“Fame! I’m going to live forever; I’m going to learn how to fly high!” For those who don’t know those words, they are the lyrics to the signature song from the 1980 movie “Fame.” This movie has been “reinvented” and is now playing in theaters everywhere.
Lou Lumenick of the New York Post called the new “Fame” “a desperate, cynical ... attempt by a dying studio to stave off oblivion by jumping on the ‘High School Musical’ bandwagon, exploiting one of its legacy titles in ways that dishonor the original.”
I completely disagree! I think that the new “Fame” is great! It is possible that the critics liked the old movie better since they were teenagers at that time, but the new “Fame” is likely to be enjoyed more by today’s teens.
In my mind, “Fame” is an uplifting, inspiring tale that is very relevant to teens. It explores the realistic trials and tribulations of growing up, with the added twist of searching for fame.
The movie follows the characters through all four years at a performing arts high school in New York City and shows how these characters develop into their true selves. It shows the trials and triumphs of a relationship, of students finding their careers, and of making tough choices between the future and the present.
In addition, all of the teenage characters are easy to relate to. They fight with their parents and fall in love like most high school students.
There is a wide variety of modern music in “Fame” that encourages the audience to tap their feet. At the showing I went to, everyone left the theater dancing and in a better mood. Overall, I give “Fame” two thumbs up.

An Interview with Asher Book

The new movie “Fame” features many up-and-coming artists, including Asher Book, Kay Panabaker and Collins Penne. The Arapahoe Herald and several other high schools nationwide had the opportunity to participate in a conference call with Book. The following are some of the pertinent questions asked during the call.

Q: “Since ‘Fame’ is a remake of the original, did you study the original musical and try to take something away from what the actors did there, or did you totally reinterpret everything?”
A: “Actually our film is really not a remake. We tell people it’s more of a reinvention. Basically we take the concept of kids going to performing arts school and use that, so there are new characters, new story line, new music, [and] new dances. There are aspects of the original that we still kept. We still have two songs from the original, and we have Debbie Allen from the original, but for the most part it’s a whole new movie.”


Q: “What kind of reaction are you hoping to see from your audience?”
A: “A great reaction, I hope…I feel like this movie has such a great message.”


Q: “Is the movie script realistic in terms of being famous and the search for fame?”
A: “Yes, totally. That’s what we tell people. Our movie is really good at telling the story line of what I think artists really go through, whether you’re a singer, actor or dancer.”