurtis Blow, Blair Underwood, Sheila E., LL Cool J Nayobe, Fat Boys, RUN DMC etc.

Freestyle Moment: Nayobe makes a small cameo appearance performing her hit,Real Audio"Please Don't Go"

Scene: Nayobe auditions for Def Jam Recordings in hopes of getting a record deal.

Plot:The film follows the semi auto-biographical story of Russell Simmons, called Russell Walker (portrayed by Blair Underwood in his screen debut) in the film.  Krush Groove mirrors the real life Def Jam label in its early days.

Lean On Me (1989)/Drama PG-13 104min. VHS and DVD
Directed By: John G. Avildsen
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Beverly Todd

Freestyle Moment: TKA Real Audio"You Are The One"

Scene: Principal Joe Clark (Morgan Freeman) discipline students in the school cafeteria. In this scene you can slightly hear "You Are The One" playing in the background.

Plot Summery: A story of Joe Clark (Morgan Freeman), a tough and radical disciplinarian hired to save the worst school in Paterson, New Jersey.

Little Nicky (2000) Comedy/Romance PG-13 90min VHS and DVD
Directed By: Steven Brill
Starring: Adam Sandler,Patricia Arquette, Harvey Keitel, Reese Witherspoon

Freestyle Moment: Stacy Q's "Two of Hearts"

Scene:Nicky floats up to his girlfriend Tina's apartment and mistakenly peeks into a cross dresser's apartment. In horror he sees "HER" dancing and posing at a dresser mirror. This scene reminds me of seeing that other infamous cross dresser, Buffalo Bill, in the film "Silence of the Lambs".

Plot: A supernatural comedy about Satan's geekiest son, named Nicky.

Modern Girls (1986) Comedy PG-13 84 min. VHS
Directed by : Jerry Kramer
Starring: Virginia Madsen,Daphne Zuniga

Freestyle Moment: TKA Real Audio"One Way Love"

Scene:The song is heard playing at the various night clubs the characters hang out at.

Plot:Teens talk their roomate's stood-up date into taking them out for a night on the town.

Nowhere (1997) Drama/Sci-Fi R 87 min. VHS and DVD
Directed by : Gregg Araki
Starring:James Duval, Rachel True, Christina Applegate, Denise Richards, Ryan Phillippe, Heather Graham, Shannen Doherty,

Freestyle Moment: Shannon "Let the music play"

Scene:The song is heard playing as the characters ride through the streets of LA.

Plot:The third film in a trilogy by writer-director Gregg Araki. Described as "90210 on acid", the film tells the story of a day thats supposed to be the last for a group of high school kids. It describes their apocalyptic experiences in Los Angeles and the strange lives they lead.

Party Monster (2003) Drama/Crime Rated R 98 min. VHS and DVD
Directed By: Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato
Starring: Seth Green, Macaulay Culkin, Wilmer Valderrama

Freestyle Moment: Shannon "Give Me tonight" and Stacy Q "Two of Hearts"

Scene 1: Shannon "Give Me Tonight" is heard when Micheal (Culkin) and DJ Keoki (Valderrama) have a romantic kissing moment (Literally in the dumps).
Scene 2: Stacy Q "Two of Hearts" is heard playing when club kids Micheal (Culkin) and James (Green) dance (and do drugs) in their apartment.

Plot:This is the true story of Michael Alig (Culkin), a Club Kid party organizer whose life was sent spiraling down when he bragged on television about killing his drug dealer and roommate (Cruz). (If an hour and a half of drugs, drugs, outrageous fashion, and more drugs is what you're looking for, you've found it.)

Paris is Burning (1990) Documentary/ Not Rated 71 min.VHS and DVD
Directed By: Jennie Livingston
Starring: Pepper LaBeija, Venus Xtravaganza etc.

Freestyle Moment:Noel Real Audio"Silent Morning"

Scene: (Beginning of film) The New York city skyline and streets of Times Square during the summer of 1987. Street kids are filmed dancing to Noel's "Silent Morning." The Film gives a nostalgic look back at when Times Square was only known for prostitution, sex theaters and drugs. It captures a very different square compared to the media circus that it is today.

Plot:This is a documentary of 'drag nights' among New York's underclass. Queens are interviewed and observed preparing for and competing in many 'balls'. The people, the clothes, and the whole environment are outlandish. It's a great time piece and a look into the late 80's/early 90's NYC club-scene. The viewers also comes to learn that Madonna wasn't the first to come up with "Voguing" All of the tension, excitement, and magic of that very urban NYC energy is captured in this film. A must see!

Once Bitten (1985) Comedy PG-13 94 min. VHS and DVD
Directed By: Howard Storm
Starring: Lauren Hutton Jim Carrey Karen Kopins

Freestyle Moment: There are no known Freestyle songs heard in this comedy flick. The entire film is filled with fun dance songs that would've been great Freestyle dance tracks.

Scene: The countess(Hutton) looks on as Mark Kendall (Carrey) and girlfriend Robin Pierce make some hot moves on the dance floor to a song called "Hands Off".

Plot:A horny vampiress goes on the prowl for young virgin males. Since she has to find them in modern-day Los Angeles, she has quite a problem.

The Secret of My Success (1987) Comedy Rated PG-13 110 min. VHS and DVD
Directed By Herbert Ross
Starring: Michael J. Fox, Helen Slater

Freestyle Moment: Includes Freestyle track "One Way Love" by TKA

Scene:When character Brantley Foster (Michael J. Fox) tries to find a NY pay phone, a street walker plays "One Way Love" on his boom box.

Plot Summery: Brantley Foster(Michael J. Fox)is an ambitious kid trying to scamper up the corporate ladder in his uncle's business...and scamper out of the lustful clutches of his aunt!

Sticky Fingers (1988) Comedy PG-13 97 min. VHS and DVD
Directed By: Catlin Adams
Starring: Helen Slater, Melanie Mayron, Carol Kane

Freestyle Moment: Company B recorded the film's theme song "Sticky Fingers"

Scene: The song is heard in both the opening and ending credits.

Plot: A pair of starving musicians are at the end of their financial rope until they are entrusted with $900,000 in illlicit drug money and are soon off on a monster shopping spree. But now the drug bosses want their cash back - all of it.

Teen Witch (1989) Comedy/Fantasy Rated PG-13 90 min. VHS and DVD
Directed by: Dorian Walker
Starring: Robyn Lively, Dan Gauthier

Freestyle Moment: There are no actual Freestyle songs heard in this teen flick. The entire film though is filled with fun catchy dance songs that could've been great Freestyle tracks. There's even a fictional singer in the film named Shana. She is not to be confused with the real singer who had an actual 1989 hit with Real Audio"I want You".)

Scene: Opening credits has a great unknown dance number performed by Lori Ruso titled Real Audio"Never Gonna Be the Same Again"

Plot Summery: Louise is not very popular at her highschool. Then she learns that she's descended from the witches of Salem and has inherited their powers. At first she uses them to get back at the girls and teachers who teased her and to win the heart of the handsome footballer's captain. But soon she has doubts if it's right to 'cheat' her way to popularity.


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