flashin’ and glitterin’

Dennis Hensley here again. I wanted to share a few thoughts about a couple of musical movies that are in my book Screening Party.

Let us begin with Flashdance. I think Jennifer Beals seems older than 19 and I also love how audiences thought nothing of her getting it on with her boss. These days, Gloria Allred would be all over his ass. I also admit to having a little crush on Richie, the hack comedian. In the spring, I convinced gay.com to run an excerpt of the Flashdance chapter from my book on their site and they did.

The other movie I wish to discuss is Glitter, which is the last chapter of my book. Much can be made fun of about this movie and it certainly does deserve it. But what amazes me the most about it is the way Mariah's character, Billie Frank, was conceived and portrayed. These are words that come to mind: lazy, ungrateful, suspicious, snooty for no reason, half-assed and unprofessional. Normally, in underdog movies, the heroine really hustles and makes the most every opportunity -- see Piper Perabo's adorable Violet in Coyote Ugly. But Mariah acts as though she can take or leave her music career at any given moment. I want to scream at her, "You are a go-go dancing orphan! Fucking pull it together," but she never really does and I can't believe no one at the studio ever piped up in a script meeting, "I think the audience might warm to Billie more if she got off her big, fat lazy ass and hustled a little." I think this is one of those areas where Mariah's real life ideas about success and fame overshadowed any sense of logic or likability... But, of course, that's how I love my Mariah -- lazy, snooty and as naked and glitter-covered as possible.

I'm off to interview Maggie Gyllenhaal for Gotham Magazine. I may check in later if I get a chance...

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