The second entry in the ‘AGFA Mixtape Vault’ and one I hadn’t seen before. This mixtape is a compilation of footage from the mid 80s New York public access show ‘Stairway to Stardom’ (think ‘Americas got talent’, but if it was shot in some skeezy laundrette owners basement one budget of $15 and a handshake)

Seemingly the vetting process consisted of ‘Can you make it to where we film in the next half hour? Okay, your gonna be on the show’ as the majority of the acts range from the utterly dreadful and tone deaf, to the genuinely bewildering and accidentally hilarious.

I found this compilation to be a little slow going in places, mainly just because, while there is a good range of acts in this cut, which DOES make it very versatile for the audience (there’s going to be something for everybody) I found it quite hit and miss with some acts leaving my jaw on the floor, and others just making me feel a bit bored while I waited for the next slice of weirdness to roll up.

Nonetheless! The editing is razor here and overall its a solid entry into the ‘mixtape’ series. Probably not as essential as some of the other mixtapes, but certainly a lot of fun to be had!

source https://letterboxd.com/tytdreviews/film/the-stairway-to-stardom-mixtape/