Stuff I Love/Lazy Movie Weekend: New Steps, New Steps, New Steps!

I miss Blockbuster. I don't mean this in a "woe is me, things were so much better in the 1990s" sort of way, although we could argue that the 1990s were a magical time. I say this exact phrase during one of the tours at the museum, seconds before talking about the fashion disaster known as the "whale-tail" and calling myself a feminist killjoy. I love volunteering.

No, I miss Blockbuster for the browsing. Yes, I know I can browse titles on Netflix or On Demand, but it's not the same as browsing the aisles at the video store. Going to Blockbuster (or Hollywood Video or any of the other video store chains that existed) was about the browsing. Sure, I might come in with a plan to rent The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles for the millionth time this month, but I'd always leave with at least one unexpected item in my movie pile. Something about the cover of a video would catch my eye or maybe it'd be an employee pick (there as always an employee pick section) or some other special category like "Indie Comedies Featuring a 70s Icon" or "Movies with a Girl Gang." Oddly specific categories are my jam. The more odd and specific you can be with telling me why I might enjoy a movie tells me you're paying attention and maybe stalking me online (I'm looking at you, Netflix).

It's because of Blockbuster that I watched Party Girl, most of Quentin Taratino's movies before I was able to see them in the theatre, and it's how I "discovered" today's Lazy Movie Weekend entry, Strictly Ballroom.

Think about the 1990s in terms of the movies: independent movies were the thing everyone wanted to watch, people beyond Hollywood starting paying attention to film festivals, delightful ensemble movies were popping up left and right, foreign films moved outside of the art house, and weird was cool in movies. Like the music of the time, there was something for everyone and most of it was really amazing. This was my peak movie time; I watched movies all the time and went to the movies as much as I could. I don't know what was going on in Australia at this time, but there was a very specific interest in Australian movies in the mid-late 1990s. In quick succession, you had Strictly Ballroom, Muriel's Wedding, Cosi, Shine, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, The Piano, The Sum of Us, Sirens, and Flirting. We introduced to Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman, Rachel Griffiths, and Toni Collette. Australia seemed like the weirdest and most magical place.

Strictly Ballroom was my Australia gateway movie (yes, that's a thing). It led me to Muriel's Wedding and Cosi and the rest is history. It let me believe that despite my aversion to his version of Romeo + Juliet, I could still get behind a Baz Luhrmann movie. Strictly Ballroom is the first movie in his "Red Curtain Trilogy" and it's my favorite of the three. It's odd and funny and heartwarming and I love it. It's now streaming on Netflix, which is awesome. I've watched it twice since I found this out, and it was magical both times. So, grab some popcorn and maybe a glass of wine, and let's rumba our way through Strictly Ballroom.

• Hey, there's that red curtain. It pops up throughout the whole movie. 
• Baz Luhrmann wrote Strictly Ballroom as a stage play. It debuted in 1984 and was based on his experience participating in ballroom dancing competitions. 
•  Based on the opening sequence of this movie alone, ballroom dancing seems like the weirdest, but funnest world to inhabit. Everything's so sparkly and pretty, if not a little over the top. The personalities are big and brassy. I feel like I missed out on some fun.
• The movie is sort of set up like a documentary at first. We meet the key players and they're all talking about a controversy we haven't yet seen - Scott Hastings, the coolest ballroom dancer ever, using non-federation steps. The nightmare!
• Scott, played by Paul Mecurio, is every leading man of this era, trying to channel cool guy-ness and edginess while ballroom dancing. Like you do.
• That yellow sequin jumpsuit is life! It is something else. I hate a deep V-neck collar on a dude, but this takes things to a whole new level.
• Let's all take a moment to bask in the glory of every single suit Les Kendall appears in during this movie. They're pastel or shiny in a way that no one else could ever pull off.
• 
• Scott's mom, Shirley (played by Pat Thomson), is the greatest stage mom of Australian cinema. "Did I fail him as a mother?" - such delivery. I love every moment is on screen. Sadly, Thomson died before the film was released.
•  A new realization I had during this version of the movie was that Barry Fife (Bill Hunter), the president of the dance federation, is the Donald Trump of the fake Australian competitive ballroom dancing world. From the hair to the shady dealings to his manner towards women, Fife and Trump are the same. Hunter seems to play all Australian bad guys during this period and he's so good. Seriously though, I had a hard time watching him as I made this comparison. 
• The bangs! We need to pause and talk about everyone's bangs in this movie. I used to tease and spray my bangs within an inch of their life too, but these women take it to a whole new level. There's sequins and it all matches whatever they're wearing. Exactly how much hairspray was used during the making of this movie?
• I still don't know what the Bogo Pogo is, even though I've seen this movie a ton. I know it's supposed to be a dance step, but in my heart, it's a really great 90s era Australian synth pop band.
• "You've got a light in you, boy. Let it shine." Just hold onto this phrase if you ever need a pick up for yourself. Also, foreshadowing.
• Liz (Gia Carides) and Scott matching clothing even off the dance floor is a thing of weird beauty. 
•  Scott's sister, Kylie, and her dance partner, Luke, are the greatest. Netflix recommended a documentary to me called Baby Ballroom and I may need to watch it for Kylie. Is competitive ballroom dancing something you're born into or can anyone sign their kid up for this? I wonder.
•  Doug, Scott's dad, is basically a dad joke wrapped in a delightful human being. I love him so much, including his socks and shorts ensembles. 
• And then we meet Fran, the oddball of the dancing studio. She is so awkward and lovely. 
• Paul Mecurio was one of the trained dancers cast in the movie, although he was a ballet dancer and had to go through six weeks of ballroom training for the role of Scott. Tara Morice, who played Fran in the stage play, almost didn't get cast because she didn't have a background in dance. The guy that plays her dad and Tina Sparkle were some of the other professional dancers cast.
• Fun fact: Morice also sang the version of "Time After Time" featured on the soundtrack.
• "Ken owns Spa-a-Rama." This is basically what I think of whenever anyone brags about something horrible that they do, but that they're super proud of without knowing it's horrible. It's all in Liz's delivery.
• And then Fran takes off her glasses and is beautiful and dances better than anyone else in the movie. Or something.
• I can't stress enough how wonderful Doug is. Just watch him dance on the roof of the building and tell me he's not amazing. I will fight you on this. 
• Tina freaking Sparkle. She is so much to handle. The fruit, the name, the bangs. She so much, but also incredibly normal within the world of this movie.
• I can't apply eye makeup very well since I can't really see without my glasses, but I have to say, Shirley's eye makeup in this movie is horrifying. It's what would happen if a teenage girl and a new drag queen both learning to apply makeup got together and helped one another. Too much.
• The "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps" sequence is my favorite part of this entire movie. It's so beautiful and makes me want to learn to ballroom dance. Fun fact: Doris Day requested a private screening of the film because of the use of this song. She loved the movie (apparently).
• The eye contact in ballroom dancing is what keeps me from ever wanting to dance (that and the fact that I'm an awkward dancer). It's so intense to watch.
• And then everyone gangs up on poor Fran and sends her back home with no partner. 
• "What is so wrong with the way I dance?" Nothing, Scott. Nothing.
• Scott picked the wrong dance with Fran's family. His paso doble was a joke. Fran's dad and grandma show him what's what and it is awesome. The paso doble mimics the movements of bull fighting, which you can see very plainly. It was created in France in the 1930s, and is widely associated with Spanish and Portuguese dance.
• Of course, this also means Scott finds his heart and love of dance. And gets a shiny gold jacket (which was the most expensive costume and took six weeks to make).
• "Nothing terrible is going to happen." Shirley, don't say things like that.
• So many lies. So much shadiness. I'm telling you, Barry Fife is Donald Trump. It's so obvious to me now.
• And then Scott and Fran fall in love through the magic of dance. As couples do.
• The flashback sequence! It's a delight in its campiness. Apparently, it was supposed to be more realistic, but the budget wasn't there so it was easier and less costly to create a weird, fever dream version of the 1967 competition. Sure. I believe you.
• The Pan Pacific Finals. Tina is with Ken, Liz and Scott are set to dance together again, and Fran is back in beginners where she belongs. Until Doug shouts, "We lived our lives in fear!" and Scott gets his shit together.
• What is Liz wearing? It's like what would happen if a dominatrix and a space pilot had a very yellow costume baby. I have no words for this outfit.
• And then Scott flies out onto the dance floor and he and Fran dance the greatest paso doble anyone has ever seen, with and without music. It is magical and heals everyone's soul and sets the Australian competitive ballroom dancing world on fire. Yes, I just wrote that sentence.
• The "Love Is in the Air" plays and the red curtain closes. 

Do yourself a favor and spend this weekend with the gang from Strictly Ballroom. Then watch Muriel's Wedding, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, and Cosi. You'll thank me for it later. It's not exactly browsing at the Blockbuster, but it's close enough.

Scott & Fran image
Yellow jumpsuit 
Scott & Fran 2

Lazy Movie Weekend: It's as good as Dancing Queen

I have a very specific memory of my 18th birthday: I'm sitting in my bedroom in lovely Burke, VA writing in my journal (because that's what we all did) and listening to the song "Dancing Queen". I don't remember if this was later in the evening after celebrating or sometime during the day. I just remember sitting there listening to that song and thinking of one of my favorite movies Muriel's Wedding. At one point in the movie, Muriel says she hasn't listened to any ABBA songs because her life is as good as an ABBA; "It's as good as Dancing Queen." I guess that's what I was thinking about that day; one day my life would be as good as an ABBA song.

I've seen this movie a hundred (probably). It's not a completely happy rom-com but it's funny and dark and sad and genius all at the same time. This is one of my favorite Australian comedies followed closely by Strictly Ballroom. The 1990s were a prime time for Australian movies that didn't involve Baz Luhrmann. 

I just got back home from attending my cousin's beautiful wedding so I thought we'd spend this long, lazy movie weekend celebrating all things love and weddings with a trip back to 1994 and Muriel's adventures in Porpoise Spit, Australia. Grab your favorite girly drink, some wedding cake, and your best ABBA inspired dance moves and settle in for Muriel's Wedding.

• This was Rachel Griffiths first movie and Toni Collette's second. The movie was a huge international hit and would propel them both into larger roles and Hollywood fame.
• PJ Hogan, the film's director, had to beg the members of ABBA to allow the use of their music in the film. They agreed (for a share of the profits) and were pleasantly surprised when the film was so successful. Muriel's Wedding is the reason the musical Mamma Mia!, the Broadway musical (and it's sad film sister) exist. 
• The movie is #911 on Steven Schneider's 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.
• Let's talk about the opening sequence at the wedding - that is my nightmare. All the single women going crazy at the thought of catching the bouquet so they can be "next." It's one of those scenes that reminds us all about how ridiculous some traditions are and how primal women can be. Thank you to all my friends who have gotten married and not done this at the reception. Your resident single friend appreciates it more than you know. 
  
• Muriel's "friends" are the absolute worst - apparently it's a rule that in every rom-com there has to be a group of women who are terrible. I'll refer to this group as the "Aussie Plastics" for the rest of this post (Means Girls will be a future LMW. I promise.)
• Those bridesmaids dresses - the color, the poof, the bow, the headpiece. Bridesmaids dresses are just mean.
• Why would you waste cake by putting it under your pillow to dream of the man you're going to marry? My future husband would know (instinctually, of course) that we don't waste cake like this. Cake is for enjoying not for napping on.
• Someone is a bad bridesmaid and an even worse husband. Now Muriel has secrets. 
• Are store detectives a thing? Does anyone know a store detective? I'd really like to meet one.
• Just remember, Porpoise Spit is the jewel of the North Coast.
• "You're terrible, Muriel." Muriel's sister, Joanie. The Heslop family is a lot to take in. The horrible dad (played by the brilliant Bill Hunter), the sad mom, the laziest children ever. This is why Muriel listens to ABBA songs.
• "Bill Heslop - You Can't Stop Progress" Joanie: He lost. It's so funny.
• F-ing Deidre Chambers - that's how I refer to this woman every time she's on screen. Her geisha comment is one of the worst casually racist comments in the entire film (and there are several).
• I hate the scene at Breakers (the most cliched beach bar name ever). It's funny on some levels ("Like Chuck. He's up on my level.") but so soul-crushing on others. "I'm know I'm not normal..." and Muriel shouting "I'm not nothing!" - this is a darker rom-com than most. We haven't gotten to the plot line involving cancer yet.
• "I'm going to be a success, Mum. I'm going to get married and be a success." I don't like this definition of success but I'm saying it in my head as I type in an Australian accent. 
• My second nightmare: all inclusive resort trips. Mandatory fun at it's worst but Muriel seems to be having a great time. 
• Finally we meet Rhonda (Rachel Griffiths). She is the cool friend everyone needs in their life. She's a badass, super fun, and does not give any effs about the Aussie Plastics. It's genius. "You're wicked!" 
• "I'm not alone. I'm with Muriel." Love it!
• That "Waterloo" lip sync is amazing. I'm hopeful that the show Lip Sync Battle will get Toni and Rachel to come on and recreate this amazing moment. Someone should call them and make this happen.
  
•  Muriel: Do you ever think you're nothing? Sometimes I think I'm nothing. Rhonda: You're not nothing, Muriel. You're amazing. Of course this is followed by Rhonda talking about how awesome it is that Muriel has a fiancee, Tim Sims (fake of course). His name is based on two popular snacks in Australia, Tim Tams and Dim Sims.
• Is Sydney really the City of Brides?
• Muriel's haircut is one of my favorite things in the movie. The power of a flattering haircut cannot be overstated. 
• Poor Brice. Muriel should have given him more of chance. "I'm a terrible dancer." We all are, Brice. We all are.
• I'm fairly certain we've all had nights/dates like Muriel and Brice's minus the cancer, naked American soldier, and broken window. I don't know everyone's life so maybe this is exactly how your Friday nights go down. The thought I always have during this sequence is that Rhonda and Muriel need real furniture in their living room.
• Rhonda is rushed to the hospital and Muriel calls home to find out that they know she stole all their money. "Dr. Farrell says he needs a holiday from us." Muriel's mom, Betty, tells her.
• So if you best friend is in the hospital and has to have surgery to remove a discreet tumor from her spine and your family is a mess, what do you do? If you're Muriel you try on every wedding dress in Sydney and tell lies to get the sales girls to take photos of you in them so you can take the photos to your sister who's in a coma. Seems legit.
• Muriel's pep talk to Rhonda: "When I lived in Porpoise Spit, I used to sit in my room for hours and listen to ABBA songs. But since I've met you and moved to Sydney, I haven't listened to one Abba song. That's because my life is as good as an Abba song. It's as good as Dancing Queen."
• Of course Rhonda finds out about the wedding dresses and that Tim Sims was fake. Muriel is basically all of us when it comes to be single and hating it: "If I can get married it means I've changed. I'm a new person." 
• F-ing Deidre Chambers. Seriously this woman. Bill Heslop cannot help himself with embarrassing restaurant business meetings.
• Muriel's second way of dealing with problems: Enter into a marriage of convenience with a South African swimmer with Olympic hopes who needs an Australian wife to qualify for the team. As one does. She also reverts to listening to "Dancing Queen" again so maybe her life isn't as good anymore.
• Mariel's Wedding (did I mention she changed her name?): So many things...
• The Aussie Plastics are back as bridesmaids, looking like peach tulle nightmares.
• F-ing Deidre Chambers is apparently Muriel's mom now.
• Muriel's mom barely makes it to the wedding and Muriel ignores her (not intentionally).
• Poor Brice ends up attending for some unknown, masochistic reason.
• "Mariel, you're beautiful." - Tania (Aussie Plastic)
• "I Do, I Do, I Do" is her entrance music - perfect. I would probably do something like this if I ever got married.
•  David's coach, "I should have hired you some friends." 
  
•  Friend breakups are the worst thing in the world. Rhonda sums it up perfectly, "Mariel VanArckle stinks."
• David is an interesting character. He judges Muriel so much for wanting to do the same thing he wants to do: win. The problem is that she believes she can win only if she's married. Someone needs to sit Muriel down and talk about life choices. 
• Muriel's mom makes my heart sad. She deserved a lot more than her husband and most of her children gave her. Joanie's grief is so powerful. Her father is terrible and that stupid letter from a former Prime Minister is the worst. 
• Muriel finally realizes it's not about being married but about being her - her awesome self. David also shows up too and that's not awkward at all. "I don't love you either but I think I could like having you around."
• She finally tells her dad what's what and it's a great scene between the two of them in the burned up backyard. "We're not nothing." 
• The final scene with the Aussie Plastics and Rhonda's mom is one of my favorites in the movie. Tania screams, "I'm married. I'm beautiful!" and you have to laugh. Muriel and Rhonda say goodbye to Porpoise Spit as they should. The only question I have is did Rhonda's mom send her all her stuff? Is that how it all worked in the end.

I love this movie for so many reasons. Muriel is us all; looking for her place in the world and trying to figure out who she is. I like knowing that Toni Collette and Rachel Griffiths became friends during filming; you can see their actual friendship on screen. It's the best part of the entire movie. Muriel is amazing; she just has to figure that out for herself.

In need of more wedding movies for your long weekend? Here are few more of my favorites:

• Bridesmaids
• Monsoon Wedding
• The Wedding Planner
• Corpse Bride 
• My Big Fat Greek Wedding
• Mystic Pizza
• The Wedding Singer
• Rachel Getting Married
• Mamma Mia! -  I can't help but love this movie. Pierce Brosnan should never, ever sing but I will listen to him sing "S.O.S" in this movie and love it every time.

Images:
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
Promo Poster
Waterloo
Muriel at the wedding
Muriel's Wedding 
Muriel