September 14, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES I & III • Page 25 ‘Glee’ meets Kelly & Astaire in ‘Leading Ladies’ Though the story is thin and audiences have seen it before, there is much to like about this low-budget musical. There is no contest footage. With one exception, the film’s dance sequences occur realistically. Those sequences are set in cavernous rehearsal studios, in front of a bathroom mirror, and as a spur-of-the-moment turn on a bare nightclub stage. The one exception and the film’s only fullystaged production number occurs in a supermarket, as the Camparis dance their way through the aisles of cereal and diapers while checkers and baggers join in the high kicking. “Leading Ladies” pays homage to lots of other musicals. “Gypsy” immediately comes to mind, with a fiercely competitive stage mother shifting her hopes of stardom from one child to another. Also referenced are those great Gene Kelly solos when he danced out his emotions by creaking the floor boards, banging garbage cans, coasting on roller skates, or strolling through a downpour. Schwimmer and a few others in the cast have been contestants on TV’s “So You Think You Can Dance.” Bonus features on this DVD release include outtakes, deleted and extended scenes, and a trailer. “Thor” (Paramount Home Entertainment) is based on Norse mythology and a character from Marvel Comics. Director Kenneth Branagh channels many aspects of the superhero while jettisoning others. Unlike the traditional depiction, with long red beard and horned Viking headgear, the Thor of this film, Chris Hemsworth, is a far more modern incarnation, with movie star looks. Viewers see him first in Asgard stirring up trouble and endangering a long-held peace between the gods and the frost giants. Angered by his son’s impulsiveness and failure to respect diplomacy, Odin (Anthony Hopkins) banishes him and his hammer from Asgard to live among the mortals on Earth. Thor travels through the cosmos and perhaps a time vortex or two, plummeting to Earth just in time to be hit by the truck of astrophysicist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who is gathering data in the desert. (continued on Crossword page) Melanie LaPatin (center) stars in ‘Leading Ladies’ alongside newcomers Shannon Lea Smith (left) and Laurel Vail. by Dennis Seuling “Leading Ladies” (Wolfe Video) is a joyous movie about the love of dancing. The Campari family lives and breathes dance, specifically ballroom dancing. The clan is headed by former dance champ Shari (Melanie LaPatin), who has trained her daughter Tasi (Shannon Lea Smith) to become her successor. Tasi has already made a name for herself on the ballroom circuit with gay family friend Cedric (Benji Schwimmer). Tasi often clashes with her controlling mother, and elder sister Toni (Laurel Vail) serves as peacemaker. When Tasi becomes pregnant, Shari turns her attention to Toni, hoping she will take her sister’s place. Toni agrees, but insists on selecting her own dance partner. Toni’s unconventional choice provides the film’s underlying conflict.