Blu-Ray Review: ‘Fame’ Remake Fails to Capture the Original Magic

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CHICAGO – My general thoughts on “Fame” are best articulated by Joel Hodgson and his robot friends from “Mystery Science Theater 3000.” During their infamous commentary on “Mitchell,” Joel points to one of the young actors on the screen and says, “Hey it’s one of the kids from ‘Fame!’” “Which one?” asks his robotic companion. Joel’s response: “Any of ‘em.”

None of the young stars in director Alan Parker’s 1980 original film have gone on to become household names. Irene Cara came the closest when she won an Oscar for her song in “Flashdance,” but her fame quickly petered out in the mid-80s. Though Parker’s musical drama may have failed as a launching pad for lucrative careers, it did succeed as an unsentimental and thoroughly entertaining depiction of life as an aspiring performing artist.

HollywoodChicago.com Blu-Ray Rating: 2.0/5.0
Blu-Ray Rating: 2.0/5.0

“This is no Mickey Mouse School!” warned one of the professors upon the students’ entry into New York City’s High School for the Performing Arts, and Parker’s R-rated film fulfilled that promise. The director did not shy away from tackling hard-edged issues faced by real life teenagers, such as sex, drugs, pregnancy, homosexuality and suicide, to name a few. There was even an extended sequence set during a rowdy screening of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” which set the stage for an introverted protagonist’s decision to come out of her shell. The film was no masterpiece, but it did deserve its status as a cult classic, with enough timeless human insight to make up for its dated cheese (and it has recently been released on Blu-ray to coincide with the release of its remake).

Naturi Naughton triues to follow in the footsteps of Irene Cara in Kevin Tancharoen’s remake of Fame.
Naturi Naughton tries to follow in the footsteps of Irene Cara in Kevin Tancharoen’s remake of Fame.
Photo credit: MGM Home Entertainment

In contrast, Kevin Tancharoen’s PG-rated remake of “Fame” might as well take place at a “Mickey Mouse School” populated by the casts of “High School Musical” and “Glee,” as well as assorted “American Idol” rejects. It’s so desperate to connect with Zac Efron’s teenybopper fan base that it dilutes its story of any gritty authenticity. It borrows the structure of the original, following students from their auditions through their four years of education, leading to a toe-tapping graduation. Though students at the performing arts school must be endowed with the ability to sing, dance and act, few of Tancharoen’s performers seem capable of all three. And when they are gifted, it’s never in a way that feels fresh and unique. The two stand-outs, Naturi Naughton and Collins Pennie, might as well be named “mini-Beyonce” and “mini-Jay-Z.”

Fame was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on January 12th, 2010.
Fame was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on January 12th, 2010.
Photo credit: MGM Home Entertainment

What’s worse is the film’s suffocatingly sanitized depiction of teenage life. These straight-laced students abstain from sex, apologize for drinking, and only harbor suicidal thoughts if they happen to be gay. Though the Blu-ray disc includes an extended edition of the film, it’s no more risqué than the theatrical cut. It’s the kind of disposable disc destined to be played in the background of a raucous party, particularly a sweet sixteen (the kids will be too bored to give it a moment’s glance). Anyone who’s well past their “Rock Camp” phase is well-advised to check out the original film, which has just been released on a sparkling Blu-ray edition, complete with impeccable picture and sound quality, as well as a lively class reunion commentary.

The 2009 remake of “Fame” is presented in 1080p High Definition (with a 2.40:1 aspect ratio), accompanied by English, Spanish and French audio tracks, and comes with a digital copy of the film. Special features include 18 minutes of deleted scenes that don’t add much to the film’s various underdeveloped story lines. There’s also a music video featuring Naughton and Pennie, an all-too-brief behind the scenes featurette focusing on the film’s various dances, and murky footage of the “Fame National Talent Search Finalists.” The only potentially interesting extra is a series of “character profiles” in which the fresh-faced cast members discuss their rise to would-be stardom. The “profiles” are little more than puff pieces, but one gets the idea that a documentary about kids auditioning for a remake of “Fame” would’ve been more interesting than any resulting film. Think “Bugsy Malone” meets “Every Little Step.” On second thought, don’t.

‘Fame’ is released by MGM Home Entertainment and stars Kay Panabaker, Naturi Naughton, Asher Brook, Paul Iacono, Kherington Payne, Charles S. Dutton, Kelsey Grammar, Megan Mullally and Bebe Neuwirth. It was written by Allison Burnett and directed by Kevin Tancharoen. It was released on January 12th, 2010. The theatrical cut is rated PG.

The original ‘Fame’ is released by Warner Brothers and stars Barry Miller, Irene Cara, Paul McCrane, Lee Curreri, and Gene Anthony Ray. It was written by Christopher Gore and directed by Alan Parker. It was released on January 26th, 2010. It is rated R.

HollywoodChicago.com staff writer Matt Fagerholm

By MATT FAGERHOLM
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
matt@hollywoodchicago.com

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