Dirty Dancing - Discussion

Kingp35

So I found out today that Dirty Dnncing has been re-released in the cinemas as it celebrates its 20th aniversary.

Im sure im not the only one when I say that I absolutely hate this movie film with a passion yet it is quite possibly the most liked film among the female population. WHY? It is quite possibly the cheesiest movie ever made. It seems to not know what decade it is set in as it goes from 60's style fame clothing to power ballads and back again. What the hell is going on?

Swayze character is a total sleaze ball and then if I remember correctly there was an abortion sub-plot thrown in there that was just totally glossed over. I mean what was the point in putting it in there if they were planning on doing this.

the songs are just terrible 80's cheese and dont get me started on the dancing. Any film about dancing makes me angry.

Still though this film is very popular and will gain even more fans now that it has been re-released.

What do you lot think of it and why the hell is it so popular?

Rabies

It is one of those chick flicks that almost every guy can't sit through.
I find it painful. Don't think I have ever watch it all.

A few years ago I went back to this girls house after a night out. We were drunk, she throws on Dirty Dancing. Didn't take me long to fall asleep on the couch and end what could have been a good night

Those poor fellahs.

Trix

well for starters patrick swayze is extrememly hot in it. I love the music in it too. Every time I watch it I wish I could dance like them. Well not the dirty dancing bit but the cha cha and all the proper dances. It's a completely girly film so your not expected to like it. I don't like watching football, you don't like dirty dancing. It's just a boy/girl thing.

Kojak

Rabies wrote:

A few years ago I went back to this girls house after a night out. We were drunk, she throws on Dirty Dancing. Didn't take me long to fall asleep on the couch and end what could have been a good night

That was very bad luck.

As regards the film - I personally can't stand it. Yer ma Swayze is a bit of a weirdo. Wasn't he supposed to be years older than the young girl he was dancing with?

Whenever that film comes on the TV I switch channels immeaditly, even if the only other thing that's on is Oireachtas Report.

Kingp35

Kojak wrote:

As regards the film - I personally can't stand it. Yer ma Swayze is a bit of a weirdo. Wasn't he supposed to be years older than the young girl he was dancing with?

Yeah thats something else that nobody seems to pick up on. Swayze's character is much older but nobosy seems to care. Swayze's character is a total sleaze but yet women seem to love him. I dont get it :mad:

Tar.Aldarion

I was made watch it, I could have killed myself.

Trix

Kingp35 wrote:

Yeah thats something else that nobody seems to pick up on. Swayze's character is much older but nobosy seems to care. Swayze's character is a total sleaze but yet women seem to love him. I dont get it :mad:

sure what does it matter that he's older than her. he's hot hot hot

c - 13

Trix wrote:

sure what does it matter that he's older than her. he's hot hot hot

But can you tell us why he is hot in it especially since every fella on the thread (me included) thinks he comes across as sleazy ?

I also dont like this film, and I love cheesy movies. My female friends and I have compromise, I dont try make them watch spinal tap, they dont try make me watch this.

Trix

ok forget the word hot. He is gorgeous in this film and he can dance which I think is quite sexy. I do agree that its cheesy. 'no one puts baby in a corner' makes me cringe every time I watch it. I like a good action movie myself but ye can't beat watching dirty dancing with the girlies.

Rhyme

Valentines Day special i suppose.

Swayze is a king but is a kiddie fiddler in Donnie Darko.

humanji

He's pretty near a kiddie fiddler in Dirty Dancing too!

c - 13

Holy crap I think you may have stumbled across something !

Donnie Darko

Dirty Dancing

Common Denominators -
Peadophile
Paterick Swayze

DP = Double penetration ?

:eek:

Tusky

c - 13 wrote:

Holy crap I think you may have stumbled across something !

Donnie Darko

Dirty Dancing

Common Denominators -
Peadophile
Paterick Swayze

DP = Double penetration ?

:eek:

Thats brilliant.

johnny_ultimate

c - 13 wrote:

Holy crap I think you may have stumbled across something !

Donnie Darko

Dirty Dancing

Common Denominators -
Peadophile
Paterick Swayze

DP = Double penetration ?

:eek:

*shifty eyes*
Bet this goes all the way to the Government.

Kojak

c - 13 wrote:

Holy crap I think you may have stumbled across something !

Donnie Darko

Dirty Dancing

Common Denominators -
Peadophile
Paterick Swayze

DP = Double penetration ?

:eek:

That is classic - great detective work c - 13

lodgepole

Kingp35 wrote:

if I remember correctly there was an abortion sub-plot thrown in there that was just totally glossed over.

The abortion sub plot is surprisingly dark and is about a botched abortion.

the songs are just terrible 80's cheese and dont get me started on the dancing. Any film about dancing makes me angry.

The majority of the songs are 50's cheese. Do you rate Saturday Night Fever, another film about dancing? Although Dirty Dancing isn't really about dancing.

What do you lot think of it and why the hell is it so popular?

I think it's a pretty good film and it's stood the test of time. I've described it in the past as the female equivalent of Top Gun. Sure it's a little cheesey but it's enjoyable to watch and it knows what it is. There's a lot worse out there.

I'm a twenty six year male by the way.

iguana

Lodgepole wrote:

The abortion sub plot is surprisingly dark and is about a botched abortion.

The abortion isn't a subplot, it's the catalyst for the whole movie. Baby (what kind of fu©king name is that) would never have had to dance with Swazye if the other girk didn't need an abortion.

It's a stupid movie. It's set in 1963 and they all dance to 80's music. The dancing isn't really dirty either.

lodgepole

There's only a couple of 80's tunes in the film. And if you dislike them using 80's music in a film set in the 60's, why would you want them dancing any more dirty than they did in the same era?

The abortion, regardless of what you want to call it plot-wise, is still pretty heavy for a film with such heavy rotation at slumber parties around the world.

monkeyfudge

Lambada: The Forbidden Dance is a much better film.

Wasn't there a sequel or prequel to Dirty Dancing released not too long ago called Havana Nights.... it didn't perform terribly well anyway.

iguana

Oh I've just remembered Dirty Dancing the series. It used to be on Thursday nights on Network2. Baby's dad ran the holiday camp.

ETA: I just imdb'd it, Paul Feig was one of it's stars. (Sorry I'm a Freaks and Geeks fan.)

lodgepole

monkeyfudge wrote:

Lambada: The Forbidden Dance is a much better film.

Wasn't there a sequel or prequel to Dirty Dancing released not too long ago called Havana Nights.... it didn't perform terribly well anyway.

I remember reading somewhere that had it not had the title "Dirty Dancing 2" it probably would have done a little better, or at least been a sleeper hit. Apparently it wasn't half bad.

Package

im a guy,, i think,, haha and i love dirty dancing..

one of my favourite films,,, reminds me of my childhood.. awhhhhhh

Kingp35

Lodgepole wrote:

The abortion sub plot is surprisingly dark and is about a botched abortion.

Yes but its glossed over.

The majority of the songs are 50's cheese. Do you rate Saturday Night Fever, another film about dancing? Although Dirty Dancing isn't really about dancing.

Generally I dont like films about dancing but I can appreciate that Saturday Night Fever is a decent film, Dirt Dancing is not. It doesnt matter if the majority are 50's or 60's cheese, the movie keeps using 80's Power Ballads for a movie thats set in the 60's. WTF? How is this a good thing? Throw in a main character that is a total sleaze that tries to pick up young girls and you have a vert unlikeable film.

Package

Kingp35 wrote:

Throw in a main character that is a total sleaze that tries to pick up young girls and you have a vert unlikeable film.

yeah i guess thats what you would see

cue drum rolls,,,,, haha,, im here all week.:D

iguana

Kingp35 wrote:

Yes but its glossed over.

How is it glossed over? It was integral to the plot. Baby has to dance with Swazye so the girl can get the abortion and borrow money from her dad to pay for it. Then when they get back from the dance the girl has been butchered so Baby has to get her dad to come save her. So her dad loses his trust in Baby and hates Swazye as he thinks he is the babyfather.

Then the actual babyfather sets up Swayze as a theif to get rid of him. And Baby tells her dad she was with Swayze on the night of the theft, but he still gets fired and her dad is even more upset with her.

But the fact that Baby was willing to risk her father's wrath to save him breaks down Swayze's walls and he comes back to have a dance. And someone tells her dad who was really the babyfather so decides to give Swayze a chance. And Baby's sister gets together with Swayze's cousin instead.

It's a stupid movie, but the abortion was not glossed over.

TCollins

One of the best quotes ever in a movie.

"Nobody puts Baby in a corner"

supernic

It's a great film, and as previous comments: of course the abortion was integral to the movie! it also explains why Baby hates her sister's bloke, because he's the one who knocked up the blonde, which gives the family thing a bit more texture (i don't see any point in using the characters names here, as quite a few of you are pretending to be somewhat unfamiliar with the movie).

As for the music, most of the songs are indeed 50's/60's originals, and the dancing that goes with them is fab (the power ballads are just the theme song, which let's face it, was pure gold for 1987 schmaltz and Swayze cashing in what might have been his 15 minutes with that dreadful 'She's Like the Wind' number. Do we count 'Hungry Eyes' as a power ballad?). And what about all that great dancing stuff like 'The Merengue' and 'De Todo Un Poco' (can you tell i own the soundtrack? One in a small handful of terrible CD choices in an otherwise acceptable music collection, according to my boyfriend).

Aside from all that, what i think it comes down to is really just the dancing and the rest is basically a good combination of all the formulaic things that people enjoy about this sort of film.

I'ts feel-good. Saturday Night Fever is a great movie with alot more depth than DD, a proper 70's disco soundtrack and Jon Travolta, but it's not exactly feel-good is it?

Lambada is good too, but it's lacking the 'ordinary girl turned adult, glamorous and talented' thing that most young girls related to (that woman in Lambada may have been poor, but she was bloody beautiful!). We all sat there and wished to be Baby, fantasizing about this guy and then getting him- along with friends, dancing talent, respect from her father & family, and finally growing up! Stuff alot of us pre-teens were dreaming of for our future, and with Jennifer Grey in the role, it didn't seem like that much of a stretch.

Which is why the Swayze character had to be older, and kind of 'chiseled'... how are we fantasizing about some pimply 16 year old? And he didn't sleaze onto anyone (he didn't even like her when they first start dancing, although there was subtle attraction. not to mention that she goes to his room and touches him when the action really starts), they came together as a stereotypical 'rough street-wise guy' and the 'innocent daddy's girl'.

But i guess all this is going to fall on deaf ears, as i suppose it is a 'chick flick' and not alot more (i like the 'Top Gun for girls' thang). However I'd like it noted that i usually strongly dislike typical 'chick flicks', i hate romantic comedy (except for When Harry Met Sally. c'mon.) and i like action. But i can't get over my love for Dirty Dancing, and i will definitely be going to see it on the big screen, which for me will be the first time. Woo-Hoo.

event

monkeyfudge wrote:

Wasn't there a sequel or prequel to Dirty Dancing released not too long ago called Havana Nights.... it didn't perform terribly well anyway.

ive seen that

its scary

Kingp35

Supernic, everything you just said in your post are the exact reasons I hate this movie. Couldnt have summed it up better myself.

supernic

Kingp35 wrote:

Supernic, everything you just said in your post are the exact reasons I hate this movie. Couldnt have summed it up better myself.

Touché my friend, i guess it's all for the girls... (although i do remember when i was a kid a young male cousin watching it on VHS once and making us rewind it over and over during the sex scene cause he swore he could 'see tit', so maybe there is something in it for the boys? then his mum walked in and everything decended into american sitcom humous whereby everyone knows horrified mum is there except the cousin rewinding and salivating).