You know, those (televised) skating fans... real diehards.
While on the plane back from Shanghai, I watched Blades of Glory in English, French and Japanese. I obsess like a Jimmy MacElroy fanboy. ;)
Blades of Glory in Japanese
The Japanese one was great, though they added sounds for a lot of scenes that didn't have vocals in English. There is a move in Fire and Ice when Chazz is spinning Jimmy with one hand, and Jimmy is up there being very :D while Chazz is going (>______<)? The Japanese dub had Jimmy laughing very very happily while being spun that way (photo reference, warning for brainbreak). ohmygod and they did new fighting-sounds for the Chazz-Jimmy Let's Ban Ourselves For Life fight, and it sounded like a BL drama.
Jimmy, in Japanese, when being presentable and Jimmy-McElroy-gold-medallist, is incredibly yasashi - especially when he says Arigatou incredibly gently and warmly to the skating flower-girl (they're called flower girls because they're in the rink to pick up all the flowers and thrown tokens of affection so the ice is clear for the next skater) who picks up a stuffed toy and gives it to him.
Chazz yelling "ORE GA KING!" in the early part of the movie TOTALLY CRACKED ME UP. As did Chazz going, "OKSANA DA!" Chazz actually sounded really dignified and masculine in Japanese (and a whole lot more polite, of course, and uses the -masu form, where I thought he'd be dictionary all the way). Chazz also has an Asch moment when he yells "FUZAKERU NA!" (You've gotta be kidding me!, in Chazz-context) when the coach suggests he pair up with Jimmy.
Also, Jimmy is a boku, and Katie is an atashi. ;) So cute! Katie is even more sweet and innocent in Japanese. And when they go for snow-cones, they go for kakigori.
Blades of Glory in French
Chazz actually sounds sexy in French, and classy, even, at times, which goes to show that different languages become Chazz much better than English. ;) Or maybe it's just French. ;) Everybody sounds better in the French dub.
Jimmy sounds spectacularly gay in French, but in confrontation mode (Think "Michaels." "Macelroy." "I see you got fat.") his voice becomes utterly vicious and he hisses like a snake. Very very Slytherin, really, and very entertaining.
Also, I love localisations! In the scene where the skating documentary on the Olympics is ostensibly being shown, the presenters are interviewing different people about what they think of Chazz and Jimmy pairing up?
English version: "That blonde chick's a dude? Oh, man."
French version: "That blonde's a guy? Merde."
Which made me laugh so hard, because it made it sound (to me) as if the guy was enjoying having bad thoughts about Jimmy until BLOND = DUDE got pointed out to him.
Actual skating videos, because I am obsessed that way. The following videos show that
What Real Skaters Do is sometimes Even Crazier than the stuff they make up in the movies.
Men's Figure Skating
Johnny Weir 2006 Olympics Short Program: dressed up as a swan. Jimmy's Peacock outfit was apparently based on this.
Evgeni Plushenko SEX BOMB: [WARNING latter half NOT WORK SAFE or BRAINSAFE, EVEN] If you want to be spoiled for what happens in the video, read Time Magazine's The Rise and Fall and Rise of a Skating Superpower, search "Tom Jones".
Something tells me this is SO something Chazz would do.
... NO I CHANGE MY MIND THIS IS LIKE WATCHING CHAZZ DANCING.
Alexei Yagudin
Pairs Skating
Torville and Dean's Bolero. This is a legendary performance for pairs figure-skating, with a groundbreaking opening for doing what no other pair had done before: not skate when the music started. ;) It doesn't look groundbreaking now, but you gotta remember that it's about twenty years old and it was groundbreaking then. ;) Part of the Blades of Glory I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing choreography comes from this opening. >D
(For some odd reason, I like this video minus the music)
Gwendal and Anissina: 2002 Olympics:
Yes, KKM characters were named after this pair of ice skaters. ;)
Gordeeva & Grinkov: Reverie / Moonlight Sonata
Katia Gordeeva & Sergei Grinkov - 1994 Winter Olympics
Yamaguchi & Yagudin 2002 Canadian Stars on Ice - "Close to You": Jazzy version of Close to You, so not as endearing to me as the original Karen Carpenter version, but Kristi Yamaguchi is completely coquettish and feminine in a good way, in this video: and the ending made me grin! Your kisses make me weak. ;)
Women's Figure Skating
Irina Slutskaya: 2002 Olympics Free Program
Katarina Witt: 1988 Olympics Free Program
Michelle Kwan 1998 Olympics Free skate program
Sasha Cohen: 2006 Olympics: Romeo & Juliet: This is genuinely amazing. She gets off to a bad start by falling twice, but she picks up amazingly well and the middle of the program is magical. I would actually describe this program as magical, notwithstanding the hiccups at the start. I think one of the commentators says it best, "The difference between Sasha and everyone else is that everyone else skates to Romeo and Juliet; she is Juliet." And she was.
Tara Lipinski 1998 Olympics
1998 Olympics Long Program, Lu Chen: to Butterfly Lovers
1998 Olympics Short Program Lu Chen: Clair de Lune
Peggy Fleming 1968 Olympic Free Skate: MY GOD how are there Peggy Fleming videos online?!
Michelle Kwan and Tara Lipinski interview: Fire On Ice
Montages/Group skating
Holiday On Ice - Las Vegas Style Clip
Parodies
Death on Ice: 1994 Olympics Fluff:
A hilarious fluff piece on why the rules in ice dance prohibit lying down on the ice.
Skating on Thin Ice: The Legend of Apolo Anton Ohno 1
Ilia Kulik and the Goblet of Fire: fanvid montage to a Harry Potter theme. MAGICAL. >D
I'm not too much a fan of skating montages: the build-up of the piece is crucial to me, so taking out the best part robs it of its impact, I think.
pure omg
violinist on ice?!
QUADRUPLE AXEL
Ice dancing to Dancing Queen
Skating to Tom Jones' Sex Bomb?!
Irina Slutskaya video montage to "Cold as Ice": "My desire burns like fire, you're as cold as ice: Don't fool me anymore, don't touch me anymore, you're as cold as ice". And she wears a firework costume! She looks so joyous when she's skating.
Ice skating to WICKED the Musical music
Janet Lynn videos!
Sasha Cohen
SNL Will Ferrell: "Blades of Glory" Skating Stunt Double
Favourite Blades of Glory Interviews, Reviews and Links
Blades of Glory Videos
End of the movie clip
☆ Blades of Glory Unscripted (Cast interviews): Parts 1, 2, 3.
☆ Reelz Channel Blades of Glory Interview - That line about Jon Heder getting a Tiger Beat subscription to get in character was hilarious. And I love Tiger Beat. ♥ It has great Orlando Bloom articles.
☆ Blades of Glory Premiere - Red Carpet interviews. Jon Heder here makes me go all Be still my beating heart. ♥
☆ ifilm Interview with Will Ferrell and Jon Heder
☆ Official Blades of Glory Music Video
☆Jon Heder and Will Ferrell interviews for Blades of Glory: at 3.00, they do this LET'S DO THIS punch. So cool. Plus some of my favourite Fire and Ice and "You're my pretty lady" moments.
☆MSN Blades of Glory Interview: with Jon and both Wills (Ferrell and Arnett) singing. And the following lines:
Interviewer: What does it feel like, lycra and sequins?
Will Ferrell: it feels like christmas morning.
Jon: I think he did most of the touching.
Will: I did. I did. Believe me, I did.
☆NG TV - Blades of Glory Up Close - TV interview with the cast. At about 5.10, the interviewer asks them, "What's the hardest thing about being with another man?" And Jon Heder's answer is pretty cute. *grin* And full of RPS potential. What made me laugh was the part in front where Jon says he likes skating alone, and Will says, "You don't know how much that hurt me."
Jon Heder interview
Actual skaters react to Blades of Glory
Favourite Blades Interviews - Text
Will Ferrell and Jon Heder Interview
Jenna Fisher Interview
Total WTF
Ask a Ninja. Interview with Jon Heder and Will Ferrell. Tells you absolutely nothing about the movie and destroyed several brain cells into the bargain.
Kingdom Hearts/Blades of Glory AMV - I kid you not - with Riku as Chazz and Sora as Jimmy.
Naruto set to Blades of Glory trailer.
And Other Fun Links
The Zamboni Story - who knew ice resurfacing could be a legend all its own?
Favourite Blades Reviews
Funny that way: Blades of Glory and Hollywood’s homophobic impulse
Blades of Glory: Gay Panic at the Ice Rink
afterElton.com review - I don't view the film as favourably as this reviewer does, but it's still an interesting read.
My favourite and most extensive Blades gallery is the outnow gallery (link is very un-dial-up friendly). Here are some of my favourite recently-discovered photographs (from there and elsewhere):
We can do this, partner!
I only have eyes for you. ;)
(If you've seen the original picture, you know this is pure judicious cropping: isn't it amazing that that's all that's needed to turn it into a Chazz and Jimmy moment? ;))
... No, Jimmy, you could not be more of a girl, even if you tried.
Because my het OTP needs more love, too.
(Edited from this original still, for let it not be said that I was not fair in love where Jimmy MacElroy was concerned. xD)
♥
This picture makes me want to cover my face and cover the photo with love all at the same time. ;)
If you've heard of the song The Bluest Eyes in Texas: with a little modification, I think this could be the song whose lyrics Chazz totally changed and sang drunkenly to Jimmy during the Night of A Thousand And One Messages. Probably just before his impassioned rendition of I miss you Jimmy, and I don't wanna miss a thing.
The Bluest Eyes In Montreal
original
That lonesome Canadian sun was setting slow
And in the rear view mirror, I watched it go
I can still see wind in his golden hair
I close my eyes for a moment, and I'm still there.
The bluest eyes in Montreal
Are haunting me tonight
Like the stars fill the midnight sky
His memory fills my mind
Where did I go wrong? Did I wait too long?
Or can I make things right?
The bluest eyes in Texas,
Are haunting me tonight
Another town, another hotel room.
Another dream that ended way too soon.
Left me lonely, prayin' for the dawn.
Searching for the strength to carry on.
For every heart you break, you pay a price.
But I can't forget the tears in his blue eyes.
*HOWLS WITH LAUGHTER* Sorry, guys, I couldn't resist! It was such a perfect song, it only needed very minor alterations! The original song is very very close to this one, too!
Not to mention the thousand and one songs titled 'Cold as Ice', by Foreigner, No Angels, which I think would be a FUN Chazz-Jimmy having-a-couple-fight song:
Foreigner, 'Cold As Ice'
You're as cold as ice
You're willing to sacrifice our love
You never take advice
Someday you'll pay the price
I know
I've seen it before
It happens all the time
You're closing the door
You leave the world behind
You're digging for gold
Yet throwing away
A fortune in feelings
But someday you'll pay
You're as cold as ice
You're willing to sacrifice our love
You want Paradise
But someday you'll pay the price
I know
No Angels, "Cold as Ice":
Lying close to you
Makes me feel so blue
Feelings fade away
If it's really true
I'll be missing you
Where's the love we had
My desire burns like fire
You're as cold as ice
Don't fool me anymore
Don't touch me anymore
You're as cold as ice
Ooh I don't know
What's right now
Ooh love is gone
And now you're cold as ice
Skater RPS! Which goes to show that just when you think you've seen it all, fandom will never cease to surprise you.
Also, random link of the post: Jimmy in his Naruto outfit! ...Wait, does that make Chazz Sasuke?
Blades of Glory in Japanese
The Japanese one was great, though they added sounds for a lot of scenes that didn't have vocals in English. There is a move in Fire and Ice when Chazz is spinning Jimmy with one hand, and Jimmy is up there being very :D while Chazz is going (>______<)? The Japanese dub had Jimmy laughing very very happily while being spun that way (photo reference, warning for brainbreak). ohmygod and they did new fighting-sounds for the Chazz-Jimmy Let's Ban Ourselves For Life fight, and it sounded like a BL drama.
Jimmy, in Japanese, when being presentable and Jimmy-McElroy-gold-medallist, is incredibly yasashi - especially when he says Arigatou incredibly gently and warmly to the skating flower-girl (they're called flower girls because they're in the rink to pick up all the flowers and thrown tokens of affection so the ice is clear for the next skater) who picks up a stuffed toy and gives it to him.
Chazz yelling "ORE GA KING!" in the early part of the movie TOTALLY CRACKED ME UP. As did Chazz going, "OKSANA DA!" Chazz actually sounded really dignified and masculine in Japanese (and a whole lot more polite, of course, and uses the -masu form, where I thought he'd be dictionary all the way). Chazz also has an Asch moment when he yells "FUZAKERU NA!" (You've gotta be kidding me!, in Chazz-context) when the coach suggests he pair up with Jimmy.
Also, Jimmy is a boku, and Katie is an atashi. ;) So cute! Katie is even more sweet and innocent in Japanese. And when they go for snow-cones, they go for kakigori.
Blades of Glory in French
Chazz actually sounds sexy in French, and classy, even, at times, which goes to show that different languages become Chazz much better than English. ;) Or maybe it's just French. ;) Everybody sounds better in the French dub.
Jimmy sounds spectacularly gay in French, but in confrontation mode (Think "Michaels." "Macelroy." "I see you got fat.") his voice becomes utterly vicious and he hisses like a snake. Very very Slytherin, really, and very entertaining.
Also, I love localisations! In the scene where the skating documentary on the Olympics is ostensibly being shown, the presenters are interviewing different people about what they think of Chazz and Jimmy pairing up?
English version: "That blonde chick's a dude? Oh, man."
French version: "That blonde's a guy? Merde."
Which made me laugh so hard, because it made it sound (to me) as if the guy was enjoying having bad thoughts about Jimmy until BLOND = DUDE got pointed out to him.
Actual skating videos, because I am obsessed that way. The following videos show that
What Real Skaters Do is sometimes Even Crazier than the stuff they make up in the movies.
Men's Figure Skating
Johnny Weir 2006 Olympics Short Program: dressed up as a swan. Jimmy's Peacock outfit was apparently based on this.
Evgeni Plushenko SEX BOMB: [WARNING latter half NOT WORK SAFE or BRAINSAFE, EVEN] If you want to be spoiled for what happens in the video, read Time Magazine's The Rise and Fall and Rise of a Skating Superpower, search "Tom Jones".
Something tells me this is SO something Chazz would do.
... NO I CHANGE MY MIND THIS IS LIKE WATCHING CHAZZ DANCING.
Alexei Yagudin
Pairs Skating
Torville and Dean's Bolero. This is a legendary performance for pairs figure-skating, with a groundbreaking opening for doing what no other pair had done before: not skate when the music started. ;) It doesn't look groundbreaking now, but you gotta remember that it's about twenty years old and it was groundbreaking then. ;) Part of the Blades of Glory I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing choreography comes from this opening. >D
(For some odd reason, I like this video minus the music)
Gwendal and Anissina: 2002 Olympics:
Yes, KKM characters were named after this pair of ice skaters. ;)
Gordeeva & Grinkov: Reverie / Moonlight Sonata
Katia Gordeeva & Sergei Grinkov - 1994 Winter Olympics
Yamaguchi & Yagudin 2002 Canadian Stars on Ice - "Close to You": Jazzy version of Close to You, so not as endearing to me as the original Karen Carpenter version, but Kristi Yamaguchi is completely coquettish and feminine in a good way, in this video: and the ending made me grin! Your kisses make me weak. ;)
Women's Figure Skating
Irina Slutskaya: 2002 Olympics Free Program
Katarina Witt: 1988 Olympics Free Program
Michelle Kwan 1998 Olympics Free skate program
Sasha Cohen: 2006 Olympics: Romeo & Juliet: This is genuinely amazing. She gets off to a bad start by falling twice, but she picks up amazingly well and the middle of the program is magical. I would actually describe this program as magical, notwithstanding the hiccups at the start. I think one of the commentators says it best, "The difference between Sasha and everyone else is that everyone else skates to Romeo and Juliet; she is Juliet." And she was.
Tara Lipinski 1998 Olympics
1998 Olympics Long Program, Lu Chen: to Butterfly Lovers
1998 Olympics Short Program Lu Chen: Clair de Lune
Peggy Fleming 1968 Olympic Free Skate: MY GOD how are there Peggy Fleming videos online?!
Michelle Kwan and Tara Lipinski interview: Fire On Ice
Montages/Group skating
Holiday On Ice - Las Vegas Style Clip
Parodies
Death on Ice: 1994 Olympics Fluff:
A hilarious fluff piece on why the rules in ice dance prohibit lying down on the ice.
Skating on Thin Ice: The Legend of Apolo Anton Ohno 1
Ilia Kulik and the Goblet of Fire: fanvid montage to a Harry Potter theme. MAGICAL. >D
I'm not too much a fan of skating montages: the build-up of the piece is crucial to me, so taking out the best part robs it of its impact, I think.
pure omg
violinist on ice?!
QUADRUPLE AXEL
Ice dancing to Dancing Queen
Skating to Tom Jones' Sex Bomb?!
Irina Slutskaya video montage to "Cold as Ice": "My desire burns like fire, you're as cold as ice: Don't fool me anymore, don't touch me anymore, you're as cold as ice". And she wears a firework costume! She looks so joyous when she's skating.
Ice skating to WICKED the Musical music
Janet Lynn videos!
Sasha Cohen
SNL Will Ferrell: "Blades of Glory" Skating Stunt Double
Favourite Blades of Glory Interviews, Reviews and Links
Blades of Glory Videos
End of the movie clip
☆ Blades of Glory Unscripted (Cast interviews): Parts 1, 2, 3.
☆ Reelz Channel Blades of Glory Interview - That line about Jon Heder getting a Tiger Beat subscription to get in character was hilarious. And I love Tiger Beat. ♥ It has great Orlando Bloom articles.
☆ Blades of Glory Premiere - Red Carpet interviews. Jon Heder here makes me go all Be still my beating heart. ♥
☆ ifilm Interview with Will Ferrell and Jon Heder
☆ Official Blades of Glory Music Video
☆Jon Heder and Will Ferrell interviews for Blades of Glory: at 3.00, they do this LET'S DO THIS punch. So cool. Plus some of my favourite Fire and Ice and "You're my pretty lady" moments.
☆MSN Blades of Glory Interview: with Jon and both Wills (Ferrell and Arnett) singing. And the following lines:
Interviewer: What does it feel like, lycra and sequins?
Will Ferrell: it feels like christmas morning.
Jon: I think he did most of the touching.
Will: I did. I did. Believe me, I did.
☆NG TV - Blades of Glory Up Close - TV interview with the cast. At about 5.10, the interviewer asks them, "What's the hardest thing about being with another man?" And Jon Heder's answer is pretty cute. *grin* And full of RPS potential. What made me laugh was the part in front where Jon says he likes skating alone, and Will says, "You don't know how much that hurt me."
Jon Heder interview
Actual skaters react to Blades of Glory
Favourite Blades Interviews - Text
Will Ferrell and Jon Heder Interview
Jenna Fisher Interview
Total WTF
Ask a Ninja. Interview with Jon Heder and Will Ferrell. Tells you absolutely nothing about the movie and destroyed several brain cells into the bargain.
Kingdom Hearts/Blades of Glory AMV - I kid you not - with Riku as Chazz and Sora as Jimmy.
Naruto set to Blades of Glory trailer.
And Other Fun Links
The Zamboni Story - who knew ice resurfacing could be a legend all its own?
Favourite Blades Reviews
Funny that way: Blades of Glory and Hollywood’s homophobic impulse
Blades of Glory: Gay Panic at the Ice Rink
afterElton.com review - I don't view the film as favourably as this reviewer does, but it's still an interesting read.
My favourite and most extensive Blades gallery is the outnow gallery (link is very un-dial-up friendly). Here are some of my favourite recently-discovered photographs (from there and elsewhere):
We can do this, partner!
I only have eyes for you. ;)
(If you've seen the original picture, you know this is pure judicious cropping: isn't it amazing that that's all that's needed to turn it into a Chazz and Jimmy moment? ;))
... No, Jimmy, you could not be more of a girl, even if you tried.
Because my het OTP needs more love, too.
(Edited from this original still, for let it not be said that I was not fair in love where Jimmy MacElroy was concerned. xD)
♥
This picture makes me want to cover my face and cover the photo with love all at the same time. ;)
If you've heard of the song The Bluest Eyes in Texas: with a little modification, I think this could be the song whose lyrics Chazz totally changed and sang drunkenly to Jimmy during the Night of A Thousand And One Messages. Probably just before his impassioned rendition of I miss you Jimmy, and I don't wanna miss a thing.
The Bluest Eyes In Montreal
original
That lonesome Canadian sun was setting slow
And in the rear view mirror, I watched it go
I can still see wind in his golden hair
I close my eyes for a moment, and I'm still there.
The bluest eyes in Montreal
Are haunting me tonight
Like the stars fill the midnight sky
His memory fills my mind
Where did I go wrong? Did I wait too long?
Or can I make things right?
The bluest eyes in Texas,
Are haunting me tonight
Another town, another hotel room.
Another dream that ended way too soon.
Left me lonely, prayin' for the dawn.
Searching for the strength to carry on.
For every heart you break, you pay a price.
But I can't forget the tears in his blue eyes.
*HOWLS WITH LAUGHTER* Sorry, guys, I couldn't resist! It was such a perfect song, it only needed very minor alterations! The original song is very very close to this one, too!
Not to mention the thousand and one songs titled 'Cold as Ice', by Foreigner, No Angels, which I think would be a FUN Chazz-Jimmy having-a-couple-fight song:
Foreigner, 'Cold As Ice'
You're as cold as ice
You're willing to sacrifice our love
You never take advice
Someday you'll pay the price
I know
I've seen it before
It happens all the time
You're closing the door
You leave the world behind
You're digging for gold
Yet throwing away
A fortune in feelings
But someday you'll pay
You're as cold as ice
You're willing to sacrifice our love
You want Paradise
But someday you'll pay the price
I know
No Angels, "Cold as Ice":
Lying close to you
Makes me feel so blue
Feelings fade away
If it's really true
I'll be missing you
Where's the love we had
My desire burns like fire
You're as cold as ice
Don't fool me anymore
Don't touch me anymore
You're as cold as ice
Ooh I don't know
What's right now
Ooh love is gone
And now you're cold as ice
Skater RPS! Which goes to show that just when you think you've seen it all, fandom will never cease to surprise you.
Also, random link of the post: Jimmy in his Naruto outfit! ...Wait, does that make Chazz Sasuke?