Results tagged “animated hunks” from Overlooked

The freeze frame movie ending does not seem to pop up as often as it used to, which we may openly blame on more modern films such as "Raise Your Voice." Still, fond memories have been built around freeze frame high fives, and creepy stills of possessed children, and they hold special places in our hearts. So special, in fact, that I am certain we have a habit of recreating these freeze frames in everyday life. For the past few days, I have made it my mission to find the mannerisms, facial expressions, and seemingly original pop culture references born of classic freeze frame film endings.

INFLUENTIAL FREEZE FRAMES (in no particular order)

THE FAMED FRAME	EVIDENCE OF INFLUENCE
The Breakfast Club (1985)	Whoomp There It Is (1993)
Uncle Buck (1989)	Charlie Cheese (2007)
Purple Rain (1984)	Stare Down Sally (1997)
Sleepaway Camp (1983)	Naruto (2002-2009)
Taking of Pelham 1,2,3 (1974)	Pissed Penguin (2007)

Now that I have finished my lesson on historical--and by historical I mean old, and by old I mean circa anytime before the last installation of Harry Potter--pop-culture similitude, let's go over a few movies that had much better success than "Raise Your Voice" with the simple (yet classic) zoom-in-on-the-face freeze frame.

Uncle Buck (though not great, better than "Raise your Voice")

The Taking of Pelham 1,2,3 (The Original...I <3 Walter Matthau)

Les Quatre Cents Coups (The 400 Blows)

Glitter makes the man....

Ah, Rio.

No, I'm not talking about the Duran Duran song. For those of us who grew up in the 80's there was no bigger hunk, animated or not, than Jem & the Holograms' Rio Pacheco. With his flashing eyes, solid jaw, and feathered purple hair, Rio was truly a sight to behold. But Rio was not only easy on the eyes, he was a complex and layered character worthy of many a thesis statement.

For those unfamiliar with the show, record company heiress Jerrica Benton adopts the persona of Jem, glam rocker extraordinaire. Rio is Jerrica's longtime boyfriend; however, unaware of her secret identity, he finds himself drawn to Jem and thereby struggling with classic archetypal issues of unfaithfulness.

Much like John Proctor of The Crucible, Jane Eyre's Edward Rochester, and The Age of Innocence's Newland Archer, Rio is squarely caught between his duty to one woman and his attraction to another. His unexplained trust issues further complicate matters: Jerrica never reveals the truth out of fear that her boyfriend will feel betrayed, only further entangling them in the web of lies.

Forbidden fruit!

The fact that this conflict was never resolved is admirable: there are no easy answers for Rio. In fact, providing resolution would trivialize his situation and make for a markedly less sympathetic character. Heady stuff for a children's television program for sure, but the 80's were nothing if not a time of addressing poignant social issues (see also: Gimme A Break! on racism, The Facts of Life on cerebral palsy, and Pee-Wee's Playhouse on intermarriage when Pee-Wee marries his peanut butter and jelly sandwich), and those who at the time were experiencing our formative years wouldn't have had it any other way.

Rio, thank you for making our lives truly truly truly outrageous.