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Showstoppers
I suppose if there's any good news to be culled from Showstoppers, it's that the film portrays ambitious African American youths all pursuing a higher education. The fact that their studies are mostly in "step dancing" is beside the point: they're in school and learning something. All joking aside, even the academic setting of this lamentable exercise in supposed street-cred is so laughably cartoonish that one almost expects Professor Irwin Corey to show up as the token caucasian instructor in Rhythm and Blues 101.
Showstoppers is ostensibly about two feuding female teams of step dancers at two Virginia community colleges. Step dancing is an interesting combination of rhythmic beating with both hands and feet that has a history going back to African tribal ceremonies. While there certainly is some nice choreography in Showstoppers (courtesy of choreographer Reggie Jackson), director Barry Bowles repeatedly ignores the First Law of Astaire in shooting the dance sequences: he continually opts for medium close-ups, usually catching only part of the dancers' bodies, thereby defeating any visceral impact the movement might otherwise have. There was a reason Astaire insisted that his dance sequences be shot with full-body view--it's the only way to grasp the entirety of what's going on. At least Bowles does not rely on rapid cutting (a la Chicago) to make it look like his dancers know their stuff--frequently the sequences, though filmed too closely, are in relatively longer takes that prove these actors are indeed strutting their stuff.
Unfortunately the acting fares no better than the directorial treatment of the dancing. While the cast is young and enthusiastic (probably only Roger E. Mosley in a bit part will be a recognizable name to most), they all suffer from an almost Jerry Springer-esque acting style, with lots of sideways neck moves that almost beg a "talk to the hand" comment redolent of that television enterprise. There are actually moments when the actors lose focus and glance nervously at the camera, then realize what's happening and quickly avert their eyes.
There's probably a wonderful movie to be made of this tradition that's little known outside of the African American community. Unfortunately Showstoppers squanders whatever potential it might have had in a badly directed and ineptly performed attempt.
The DVD
Video:
The anamorphic 1.78:1 image is nicely detailed, with good color and saturation.
Sound:
The soundtrack, marred by one largely forgettable "beat" song after another, is at least well reproduced, with good separation and fidelity. There are just so many drum loops one can withstand, though, before it all becomes monotonous.
Extras:
What starts out as an unintentionally comic puff-piece on the movie itself (star Angell Conwell pontificates that step dancing is a combination of "rhythm, movement and....[long pause as she attempts to think of something]....pride") actually finally imparts some very interesting historical information about 7 minutes into its 25 minute length. With some interesting archival film of tribal dancing, as well as brief shots of traditionally black colleges where step dancing reemerged in the 1940s and 1950s, "Stepping Out" may not win any awards for documentary excellence but at least gives some historical context for what the filmmakers were aiming for.
Final Thoughts:
Barry Bowles and his crew need to go back to school themselves to learn what makes exciting film, especially ones centered on dance. Stereotypical characters and haphazard camera coverage of the dance routines themselves don't make the grade this time. Skip this one.
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