As time when by I was allowed to go to the cinema with
friends but back in those days my friends liked 'dance' films or horror films.
Both genres have not been on my favourites list. I've never enjoyed horror and
now dance flicks anger me. But that's all I had to work with.
Crossroads
My friend who I have know for over 20 years really wanted to
see this film when it first came out. It was the first film, or one of the
first films I can remember being allowed to see alone. We saw it at a
ridiculous time of 10am on a Saturday because it was only £1. I went because I
like going to the cinema but oh my did I regret seeing this terrible film. I
hated it all. I wasn't and still not a Britney Spears fan. The story was
ridiculous and predictable and all I could think and say was 'what the hell is
Dan Aykroyd doing?' My friend didn't who it was so I had to sit there is
despair on my own. I remember that three friends make a pact of some sort when
they are kids but grow apart over the years. They eventually turn into
stereotypes and hate each other. But they still agree to the pact and go on a
road trip for various reasons. So, not the best film ever?
Step Up
Now known as the rise of Channing Tatum or how he met his
wife Jenna Dewan Tatum. I think I enjoyed this at the time as a bit of
escapism. Who knew this was going to be the beginning of a never ending
franchise? I kept my dignity by not watching the films that followed. I think
Mr Tatum plays a troublesome youth who ends up doing community service at a
prestigious dance/ballet school where he ends up helping Future Mrs Tatum with
a dance and therefore he changes himself and they live happily ever after blah
blah blah. The good thing that came out of this film was one of the coolest
couples in Hollywood. But at the time I wasn’t really impressed by this story.
All the other dance films pretty much have the same story… let me know if I’m
being too harsh.
Take the Lead
Based on a true story about how Antonio Banderas changed a
group of troublesome youth through the medium of dance, specifically ballroom
dancing. There is also a Romeo & Juliet story in there as well as a love
triangle AND an unlikely love story too. It’s a fictionalised account of real dancer
and dance instructor Pierre Dulaine. I enjoyed this far more than Step Up,
mostly because of the ‘true story’ factor and the large group of characters. My
friend, the one that made me see Crossroads and Step Up, loved it. She was and
is very much still ‘in to’ dance flicks. These infrequent trips to the cinema
were precious and disappointing, but way back then, tickets were less than £6
so it didn’t really matter.
