Reviews from the Instant Queue

The In Crowd

This movie was released in 1988. The biggest name in this movie is Joe Pantoliano. And the girl from the beginning of Ghostbusters who isn't psychic (Jennifer Runyon).
To Sum Up: This movie is about Del, a bookish type who is a closet fan of the biggest dance show in town, the Perry Parker show. And if you've ever seen a movie about a dance show then you know that the person who we are shown watching the dance show will eventually end up on the show. And true to form, this movie does not disappoint. Del makes a bet with his other bookish friends that he will be on the show that Friday, and his next door neighbor says she will clean his room...naked...if he does. This would really work out well for her since it is beyond obvious that she loves Del and would eat his laundry if he asked. So of course Del goes to the show and through hi-jinx and what not is able to make it backstage. Coincidentally, Perry Parker just got word that his shows ratings are dropping and he needs to make a change, and also that Dugan (one half of the spotlight couple Vicky and Dugan) has been arrested and is banned from being on the show. So naturally, Del gets to be Vicky's new man (which works out great for him since he loves Vicky and would eat her laundry if she asked) and the show begins. Dancing in a line to 60s music happens, and the other men-folk on the show resent how much screen time Del is getting so the conspire to rough him up (or something) and Del some how does like a sort of split/spin/slide move to counter their attack which is somehow effective and also, I guess, cool enough that they just leave him alone. I don't know if I really buy it, but who am I to say. I don't know the rules of dance shows. Needless to say Del is just the star Perry needs. Therefore, Perry demands (mob boss style) that Vicky and the rest of the dancing gang include Del in all their fun and that Vicky and Del date. It's weird. And Vicky and gang agree. So Del takes Vicky on a date (blowing of his neighbor Gail and their study club) and they hang out at a train station (why?) with the rest of the kids from the show. We find out that Vicky wants to be Natalie Wood, which is cool. And while Del is being beer showered by the boys, Vicky sneaks off with Dugan. And then stuff like this happens for about 20 more minutes. Del picking Vicky up for a date (blowing off his friends and especially Gail) and hanging out at the train station while she really goes on a date with Dugan. I don't know. It's weird. There are also some random bonding moments with the most annoying person in the world who calls himself "Pop-eye" and who, you guessed it, does Pop-eye things. Think Uncle Joey from Full House minus any of the good Uncle Joey stuff. Any who, at an appearance Del dances with a girl in a leg brace and Vicky basically falls in love with him, so they then start dating in earnest and he tries to teach Vicky school stuff. The show really started to lose me here. And then Dugan breaks into Del's house and they have a dance fight. It was literally AWESOME. Literally. I guess the dance ends in either a draw or Del wins (which I disagree with because it looked to me like Dugan was the better dancer) because Dugan leaves. As he's leaving, Gail walks in to give Del something and Dugan kisses her and she kind of like freaks out. But they cut away really fast so it's sort of pointless. Vicky and Del go on a date to see Gail in a play and it's fine until the dinner after. At dinner, everyone is picking on Del for being flaky. And Gail and her gal pal are a teensy catty to Vicky...which is understandable since Gail loves Del, but it's a very poor strategy. Since it alienates Vicky enough that she leaves, pisses off Del, and has him run after her. Then some more stuff happens and the show gets cancelled and Del helps Vicky run off to California with Dugan. And then the movie ends with Gail going over to Del's house to show him her new Bob Dylan album and he's a little like, who is this newly hippie Gail person? And they just listen to the record and it ends.
All in all, I'd say this movie had such a good chance of being awesome to me. It was campy and dancey and had fun music from the 60s, and the acting was just bad enough that it was almost good.
But it really just didn't end with Del realizing that he loved Gail all along, and that really ruined the whole thing for me. And there were way too many close up shots of Vicky that were blurred. It was really irritating.

All in all, I would have to say that I give this movie 4 out of 10 Jelly Beans. For the fun songs, and okay dancing. And a solid base for a movie I would love. It just fell short.
Also, Del was too goofy looking...I could just not get over it.