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BerylINCA
Reviews
Dance Moms (2011)
Not Exactly A Chorus Line
Now in its fourth season and only getting more and more ridiculous, this show attempts to represent the world of young dancers who compete in dance competitions and the mothers who love them. Unfortunately, these folks are all victims of Reality TV as they dream of the chance to become stars. All good performers need great mentors and positive forces behind them. The force behind this group of lovely young ladies from Pittsburgh is a vitriolic, loud-mouth who owns the dance school they attend. The owner of the dance studio and self-proclaimed patron saint of the dance world is a woman named Abby Lee Miller. Ms. Miller trains her young team by humiliating them, pitting them against each other and getting into absurd battles with their mothers. The only thing she truly cares about is winning another title for her dance school. These titles are basically meaningless proclamations that will never lead to anything except another chance to compete in another dance competition. Why these dancers and their moms have not figured that out yet is quite the question. Each week, it's the same old plot, Ms. Miller screams and rants at the girls, the moms pipe up, Ms. Miller threatens to send them all packing and they go to a competition with their poor little knees shaking, but with tons of "mommy love." Somehow they usually pull off a win, which only reinforces the "method" Ms Miller uses in her training. Too bad none of these moms have a google map, so that they could find other dance schools in the neighborhood. Last time I looked, Pittsburgh was not a small town. This is Reality TV so we should expect several "gotcha" moments, but the verbal abuse of these young girls along with the covert sexuality often found in their dancing and costuming has gone too far. Until a dancer's body reaches maturity, whether she will become or want to become a professional dancer is an unknown factor. Talent is always a needed factor, but you will not make it in the world of dance if you do not have what's known as "a dancer's body." Their mentor/teacher is a great example. It is apparent that she was not blessed with this body type, so she chose to teach. There is nothing wrong with that, what is wrong,is her style of teaching, which in the long run can never produce anything but humiliation and disappointment, she could eventually sour many of her students on the art of dance. The young dancers are gifted and strong, which is why many folks tune in each week. But, because it is reality TV, everyone on this show should wait for the "other shoe" to drop. These producers hopefully have a great final episode in mind, wouldn't it be great if Ms. Miller, was replaced!
Counterplot (1959)
Action thriller about a falsely-accused "good guy", framed for murder, and on the lam in the Caribbean
Definitely a classic of the B-movie genre. Director was the man who discovered a young Joe Yule...who went on to achieve great fame as Mickey Rooney. This film was shot on location in Puerto Rico. Forrest Tucker, already a busy Hollywood actor, had an opportunity to play a romantic lead in this picture, and took it. Also starring as his love interest, Connie, was the beautiful Allison Hayes, who eventually went on to assume the mantle of B-movie cult royalty playing the eponymous role of the "big girl" in "Attack of the 50-Foot Woman". The part of Manuel, friend to the accused man, is played by talented New York newcomer Jackie Wayne, who was just coming off a 2-year run in the Broadway musical "Damn Yankees".