Thursday, April 9, 2015

Thursday Movie Picks #39: Dance Movies



Hello there and welcome to Thursday Movie Picks a weekly series where you share three movie picks each Thursday. The rules are simple simple: Each week there is a topic for you to create a list of three movies. Your picks can either be favourites/best, worst, hidden gems, or if you're up to it one of each.For further details visit the series main page here.


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This week's Thursday Movie Picks is Dance Movies (Excluding anything Musical or based on a Musical)

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This week is one of those weeks where I think what was I thinking when I set this as a theme? I suppose this was my attempt at having more variety. I myself don't really watch dance movies as such my options were limited; still, these are some of favourite movies that featured dance.
 
Black Swan (2010)  
I thought this move had an amazing first few minutes with the opening dance. It's intense, menacing and claustrophobic, the character transformations in that short span of time was beautiful, and it sets the tone for the rest of the movie. One of my favourite movies.

Center Stage (2000) 
This is the only one here that I don't remember much; I've only watch it the one time way back in 2000. You may remember it had that Mandy Moore song on its soundtrack: I Wanna Be with You. Anyway I do remember enjoying this a lot. It gives a glimpse into the world of ballet, through the lives of some fictional teens at a ballet academy, but without the kind of body horror depicted in Black Swan.

Strictly Ballroom (1992)   
I had put off off watching this for the longest time. From some of the promo pictures I had seen, the movie looked very dated, I didn't recognise any of the actors and it was about ballroom dancing; not exactly something that interests me. Finally watched it recently; found it incredibly charming and really enjoyed it!  It sort of has an ugly duckling transformation story. I know that sounds like a big movie cliche, but in Strictly Ballroom it worked because it's more of a natural transformation involving a beginner dancer doing the work to be a better dancer to compete in a ballroom dancing competition.

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So that's it...my three picks. What three movies made your list today?

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Check out some of my random Thursday Movie Picks
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19 comments:

  1. These are the same three I was going to use!!!!!! Now I go back to the drawing board...

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  2. Black Swan is perfect. :-) I haven't seen the other two.

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  3. Center Stage was one of my choices too. I've been meaning to watch Black Swan, should get to it some time.

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  4. Center Stage! YES! When that movie came out, my dance school went as a group to go see it - it was a BIG DEAL because they used actual ballet dancers in all the roles. I've been dying to see Zoe Saldana dance on screen again. And one time I actually saw Ethan Stiefel and Sascha Radetsky in the ballet of Midsummer Night's Dream at the Met and I may not have remembered to breathe. Black Swan and Strictly Ballroom are two of my All-Time Favorites.

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    1. I didn't know they used actual actual dancers. I guess it figures because I haven't seen most of them in anything else other than this movie. I didn't even remember Zoe Saldana was in the movie until I check out its IMDB page recently. And looking at her now, she definitely has a ballet dancer's physique.

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  5. My biggest sin is I haven't watched Black Swan"

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  6. I also picked Black Swan, for me it showed a side of dancing that I have never seen before. That dance scene where Portman turns into the Black Swan with those red eyes (and that beating wings sound effect) really creeps me out. Terrifying imagery.

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  7. I've only seen Black Swan and it's a fantastic film.

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  8. I also picked Black Swan. It's just so stylish and interesting. I love it. I haven't seen the other two you picked though, but I've heard of them.

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  9. Ooof, I'm relieved that no one went too dancy for the dance movies. Matt and Sean and extra looking forward to cop movies! ;)

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    1. Yeah, I think we all like movies that have a story rather than just a dance showcase.

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  10. Oooh I still need to see Strictly Ballroom! Haven't even heard of Center Stage but Black Swan is one beautiful & disturbing film.

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  11. Man I wish we could've used musicals for today's theme, would've made it a whole lot easier to choose 3 (or more, haha).

    I'm not a fan of dance movies, which may answer why I haven't seen any of your picks. I do have Black Swan on my watch list but haven't got around to checking it out yet.

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    1. I didn't want this week's theme to be filled with musicals, which I think it would have if I didn't put a caveat, and especially since there already was a musical week.

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  12. I haven't seen Center Stage yet but Black Swan is a dark, disturbing film with excellent performances and it uses its dance sequences to add so much to the story. It's been a while since I've seen Strictly Ballroom but I remember it as an entertaining small film.

    My three this week are:

    Bootmen (2000)-Story of a man who works in a steel mill whose ambition to dance professionally looks like it can happen when he tries to organize his own troupe but might be derailed by conflicts caused by his troubled brother. Director Dein Perry, who conceived the stage show Tap Dogs, based this on his early life. Set in New South Wales, Australia the cast includes a pre-fame Sam Worthington and talented dancer Adam Garcia.

    Stepping Out (1991)-Liza Minnelli plays a former Broadway dancer who moves to Buffalo and opens a dance studio where a disparate group of women take her tap class. As the movie moves along they find new strengths as a group as they prepare for the big show. Great cast, Andrea Martin, Jane Krakowski, Julie Walters, Shelley Winters and of course Liza pep up this little known drama.

    The Turning Point (1977)-Anne Bancroft and Shirley MacLaine play long time best friends who had met as promising ballet students but whose lives have taken them in different directions. Anne has stuck it out and is now a prima ballerina nearing the end of her career while Shirley married, had three children and runs a dance school in Oklahoma City. When they are reunited and it seems one of Shirley's daughters has what it takes to make it to the top old rivalries re-emerge. Somewhat hackneyed story is bolstered by strong performances by the main pair, Anne is better than Shirley, and wonderful ballet performances including some by Mikhail Baryshnikov at his peak.

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    1. Oh I've seen Bootmen. So long ago but I remember liking it. I know Adam Garcia is the star of it, but I don't remember Sam Worthington in it at all. Haven't seen your other two.

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    2. Sam plays Adam's trouble making brother, Mitchell.

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    3. Oh I have to see it again one of these days.

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