|
Frequently Bought Together
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product details
|
Reviews
Amazon.co.uk Review
This early effort by director Alan Parker is lively but jagged as it follows four students through their years in the New York City High School for the Performing Arts. Rather predictably, the kids fall into four clearly defined stereotypes: brazen, gay and hypersensitive, prickly, shy. Fame makes up for a disjointed presentation with a lot of heart and a great soundtrack (for which it won two Academy Awards). The hopes and disappointments, failures and successes of these teens are fodder for emotional scenes and exuberant dancing in the streets. It also turned out to be the first of many imitators and spawned a popular television series. (It was the breakout film for the short-lived feature-film career of Irene Cara, who sang the title song.) --Rochelle O'Gorman
Amazon.co.uk Review
Fame helped to launch the 1980s on a tide of aspiration, creating a successful television series, kick-starting the leg-warmer industry and inspiring us all with the idea that with talent, a lot of hard work, plenty of suffering and luck, anybody might, one day, become a star. Nostalgia inevitably endows Fame with its own golden glow for anyone in the region of 40. And as we drown in the karaoke-by-numbers of today's cynical television talent shows, its touchingly innocent quality makes for a poignant and telling contrast.
In truth, director Alan Parker's film is a collage of the disciplines on offer at New York's High School of Performing Arts. The characters are sketchy totems for the emotional and domestic conflicts that drive their dreams--Leroy, Doris and friends needed the television spin-off to give them substance--but Parker is brilliant at conveying the intensity and heartache of their collective journey, from the paralysing nerves of the auditions to the strain of maintaining a rounded education alongside the development of performance skills and the ultimate thrill of graduation. By the end, thanks to the familiarity of the thudding disco soundtrack, you really do want them all to "live forever".
On the DVD: Fame scores all over again on DVD with its widescreen format and a thumping soundtrack: the moment when the kids burst out onto the street and stop the traffic is a bit of 1980s cinema magic. Alan Parker leads the class reunion commentary, helped by many of the cast. The film is clearly still important to them all. Other extras include a visit to today's school (hardly changed in philosophy or the passion of its real-life students), a vintage featurette and face-to-face interviews which basically recycle the commentary. --Piers Ford
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
Fame seems the last thing on the minds of eight or so teenagers as they progress through New York's public stage school. What they want - really, really want - is to escape: from the marauding cockroaches, domineering or distant parents, oppressive religion and the the frustrations of sex. And performing is the way out.
Fame is a dazzling ensemble piece, weaving this way and that as the characters scratch their way through life's tougher choices and some raw song and dance numbers.
Fame can feel a little brash at times - but that's the way our limelight lovers survive - yet at times we are treated, really treated, to moments of intense sensitivity and earthy humour. Often the episodic nature of this film - some scenes are barely more than sketches - can leave the viewer frustrated, but within minutes the face of an appealing wannabe or some gutsy production number will leave you smiling.
Perhaps not Alan Parker's best, but this film takes you to the heart of New York and lets you stay there long after the last credit.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The old ones are always the best. Fame just touches all the right places, i think this version is far better then the new one in 2009. I feel they shouldnt of bothered re-making it, you cant beat perfection. Anyone who loves singing and dancing will love this, any age,im in my 30s and my daughter is 13 and she loved it too. BRILLIANT.....
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
It was my high school years and i was dying to dance. This movie reminds me how amazing to discover dancing, creating yourself by the music you feel in your heart. It was the way i express myself as the students in Fame. I can not imagine any other story could fire my feelings, set me free on the floor. Fame is one of the most important and successful youth films i have ever seen. Great music, great performance. You will find yourself dancing and feeling very strong faith in you.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Inspiration
Reading a few mealy mouthed reviews here, I've leapt into print because there's a fundamental the grudging have missed, the inspiration the film and the stories within has... Read more
Published 15 days ago by Mfeatherstone-witty
GIFT
Well packaged. Arrived early much to the delight of my Granddaughter who the gift was for. The disc played excellently. Very pleased
Published 2 months ago by Lynsky
FAME DVD
it was good but half way through the final show it cut off so i dont really know what happend or if it was meant to go like that or what but still a very good film.
Published 7 months ago by chloe
Great movie poor sound mix
Love the movie but the sound mix on the movie is not good and on the last song its really bad half the vocals seem to be missing, shame!
Published 10 months ago by Mr. Dk Barrett
Fame - memories!
I loved this film when I was a teenager and I still love it now. I'm plaesed I purchased this via Amazon and it arrived in top speed to bring alive the memories from my younger... Read more
Published 23 months ago by S. Turner
Not what I remembered
Bought this for the wife based on memories of the TV series. If this was their only inspiration, I'm surprised the TV series was ever made. Read more
Published on 15 May 2010 by I. Welsh
Fame original on DVD
This is a fantastic film, very 80's! It's got it's emotional highs and lows. Would recommend it.
Published on 4 April 2010 by Mrs. Charlotte Heap
Dissopointed
I personally was looking forward to see 'Fame' but It seemed to go on forever (2hrs 8mins), and not much happening. Read more
Published on 5 Jan 2010
sound missing in areas of this DVD
The Dvd quality is ok although sound goes off in a few scenes, had to use subtitles
Published on 28 Dec 2009 by Carol Pearce
Fame
It is amazing just how dated this film has become !
Still worth it for the music.
Still worth it for the music.
Published on 27 Dec 2009 by massot
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/02/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192198663_.gif){kind=small}
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
