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Short post this week. This is cool:

Why We Write: A Series of Essays
http://whywewriteseries.wordpress.com/

Prominent writers from TV shows and movies you love have undertaken, during the Writers' Strike, to post a series of essays on why they write. Little pieces by a different writer every day!

By some seriously cool writers, like Jane Espenson (Buffy! Gilmore Girls!) and Danny Rubin (Groundhog Day!!).

Check it out.

:)
r

With thanks to Jill for the link!

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I spent fifteen minutes today learning the end dance moves to High School Musical. I've got the gist now. I'll probably try it again tonight. big cheesy grin Who's in for a pyramid dance formation? (Irvin? Karen?! I need backup!)

This movie is kinda terrible; but also kinda wonderful. We just watched it two nights ago. (We saw High School Musical 2 a few months ago—at Calvin's place, haha.)  The song "Stick With the Status Quo" is by far the best thing in this one—in terms of melody, lyrics, message, choreography; everything. Oh, man, it's so good! I get giddy. I've watched this track seven times already. I think I have to buy this movie, just so I can watch this track always.

This song takes the tired old premise I usually hate—about high school cliques being so rigid and everyone being so locked into their roles—and translates it into mass hysteria, with one guy's mini-rebellion creating a huge ripple effect of mini-rebellions in every circle. Anarchy; I love it! It makes me buy into this world, just so I can have the fun of seeing its rules get broken.

(Also: that turn of everyone wanting to hear your secret but then turning on you the second they do; I love that, too!)

I have to say that while 2's story was weaker (and the dialogue was horrible), the song-and-dance numbers in that sequel were fairly consistent*—with just the one travesty. ;) Whereas, in the first one, there's really only two shining song-and-dance numbers—"Stick With the Status Quo" and Ryan and Sharpay's callback number, which cracks me up. The others . . . have their moments.

But the end group sing [oh, that makes three; I can't count] is made for kids to want to dance along. It begs you to stand up and learn the moves, and they're really sellin' it in that beaming Disney way that calls to my inner upstanding youth. I could feel the urge—and the embarrassment—of wanting to get up and sing. I'm not one to let embarrassment get me down.

"We're all/ in this/ to-gether! Dah dah dat! Dah dah dat! Dah dah dat! Dah dah da-ahhh!"

The best character in this series is Zeke by far, the jock who confesses he loves to bake. Oh, man. And my second favorite is Ryan (who grew up to look the way Macaulay Culkin should have). I'm not a fan of the main guy, but those two?? *love*

Why don't they use Zeke more? Even his singing (if that is his singing) is better than all the others'. And that's sayin' somethin! He doesn't deliver a bad line or facial expression ever, in the few bits they give him. He rocks!!


And that is my rave about High School Musical.

I told you I don't let embarrassment get me down. :D

r

P.S.
Sharpay is a lot better and more fun in this storyline, too. Hilarious, actually. You know what? They made her and her brother too powerful at the Country Club, in High School Musical 2. In the high school setting, you feel for them. (You know? Their world was perfect before these people came along.)

Plus, being that little bit younger makes their ridiculousness that much cuter. :)

P.P.S.
Oh! Look what I can do! I can post a YouTube link to the big group sing I'm talking about!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7zzbB17Fvo
("We're All In This Together")

Quality isn't great, but you get the idea. The first time they do the chorus routine is one minute in, and the best is two minutes in, when they show the whole sequence clearly. (Damon's been egging me on, by the way. He's home sick with a fever, but is also full of advice about which foot to turn on. Contrary to what you'd think, embarrassing stuff is actually easier when someone's watching.)

And here, for good measure, is Ryan and Sharpay's callback audition:

"Bop to the Top"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAM-rh6B5DU

(They're the brother-sister act that rules the school's drama scene—until the new girl and this jock mess up their perfect world.)

Oh, and you need this link, too:

"Stick to the Status Quo!!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymNVMSBhFHc&feature=related

The setup for this is that the whole school has just found out the school's star basketball player has landed a callback audition for the musical; which means he auditioned in secret. Haha. The first guy to sing here is my favorite, Zeke!


:D Cheers!
r

Pictures in this post were lifted off the Web. I don't remember the sites, but they're the same promo pictures circulating everywhere. I wish I could find one of Zeke!

Calvin, I know you're secretly practicing.

Emmie, you better be watching!!


* I really don't remember how good the numbers in High School Musical 2 were. I guess we'll be renting that next!
 

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We interrupt this blog with a news bulletin:
 
Damon just told me about a new game show that’s on: Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?

Hilarious! Finally, a game show that fixes what's wrong with those other game shows, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and Deal Or No Deal! A game that adds a tag of shame and puts your pride on the line! That adds some stakes, for crying out loud!

I love it!!

Because we all know—or, at least, I’ve known for a very long time—that I couldn’t answer the questions expected of the elementary-school level, today.

Or maybe I could. I don’t know. Some elementary-school concepts, like scurvy and tundra, really stay with you. Forever.

Damon says, as a contestant, you can pull out any time—take the money and run—just like on those other shows, but first you have to turn to the camera and say, “I am not as smart as a fifth grader.”

Hilarious!

This makes me want to watch.

The lifelines are hilarious, too. If you don’t know an answer, you can “copy” a fifth grader (without knowing what they put, just hoping they got it right); you can ask a fifth grader and then guess whether you should use that advice or not; or, if you’ve already gotten your answer wrong but the fifth grader has gotten it right, you can have that kid “save” you.

Man, that is brilliant. 


Love,
rita

P.S.
I just read a recap of the show’s latest episode, and, in case there was any doubt, I am totally not as smart as a fifth grader.

I love the bios of the kids, too. This one, in particular, reminds me of my brother from when he was that age. I think it's the same outfit.

What do you think?

r

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