Fred Astaire makes "Smooth Criminal" classy.
May 27, 2008 7:43 PM Subscribe
Fred Astaire makes "Smooth Criminal" classy. SYTL, but man, what a SYTL.
This post was deleted for the following reason: Poster's Request -- loup
Two great tastes that taste great alone.
posted by shakespeherian at 7:57 PM on May 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by shakespeherian at 7:57 PM on May 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
me likey
posted by found missing at 8:03 PM on May 27, 2008
posted by found missing at 8:03 PM on May 27, 2008
I thought it was awesome. I never realized that the original video was partially based on that scene, although after having watched that the similarities are striking. Very neat, thanks for the link.
posted by Stunt at 8:05 PM on May 27, 2008
posted by Stunt at 8:05 PM on May 27, 2008
That was goddamn wonderful, and I thank you.
posted by middleclasstool at 8:09 PM on May 27, 2008
posted by middleclasstool at 8:09 PM on May 27, 2008
Although I realize that it's the whole point, I could have done without the soundtrack.
I do think that the Jackson soundtrack works better against The Little Prince, but only because it demonstrates how many moves the Freak of Plastic Surgery swiped.
posted by Dave Faris at 8:10 PM on May 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
I do think that the Jackson soundtrack works better against The Little Prince, but only because it demonstrates how many moves the Freak of Plastic Surgery swiped.
posted by Dave Faris at 8:10 PM on May 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
Neat, but I don't understand the Ministry of Silly Walks bit halfway through.
posted by arcticwoman at 8:29 PM on May 27, 2008
posted by arcticwoman at 8:29 PM on May 27, 2008
All I have to say is that I want to know what that exploding beer was. I'll have one of those please.
posted by Bugg at 8:50 PM on May 27, 2008
posted by Bugg at 8:50 PM on May 27, 2008
I preferred the walrus.
posted by dirigibleman at 8:53 PM on May 27, 2008
posted by dirigibleman at 8:53 PM on May 27, 2008
"Single YouTube Link"? Also written SLYT ("single-link YouTube post").
posted by hattifattener at 8:55 PM on May 27, 2008
posted by hattifattener at 8:55 PM on May 27, 2008
Can't act. Can't sing. Balding. Can dance a little.
posted by maxwelton at 9:08 PM on May 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by maxwelton at 9:08 PM on May 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
Smooth Criminal (and Owner of a Lonely Heart), classier.
posted by flatluigi at 9:19 PM on May 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by flatluigi at 9:19 PM on May 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
If you're wary about watching this, stick it out to at least the four-minute mark, where it really gets good. (Yeah, you could probably skip the first minute and a half as WCityMike suggests.)
Anyone else got any good mash-ups like this (meaning where dance that was choreographed for one song is matched with a different song)?
posted by ErWenn at 9:24 PM on May 27, 2008
Anyone else got any good mash-ups like this (meaning where dance that was choreographed for one song is matched with a different song)?
posted by ErWenn at 9:24 PM on May 27, 2008
PDTOPIA.
(Oh wait, you don't know that one. Please don't turn obscure phrases into acronyms)
No reason to apologize for linking a good video. Even if "good" is subjective to the MetaFilter audience + admins.
That said, both the first minute and a half and last minute and a half are useless. The editing is great and the idea is awesome, but it's hard to watch Fred Astaire (an older Fred at that) and not wish you were watching MJ instead. The King of Pop made many fantastic singles+videos over his career, and this one was really one of the tops. You don't do a remix to put something worse together out of something that's already better.
But it might go viral since it's unusual and novel in a way many people might find thrilling.
posted by brianvan at 9:49 PM on May 27, 2008
(Oh wait, you don't know that one. Please don't turn obscure phrases into acronyms)
No reason to apologize for linking a good video. Even if "good" is subjective to the MetaFilter audience + admins.
That said, both the first minute and a half and last minute and a half are useless. The editing is great and the idea is awesome, but it's hard to watch Fred Astaire (an older Fred at that) and not wish you were watching MJ instead. The King of Pop made many fantastic singles+videos over his career, and this one was really one of the tops. You don't do a remix to put something worse together out of something that's already better.
But it might go viral since it's unusual and novel in a way many people might find thrilling.
posted by brianvan at 9:49 PM on May 27, 2008
SYTL, but man, what a SYTL.
Do not do this any more, please.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 9:54 PM on May 27, 2008
Do not do this any more, please.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 9:54 PM on May 27, 2008
Anyone else got any good mash-ups like this (meaning where dance that was choreographed for one song is matched with a different song)?
Gwen Verdon does Walk It Out.
It makes me laugh.
posted by winna at 10:48 PM on May 27, 2008
Gwen Verdon does Walk It Out.
It makes me laugh.
posted by winna at 10:48 PM on May 27, 2008
Fair enough, but it's no
Gene Kelley Singing in the Rain Remix.
posted by blue_beetle at 10:51 PM on May 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
Gene Kelley Singing in the Rain Remix.
posted by blue_beetle at 10:51 PM on May 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
it's hard to watch Fred Astaire (an older Fred at that) and not wish you were watching MJ instead
What complete and utter nonsense. The camera never spends more than three consecutive seconds on MJ in the video: it's stitched together garbage. Remix aside, watch any Astaire movie whatsoever -- any Astaire clip or song whatsoever -- and you'll see more accomplished, sustained dancing. Never mind that half of MJ's moves, as the post clearly indicates, were ripped off from Astaire, and the other half from Fosse, with some Presley and Brown thrown in.
He's an accomplished dancer, yes. But far, far from the equal of Astaire.
posted by vitia at 11:08 PM on May 27, 2008 [2 favorites]
What complete and utter nonsense. The camera never spends more than three consecutive seconds on MJ in the video: it's stitched together garbage. Remix aside, watch any Astaire movie whatsoever -- any Astaire clip or song whatsoever -- and you'll see more accomplished, sustained dancing. Never mind that half of MJ's moves, as the post clearly indicates, were ripped off from Astaire, and the other half from Fosse, with some Presley and Brown thrown in.
He's an accomplished dancer, yes. But far, far from the equal of Astaire.
posted by vitia at 11:08 PM on May 27, 2008 [2 favorites]
SYTL, but man, what a SYTL.
Hey, that's just, like... your opinion, man...
posted by flapjax at midnite at 11:46 PM on May 27, 2008
Hey, that's just, like... your opinion, man...
posted by flapjax at midnite at 11:46 PM on May 27, 2008
That said, both the first minute and a half and last minute and a half are useless.
Perhaps, but I'd rather have watched the subsequent Leslie Caron Apache Dance from that clip than the butchered Fred Astaire.
You don't see the Apache dance much these days. I suppose the idea of a pimp slapping his French beeyotch around because she won't give him his money just isn't seen as that romantic any more?
posted by PeterMcDermott at 1:26 AM on May 28, 2008
Perhaps, but I'd rather have watched the subsequent Leslie Caron Apache Dance from that clip than the butchered Fred Astaire.
You don't see the Apache dance much these days. I suppose the idea of a pimp slapping his French beeyotch around because she won't give him his money just isn't seen as that romantic any more?
posted by PeterMcDermott at 1:26 AM on May 28, 2008
Theng Kew! More like this, I like seeing the influences exemplified.
posted by telstar at 3:33 AM on May 28, 2008
posted by telstar at 3:33 AM on May 28, 2008
I don't like our kids being exposed to stars who emphasize smoking and gun violence. This Fred Astaire character should be ashamed.
posted by Uther Bentrazor at 5:20 AM on May 28, 2008
posted by Uther Bentrazor at 5:20 AM on May 28, 2008
Over the weekend, a professional ballet dancer taught me the zombie dance for Thriller.
but then I forgets it
posted by LordSludge at 6:38 AM on May 28, 2008
but then I forgets it
posted by LordSludge at 6:38 AM on May 28, 2008
thanks, WCityMike. that was fun.
i, too, liked the walrus better....but, what's better than a dancing walrus?
posted by CitizenD at 9:39 AM on May 28, 2008
i, too, liked the walrus better....but, what's better than a dancing walrus?
posted by CitizenD at 9:39 AM on May 28, 2008
"SYTL, but man, what a SYTL."
Do not do this any more, please.
Surely you meant: DNDTAMP
posted by bwg at 4:02 PM on May 28, 2008
Do not do this any more, please.
Surely you meant: DNDTAMP
posted by bwg at 4:02 PM on May 28, 2008
One of the things that I really dislike about the MTV style is how it has shaped dance cinematography. Minelli's original gives Astaire and Charisse each 30 seconds of introduction to establish character, and then (at least by my count) almost a full minute on the duet with a single cut on Charisse's beautiful kick. Then the editing gets a bit jumpy through the fight scene. It's not Astaire's best, and I'm much more of a Kelly fan, but I still had to put the whole movie on my netflix list.
The two Jackson versions of "smooth criminal," in contrast, don't do much to showcase his dancing skill or choreography. The short version, of course, uses video time compression, blur, and rapid-fire jump cuts to create what to me is a very jumbled mess that's more confusing than dramatic. That great angry spin would be wonderful if we actually got to see the whole thing. Instead, we have alternating shots of his head and feet, which makes it look a bit faked.
The 10 minute long version is a bit better, but still suffers from cuts that chop up the choreography, extended shots from the waist up, shots in which Jackson is obscured by foreground dancers, and shots where he's upstaged by visual effects. It's only at about 7:55 that we get some good choreography coverage, just after a slow bridge that feels much more like one of Fosse's scenes from All That Jazz (NSFW). But by then, the demands of the larger plot involving giant robo Jackson vs. Pesci drags us away from some really beautiful dance moves.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 4:06 PM on May 28, 2008 [2 favorites]
The two Jackson versions of "smooth criminal," in contrast, don't do much to showcase his dancing skill or choreography. The short version, of course, uses video time compression, blur, and rapid-fire jump cuts to create what to me is a very jumbled mess that's more confusing than dramatic. That great angry spin would be wonderful if we actually got to see the whole thing. Instead, we have alternating shots of his head and feet, which makes it look a bit faked.
The 10 minute long version is a bit better, but still suffers from cuts that chop up the choreography, extended shots from the waist up, shots in which Jackson is obscured by foreground dancers, and shots where he's upstaged by visual effects. It's only at about 7:55 that we get some good choreography coverage, just after a slow bridge that feels much more like one of Fosse's scenes from All That Jazz (NSFW). But by then, the demands of the larger plot involving giant robo Jackson vs. Pesci drags us away from some really beautiful dance moves.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 4:06 PM on May 28, 2008 [2 favorites]
Anyone else got any good mash-ups like this (meaning where dance that was choreographed for one song is matched with a different song)?
You might not know either the movie source or the band but World/Inferno Friendship Society's Brother of the Mayor of Bridgewater with video from 1776 is pretty hysterical.
posted by Brainy at 9:47 PM on May 28, 2008
You might not know either the movie source or the band but World/Inferno Friendship Society's Brother of the Mayor of Bridgewater with video from 1776 is pretty hysterical.
posted by Brainy at 9:47 PM on May 28, 2008
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