So I decided to catch Chicago today as an X-Mas prezzie to myself (my cousin gave me $25, actually). Before the movie I walked over to a nearby bookstore and FINALLY picked up the "Once More, with Feeling" Buffy the Vampire Slayer (musical episode) soundtrack. Yay! It's so good! I'm all hoarse from yelling along with James Marsters, that sexy *$#*!@$&.

Anyway, Chicago was better than I'd hoped. Moira McDonald, the Seattle Times movie critic, was right giving it four stars. Richard Gere was a bit too campy compared to everyone else, but he was passable. Catherine Zeta-Jones probably could have lost a couple MORE pounds or occasionally had more flattering costumes, but her look (man, that FACE) and presence were perfect. Renee Zellweiger is a good singer, surprisingly enough. The musical numbers were perfectly played in, the story delivered so true to the book that I was practically mouthing the dialogue. And mmmm, fishnets and lingerie.

But the performance that REALLY got me was one of the six Merry Murdresses, a woman named Susan Misner. I won't say she's an actress, because she's obviously a professional dancer. There's no way, absolutely NO WAY someone could be a full time actor/part time dancer and dance like that. I'll bet she's a full time dancer/part time actress. (She does have work to her credit on IMDb.) The fact that she could stand on one leg, extend it as high as possible, and end up with her foot next to her HEAD tells me that. (That's a d�velop�, kids.) Mmmmmm. Bendy. It's in light of a performance like that that I think the director should have forgone Zeta-Jones' face value and gone for the real talent, dammit.

The last time I saw Fosse-style dancing that good, it was watching the musical "Fosse." That one was choreographed by Ann Reinking, Fosse's prot�g� and long-time lover. (If you want to see HER dance, rent Fosse's autobiographical "All That Jazz" and look at the character of Kate Jagger. Basically, it's Ann Reinking playing Kate Jagger playing Ann Reinking.)

Chicago is going in my collection the day it comes out. And for the last few years I've thought about what should be the first DVD I buy. I want it to be a good one, an investment, since I still don't have a DVD player. I think this one just hit the top of my list.

And now I go to start my aerobics class Monday and lose a few dozen pounds to dance like that.

Oh yeah, one more thing: That fucking retarded Vegas reject with Carmen Electra, the Pussycat Dolls, was on David Lettermen the other night. For those who don't know much about cabaret-style Broadway dancing: it don't stand up to the real thing. It's a complete fucking rip-off of every Fosse show made. I'm not exaggerating: I watched it and went "Hey, they're SINGING "Hey Big Spender" (a Fosse number), and that bicycle-kick-on-a-chair bit is from Cabaret." The whole thing wasn't even that good: it's just a bunch of ass and tit shaking, and hell, *I* can do that *now,* and I'm out of shape. They'd get more credit from me with some originality.

||previous|| - ||next||