stolen colours

I watched Hairspray. It’s a lot of fun, right from the very first moment of the film when Tracy Turnball started singing about how glad she is to be waking up in Baltimore. (She’s abnormal! Which teenager jumps out of bed happily singing? And I think that Turnball is an unfortunate surname if you’re a guy.)

All the characters gave their all for the film, throwing themselves wholeheartedly into the songs and dances and enjoying every moment of it. John Travolta was completely convincing as Edna; Nikki’s optimism was infectious; Michelle Pfeiffer looked like she had a ball of a time playing a bitch; Queen Latifah was stately yet fun. Just one minor gripe: Amanda Brynes seemed to be a very confused actress.

I loved the bright outfits and colours in the film. I wonder why Tracy had to wear a boring shirt and long plaid skirt all the time; when you’re in the 60s and it’s okay to wear colourful, lacy, ribbony, fluffly, anything dresses? Maybe she spent too much money on Hairspray. Speaking of which, I liked how they advertised hairspray with plastic smiles and dances during the Miss Hairspray contest.

Songs-wise, I actually liked the songs by the blacks a bit more. The Dynamites are really amazing! That performance of New Girl In Town was sizzling. And I liked anything with Queen Latifah.

I loved the Corny Collins show, and Collins himself was incredibly likeable because he put both Tracy on the show and got the blacks integrated into it (albeit after the blacks and Tracy laid the groundwork). If I were a teenager growing up in Baltimore I wouldn’t miss a single episode because of Corny Collins and Link (Zac Efron, much cuter than in High School Musical, especially with that cowlick.) Those were the good old days, where boys were cleancut and dashing.

I kept thinking that the guy playing Corny Collins looked so familiar, and when the credits rolled, it was James Marsden! OMG and I really hated him as Cyclops and in Superman Returns. I guess it was just Cyclops’ character that I abhored. I loved his suavness and his singing, so I hunted down some interviews: apparently he’s a Frank Sinatra fan, sang before in Ally Mcbeal; and Hugh Jackman actually wanted him to be his lover/boyfriend in a musical, which didn’t work out due to scheduling conflicts. Youtube links to the songs on Ally McBeal here: Lady Tramp and Always on My Mind.