Breakin’ … There’s No Stopping Us
Do you remember the slew of dance-related movies that were released in the mid-80s? Girls Just Want To Have Fun. Sarah Jessica Parker, Helen Hunt, and Shannen Doherty with those thick, caterpillar eyebrows that were so à la mode circa 1985. The plot? Janey (Sarah Jessica Parker) is Miss Goody Two Shoes until she meets the Oh-So-Bad Catholic girl, Lynne (Helen Hunt). Janey and Lynne love to dance their little hearts out and all they ever want to do is win the big D-TV dance competition. Plot spoiler: Janey does an impressive backflip to win the competition, her father’s love and the guy of her dreams.
As great as Girls Just Want To Have Fun is, I have to give a big nod to the trio of fabulousishisness that sits at the throne of the breakdancing movie genre: Beat Street [trailer], Breakin’ [trailer] and Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo [trailer]. (Watch the trailers — sans sound if you’re at work — and you’ll get an idea of what American cities looked like back when it was “cool” to live in the suburbs.) Let’s start with Beat Street. Graffiti, horrible haircuts, even more horrible couture, DJs from the South Bronx, and, of course, breakdancing. It’s GREAT!! I only remember two things about Beat Street. Number 1: Rae Dawn Chong, because who knew Chong, of the infamous Cheech & Chong, could spawn such a beautiful creature. Number 2: The saying “Beat Street. Don’t let the street beat you!”
Next, the Breakin’ movies. Breakin’ features ICE-T’s film debut and follows the story of 1 jazz dancer and 2 breakdancers’ rise to fame on the streets. Breakin’ 2 chronicles the breakdancers’ attempt to defeat The Man. Plot spoilers: In each movie, the breakdancers win. But, in life, I guess The Man wins. Have you seen the Lower East Side lately? Or, how about Union Square? And, do you know how many Starbucks there are in this city now? (SIDENOTE: Don’t get me wrong. I like a little gentrification — safe streets, clean neighborhoods, well-kept green spaces, neighborhood coffee shops, great brunch venues, etc. The shallow waters of gentrification? Great! Gentrification tsunami? Not great. But, back to the issue at hand …)
If you can, rent all four of these movies. If you’ve seen them before, it will bring back a lot of really funny memories from the 80s. (LYNNE: Velcro. Next to the Walkman and Tab, it is the coolest invention of the 20th century!) If you’ve never seen the movies, they’ll provide really good laughs and you’ll get a glimpse of what a couple of Hollywood A- and B-listers looked like before plastic surgery.
November 22nd, 2005 at 10:13 am
I wanted to be Sarah Jessica Parker in Girls Just Want to Have Fun. I LOVED that movie! They just don’t make them like they used to in the 80s….
November 22nd, 2005 at 11:47 am
Give me Footloose any day! None of these girl girl movies, go for the good stuff…
November 22nd, 2005 at 12:36 pm
No sequel–and I mean none–has ever topped the name Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo when it comes to naming sequels.
Oh, and at usps.com, you can use your own images to print up a sheet of stamps. I’m using that one for my Christmas cards. That’s all there is to it.
November 22nd, 2005 at 2:19 pm
MamaChristy: I thought GJWTHF was one of the best movies of that decade!! :) … BTW, I just noticed that SJP’s first name has an “H” on it. Hmmmm … I’ll correct that later.
Mitch: How could I forget Footloose?!?!? That was a good one, too. Ooh, ooh, ooh … and Flashdance. Wow, there were a lot of actors-turned-”dancin’ fools” in the 80s! :)
Andy: I heard that you could do that, but I haven’t tried it yet. Maybe I’ll use my avatar, the funkybrownchicken, for my stamps. BTW, I think that breakdancing image was an actual stamp printed in 1999 as part of the Celebrate the Century series. If you get some of these printed, that would be great!!! And, remember to take a photo and share it with us on your blog.
November 22nd, 2005 at 3:03 pm
Ah, yes. Wasn’t Boogaloo Shrimp involved in one or all breakdancing-related movies? What is it with teenages and dancing movies? They still make these, only I’m past the point of enjoying them because I can’t relate.
My all time favorite timeless classic teenage rebel dance movie? “Rollerboogie”. 80, 81, 82. Something like that. Linda Blair stars as a teen flute player whose real dream is to skate around in circles with her friends.
Mom: (crushed when daughter tells her she won’t be performing in the classical music festival) Tell, me honey: what is it that you really want?
Linda: (pregnant pause): Mom, I want to go to the Rollerboogie.
Priceless.
November 22nd, 2005 at 3:20 pm
I’m ashamed to admit it, but I like the newer ones from the 90s and 00s, too. Dirty Dancing, Save the Last Dance, Bring it On. Love ‘em!
I never saw Rollerboogie. Linda Blair was in it? Isn’t she the chick from The Exorcist? How did I miss that this movie?!?!
And, what exactly is it about dancing movies that demands that they be filled with cheesy quotes? In addition to the one you listed …
GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN:Army bases are pretty dead, unless you’re in the Army. So I always had a lot of time to daydream, and my daydream was always the same – that some day, [dramatic pause] I was going to get to Chicago, because that’s where they make [dramatic pause, II] Dance TV!
STAYING ALIVE:
Tony Manero: You know what I wanna do?
Jackie: What?
Tony Manero: Strut
November 22nd, 2005 at 4:08 pm
Ahhh, the good old days! I wonder if I can still do the centipede.
November 22nd, 2005 at 4:47 pm
I actually just boought my friend the Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Movie for her birthday. To keep with the whole 80’s theme I actually bought it on VHS.
I think as children, my sister and I rented this EVERY time we got a movie. EVERY time.
P.S. Flashdance was a terrible movie. Terrible. I’ve even blogged about how terrible it is.
November 22nd, 2005 at 5:34 pm
Deep in the Heart of Texas: Dances from the 1980s. Gotta love ‘em.
little a: “Flashdance was a terrible movie. Terrible. I’ve even blogged about how terrible it is.” I’m sorry, but there seems to be some sort of misunderstanding. I was talking about Flashdance. What a Feeling … Irene Cara … Jennifer Beals with the exposed shoulder. You know? FLASHDANCE. Surely you can’t hate *that* movie. ;)
November 23rd, 2005 at 2:17 am
i’m sorry stolie, but i DO hate it. with a passion. everything but the main story line is pointless. the comedian guy? pointless. The old lady friend? pointless. the lobster head job? pointless. the friend who gets naked after failing at ice skating? pointless. there was no closure for ANY of the other characters apart from jennifer beals gal.
however the 80’s dancing is cool, as is the exposed shoulder look.
November 23rd, 2005 at 6:36 am
Okay, okay. We can agree to disagree … But, it’s nice to know that we agree on the exposed shoulder look. :)
November 23rd, 2005 at 6:47 am
I am a Footloose and Dirty Dancing fan. I don’t really like Flashdance or Fame either. Is there a song called Electric Boogaloo because that name rings a bell and I know I haven’t seen any of those movies.
November 23rd, 2005 at 8:22 am
Nics: FAME!!! Wow, how could I forget that one??? Sheesh, someone should creat a site called something like “Actors Turned Dancin’ Fools” and on the site they could keep a running tab of all of dance movies.
And, yes, if my memory serves me well, there is a song called Electric Boogaloo.