anybody seen "along came polly"

[Vin]

Hey guys so I watched the movie "along came polly", the salsa music included in the trailers quilified this as a "dance related" expense for me.
Anyways I was quite upset with the depiction of salsa in the movie. The dancers in the background were good but the main closeups of salsa made it seem so sleazy. Not to mention the pain endured by watching Ben Stiller dance. Has anyone else seen this movie and if so what did you think about the image portrayed of salsa in the movie.
Please don't go see it on my recommendation, the movie was ok but not that good.

[salsarhythms]

Too late for that Vin...I'm gonna see it because of you!!! :twisted:


LOL, I'll check it out and see what I think...

[tasche]

Yeah the dance scenes were a little lame. Mona Lisa Smile has some semi worthwhile dance scenes in it though.

[Sagitta]

"Mono Lisa Smile" looks like a 100% gold minted "chick" flick!! And those who have seen it agree with that assessment! Is it worth the sacrifice to see the dancing?

[Vin]

I have seen mona lisa smile and now remember a couple of nice swing dance scenes, although it is 100% chick-flick.

[borikensalsero]

I must have been in the restroom, I don't remember mona lisa smile and dancing. OMG, I'm growing hair in my ears, my hair is falling and now I'm forgetting things. :shock: What am I to do....

[borikensalsero]

I have a few beefs but not many...
1- It isn't Saaalsa. It is salsa.
2- The close up where they were all over each other with his hand on her toochy was to a cha cha. Not a salsa like she said.
3- Nowhere in NY City will you go where all the dancers will be on1.
4- they tried to display salsa as sensual but somehow managed to get themselves into the sleazy side about half the time. I enjoyed the overall outcome of her dancing as well as Javier’s, but could have done away with a few things that didn’t reflect salsa as it should. Some of the moves were sensual but some just turned it around and didn't come across as such.

I believe it was research badly done on the producer’s part. I give it a C- on the salsa dancing parts. Stiller looked like he was having an epileptic attack on the floor, hence deserves a D for effort.

[youngsta]

:lol: You all are sooooo gonna make me go see this movie now.

[brujo]

For any researchers out there, a quick guide:

Club owners in New York are not Cuban, they are Puerto Ricans.
Club owners in Miami are Cuban
Club owners in LA are probably Mexicans
outdor Club owners in Alaska are broke

[pygmalion]

brujo, you crack me up. :lol: :lol:

Is the movie even playing anymore? I'm dying to see it, if only to see how bad it is. :lol: :lol: Maybe I can catch it at the $.75 theater, on its way out of town. :roll:

[xstasy]

I believe it was research badly done on the producer’s part. I give it a C- on the salsa dancing parts. Stiller looked like he was having an epileptic attack on the floor, hence deserves a D for effort.

Yes, the overall dance sequences were poorly depicted. It is a stereotypical view just like almost everything else in the media is portrayed.

Ben Stiller's scene, however, wasnt meant to be an impressive salsa routine. I'm sure the exaggerated movements and ridiculous acts were all part of the humor. One thing that I saw as being well portrayed was how he forgot all about his partner, did his own show for the audience with whom he was more concerned, and at the end grabbed his partner for a grand finale. As a salsera, I've experienced this unfortuante self-centered performance from my dance partners & it is very disappointing--equivalent to a hot & heavy night of passion with no climax.

Overall, the movie was a comedy & it served its purpose. I didnt expect real salsa dancing here. One that I'm sure will disappoint, but which i would be interested in watching is Dirty Dancing Havana Nights. The point of this movie being DANCE & not comedy should definitely rattle some feathers in the salsa community. I look forward to it.

[salsamale]

I saw this movie on tv last night, and I've got to say that I actually enjoyed it, even the dancing! I wouldn't say the dancing was sleazy, but more a campy version of sensual. C'mon, it's a Ben Stiller movie.

Also, I think Ben's's shines routine was meant as in inside salsa joke that only salseros/as would fully appreciate. I've only once witnessed a similar display in our scene, where a salsero practically ignored his partner. I also like how defensive Reuben (Ben) gets when he sees Polly (Jennifer) 'dirty dancing' with the salsa club owner. Ha ha! :)

[jenibelle]

I thought the salsa in Dirty Dancing Havana Nights was not good at all! That girl had no flavor (IMHO)

[GTO Bruin]

I thought the salsa in Dirty Dancing Havana Nights was not good at all! That girl had no flavor (IMHO)

I agree. However, on balance, the dance was to be set in upper-crust pre Castro cuba. Maybe more mambo-ish. Salsa has certainly evolved since.

[jenibelle]

You're definitely right! Except (and this has always bugged me) why did they include all this hip-hop stuff ?

[Big10]

You're definitely right! Except (and this has always bugged me) why did they include all this hip-hop stuff ?
Purely a marketing issue! :rolleyes: That was really weird for me, too, while watching the movie -- but I'm sure the soundtrack sold many, many times more copies than it would have sold if the music had been actual Mambo music from the 1950s....

[GTO Bruin]

Dirty Dancing Havana Nights. Not the best movie. Not the best dancing. Not the best acting. But do I watch it every time it comes on TV? Do I have songs from the soundtrack on my iPod? Have I copied a move from the choreography?

And the answer is.............http://www.dance-forums.com/images/icons/icon11.gif

[SalsaManiac]

Oh man, i cringe everytime I think of that scene. An older female friend of mine whom I invited out to hang out at one of the salsa clubs apparently watched it with her two teenage daughters. When they saw that scene, they both looked at their mom in shock and asked if I had been smacking her butt like that ... good think I couldn't blush when she told me that story!

--T

[terremoto]

I did not like the movie along came polly - I thought the story line has been done to death (just different actors and different setting).

But regarding the dance scene. Yeah, they were trying to make salsa seem like a hands-on-everything type dance. It was a pretty poor depiction of salsa. Also, ben Stiller's performance - was absurd. Yes, I know it was meant to be absurd - but it went over board.

As for Dirty dancing havana nights - blah - what dance scenes? Just Kidding. I thought there would be more salsa scenes in there. Oh well. I didn't like this movie either.