“What’s the first thing an actor learns? “The show must go on!’ Come rain, come shine, come snow, come sleet, the show MUST go on!”

Coming in at #5, my favorite movie Singin’ in the Rain directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen. The film stars Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, and Debbie Reynolds. Donald O’Connor won a Golden Globe for his role in this film. To many people this film is considered the classic American Musical. I fell in love with this film as a kid after seeing it in music class and I have honestly felt enchanted with the musical genre since.

The Basics: The film starts out with all the Hollywood movies stars arriving to see the latest film premiere for the Hollywood couple Don Lockwood, played by Gene Kelly and Lena Lamont. After the premiere Lockwood tries to duck from his fans and ends up in a car with a girl named Kathy Seldon, played by Debbie Reynolds who claims to be a real actress because she performs theatre instead of film. The stars all head to an after party where they get their first introduction to what would be the new craze in Hollywood, talking pictures. Later, they have girls performing from a local restuarant and it turns out that Kathy Seldon is one of them. Lockwood teases her and Seldon tries to throw cake in his face but he ducks and it ends up in Lena’s face. Next, Lena and Don start working on their next film which is like their other classic romance films, though after the premiere of another studio’s talking picture they decide they must change the film to go that route as well. They reshoot the film to be a talking picture and preview it for a crowd, though after the film strip and the track get out of sync, Lockwood and Lamont are made a laughing stalk of Hollywood. They decide to give the film the kick it needs to turn it into a musical where the actors must sing and dance. The problem is that Lena has a high-pitched unpleasant voice and can’t sing at all. So they decide the solution will be to have Kathy Seldon sing and speak for Lena, without her knowledge. At the premiere of the film, Lena is asked to sing and they have Kathy stand behind a curtain only later to be revealed as Lena’s voice. Don then makes sure the audience knows that it was her that sang beautifully in the film and he is also in love with her.

The Techniques: One of my favorite things they did in the film is where Gene Kelly is dancing to the title song, “Singin’ in the Rain” and the street is filled with water while it visible rains. It’s interesting to note that they actually added milk to the rain water so that it would be easier to see on camera. Many people also think that this specific scene was shot in one take, when in fact it took at least 2-3 days to complete the filming of this scene.

The Favorites: Two of my favorite scenes are in the beginning of the film, the first being the very beginning when all of the movie stars are arriving to see the latest film coming out by Lockwood and Lamont. I always loved seeing the great costumes on each of the stars and how it was a great representation of their personality and the time period. My second favorite scene is at the film premiere party where Debbie Reynolds character, Kathy Seldon is dancing and is seen by Gene Kelly’s character. He makes some cold remarks to her about her not being a real actor and she goes to toss a cake in his face, he ducks and the cake hits Lena. Finally, my third favorite part is the end when they have Lena sing in front of a live audience and the men backstage pull back the curtain to reveal that Kathy Seldon is actually the beautiful voice that the audience thought was Lena’s.

Everyone seems to have the winter blues lately, and though we can appreciate the beauty of winter, the lack of sunshine and warmth on those gray days can get to people.

In order to provoke a smile, and to showcase a classic example of versatility in performance, and just to give everyone a warm fuzzy feeling, here is Gene Kelly, “Singin’ in the Rain.”  (Now go get tap lessons and express some joy!)

THE BAND WAGON, Glasgow Film Theatre, Sun Jan 24,  4.30pm

Cyd Charisse, our favourite leggy bombshell, positively smoulders in the famous Mickey Spillane-inspired dance number in this classic 1953  MGM musical.

Having danced with Gene Kelly in the previous year’s Singin’ in the Rain – who could forget her legs-first entrance in the Broadway Melody ballet? - Cyd pulled off a double whammy by partnering Fred Astaire, the original dancing legend of the silver screen, in this glorious musical extravaganza which was stylishly directed by Vincente Minnelli.

It’s raining today, a rare treat for Southern California.  I think the weather I miss most about the South is our fantastic thunderstorms.  I used to sit on the swing on my front porch and watch the rain pound and the sky light up like it was alive. ( The sky can be such a show-off.)  Today I sat staring out the window at work, watching the storm and feeling six years old again.  The world was full of joy when I was six years old, full of beauty and magic and wonder and possibility.  This was the year before I grew up, the year before my whole world shattered, before everything changed.  When I was six, I used to run out into our grassy front yard wearing only my pink-and-blue polka-dotted one-piece and twirl.  How I loved to twirl at that age, the last year I was a child.  I would twirl in the warm summer rain, arms outstretched, and drink in the world the way only a child can–with innocence and simple bliss.

I have always loved the rain.

When I was six years old, I was a ballerina.  Or I could have become one, my teacher confided to my mother, if I had been willing to put in the years of hard work and dedication necessary to acquire such discipline and skill.  (But I was only a ballerina for a year, the last year I was a child.  The year I turned seven–when everything changed–I found my mother sitting on a bar stool at the island in the kitchen, a wet dishrag in one hand and her head in the other, and told her very seriously that I was quitting ballet, that I couldn’t handle it right now.  My mother understood.  No one better than she.)  I could have been a ballerina, and indeed what six-year-old girl isn’t enamored of tutus and silk-ribboned shoes?  But what I loved best was the class after ballet: tap dancing.  I remember our annual recital, the night I proved to the world that what I lacked in rhythm and grace I made up for in…being a six-year-old girl.  We tapped our carefully memorized routine to “Singin’ in the Rain,” decked out in our green-and-blue polka-dotted rain coats and matching umbrellas.  (I must’ve had a momentary obsession with polka-dots, a six-year-old girl’s prerogative).  Years later, when I first saw the movie, I was excited to discover that my six-year-old memory could identify with Gene Kelly’s difficult dance. (Watch the clip here.)  I saw him tap around his umbrella and thought to myself, I can do that!

Our backyard was the envy of the neighborhood.  This was the backyard my brothers and I still talk about with a hint of child-like longing.  Sometimes I wish I could whisper in my six-year-old ear to enjoy it, no really enjoy it, because it’ll be a long, long time before we have any kind of yard to play in again.  But I don’t think it would have changed anything.  We could not have loved that yard better than we did that last year, when the grass had grown in fully, the playhouse de-spidered, and Angel towing us around in the little red wagon.  On summer days when it did not rain, I would pull the hose from under the deck and set the sprinkler to wave at the sky with its long, slow arc across the backyard.  My brothers and I would don our suits and run through the spray, tackling each other and trying to escape the sporadic and energetic attacks of Angel’s slobbery kisses and wet, muddy fur.

Ah yes, mud. I had intended to write about mud all along, and here it is now upon me.  Someone told me today that mud is rain’s disgrace.  That it eats shoes.  That it slanders rain’s good name and drags it through the, well, you know.  I must, in memory of my six-year-old self, beg to differ.  So here are 10 reasons mud is great (click the links for more info on each item):

10. Mud stoves

9. Mud stencils

8. Mud run

7. Mud bath

6. Mud masks

5. Mud bricks

4. Mud therapy

3. Mud wrestling

2. Mud gardening

1. Mud pies!

Ironic Contrast: The Funny-man’s Powertool

Today I’d like to talk about ironic contrast, which when used correctly, is one of the most enjoyable types of comedy for an audience. I’m going to be using the classic film Singin’ in the Rain to explore the concept of ironic contrast (this seems like a good fit, considering it is a movie that many have seen and everyone should see). First we will define ironic contrast and explore its use in the film, then we will apply that concept to magic.

Attending a Surprise Party is More Fun Than Being Surprised

by Aaron Aptaker

The film Singin in the Rain, like most comedies, is filled with ironic contrast. The comedic elements irony and contrast are almost always paired, and together they are one of the most commonly used (and funniest) forms of comedy. In order to understand why the two comedic techniques are so successful when used in conjunction with each other, it is important to analyze their separate definitions and uses. Doing so will create a better understanding of how irony and contrast succeed when used together. Irony and contrast work so well together in visual media, because the audience is aware that what they are seeing is incongruous with what is expected.

Irony can take on many forms, but they all boil down to a twist on what is expected. Variety artist Bruce “Charlie” Johnson discusses this comedic technique in his book Comedy Techniques for Entertainers. He writes, “Irony is the opposite of what is expected” (Johnson, 28). In the film Singin in the Rain, Don Lockwood’s positive description of his relationship with Lina Lamont can be considered ironic. He describes how well they get along, and the reporters in the film assume they are in love. This stands in stark contrast to the truth, as Lockwood truly hates Lamont.

Comedic contrast is the act of establishing what is expected, and then subsequently changing this situation in an absurd manner. Psychologist Sigmund Freud believes that things are funny only when they are contrasted with something normal (Johnson, 33). When the audience hears Lamont’s shockingly irritating voice, it stands in contrast to her beautiful figure. One of the most important parts of comedic contrast is a frame of reference. In the example of Lamont’s voice, the frame of reference for the audience is her physical beauty. Another great example of comedic contrast is in Walt Disney’s The Symphony Hour. Unlike in the Lamont example where the normalcy is visible, The Symphony Hour requires the audience to understand how a song is supposed to sound. The cartoon characters play the song through without any humor, so the audience has an expectation of the characters. When the band attempts to play the song again at the recording studio (after the instruments get dropped down an elevator shaft) the audience laughs at the contrast with the earlier performance. If the audience only saw the band poorly playing broken instruments, the joke would be lost.

Ironic contrast is so successful, because the audience has a frame of reference with which to view the irony. In Singin in the Rain, Lockwood describes his earlier career. His verbal description is glamorous. His suave physical appearance also establishes that what he is saying is true. In this example of ironic contrast, his words are the normalcy that the visuals contradict. While he is describing a glamorous career, the audience views his actual career. Lockwood was a dancer in small theaters, and was a dirtied and beaten up stunt man in his early years. This visual truth stands in stark contrast with what he says. This example is ironic because it is the opposite of what he is saying, and contrasting because his story and true past are juxtaposed.

The reason that ironic contrast is so appealing to audiences is that unlike in most forms of irony and contrast, they know something that the characters do not. In irony, the twist is unexpected, and gets a quick laugh. When an audience sees a contrasting image, like a very large man walking a small poodle, it also produces a small reaction then subsides. Both of these forms surprise the audience, whereas ironic contrast lets the audience into the secret of the joke. In Singin in the Rain, when Kathy Selden sings for Lina Lamont’s at the theater, the viewers are in on a secret that the audience in the film is not aware of.  By letting the viewers in on the secret, they become conspirators in the fun. While they do not know exactly how the event is going to play out, they generally have a good idea on how the event will play out. The ironic twist when the curtain is opened to reveal Selden might receive a small chuckle if used alone. It is the fact that the audience is let in on this moment beforehand that makes it funny. This enables the audience to contrast how they know Lamont sounds with Selden’s dub.

Works Cited:

Johnson, Bruce “Charlie”. Comedy Techniques for Entertainers. 1st. La

Crosse, WI: Visual Magic, 1988.

***************************************************************************************************************************************************

Ironic contrast is already used in a lot of the best comedy magic routines. Think about how funny the  vanishing bandanna trick is. The audience sees the contrasting image of the “banana” with the audible instruction for a “bandanna”. Unlike the magician, who is unaware that a banana is wrong, the audience is let in on the ironic secret of the banana being the wrong item. Instead of just surprising audiences with an ironic twist, or making them laugh with an unexpected visual contrast, ironic contrast succeeds at allowing viewers to connect and emotionally attach themselves to the situation. By foreshadowing the punch line, anticipation is built in audiences and the comedic release is far more satisfying than if the joke is a quick surprise. Think about how you can use ironic contrast in your own routines. What routines that you already do make use of ironic contrast? How can you make that ironic contrast stronger and clearer? Look for examples of ironic contrast in film, on the stage, and in political cartoons. By looking at models of ironic contrast, we can best understand how to apply the formula to our own work.

Best,

Aaron

Quick, what movie is that from? If you are like most people I know, you have one or two favorite movies you have seen a million times. It’s that movie you’ll stop to watch as you’re flipping through the channels, the movie you know all of the lines in, can start watching anywhere in the movie and probably own a copy of it on VHS or DVD.

You can tell a lot about someone if you ask the question, “What movie do you stop to watch when flipping through the channels?”

Mine is “Steel Magnolias” – It’s about strong women in the South. They are family oriented, in charge of their families, strong enough to handle anything that comes their way, and still laugh and cry together. If you know me, this makes sense.

I asked this question to my Facebook friends and received some of the following answers:

“Shawshank Redemption” – from a friend who always talks about taking advantage of opportunities as they present themselves.

“Stripes” – from a friend who is funny and sarcastic.

“Sixteen Candles” – a friend from high school who still has a crush on Jake Ryan.

“The Notebook” – from a friend who is a romantic.

“Anything with Bruce Lee in it” – from a friend who is a guy’s guy.

“Singin’ in the Rain” – from a friend who has an old soul.

I wasn’t surprised by any of the answers to my questions. We also use this question when we interview our new Pro Motion Team members – you can tell a lot about someone from this answer.

So, what’s the movie you can’t turn off?

I first saw Cyd Charisse in Singin In The Rain.

She had two numbers (if I’m not wrong) with Gene Kelly and the one below is my favourite. It’s seriously very sexy. Cannot stress enough.

Then it was with Fred Astire in The Band Wagon.

There’s not much. Just the two of them dancing but it was beautiful and so… It just took my breath away.

Another number from the same movie..

Some crazy moves worth checking out.

And lastly, this.

It really shocks me how people can dance like that and still looks so effortless.

Oh ya, she’s got the most gorgeous legs. That’s a known fact.

– On the road with Suzz Cromwell in Texas –

Spending the week with my film-obsessed family in Houston has led to pretty much no sleep. While we take in the local food scene by day, the evenings are spent around a roaring fire watching whatever we can get our hands on, projected onto my brother’s living room wall. My father was a projectionist in the Air Force and his adoration for cinema has stayed with him all his life. Growing up, the family would gather in our living room to watch hours of 16 mm films, everything from Laurel & Hardy to Disney classics to Hollywood  favorites (think Casablanca, Pal Joey, That’s Entertainment, Singin’ in the Rain, Tangier). It was a marvelous way to mature into adulthood, and this family tradition has obviously brought me to love everything about film.

Last night’s foray into movie viewing had the family re-living our Christmas film tradition of watching a collection of 16mm film shorts my dad creatively spliced together. Each of these shorts were mini-masterpieces, and are burned into my memory. Here is where I need to give total credit to a great site we discovered: Xmasflix.com. Give this cinefile some love, as they have assembled the cream of the crop of holiday favorites and incredible rarities. The site is a bit overwhelming, but if you feel like braving the pending storm by watching some great shorts on your laptop or home computer, this would be film-time well spent.

I give Xmasflix.com my personal thank you, as on their homepage is this amazing stop-motion 1940s gem called “A Christmas Dream.” It was indeed one of the holiday shorts we’d watch as kids in my family homestead. A Czech-produced piece, this Castle Films short is filled with the stop-motion antics of a curious rag doll that tries to win back the love of her little girl. It’s brilliant, and while that may be nostalgia talking, I invite you to spend the next 9 minutes experiencing it for yourself.  If you’ve ever given love to a special childhood toy, this film will bring back that inexplicable human warmth.

Visit Xmasflix.com and watch “A Christmas Dream.”
Enjoy, and thank you for reading!

“Put on your Sunday clothes when you feel down and out…”

My dad’s cousin introduced me to Hello, Dolly!, and I’m glad because I absolutely love it.  Of course I’m a fan of musicals, and I’m trying to grow a collection of older musicals (so far: Hello, Dolly!, Singin’ in the Rain, The Sound of Music, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang).  This one in particular is a lot of fun, though.  It’s stylish and fun, classy and comical.  It has some great lines that had me rolling with laughter: As my late husband, Ephraim Levi, used to say, ‘If you have to live from hand-to-mouth, you’d better be ambidextrous.’ And this one: Why, Mr. Sullivan, what ever put such a preposterous idea into my head… er, your head!

The musical numbers are great and the costumes are fantastic — such an old-fashioned charm, back when people looked their best whenever they went out of the house.  Gentlemen in suits and ladies in long dresses and hats; all modesty and refinement, polite behavior, speech that lacks vulgarity, good posture, respectability — all the things greatly lacking in today’s world.

Not to mention, multi-talented individuals who could actually act and sing and dance.  You don’t see too much of that in movies anymore these days.

I have to admit, when I hear or read the brand name Ingenue, I pretty much immediately think of the typical retro stuff you’ll see in fashion mags and google searches:  sweet, pillowy skirts made of generous helpings of tulle; bobby socks, oxfords, and poodle skirts; Esther Williams style pinup swimsuits that were daring decades ago but are now modest by today’s standards.

What I generally don’t think of are items such as jeans and overalls, which is precisely what Betty Doyle released a little while ago.  And I love them!

Click the images to see larger versions.

I wore Ingenue’s Marguerite sweater top and Jane jeans for this look.  The Marguerite top has excellent knit texturing with an argyle detail on the chest area, and what I really love is the sculpted blousing prim that goes right above the waist.

The high-waisted Jane jeans are organized in several layers for mixing and matching, allowing you to wear your shirts tucked or untucked. One of the things I immediately noticed about the jeans were the leg sculpts; they’re the perfect skinny jeans! <3  The sculpts are modifiable, too, so even if you have a bit more thickness/muscle tone in your leg area you’ll be able to edit these to fit.  I also wore one of my bigger shapes just to check if the prims could be modded to fit and I forgot to take a picture of the result for this blog, but I think the jeans sculpts looked just fine with a few tweaks.  ^_^

My friend Gogo told me I was channeling my inner Minnie Mouse when I paired Ingenue’s red Judy blouse with the Rosie overalls, lol.  The overalls are very 40s and look great; they come with sculpted rolled-up cuffs that are modifiable.  I’m probably going to wear these again with some of my favorite old standby tank tops from Celestial Studios and a cute, short hairstyle.   The Judy top comes complete with puffy sleeves and a cute round collar attachment.

I’m also wearing something that is very, very special with my Ingenue outfits:  It’s a necklace that my partner, Carson, had custom made just for me!!  <3 I really love the thought that he put into it; it features my birthstone at the center, and of course the hibiscus represents my beloved home, Hawaii.  This is actually part of a set that includes an anklet and shorter necklace, and all of it was designed by the ever-so-lovely Caroline Apollo of Caroline’s Jewelry.  (She currently does not do custom designs, but you should check out what she does have available )

Thank you, Carson, for being one of my best friends in SL, for making my SL more fun, for watching old musicals with me, and for being Don Lockwood to my Kathy Selden. 

Other credits…
Skin – LAQ – Trisha; LAQ – Molly
Hair – 69 – Omnia 10; fri.day – Eloise; fri.day – Neva.2
Shoes – In Her Shoes – Bows Bows Distressed Red flats
Poses are all from my store (Mela’s), except for the last one; I think that’s from Reel Expression. ^_^

Music Fact #12: Loving Jamie Cullum’s interpretation of the classic Singin’ in the Rain (2003, on Twentysomething). You litterally hear the raindrops on his face, and it’s a warm summer rain, and the guy is in love. Happiness, and the rain washes the rest.. That’s jazz! (tracklist&info)

Singin’ in the Rain by Mint Royale.

I LOVE this song.

singin in the rain mint royale mp3 | lyrics

Player courtesy of MP3Raid.com

If player no workee, go to MP3Raid and search for it.  I can’t upload the file for some reason.

Just what is this movie missing that keeps it in the perennially overlooked column?  Why wasn’t it that much of a hit in it’s day?  It’s got a story (the introduction of talkies in Hollywood), it’s got great singing and dancing (throughout), and lots of laughs (throughout, again).  Similarly, you can watch it with your parents, kids, and grandparents and never be embarrassed.  Finally, it features easily and comically discernable good guys/bad girls.  Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, and Debbie Reynolds are all very fine, thank you. 

My personal high-light is the Make “em Laugh scene, featuring O’Connor at his best.  You didn’t see any fat dancers, did you?  It it interesting to see how long some of the shots run are before the camera cuts to a different view.  I could no more do what O’Connor does than I could run a 2:06 marathon.   And how does he do that with the hat?!?!?

The one improvement would be to cut the length a bit.  I would cut the dreamy (freaky) Broadway Melody Ballet scene which seems to add nothing to the show and strikes me as a type of guilding that’s not at all required.

Whoever Says the Truth Shall Die (Bregstein, 1981)

A nice, concise documentary on the life and artistry of Pier Paolo Pasolini. The film examines his work, why he was so controversial, the reputation he held, his masochistic tendencies and his still unresolved murder through the eyes of his friends and colleagues. To think that there are still no solid answers outside of how he was killed is pretty disturbing, calling forth some serious questions of conspiracy. It’s nothing spectacularly crafted, nor does it really get too into details, but it paints an interesting enough portrait of a very important artist.

Zombieland (Fleischer, 2009)

Zombieland covers no new ground. It is exactly as it appears, perhaps a bit less memorable than one would hope. It clumsily attempts to balance whimsy in the face of an apocalypse with desperate, strained bits of sentiment regarding an all-too-typical teen love story and each all-too-typical character’s backstory. The film maintains a decent pace, and is never boring, which is about what I expected. The highlights being the rules system and the brilliant Bill Murray cameo. Harrelson’s character becomes an engaging “sacrificial man” toward the end, giving the film some artistic credibility.

Singin’ in the Rain (Kelly/Donen, 1952)

After having ignored this film for so long due to my lack of interest in musicals, I was finally coaxed into watching it for a film rec thread on Rotten Tomatoes. I’m now glad I was. I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did. Thanks to some genuinely funny dialogue, inspired musical segments, and playful homage and satire, Singin’ in the Rain was a very easy watch. Top praise goes to Kelly’s sidekick in the film, Cosmo, played by Donald O’Connor, for his boyish smile and always amusing performance.

seçişler, vazgeçişler, kaybedişler, aldatmalar, özel hayat, kararlar, pişmanlıklar, yalanlar, sebepler, sonuçlar üzerine fazla düşündüm dün gece.. çok karışık. bir yere varamadım tabi.

uyuyakalana kadar dizi seyretmem lazım. yoksa aklıma mukayet olamıyorum.

pearl jam.just breathe.

Move over Hans Gruber, the bitch is back. And she’s writing for RvR. In the first of a new series where she gives her movie views, alien slayer Ellen Ripley rips into Mamma Mia. Man, she’s tough…

By Ellen

“I have a curious streak that gets the better of me sometimes. That nagging feeling of ‘surely it can’t be that bad’ has led me to make some questionable DVD choices. With this spirit of adventure in mind, I’m hoping you won’t close your browser window when I admit that I’ve seen Mamma Mia.

Within three minutes of the opening credits, I realised that the only way to survive the saccharine dialogue was to wash it down with neat bourbon – but it’s taken me months to piece together what bothers me most about this kind of film. It’s not that people want to see them. It’s that producers and movie studios are making them so poorly.

There’s a wealth of great musical romances in the world, dating back to the early days of film. Singin’ in the Rain was released by MGM Studios in 1952. At its conception, the film was a vehicle, a catalogue of the songs already featured in musicals released by MGM in the preceding 30 years. Producer Arthur Freed chose songs based on their popularity and the romantic storyline was later crafted around them.

Sound familiar?

But while the precedent for this kind of production meant that a feel-good romp by the Aegean Sea was almost guaranteed to be a commercial success, it seems no one took the time to ask if this was a film worth making. It might sound like I’m being unnecessarily critical of Mamma Mia, but where Singin’ in the Rain has heart, Mamma Mia is never more than soft sand and glitter balls. Gene Kelly performed Singin’ in the Rain’s title number with a fever of 103; co-star Debbie Reynolds had to be carried off set after finishing her dance scenes to song ‘Good morning’ after bursting the blood vessels in her feet (Dominic Cooper says he was very comfortable on location in Skopelos, thank you very much). It’s the teeth-grinding dedication of it all that shows up on screen, that sense that the actors are giving the performance of a lifetime.

Meryl hid wherever she could from Pierce's warblings

The worst thing that Singin’ in the Rain can be accused of is irony. The plot involves Debbie Reynolds’ character overdubbing the lines of famous movie star Lina Lamont. The songs are in fact sung by Jean Hagen, who plays Lina on screen. It’s also interesting to note that while the film is quick to point out the injustice of an uncredited performer singing for someone else, MGM don’t give any credit to the young lady who sang for Debbie Reynolds. By comparison, the worst thing Mamma Mia can be accused of is Pierce Brosnan, singing for himself. Why would you do that to an audience?

All in all, never let it be said that audiences shouldn’t succumb to the occasional good love story. A Hollywood romance and a mug of cocoa is possibly the best answer to the cold winter nights ahead. All I ask is that the love stories are just that: good. And maybe that Pierce Brosnan doesn’t sing again.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK…

RIPPING RIPLEY? or RIP-OFF RIPLEY?

ne kadar çok sevdiğimi hatırladım…..

mor ve ötesi.mucize.

güneş doğdu ruhuma
sustum, umudumu gördüm onda
bir şey bilsem söyliycem
seni sevdigimden başka

aptallığın bile tam bana göre
çocuksun sen de
yok yok yok, bu mutluluktan
ağlıycam şimdi
yok yok yok yok
ağlıycam şimdi, yapma

bir sözüm bin yere gider, en sonunda
gözlerime bir bak yeter

mutfakta çıplak ayak sesin
huzur mu bu, mucize arzusu
sonsuzdum ve mahvoldum
güneşli gün yalanlarıyla avundum

Jennifer Lopez as Jennifer Beals as Alex Owens; image courtesy of vh1.com

After last night’s assessment of Nine, I’ve still got screen musical adaptations on the brain tonight. So I thought I’d draw our attention to one more, and add music video that references screen musical stars from the genre’s golden era, and another that recreates an 80s blockbuster many believe to be a screen musical of sorts (and whose protagonist shares a version of my namesake).

If you want to note that all three of the artists are women of color and international pop sensations praised for their dancing and maligned for their limited vocal ranges, gold stars for you. If you want to weep over the slurred, siliconed mess Paula has become and hope that Glee does an all-Janet episode, shake your fists at FOX. If you want to posit what it means that these movies seem to have influenced the performers and may tap into their dance training and on-screen personae, let’s chat in the comments section.

First up is an oldie but a goodie from my youth. While I hadn’t seen Bob Fosse’s All That Jazz when Paula Abdul’s “Cold Hearted” started its rotation on MTV, it’s pretty clear that its takes its from the movie’s ”Take Off With Us” section. As if the direct mention wasn’t enough in the clip’s introduction, let’s compare the two. Warning: contents hot, and sexy.

Paula Abdul
“Cold Hearted”
Forever Your Girl
Directed by David Fincher

And here’s the source material, created by a director and choreographer who seems to have gotten women like Abdul, Madonna, and The Pussycat Dolls dancing (the last act going so far as to take cues from Sweet Charity’s “Hey Big Spender“ for “Buttons“). Also, something tells me warm nuts are served on this plane. (Rimshot) Acid probably is too.

The next one is also from my youth, released at around the same time from a woman whose early video work Abdul choreographed. Janet Jackson’s “Alright” is an homage to the film musicals of Cyd Charisse, the Nicholas Brothers, and Cab Calloway. I especially love Janet in a zoot suit. Click on Ms. Jackson’s name and enjoy.

Janet Jackson
“Alright”
Rhythm Nation 1814
Directed by Julien Temple

And here are the pop star’s and music videos’ influences. The first one comes from Singin’ in the Rain, while the second one is from Stormy Weather.

Finally, we have a clip from former In Living Color fly girl and Jackson back-up dancer who makes an appearance in “That’s The Way Love Goes.” Jennifer Lopez’s “I’m Glad,” a song about her big feelings for then-boyfriend Ben Affleck, retells the entire story of Flashdance, focusing on four dance sequences from the movie, especially the climactic audition scene. Unlike the source material, which utilized two trained dancers (one male) as actress Jennifer Beals’s doubles, I believe all J.Lo does all the dancing. 

Jennifer Lopez
“I’m Glad”
This Is Me . . . Then
Directed by David LaChappelle

And here are some of the dance sequences in question.