Girls, Let Me Tell You, This Is The Next "Black Swan" In Waiting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Darlings, now that Darren Aronofsky's "Black Swan" is both a critical and commercial success, you can bet filmmakers will be jumping through hoops for the next hot property incoroporating ballet and insanity. Which means, of course, that it has to take place in New York, because, with the major exception being "The Red Shoes," most dance oriented films do. I mean, "West Side Story," "The Turning Point," "All That Jazz"...come on!!!!!!!!!! L.A. may have just as much on Mew York when it comes to the insane, but when you add ballet to the equation, few cities can even hope to equal New York there.

Which is exactly why the time is SO ripe for a film version of Judi Miller's overlooked 1981 Trash Classic, "Save The Dance For Me!" Which, judging from that date there, would be celebrating its 30th anniversary, and what better way to celebrate than to bring it out now, with dance craziness being so HOT thanks to Aronofsky's film.

Now, lambs, I have to tell you, I have not read the entire novel. BUT what I have read and vaugely recall is a hoot, and SO ripe for film. The story is a compendium of beloved show biz cliches. An aspiring ballerina in the New York (ahem!)_corps gets knocked up by the Master!!!!!! Of course, this puts an end to her career, and before you can say "Gypsy" or "What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?", we are off and running. She has the child, a boy, and raises it with part love, part resentment. It is the latter that fuels her ambition that he will become the ballet dancer she was never able to!!!!!!! I can still recall the ominous opening of Chapter 2--"A year ago, she told him he could stop taking ballet." Which means, of course, no way; he is going to be forced to do this because Mother WANTS it, even if he DOES NOT. Before long the years pass, they boy has joined the same New York (ahem, again!) troupe his Mother did. Before you can say "Psycho," murders begin happening among the corps and backstage, etc. Who is doing them???? Is it the young male ballet aspirant???? The Maniacal Mother????? Even if I wanted to tell you, honeys, I can't because I do not rememmber. But I DO rmember this camp classic climax, where, at the height of a major performanmce, before an audience packed house--one of balletomanes, which raises the notch of insanity up ever higher--the Mother, costumed and made up a good twenty years past her prime in the same role she aspired to as a young ballerina, appears, goes ape shit, and begins to deride the Master before all and sundry, revealing too the identity of the child!!!!!!!!!!!

I mean, does this not cry out to be fimed, or what??? The only question now is who would play the Maniacal Mother. Had it been done shortly after the book appreared, this would be a no brainer, because then the part would have gone to the one and only person who could truly have done it justice--the great Louise Fletcher!!!!!!!! Louise could still act up a storm with it, but now it would have to be as Maniacal Grandmother, which she has already done with "Flowers In The Attic," and which would ruin the Mother-Child dynamic that is so crucial to the story!!!! Maybe Patricia Clarkson, because she did such a great quasi realistic riff on Margaret White in the TV remake of "Carrie," with Angela Bettis!!!!!!!!! Bettis is too young. Anne Bancroft is too old, AND dead, to boot!!!!!!!!! And who would beleive Kathy Bates as an ex-ballerina????????? Barabara Hershey sort of went down this road in "Black Swan," but I don't think she could notch it up enough for this role. Morgan Fairchild could, but then she is blonde, and the character has to be dark. Kelly Bishop is dark, has the dance thing down, but, outside of "Gilmore Girls," is not known to Hollywood extant. Glenn Close is too blonde and too old. MY choice, darlings, would be Debra Winger; Hollywood is always looking for ways to bring her back, and, beleive me, the role is crazy enough for her to sink her teeth into!!!!! Plus she could get by in a tutu at the climax!!!!!!!

So I am going to go with Debra. However, I am appealing to all my girls, if you have any ideas you think would be better, and can back them up, write your comments on here; would love to hear them, darlings!!!!!!!!!

But honestly, this just cries out to be filmed. With a 30th year anniversary print reissue, and a production set to film by end of this year, while the crazed ballet thing is still HOT, we could be looking at the next Horror Camp Classic!!!!!!! How long has it been since we had one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do that plie, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!