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Rating:  -
This is the original version of the movie Fame. It has a better plot line and is quite a bit more "real" than the newer version.
Rating: -
Long before the perky cheerfulness of "Glee" or Disney's "High School Musical" (please pardon me while I puke!), there was Alan Parker's original 1980 film "Fame." Parker and screenwriter Christopher Gore crafted a gritty, episodic, often cynical and disturbing, look at the lives of a diverse group of students attending New York City's School of the Performing Arts. These students are not the shiny, happy, smiling types found in "feel-good musicals." These students live in the real world. "Fame" more than deserves its "R" rating. The students have flithy mouths-- especially the illiterate, dancing wonder Le Roy Johnson (the late Gene Anthony Ray), who frequently trash-talks his English teacher Mrs. Sherwood (Anne Merra). Why should Leroy care about his English homework when he can dance up a storm? Debbie Allen, who later played a prominent role in the subsequent "Fame" TV Series, has a cameo role here as an instructor who goes gaga for Leroy's dance audition.
The film features, rather boldly (for 1980) but correctly, a gay student named Montgomery (Paul McCrane). Montgomery "comes out" to the school during a "difficult memory" exercise in drama class. Montgomery is befriended by Doris (Maureen Teefey), who is unsure of exactly how she fits in to the school. Montgomery also endures cruel teasing from his "friend" Ralph (Barry Miller). Somehow, Ralph wins Doris' affections and keeps his friendship with Montgomery intact. It's difficult to understand how. Leroy has "attitude", but the brash and abrasive Ralph is downright unlikeable. Ralph idolizes Freddy Prince. After one night of sizzling success as a stand-up comic, arrogant Ralph blows his shot at the big-time. I was actually happy to see Ralph get what he deserved. For the record, the character of Montgomery was featured in Season One of the "Fame" TV series (played by actor P.R. Paul), although his homosexuality is never mentioned. One of the most introspective students is Bruno Martelli
(Lee Curreri) who would rather compose music in silence rather than play music for millions. A teacher admonishes him, "that's not music, Mr. Martelli, that's masturbation."
During Sophomore year, a rather snobby ballet student has an affair with Leroy, and sees her dance dreams end apruptly when she has to have an abortion. Even optimistic, resourseful Coca (Irene Cara), who is sure she is going to make it (she sings the rousing and unforgettable "Fame" Oscar winning theme song), receives a rude show-business awakening. Senior year, she is approached by a man in a coffee shop who asks her if she'd like to be in a movie. She goes to his apartment-- whereupon the slezebag tells her to take her top off on camera. Humilated, Coca does so, as tears fall down her face.
At times, Parker is unsure of where he is going with the characters and the multiple, criss-crossing storylines. Yet, an aura of uncertainty is appropriate in a film that couragously, artfully, and realistically depicts the high and lows (mostly the lows) of hoped-for show business fame. The word "courageous" can hardly be applied to the 2009 "Fame" film remake. In fairness, I have no desire to see it and I will not, but I hear it's all very "PG-rated" tepid and antiseptic. The 2009 "Fame" seems to have taken a great, dancing leap backwards. Thank you, but I'll stick with the bold and brazen 1980 Original.
Rating:  -
I loved this movie when it originally came and and felt no different when I recieved it and popped it into my dvd player. The delivery was timely and the movie was comparably priced. It was brand new as promised and was an absolute joy to watch. I had forgotten on good this movie was.
Rating: -
I have to preface my remarks here since Ammy has the bad habit of cramming every review of every version of a film together on one page. Thus Blu-Rays, 2 disc editions, single disc editions and even VHS versions all have their reviews thrown together into one confusing bunch.
I am discussing the September 2009 release which is actually nothing more than the 2004 release with an additional CD of the soundtrack - those are your two discs. There are extra features on the single disc that make the purchase worthwhile. They are:
1. Class reunion commentary with branching video highlights and featuring director Alan Parker and co-stars Lee Curreri, Laura Dean, Gene Anthony and Maureen Teefy.
2. Vintage featurette - On location with Fame Fame field trip visits the school that inspired the movie.
3. Theatrical trailer
If you don't want the soundtrack CD, I'd see if I could track down a copy of the 2004 version Fame. Don't get me wrong, the soundtrack is great. I just think that people might think they are getting an extra disc of special features based on the way this is being advertised.
The Blu-ray release of this film is coming out in January with almost exactly the same special features as this release has. This one has the entire soundtrack, the Blu-ray has only four songs. Just information in case you want the Blu-ray version.
As for the movie, it is one of the great modern musicals with an inspired tale to tell as well. It's the story of kids trying to get into and make the grade at the New York City High School for the Performing Arts in a run-down section of New York City. It follows seven students as they make their way through all four years of high school. Many of the students come from the same poor neighborhood in which the school is located, and this puts economic and family pressures on them as well as their own desire for for professional success. Several castmembers of the movie made it into the TV series, the first two seasons of which were as good as the film.
My four star rating comes as follows:
The film: 5/5
The somewhat misleading representation as a two-disc edition: 3/5
This averages to 4/5.
Rating:  -
Fortunately this has been discontinued by the manufacturer, but you might save a misguided rental fee. I was shocked at how bad this was. Some of the performers are quite talented, but their talent is wasted. We have every ethnic stereotype in the book: overprotected Jewish girl, poor little rich white girl, African-American street-dwelling break-dancer, troubled gay son of absent parents, and a Puerto Rican from a poor, crime-ridden neighborhood and a mother steeped in religious superstition with a Freddie Prinze fixation. There is only one character from an even semi-functional family, an eccentric musical genius from a loving blue-collar Italian family. The actors are all waaaaay too old for their parts--they're supposed to be 14 when the movie starts but they all look old enough to have finished college. The sex, drugs, unwanted pregnancy, and other teen drama is trite and overblown and far too graphic (in case your memory is fuzzy and you're thinking this might have been the "High School Musical" for your generation). Even the musical numbers, which are few and far between, seem disjointed and forced. My son attends an arts-focused school so I thought he'd enjoy seeing what the "big kids" do . . . not.
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