Fame (2009)

I'm going to keep this nice and short.

It's a movie about a bunch of high school kids in a conservatory trying to graduate and become famous doing something arts related.

First off I was amazed to hear them say it was a high school as just about every cast member looked college age. That was just about the only memorable thing. Every song, every dance, every acting performance was just plain bland. It all mixed together into one big undeveloped mess. There were a whole lot of characters in this movie, and a few are given about one or two scenes in which to develop while most are left completely out to dry, never giving us any reason to care about them.

It tried so hard to focus on the performances these kids put on (which were only okay, really) that it lost focus of everything else.

Fame (2009) gets a 4/10.

Lady Gaga: The Fame

So, in a spurt of curiosity and having been unable to get her latest song out of my head for the past two hours or so, I decided to download Lady Gaga's album and give it a listen. I fully expected to be disgusted and maybe a little amused at just how poppy and amateur the album was.

Then I started listening. And....against all my better senses, against all prevailing laws in the universe, against my own personal hatred of all things pop...and I don't think I'll ever be able to wash my mouth clean after saying this, but, I liked it. I actually liked it.

The entire album is literally pure pop drivel. Talking about boys, fast cars, sex, money, and being famous, Gaga actually imitates the themes from rappers more than pop stars. And she wraps it all in techno beats that make you see that just about every song belongs in a club.

So WHY? Why do I like it? Despite everything, Lady Gaga actually has a great voice and uses her range to its potential throughout the album. And as much as I want to hate the pure pop and techno, there's a problem. It's catchy. It's damn catchy, and she carries the arrogance to know it and make you like it.

After watching 17 Again I didn't really think I could feel more ashamed at liking something I really shouldn't. I was wrong. So before I befoul myself any more...

The Fame gets an 7.5/10.