So here's the thing... about a month ago, after a heartfelt explanatory treatise on the general kickassiness of the musical Grease-- despite the frequent sexual innuendo and the puerile tawdriness and the underlying message that compromising your value system in order to win your guy is a GOOD idea-- my good blogger friend Charlotte recommended that my kids and I check out something called High School Musical. "Nothing objectionable there," she wrote. "Well, except for the overt cheesiness. But it's kind of endearing."
Now, Charlotte's a good gal and totally cool so I took her advice to heart. But I tell you what, getting my hands on that movie was like trying to get my hands on Jason Dohring's tight, sexy abs... impossible. (What?!) Seriously. Every time I went to Blockbuster all fifty of their copies would be checked out and people were obviously NOT bringing them back because I'd ASK and the teen at the counter would be all, "People aren't bringing them back"-- which, see? So every time I'd check, I'd get near the H section and see the DVD covers and get all excited and rush over, only to be disappointed when all I'd see were those cardboard cutouts of the DVD cases that stand behind all the movies, and I'd see the smiling, happy kids on the fake front cover silently mocking me, all "Psyche! You thought we were in, but we're totally not! HA!" I mean really. Allow me to say rude.
Anyhoo, I finally had to put the movie in my queue at Blockbuster.com-- which smacked of capitulation, but seriously, what else could I do?-- and lo and behold, that sucker came just in time for TGIM's birthday. Which he obviously wasn't all that thrilled about, but hey, his birthday isn't all about him, now is it? Some people can be so self-centered. I'm just saying. So we ordered pizza and the kids made a birthday cake and we popped popcorn and invited a friend and her daughter to come over and watch the movie with us and it was just a whole big thing. And despite the fact that there were two Movie Talkers of the Obnoxious Question-Asker variety, and one little Drama Queen who kept jumping up in front of the television to dance and sing along (not my Drama Queen, amazingly, it was my friend's Drama Queen, but it goes without saying that it would have been mine also had she already seen the movie), let me just say, High School Musical equals Good Times For All. For reals. Good stuff.
So I simply wanted say... thanks a WHOLE LOT, Charlotte! I cannot get the damn songs from High School Musical out of my head! Gosh! So I had to go and buy the video, naturally. Er, and download the soundtrack. And now I'm sitting here at work and I Gotta Get My, Get My Head In The Game because those fruit fly regulations aren't going to consolidate themselves, but in my mind I'm all, "We're soarin'! Flyin'! There's not a star in heaven we can't reach!" I am embarrassed to admit-- but a little proud, too! mostly embarrassed, though-- that I now know the entire Bop to the Top song and dance number by heart. Because I may or may not have spent one or several hours yesterday afternoon pausing and rewinding the dance tutorial in the Bonus Features until I had it down solid. This is called aerobic exercise and is SUPER good for your heart. Plus the song is very catchy. "Ai ai ai ai! Quieres bailar? Mira me!" My favorite part is "...kickin' and scratchin', grinding out my best..." because I adore the little hip action she breaks out to "grinding out my best." Seriously. Way. Cute. I'm just glad all those salsa moves I learned from Dirty Dancing have finally come in handy.
Now I don't mean to knock Grease, because hello? still love it? but High School Musical is made up of actual teenagers (who, by the way, are just the cutest things!), has a much nicer, kid-friendly message to impart, and to top it all off features some admittedly zingy music and fancy footwork. Plus in the Bonus Features there's this way cool Sing-Along feature and when you turn it on it's like this whole big karaoke experience... while you're watching the movie! Right in you very own living room! Not that I've done that or anything because clearly it's for the children. Duh.
I've already called Grandma Sue in Podunky Small Town Arizona and have urged her to buy her own copy of the movie so my children can become truly obsessed with it (this summer's Phantom of the Opera, if you will) and learn all the lyrics and dance moves and when they come home at the end of the summer we can have friends over and dance and sing together (because I'm a totally unrepentant musical theater geek and there's no reforming me) and it will be this whole big thing.
Hey... check it out. It appears that in writing about the movie I have effectively purged my mind of the songs which have been running over and over and over in my head. Now I can finally settle down and do my --
-- We're gonna bop bop bop! Bop to the top! Slip and slide and ride that rhythm!...
*sigh*
Damn.
20 Comments:
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Not-So-Normal-Mom commented:
My Oldest son asked for both the movie and the soundtrack for his sixth grade graduation present. I have now heard that soundtrack three thousand times, and I know all the words to all the songs, against my will. I appreciate the movie's message and I think it's great for the kids, but Damn...if I hear those songs one more time, I don't know what I'll do...Not to mention, he sings the songs with such rapture and passion...Oy!
I feel you, Cat!!! ;-)
btw- the word verification is ijyzwax...I won't tell you how I read that (oh, a dirty mind is an awful thing!!!)- » 6/26/2006 11:15 AM
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Unknown commented:
Hee! I think I will have to check that movie out. Thanks, Cat!
- » 6/26/2006 11:34 AM
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Nilbo commented:
TOTALLY checking it out. And really ... if you can do a Snake Tutorial video, can you not prove your mastery of the Bop to the Top Dance?
- » 6/26/2006 11:58 AM
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Vajana commented:
Again, i believe I mentioned this movie to you a LONG time ago...give me some props here!
I just gave my daughter a High school Musical birthday party this past weekend...it was a blast!- » 6/26/2006 12:19 PM
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commented:
I second Nilbo's request. We want VIDEO.
- » 6/26/2006 12:28 PM
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Cat commented:
Sorry, Vajana! Props to you, yo? Fo' rizzle.
;)- » 6/26/2006 12:39 PM
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Vajana commented:
oh and p.s. they are already filming HSM part II. As far as I have heard it does not star Adrien Zmed.
- » 6/26/2006 3:24 PM
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Amy commented:
I just read Jana's blog about this, have never heard of it before. SO going to see if I can get a DVD ebay style.
Thanks cat! You have no idea how great I think it is that your gals belt out the tunes.- » 6/26/2006 7:42 PM
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Ern commented:
Hmmm. Why do I think that my husband will react to the words "touching musical with a good message and catchy tunes" as though I had offered to repeatedly poke him in the eye with a hot poker?
(Oh, and PS, ending two posts in a row with "*sigh*" might mean you need to watch it again?)- » 6/27/2006 12:09 AM
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Cat commented:
There's gonna be a SEQUEL?! Hot damn! Okay, I already knew that, but still... very excited here. For the children.
;)
Wait. Adrian Zmed? I get it! Heh. Dance Fever, baby! Woo!- » 6/27/2006 4:46 AM
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WILLIAM commented:
A sequel? Will they sing 'A girl for all seasons?"
- » 6/27/2006 6:40 AM
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Cat commented:
Wait. Are you people saying you DIDN'T like Grease 2?! What's up with that?!
And ha. The fact that y'all know the stars and the song titles is VERY telling...- » 6/27/2006 6:45 AM
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Vajana commented:
oh i LOVED Grease II. I do, and did, even back then, think Adrien Zmed was a pretty bad casting choice for lead 'cool' guy. I mean, seriously.
"What's the story Steph?"
"Yeah, what's the story?"- » 6/27/2006 6:52 AM
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Charlotte in Pa commented:
You're welcome.
- » 6/27/2006 10:15 AM
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Charlotte in Pa commented:
Just kidding. AS IF that were all I had to say on the subject. HA! I am so, so glad that you watched it and loved it as I hoped you would. My Veronica Mars Discs 1 and 2 just came from Netflix, so hopefully I'll be able to rave about YOUR wonderful recommendation SOON!.
PS - There's talk of a Broadway musical. I smell a ROAD TRIP!- » 6/27/2006 10:16 AM
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Cat commented:
ROAD TRIP!!!!!
- » 6/27/2006 11:20 AM
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WILLIAM commented:
"C.O.O.L. R.I.D.E.R."
"Whose that guy there on the cycle?"
(intermonologue)"What would they say if they knew it was Michael."- » 6/27/2006 1:06 PM
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Not-So-Normal-Mom commented:
"We're gonna score tonight...We're gonna sco-o-ore to-ni-ight. We're gonna rock, we're gonna roll, we're gonna bop, we're gonna bowl! We're gonna score, score, score score score...tonight!"
No shame;-)- » 6/27/2006 3:21 PM
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commented:
I'm totally impressed by William's use of intermonologue. I LOVE that intermonologue, but I never knew it was called an intermonologue. Can you tell I'm having fun saying intermonologue?
Also, Cat, if I hearted you anymore, I'd break a rib.- » 6/27/2006 5:40 PM
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Cat commented:
Heh. William. Kalki SO burned you... BURN!
- » 6/29/2006 6:08 PM