Is living in Australia for a year so lots of travel reviews coming your way! Trying to read and rate...
Is living in Australia for a year so lots of travel reviews coming your way! Trying to read and rate as much as i can xx
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Dirty Dancing (1987)
Having just reviewed the movie ‘Ghost’ I decided to re watch another Swayze classic ‘Dirty Dancing’. This is one of my favourite movies and I have watched it so much that I now know most of the script, and occasionally say the lines before they have on screen much the annoyance of my sister. This is a coming of age movie filled with lust and romance but it is the dancing and soundtrack that sets it apart from over movies in the genre.
The Story:
It is the summer of 1963 and the Francis ‘Baby’ Houseman and he family are about to begin their holiday at Kellerman’s Holiday Park. Kellerman’s is a family run park full of traditional entertainment including a large array of dance classes for all levels and talents.
Baby’s father Dr Houseman is a very well respected man with friends in many places including the manager of the holiday park. All the staffs at the camp are instructed to look after and treat them well; waiter Robbie Gould takes an instant shine to baby’s elder sister Lisa and the owner’s nephew Neil Kellerman has a keen interest in Baby.
In the evening they head to the main club house and watch the entertainments team teaching dance to the guests. Johnny Castle and his dance partner Penny Johnson are very talented dancers; the pair wow the guests with their ball room dancing skills and impressive lifts.
On
her way home one night Baby finds her self in the staff quarters her are innocent eyes are exposed to a different sort of dancing all together, she is shocked but intrigued by what she sees and when Johnny dances with her she is left with a major crush.
Sleazy Neil decides to take Baby on a tour of the camp, on that tour Baby finds Penny curled in a ball crying her heart out, not wanting to get her into trouble Baby makes her excuses and then rushes tell Johnny what she has seen.
Penny is pregnant and scared of loosing her job; she needs to get an abortion but has no money. Baby assumes that the father is Johnny but he soon sets her straight, trying to get him to like her Baby decides to get the money for Penny from her father Dr Houseman.
Even with the money Penny may lose her job because she will have to miss a dance show and no-one is available to cover her. Desperate to help out Baby offers to take her place even though she has never danced before; Johnny is a great teacher and starts to work on Baby straight away teaching all sorts of new moves.
My Thoughts:
This movie is fabulous, it is full of lust and romance, and it is sexy and exciting. The dancing is amazing and the cast are highly talented. I jus adore the soundtrack and I think it is this that has helped to make the movie as popular as it is with hits such as ‘The Time of My Life’, ‘Hungry Eyes’ and ‘She’s Like the Wind’ you can’t help but fall love with it.
The mixture of Dirty dancing and ball room dancing is amazing to watch, I love all the sexy moves and you can’t help but shuffle your feet and dream that it was you up their dancing away when you watch this movie.
The Characters:
Jennifer Grey plays Frances 'Baby' Houseman, Baby as she affectionately known by her family is a young girl with a great disposition and positive attitude to life; this has come from her privileged back ground. Everything is easy for Baby and there is an answer for everything. When Baby enters Johnny’s world her whole out look on life starts to change, she learns that some people have to work hard for a living, that nothing is as easy as you first think. She also starts to realise that she isn’t a ‘Baby’ anymore. Jennifer Grey gives a superb performance as ‘Baby’ her acting is amazing and her dancing is also pretty impressive.
Patrick Swayze plays dance teacher Johnny Castle, Johnny has had to struggle all his life, coming from the streets he has made something of himself by taking dance lessons. He works every summer as a dance teacher on the camp but has dreams of doing more with his life. When he meets Baby, she opens his eyes to his life and makes him want to become a better person. Patrick Swayze is a very talented man indeed, his dancing skills are incredible, he is very sexy in this movie and shows of his gorgeous body. He also got to show off his singing talents by recording the song ‘She’s like the Wind’
Jerry Orbach plays baby’s father Dr. Jake Houseman, Dr Houseman is a very well respected man. Although he has two daughters it is his youngest ‘Baby’ that he idolises. When Baby comes to him asking for a large sum of money he doesn’t need to ask what she wants it for as he trusts her judgement, however when he finds out what his money has paid for he is less than happy.
Cynthia Rhodes plays dance teacher Penny Johnson, Penny grow up with Johnny and together they learnt to dance, they are very close but are not emotionally involved as everyone assumes they are. Dancing is Penny’s love and passion and she is extremely good at it. Finding out she is pregnant is devastating news to her and she will do anything to save her job. Cynthia Rhodes shows that she is not only a fantastic dancer but she also a very sensitive actress, I have to say her legs will make you sick though!
Sound Track:
"(I've had) The Time of My Life" - Bill Medley, Jennifer Warnes: This has to be the most famous song from the movie, played right at the end with the final dance it is an amazing scene.
"Be My Baby" - Ronettes: This is the back drop to Baby and Johnny leraning how to dance in the water a great fun scene.
"She's Like the Wind" - Patrick Swayze: Patrick himself recorded this song and I have to say he has a mighty fine voice!
"Hungry Eyes" - Eric Carmen : This is fun song that the couple practice dancing too.
The movie is available on DVD on Amazon used and new from £4.97
The sound track is available on CD for used and new from £4.97
On Stage:
Most recently Dirty Dancing has been turned into a stage musical in London’s West End, I have not yet seen it but my sister has, she has advised me that the acting is not great but he last dance is fabulous.
Pictures of Dirty Dancing (DVD)
baby and johnny
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Excellent review! As soon as I read the title, I knew exactly what the review was about! I have tears in my eyes...it is Saturday night and I am a little piddled...it brings back so many memories! I loved this film when it came out...it was released just on the cusp of my adolescence and captured all that pent up sexual angst...oh dear a bit too much info and too many dot dot dots! You have captured the essescence of the film perfectly! I am going to have to watch it asap as it really is a great film...him indoors will be contacting you to complain!
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