(viewed 9/30/11)
I accidentally watched the first 20 minutes of the 2009 remake of Fame before I realized Netflix had shipped me the wrong disc in the correct paper sleeve. I mean, the graphics of the title sequence gave it away, but I kept watching anyway. I’m not here to tell you that the remake is an unwatchable failure, you know this or could guess (re: Frasier and Lilith together again!!). But that tiny snippet I watched made the original so much more endearing and fun. Because 80s New York— when it was still rough and unsafe in more places than not— is what makes the film possible. It does not work in 2000s New York. All the students had nice clothes on. What’s the fun in watching upper middle class (mostly white) kids go to an arts high school? Granted I didn’t watch the entire film, but if my college experience is any indication, it’s pretty boring. (Carol: 1, College: $85,745,908,204,629,438,752,093,487,519,385.09)
A few other things make the original Fame work: every girl isn’t a babe, the actors look somewhat close to high school-aged kids, the students aren’t professional musicians/actors/dancers their first year— there’s a transformation. Fun stuff.
