The State of the Cabins (12/8/10)

Things to Click On
* It's a week old, but Jess's Burlesque review was tremendous. And to be honest, it was really just about the only way I was going to read a review of the film, so double kudos! (Insight Into Entertainment)

* Plus Trailers is no more. Check out LAMB buddy (and sometime LAMBcaster) Tom Clift out at his new digs, the creatively-titled Movie Reviews by Tom Clift.

* This is even older than Jess's post, but I really enjoyed Rachel's analysis of her three favorite films (and not just because they're the same as mine). (Rachel's Reel Reviews)

* James finally saw The Room. Of course he loved it. It's downright un-American (or Martian, or wherever Wiseau is from) not to. (Cinema Sights)

Movies watched for the first time (non-theatrically) since last week time:
* Footloose
First of all, probably the biggest shocker of this 80s "classic" had to be this. I wasn't even aware that Nice Guy Eddie was in the dance fest, but after coming to know the guy mostly from his roles in two Tarantino-scripted flicks, it was downright shocking to see him a) in tremendous shape, b) playing a gymnast that learns to dance and c) playing a hick version of Spicoli, and I mean a spot-on Utah-born-and-bred doppelganger of Mr. Hand's best friend. It was bizarre, to say the least.

Bacon's solo, "Don't dance angry" five-minute parade of homosexuality at the abandoned warehouse, complete with gymnastics thrown in for good measure? Priceless. A gold mine of unintentional comedy. The icing on the cake was the gymnast's bar (half of an uneven parallel bars? I don't know what the proper terms is...) that just happened to be there waiting for him.

Overall, (as I discuss on episode #49 of the LAMBcast, soon to be posted) I was in shock at just how blatant the gay rights message (propaganda) was in this film. That sounds like a negative, but it's not - I'm all for the message that was doled out by Bacon and his infectious dancing feet, I'm just flabbergasted that this movie played so well to America at the time - and that I was unaware after 25+ years that that's what the film was in fact about. I thought it was just about dancing fools, like the predecessor of those Step Up movies or something. So, pat yourself on the back for your unknowing tolerance, America - you sure stuck it to them rural, intolerant folk. Though the book-burning scene got a bit over-handed. Subtlety isn't exactly a bad thing, right?

And yet, with all that said, and as horribly cheesy as the flick can be at times, I kinda liked it. It's well-acted and, despite the preachiness, delivers a good message and doesn't deliver the Super Happy Ending you might expect from it. Or maybe I was just suckered in by all of the 80s nostalgia. After all, as bad as "Let's Hear It for the Boys" may be, "Footloose" is even better. Kenny Loggins deserves a Career Achievement Award for the stamp he put on an entire decade, just via three films.

Fletch's Film Rating:

	Expectation: "You seem a decent fellow. I hate to kill you."
	Reality: "Darn tootin."

LAMBScore:

Music I'm currently obsessed with:
* Right now, the only music I'm terribly obsessed with is that which either isn't out yet or I just haven't gotten around to purchase yet. Chief among them: the latest from Kings of Leon (hoping it's a return to their harder side), Royksopp, Kanye West, The Go Team! and DeVotchKa. Bring on Christmas!

Book I'm currently reading:
* The second in the Camel Club series by David Baldacci, The Collectors. As with the first in the series, it's an entertaining page-turner a la Dan Brown's Robert Langdon novels - Washington, D.C.-set (for the most part) with a heavy emphasis on spies and cons and such. There's a decent Ocean's-y heist in this one that makes it much lighter than the terrorist plot of the first, which is welcome. The character development could stand to be better, though, as this series seems to be the Oliver Stone (that's a character, not the director) Show even though there are several other members of the Camel Club. Granted, he's always been the most interesting one, but perhaps that's because the spotlight has always been on him. Anyway, I've borrowed books three and four as well and will likely get to them eventually, though I'll definitely be taking a break and delving into something else after this one.