Stage to Screen

Strictly Ballroom

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Four stars

Sweet soaring hullabaloo!  For the love of the dance!  An Ugly Duckling picture, an Aussie adventure.  There’s sexy jazzy Cyndi Lauper covers, and scenery chewing caricatures.  I watched this movie and stomped my feet, shook my hips, grabbed the dog and improvised some bossa nova steps.

D & W: Baz Luhrmann, More W: Andrew Bovell & Craig Pearce, P by: Steve Mason, E by: Jill Bilcock, M by: David Hirschfelder, w/Paul Mercurio, Tara Morice, Bill Hunter, Pat Thomson, Barry Hunter, Todd McKenney, John Hanan, Gia Carides, etc…94 min, Australia, 1992

In Bruges

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One starOne starOne star

Gothic canals, f bombs and child murder.  It’s not so much In Bruges is milk that’s coddled and gone lumpy from neglect as I’m no longer in my twenties.  Should do well for all you Boondock Saints but my fellow depressive neurotics should steer clear.  Belgium looks nice though.

D & W by: Martin McDonagh, P by: Eigil Bryld, E by: Jon Gregory, M by: Carter Burwell, w/Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes, Clémence Poésy, Jordan Prentice, Željko Ivanek, Elizabeth Barrington, Eric Godon, etc… 107 min, Belgium, 2008