tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post1585735566102444570..comments2024-03-29T03:05:28.466-07:00Comments on DREAMS ARE WHAT LE CINEMA IS FOR...: FAME 1980Ken Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-31820378262277334022020-07-09T18:27:27.998-07:002020-07-09T18:27:27.998-07:00I just bought the first two seasons of the TV show...I just bought the first two seasons of the TV show, but I can't find the other four. However, I'm excited to watch those I was able to purchase. Thank you for comment.David Hollingsworthnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-66430606393702835382020-07-08T13:31:34.171-07:002020-07-08T13:31:34.171-07:00Hi David
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts ...Hi David<br />Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and personal feelings for this film that only gets better with each passing year. It's especially heartening that your connection to the film extends over several years and you now get to enjoy it in HD, probably looking even better than it did on first release. <br />Your observations highlight how much the film works as a character piece, and how masterfully the script and actors get us to care about such a sizable cast. Each character becoming fully realized under abbreviated circumstances. <br /><br />Like you, I think it mostly boils down to honesty. A non-sentimental honesty and approach to the lives of these kids and the perspective of life the director wanted to show. It sounds as though you have yet to see the TV show? <br />I hope you enjoy it when you get the chance to check it out. It's not the same as the film, but it doesn't have to be...the TV show has merits of its own.<br />Appreciate your reading this post and commenting so thoughtfully and with such genuine affection for FAME. It's a rare film that can engender such reactions. I'm glad this film touched you the way it did. Thanks, David!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-21074615146234380202020-07-07T09:58:25.160-07:002020-07-07T09:58:25.160-07:00I don't think I could have said it any better ...I don't think I could have said it any better than this about this timeless, amazing film. I don't think it has dated at all. I think it remains a depressing, but really fresh portrait of ambition, heartbreak, and reality that most films now couldn't even touch. I had seen it a few times before several years ago, but recently, I have been thinking/obsessing about it. So much, that I bought it on Blu-ray. I know that the TV series is more family-friendly, but I actually want to see it. I never want to see the 2009 remake, because I know that its a sanitized, Hollywood, overbaked one.<br /><br />The cast of the original meant so much to me: Irene Cara as the savvy, but naïve Coco; the late, great Gene Anthony Ray as the beautifully physical, but rebellious Leroy; Maureen Teefy as the sweet, but timid Doris; Barry Miller as the brash, but vulnerable Ralph; Paul McCrane as the closeted, but charming Montgomery; Laura Dean as the directionless, but eclectic Lisa; the amazing Lee Curreri as the soulful, but also charismatic Bruno; and Antonia Francheschi as the self-assured, but also fragile Hilary. These kids felt so real and honest to me. <br /><br />The scene where Coco is lured into an audition, where she is coerced into taking off her blouse is one of the most disturbing moments I've ever seen in my life. It's a tough and difficult moment to watch, but Cara is so good in the scene that it is impossible to look away. <br /><br />I have a developed a crush on Curreri because he was likable as Bruno, musically gifted, and progressive. All of his scenes with Cara are genuine because the chemistry they had together in the film was very natural. Every time I see those see, I wish I was Cara, because the way he Curreri looks at her, especially when she incredibly performs "On My Own" was so sweet and full of longing. And then he touches her hand. It still gives me chills.<br /><br />I still think that it is ahead of its time, and a classic of not only 80's cinema, but pretty much cinema in general.David Hollingsworthnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-44625107952083457172020-04-23T23:29:50.532-07:002020-04-23T23:29:50.532-07:00all i can say is that i love irene cara. i have al...all i can say is that i love irene cara. i have always loved irene cara. what was done to coco in the scene where she's intimidated into talking off her clothes long before #metoo would see the light of day and weinstein would get his just desserts,unfortunately, was done to her by the music business. irene was too special to be used and abused by the music industry.petercox97https://www.blogger.com/profile/05818754297522029991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-55262376789110735062020-03-08T20:11:34.988-07:002020-03-08T20:11:34.988-07:00Thanks for your further comments. I think you make...Thanks for your further comments. I think you make a good point and I agree that any perusal of Parker's films reveals at least a pattern of interests and themes. Especially dealing with youth and the pursuit of fame (which I always thinks just stands in for any difficult to attain dream or desire). His films often play well on repeat viewings, revealing some of the ideas hidden behind his ability tell a story so entertainly. <br />I enjoyed reading the ideas you shared.<br />I don't always get back to respond to older posts, but I hope you continue to share your thoughts even without reply because I know the readers and visitors to this blog enjoy hearing from other film enthusiasts. Thanks again!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-85448418553125511252020-03-07T15:18:42.358-08:002020-03-07T15:18:42.358-08:00It's interesting when you think about all of P...It's interesting when you think about all of Parker's films...even though the surface elements are radically different (a New York City performing arts high school, a Turkish prison, a bourgeois San Francisco family divorce, a rock star's feverish mental breakdown, an Argentinian social climbing actress turned loved/loathed political messiah) there is a distinct through-line through all of his films, namely his preoccupation with children and young people caught up in and victimized by a hypocritical and oppressive social order, a longing for escape into the worlds of fame and celebrity as a substitute for familial love and finding nothing but further systems of disillusionment, and a general overall world-view of an indifferent and cruel universe that must be reckoned with in terms of existential, rather than institutionally religious, individual self-determinism and psychological well-being.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-33270338262578089952020-03-06T01:34:47.882-08:002020-03-06T01:34:47.882-08:00Mr. Anderson: Thank you very much for your complim...Mr. Anderson: Thank you very much for your compliments. They are very kind.<br /><br />Yet the embarrassment of it all! My brain must have gone into some sort of phantasmagorical "creative genuises who died young" overdrive, causing me to make a rather bizarre mixture of mistakes regarding my theory about all the cryptic references to tragically damaged lives scattered throughout the film. It was Stephen Foster, not Stephen Crane, who wrote the famous tune that Ralph plays on his harmonica, as I must of somehow been thinking of Hart Crane at the same time, because all three of these figures died tragically young, and led lives of creative greatness that went unfufilled and unrecognized until long after their death. Foster died at 37, alone, sick, and in dire poverty on the Bowery in 1864, while Stephen Crane, the author of "Red Badge Of Courage" and one of the pioneers of hard-hitting urban social realism in literature in the 19th century, died at the age of 28, a true rebel of his time in terms of his writings about the lower classes. Hart Crane, the great experimental poet, died a suicide, at 32. There are even two other "signifiers" that I failed to mention, if you follow my path down the very dark tunnel of "Fame" being more "cautionary tale" rather than "jubliant aria"... the cynical mention of football hero Joe Namath by Ralph in his last moment on screen after bombing in the comedy club, his career future and his priniciples ambigious and unresolved.(Namath being an athlete physically ruined by the very sport that brought him to superstardom) and the mention of James Cagney's classic and iconic line from Raoul Walsh's "White Heat" in Ralph's attempt to get into drama class: "Top Of The World, Ma!" shouted out by Cagney's ruthlessly ambitious criminal as he's incinerated by an explosive and very symbolic ball of fire.<br />It's also not insignificant that MGM went through several attempts to change the title of the film, orginally called "Hot Lunch" and forced to scrap it because of a similiarly titled X-rated porno, they suggested awful, tacky stuff like "Starstruck", "Break A Leg", "Razzle Dazzle" and "Neon Dreams", until Alan Parker talked to David Bowie and asked him if he could borrow the title from his 1975 song "Fame", which he chose because of the lyrics:<br /><br />"Fame, puts you there where things are hollow.<br /> Fame, what you get is no tomorrow.<br /> Fame, what you need you have to borrow.<br /> Fame, what you like is in the limo.<br /> Fame, it's not your brain, it's just the flame<br /> that burns your change, to keep you insane,<br /> Fame, bully for you, chilly for me,<br /> got to get a rain check on pain."<br /><br />True, it's not "I'm gonna live forever, I'm gonna learn how to fly high". But it's the real song that motivated Parker's final title choice, and therein lies the deeper truth of the director's intent, and what he wished to really communicate to the audience, especially through the central Ralph Garcy story arc.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-20084260428097746752020-03-04T23:52:50.553-08:002020-03-04T23:52:50.553-08:00Hi
I'm so pleased you enjoyed this post (thank...Hi<br />I'm so pleased you enjoyed this post (thank you!) and I have to return the compliment in saying that your contributed comments make such a good point. The ensemble nature of FAME is wonderful in that it affords each viewer the opportunity to respond to different aspects of the story as well as unearth unnoticed things with each new visit.<br />I think your calling attention to the Freddie Prinze parallels in the Ralph Garci story arc is sure to enrich the viewing the experience of anyone who failed to take note.<br />Your attentiveness to the themes of FAME and sensitive awareness of their broader implications make for fascinating reading and a very thought provoking contribution to this post. <br />Readers always say they learn so much form reading the knowledgeable comments section of my blog. Yours is a good example of why that is. Thank you very much for your very kind and flattering words, and for taking the time to elaborate further on your initial comments. Much appreciated! Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-6321334189713548152020-03-04T15:25:42.438-08:002020-03-04T15:25:42.438-08:00Mr. Anderson, I wish to sincerely thank you for pr...Mr. Anderson, I wish to sincerely thank you for printing my previous comment, but considering it was written in the heat of the moment, I would like to beg you indulgence and permit me to clarify and revise some of the more mucky aspects of what I was trying to express, so please forgive me. To wit: "The character of Ralph is inarguably a roman-a-clef, a mirror, a sly and diamond-hard prism reflecting the very real life and ugly death of comedian Freddie Prinze, (a 22-year old suicide at the height of his career) and it uses that explicit template, in the guise of both the idolizer and the figure being idolized, to make some very powerful statements about the capitalist machinery of Hollywood, the endless and endlessly re-occurring wreckage it produces and leaves behind, and the serious spiritual, ethical, and moral issues, let alone lost illusions, that any gifted and naïve adolescent must confront if he or she is to truly pass through the ring of fire known as The American Dream Of Celebrity and still believe themselves worthy of being an "artist" with their self-respect and integrity intact, despite whether or not the world sees them and defines them as being "successful". In this regard, it is a profoundly astute and critical piece of socio-political filmmaking, with subtle Faustian and existentialist undertones. Those singular philosophical elements were illuminated way beyond the parameters of just an "ensemble of new young talent" by an extraordinarily potent (and what should-of-been Oscar winning) performance that has kept the film relevant after all these many years, immune from the taint of dated and forgotten kitsch, something that virtually every other imitation and iteration has failed to achieve". As a special addition to this revised comment, I would like to add this personal observation. Notice, if you will, that sprinkled throughout the film are strange allusions to many various tragic artists whose genius was blighted and destroyed both from within and without by the grinding mills of social notoriety in one form or another: James Dean, Montgomery Clift, playwright William Inge (author of Montgomery's opening monologue "The Dark At The Top Of The Stairs") Marlon Brando, Stephen Crane (19th-century songwriter of "The Old Folks At Home", the American standard played by Ralph on his harmonica when he first appears trying out for the school) and the poster of Laurence Olivier in the very opening shot of the film, a still from the notorious 1965 British production of "Othello" in which the most towering icon of the modern Shakespearean theater, "the greatest actor of the 20th century" had a massive nervous breakdown on stage, due to his inability to technically achieve any real emotion, night after night, no matter how hard he tried. <br /><br /> AS you perceptively and gratefully have observed, Mr. Anderson, "Fame", both the title, the film, and the word itself, is not to be taken literally.<br /><br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-83360464476294891752020-03-04T02:07:06.450-08:002020-03-04T02:07:06.450-08:00It's heartening to read your appreciation for ...It's heartening to read your appreciation for this film, and the significant role it played in your life, and you have written an eloquent, intelligent, and sincerely passionate and touching homage to it's important and historical value in the canon of classic Hollywood musicals. However, it never fails to amaze me that the very bedrock of the picture is often overlooked, misunderstood, or often not even commented upon with any amount of deeper recognition or understanding, namely that within the character of "Raul Garcia" lies the screenplay's very dramatic and tortuously thematic heart: Ralph is inarguably a roman a clef, a mirror, a sly and diamond-hard prism into the very real life and ugly death of comedian Freddie Prinze, and uses that explicit template, in the guise of both the idolized and the idolizer,to make some very powerful statements regarding art vs. commerce, the capitalist machinery of Hollywood and the endless and endlessly reoccuring wreckage it both produces and leaves behind, and the serious spiritual, ethical, and moral confrontations, let alone lost illusions, that any gifted and naive adolescent must confront if he is to truly pass through the ring of fire known as the American Dream of Celebrity and still believe him or herself to be an "artist" with his integrity intact, despite what the world defines as a successful human being. In this regard, it is a profoundly serious and socio-political movie, with subtle Faustian and existentialist undertones, and it is those singular philosophical elements, illuminated way beyond the limits of just an "ensemble of new young talent" by an extraordinarily potent (and what should of been Oscar-winning) central performance, an accomplishment which has kept it relevant after all these many years and immune from the taint of dated and forgotten kitsch*<br /><br /><br />(*And something that virtually every other iteration and imitation to this very day will never achieve.) Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-23523422619841437192018-08-02T12:45:26.292-07:002018-08-02T12:45:26.292-07:00Hi there, David!
How thrilling to hear that you s...Hi there, David!<br /><br />How thrilling to hear that you saw FAME for the first time! Just this week I heard from someone who saw ALL THAT JAZZ for the first time as well. In both instances it is gratifying to hear that, as much as these films captured a moment in time, they seem to have aged very well.<br />Perhaps you told me and I forgot, but I didn’t realize you played piano! How marvelous. I say I think we discussed it before because my partner studied classical piano in college, too, and won a couple of local competitions. He is teaching me how to play now, and his patience is saintly.<br />I like that you still play (occasionally, anyway) and, given that you appeared in musicals in high school, I suspect you can both sing and dance a bit?<br /><br />I appreciate what you said about my personal path, which I feel rescued me from a future of Lord only knows what.<br /><br />Anyhow, I always look at those who seek careers in the performing arts as those who, in a way, have no choice; it’s either pursue that path or perish. But our fame-addicted, success-oriented culture seldom supports and reaffirms that one can find enrichment in playing an instrument, dancing, singing, etc. without feeling compelled to make its one’s living. The base of my dance clientele are people who abandoned dancing when they were young because they knew they couldn’t make a career out of it, only realizing in later years that the pressure to monetize one’s gifts and pleasurable hobbies extinguishes a lot of joy in many people.<br />As for FAME, I’m glad you enjoyed it, and while I REALLY recommend that you avoid the remake at all costs, your comment: “I suspect that today, there is a secret warehouse in Beverly Hills where movie and TV performers are built according to rigid specifications, one being that they have absolutely no "bad" or unusual features that would distinguish them from anyone else”—is precisely the problem with the remake. Bland commodified sameness. Like those reality “talent” shows that seem to produce the same colorless, prepackaged pop stars. <br /><br />FAME is loaded with unique talent, Irene Cara being one of my favorites (although I hadn’t known about her singing on that Evelyn King album). And it’s wonderful she is still doing what she seems to enjoy. <br /><br />As for gaydar and Gene Anthony Ray, things may have changed a lot since then, but in my experience, when it came to gay identification in pop culture, the black male identity has been so long associated with fear/threat/sexual danger/criminality that, unless a star was as flamboyant as Little Richard or perhaps Antonio Fargas in CAR WASH, rarely were they assumed to be gay. <br /><br />Terrific to hear from you again, David, and thanks for sharing your thoughts on this film. I’m glad it wasn’t one of my usual dark-themed movies for a change. Take care!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-14787853097411403612018-08-01T14:35:02.232-07:002018-08-01T14:35:02.232-07:00Dear Ken: Hi! I'm posting these comments prett...Dear Ken: Hi! I'm posting these comments pretty late, but there's a reason. Inspired by you essay, above, two days ago I finally watched "Fame" for the first time ever. It was quite an experience, and I'm glad I did!<br /><br />In 1980 when the movie came out, I of course was aware of it, and loved the song "Out Here on My Own," which was in constant radio play. But I also was 15 years old and not yet allowed by my parents to see R-rated movies. (I missed a whole bunch of fascinating musicals of that period due to R-ratings: "All That Jazz," "The Rose," "Hair," "Pennies from Heaven," etc. and have just started to catch up with some of them in recent years.)<br /><br />I thought--and the above comments by several others confirm it's true--that "Fame" quite effectively catches the passion and spirit of young people who are driven to be performers. I studied piano for years growing up and had enough talent to be able to win some state-level competitions in my age group. (I impressed my husband a few years ago by managing to run through some passages of Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto when we were visiting my dad over the holidays.) I also really enjoyed being in musicals in high school. But I somehow never had the thirst or drive--and undoubtedly, the talent--to try to make performing a career. Maybe I was too lazy, or maybe I had too happy a childhood and adolescence! :)<br /><br />Not to embarrass you, but I find your bio so inspirational--especially your decision to follow your dreams and make your art your career.<br /><br />Anyway, back to "Fame"--I agree with you that it's wonderful how real the young performers seem, both in personality and in appearance. I suspect that today, there is a secret warehouse in Beverly Hills where movie and TV performers are built according to rigid specifications, one being that they have absolutely no "bad" or unusual features that would distinguish them from anyone else.<br /><br />I loved seeing Irene Cara in "Fame," too. I think I first became familiar with her when she played Alex Hailey's mother in "Roots II." Next, I noticed her name as one of the back-up vocalists on the "Music Box" album by Evelyn "Champagne" King. Seeing "Fame" inspired me to do some Internet research on Cara's present-day life. It appears she is doing well and performs currently when she chooses to. It's so nice to hear about an entertainment world "happy ending"!<br /><br />P.S. Gene Anthony Ray was a fantastic dancer! But I have to ask--how could anyone NOT have known he was gay, especially after seeing the erotic moves he makes during the "Fame" audition scene!<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02904043774881615645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-49657561111509702032018-07-18T02:09:58.211-07:002018-07-18T02:09:58.211-07:00Hi Chris
That's so nice of you to thank me for...Hi Chris<br />That's so nice of you to thank me for writing about a film. It's a labor of love, I assure you. Revisiting this was a lovely reminder of how vital some contemporary musical can be. I haven't seen the Taking of Pelham 1-2-3 in ages, but I saw it several times on its release. I love those films that capture the look of long-lost NYC.<br />And it pleases me that FAME's editing is one of the things you reference, too. It's rather brilliant. As much as I love the film XANADU, it has the feel of being cut by someone with not much of an ear or eye for music. Some of its editing rhythms actually sabotage the energy of the numbers. FAME is a different story altogether; as you say, it has a rhythm of its own that propels the picture.<br />Thanks for reading and commenting, Chris. Nice that FAME holds so many good memories for you, too!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-90164644786580747652018-07-17T16:55:46.698-07:002018-07-17T16:55:46.698-07:00Hi Ken! Thanks for taking the time to write about ...Hi Ken! Thanks for taking the time to write about one of my all time favorite films. I agree with so many of your points, particularly about this actually LOOKING like New York (much like one of my other favorite movies, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.) And I honestly believe this is the best-edited film I've ever seen. Its rhythm is all its own. -Chris Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11957280853200215754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-86638049913209281222018-07-02T23:44:32.376-07:002018-07-02T23:44:32.376-07:00Hi, daringrod
What a fabulous memory journey you t...Hi, daringrod<br />What a fabulous memory journey you took all of us on! Again, a part of me envies those who saw this during the impressionable years of their adolescence, because I can well imagine how powerful a film experience it must have provided. I never even knew of the existence of a Hollywood Professional School, so far from being unimportant, your mentioning it in context with seeing this movie informs your recollection of it immeasurably. And what a schedule you had!! <br />One of the things FAME does best is tip a hat in tribute to all the hard work and dedication it takes to go to school like everybody else, yet also make time for study in one’s chosen field of the creative arts. I admire that more than I ever do the fantasy of overnight success.<br />To be in that environment and see this movie…wow!<br /><br />Just reading your description of that first screening is a thrilling reminder of what movies can do. And a salute to the triumph of what Alan Parker pulled off. I especially like your citing of that masterstroke ending. It’s an incredible way to end the film and I recall it as quite breathtaking, the audience breaking out into applause.<br /><br />The observation you make about the character of Montgomery is a good one—certainly worthy of discussion and debate. I went to al all boys high school, and while I was certainly not the only gay male there, who WAS gay was never as clear to except in hindsight (my very best friend in high school was gay, but I never knew it or even suspected it. He came out to me after we had both gone away to college, he being inspired by my coming out on my 21st birthday).<br />Although there is a prejudicial assumption on my side that kids at a performing arts school would be more open…that could be false. In which case Parker’s take on the character of Montgomery may not be politically as “awake” as I’d like when it comes to screen depictions of gays, but maybe more honest and realistic to the time and characters.<br />In any event, I’m always grateful that Parker cast him as a non-exceptional guy devoid of extravagant Mizahi mannerisms (which would undercut the “big reveal” aspect, anyway).<br /><br />That cap and gown scene (to me) was heartbreaking. It looked as though Ralph and Montgomery’s friendship survived Ralph’s meltdown, Doris and he were actually through (or at least hadn’t healed yet, if you want to be optimistic), but I always thought that was such a sad sequence because (as I said in the essay, I liked those two characters so much).<br /><br />As I write all of that it occurs to me how glad I am that no one ever attempted a FAME sequel! In a way, the lame TV show served as one, but in money-mad Hollywood, it’s hard to believe a hit movie never had a sequel pitch (that we know of).<br />Can’t tell you what a thrill it was reading about your first time seeing FAME! Not an overstatement to say it’s a contribution/continuation of my post more than just a comment. I enjoyed reading a great deal, and thank you for taking the time to express it all with so much clarity. Much appreciated!<br />Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-21257140100778960342018-07-01T00:31:20.200-07:002018-07-01T00:31:20.200-07:00Ken,
Once again you have done nothing less than &q...Ken,<br />Once again you have done nothing less than "NAIL IT!" I was a sophomore in high school in Hollywood the day this movie opened and my friend Suzanne and I ditched to be in the audience of the first screening at the Cinerama Dome. (a surprisingly small audience, too) I was a competitive skater at the time and had also recently learned what a dance belt was. (hahahahaha) The school I attended was Hollywood Professional School, which had originally been established to accommodate kids working professionally in the arts, offering accredited education while being flexible to each student's schedule. For myself, I'd train from 5 AM to 10:30 AM and have classes from 11 to 3. Not that that is very important, but in the early 80's that school was about the closest thing in L.A. proper to PA - and it did not even come close. Anyway, back to that afternoon in the Dome: There's no doubt that the aspirations translated though my path was on ice, and the number of times I got chills while watching the movie were too many to count. As a coming of age film, it was the first time I'd seen characters/peers on screen that weren't the same, homogenized types continuously force fed to my demographic. They had faults, frustrations, backstories(!) and of course dreams. It was a revelation. The casting is just stunning. Anne Meara, who I'd only ever seen playing foil to her husband comedically, blew me away. And I had never realized it but you are so correct about watching for all the supporting characters in the finale and the feeling of joy in their characters' accomplishment that came as their faces flashed on the screen still hits me when I watch this movie. "Hot Lunch" is still one of my favorite musical numbers ever filmed - the exuberance is undeniable. To this day seeing FAME in that theater, first day - first screening, with very few other audience members is the best moviegoing experience of my life. The scope of that particular screen and the fantastic sound drove the power of Parker's film home unlike anything else. This is especially true for "I Sing the Body Electric" and everything that that number is. When that gospel break hit, my tears were interrupted by a very loud cheer of, "Yes!" But as that song came to a close and the swelling of strings drove the inevitable crescendo forward and the conductor's baton moved from left to right on the final note and the entire Cinerama Dome went to black... I was stunned. The audacity of that editing choice was jaw-dropping, and honestly, still is. The acknowledgement to you give to Gerry Hambling is greatly deserved and proven over and over again throughout this film. <br /><br />There is an entire conversation to be had over McCrane's character especially being a student at a school of performing arts, although as a skater in that era and surrounded by others who were, like myself, obviously gay, it was a topic we never discussed. I have always wondered if Parker's choice to cast a pale red-head in the role was intentional? And what is to be made of the cap & gown fitting scene with Doris, Ralph & Montgomery? No matter how anyone chooses to decipher it, it was daring for Parker to put a same-sex kiss on screen (and this coming a year + before Making Love.) I will never forget when McCrane joined the cast of ER in the 90's. even without the red locks, I knew exactly who he was. Of course I rewatched the movie then and was surprised to recognize Mizrahi in the cast. Didn't know who the hell he was back in 1980. Ha!<br /><br />The series was so bad. The stage "version" was too. I ignored the remake because instinct told me it was the smarter thing to do. Thank you for confirming that I was right to do so.<br /><br />Once again, thank you for this post about this film. As always, you have brought fact, opinion and personal experience together in a manner both thought-provoking and illuminating. My appreciation is deep and heartfelt. -daringroddaringrodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15220182401001450607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-54082545338402965312018-06-26T17:16:37.551-07:002018-06-26T17:16:37.551-07:00Hey Chris
Only upon revisiting this film recently ...Hey Chris<br />Only upon revisiting this film recently was I made aware of how influential it has been. Now that you mention the series POSE (which I've never seen) I'm further convinced of what a bang-up job Alan Parker did with FAME.<br />It is a curious coincidence that you had been listening to some of the tracks (still great after all these years). Definitely worth seeing again if you haven't watched it in a while. Unlike the TV series, it gets better with age.<br />Thanks, Chris!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-33543338281670433622018-06-26T07:37:10.747-07:002018-06-26T07:37:10.747-07:00Very interesting that you cover this wonderful fil...Very interesting that you cover this wonderful film, Ken, just as I was strongly thinking of it. In fact, on today's iphone playlist as I did my workout were both "Is It Okay if I Call You Mine" and "I Sing the Body Electric" from this soundtrack. <br /><br />The new Ryan Murphy series Pose set in the 1980s has made me think of this film often...the young man who plays dancer Damian is so reminiscent of Leroy when he dances...and he is of course enrolled in a School of the Arts... definitely shades of Flashdance in Pose as well...<br /><br />Now, thanks to your comprehensive coverage of this film, I MUST see it again ASAP. I forgot Anne Meara was in it too!!<br /><br />-Chrisangelman66https://www.blogger.com/profile/16471674180789592940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-8284180478165987392018-06-21T01:06:34.565-07:002018-06-21T01:06:34.565-07:00Hello Carlos
I'm sure I speak for a lot of rea...Hello Carlos<br />I'm sure I speak for a lot of readers when I say your heartfelt and evocative memories of seeing FAME capture the spirit and truth of the film. You make seeing it at such an impressionable age sound every bit as exciting and inspiring as I would imagine it to be. I mean, you had the complete and total NY experience! Kudos to you for pursuing your dream.<br /><br />The scenes you cite are both major waterworks times for me. The finale is remarkable (and if I failed to salute cinematographer Michael Serasin in my essay, I do so now).<br />I found it gratifying to read what FAME meant to you and how it inspired you. I firmly believe that the ability to touch our lives and inspire our dreams is film's essential gift, and comments like yours serve to remind me of the authenticity of that faith.<br />Appreciate your kind words and thanks again for reading and commenting!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-8841678061938951372018-06-20T14:22:52.418-07:002018-06-20T14:22:52.418-07:00I was 11 years old when I first saw this film - sa...I was 11 years old when I first saw this film - saw it with my cousins Angela and Tony, who were both 18 and 19 respectively in a small theater in the South Bronx in the summer of '80 and I was completely mesmerized, inspired, blown away, etc. I wanted TO BE one of those kids. I wanted to go to the High School of Performing Arts (auditioned when I was 17 - didn't get in) - but the film was my calling to the world of the arts...and it continues to inspire me every single time I see it. I related to those kids up on the screen - - - they looked and acted like me and my friends - - - . When I got to high school (I attended a graphic arts high school near the Times Square area, not too far from the original site of Performing Arts - - - I got to go to the places they show in the film. Me and my friends would also frequent Friday and Saturday midnight showings of "Rocky Horror" at the 8th Street Playhouse and do "The Time Warp" up on that tiny stage! Watching Fame for me was my youth. It's a deeply moving and beautiful film. Thank you for your very well thought out analysis. It's spot on. <br /><br />Favorite scene: When Leroy visits a tearful Mrs. Sherwood at the hospital. That scene guts me every single time. <br /><br />I also tear up at that glorious finale: "We are the emperors now, and we are the czars...and in time we will all be stars...."<br /><br />Godspeed and God bless. Carlos Albertohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06746162649213207587noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-90523510060508161722018-06-20T13:56:42.301-07:002018-06-20T13:56:42.301-07:00Ha! The resemblance is keen. I remember thinking e...Ha! The resemblance is keen. I remember thinking exactly the same thing at the time! And it's oddly fitting given that I read how they're really dancing to Donna Summer's "Hot Stuff" during that iconic scene when the dancers take to the streets. The song "Fame" hadn't yet been written.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-43416772068053952722018-06-20T12:17:36.206-07:002018-06-20T12:17:36.206-07:00When I saw this movie I was struck by Irene Cara&#...When I saw this movie I was struck by Irene Cara's uncanny resemblance (vocally too) to Donna Summer, it was like I was watching Donna, Jr.loulou de la falaisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17120127948192259286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-35487324701358127412018-06-19T05:25:20.210-07:002018-06-19T05:25:20.210-07:00Hi Mark
I love that song. And love that Alan Parke...Hi Mark<br />I love that song. And love that Alan Parker allows it to be sung in its entirety by Cara in a lovely scene that many have cited as their favorite moment in the film. It is indeed a marvelous ballad, garnering lyricist Lesley Gore (with brother Michael) her sole Oscar nomination. Thanks for calling attention to the song and thank you for reading and commenting! Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-33552272321373939222018-06-18T17:31:25.361-07:002018-06-18T17:31:25.361-07:00I second your feelings about this movie, Ken - I a...I second your feelings about this movie, Ken - I also want to make mention of its lovely song, "Out Here On My Own," which was sung by Cara and has a Schubert-like purity to its melody. Mark R.Y.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13477108436907995362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-63370121106635002732018-06-17T20:39:36.118-07:002018-06-17T20:39:36.118-07:00Hi Poseidon
Thanks a heap! That song may have been...Hi Poseidon<br />Thanks a heap! That song may have been played to death, but that scene of those kids leaping out onto the streets and cars is so iconic.<br />I've seen Irene Cara in so many things and there is no denying she had all it took to have a screen career. I can't vouch for any of her personal or legal problems, but movie choices like that exploitation flick you referenced didn't help ("Certain Fury"...what does that title even mean? Irene & Tatum: these two Oscar winners were a bad match for material best suited to Linda Blair).<br />This was my first revisit to FAME in ages. Surprised that it held up so well. I imagine all your years in theater would provide a lot of insight to the type of characters featured here.<br />And congrats for finally getting to see "A Chorus Line"!! Love that show. Thanks for reading and commenting, Poseidon!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.com