Dancing with the Stars Movies

Thursday, May 26, 2011 at 4:08 pm

Films with Dancing with the Stars Contestants

Ever since its debut in 2005, Dancing with the Stars has achieved healthy ratings by pairing up celebrities and athletes with professional (and incredibly attractive) ballroom dancers. But even though new seasons are cranked out as quickly as possible, there’s still a tendency to get depressed when your waltzing pals go away for a few months. That’s where this list comes in, as I’ve scoured my brain to list some of the best Dancing with the Stars movies (meaning films starring various contestants from the show).

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Spice World (1997) – Melanie Brown–better known to fans as Scary Spice or Mel B–competed in the fifth season of Dancing with the Stars and finished as the runner-up, despite obtaining a perfect score on her last dance. But don’t cry for the well-toned singer, as she made millions as one-fifth of the supergroup known as the Spice Girls. This rambunctious film is their foray into the world of acting, and it’s a whirlwind of singing, mugging for the camera, and celebrity cameos (including Elton John, Roger Moore, Bob Hoskins, Meat Loaf, Hugh Laurie, and Elvis Costello). The critics hated it, of course, but those needing a healthy dose of girl power should find it to be an enjoyable romp.

My Cousin Vinny (1992) – Forever known as Daniel from the Karate Kid, Ralph Macchio also co-starred in this entertaining comedy featuring Joe Pesci as an inexperienced Brooklyn lawyer who represents his cousin (Macchio) and another “yewt” during a murder trial in rural Alabama. Marisa Tomei won an Oscar as Pesci’s abrasive girlfriend, and the late Fred Gwynne (The Munsters) stole the show as a judge with no sense of humor.

Dirty Dancing (1987) – Before she won the 11th season of Dancing with the Stars, a pre-nose job Jennifer Grey rose to stardom in the latter half of the ‘80s by playing Frances “Baby” Houseman, a teenager who rebels against her uptight father (Jerry Orbach) by dating a dance instructor (Patrick Swayze) at the family’s summer vacation retreat in the Catskills.

College Road Trip (2008) – Martin Lawrence stars as an over-protective father who drives his daughter (Raven-Symone) on a cross-country tour of colleges, but Donny Osmond steals the show as a whitebread and relentlessly upbeat father doing the same thing with his own daughter. As you might remember, the clean-cut Osmond also took home the title in the ninth season of Dancing with the Stars, surpassing the fifth-season performance of his younger sister, Marie.

Look Who’s Talking – 60-year-old Kirstie Alley took second place on the 12th season of Dancing with the Stars, finishing just behind NFL receiver Hines Ward. But Hines Ward never starred on Cheers, and he was never killed by robots designed by Gene Simmons (Runaway). For that matter, Ward never played a single mother raising an infant (voiced by Bruce Willis) while being romanced by a kind-hearted cabbie (John Travolta).

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Burlesque (2010) – This musical starring Cher and Christina Aguilera may be a lightweight piece of camp, but it’s also one of the few places to catch lovely Julianne Hough when she’s not pairing up with celebs on Dancing with the Stars or belting out country tunes. Aguilera stars as an aspiring singer who finds love and success while working at a burlesque bar owned by the salty Tess (Cher). Hough co-stars as Georgia, a dancer at the club who gets replaced after learning she’s preggers. Also starring Cam Gigandet, Eric Dane, Alan Cumming, and Kristen Bell.

Borat (2006) – Pamela Anderson brought her 36-22-34 measurements to the 10th season of DWTS, and she and partner Damian Whitewood made it seven weeks before being eliminated. While the Canadian actress and former Playboy model has starred in several films, her most talked about role came with the release of a home sex tape showing her doing the nasty with then-hubby Tommy Lee. But she enjoyed her most successful cinematic outing in 2006, playing herself in a supporting role in Sacha Baron Cohen’s outrageous and satirical look at the United States. Nobody wears a traditional marriage sack like Pammy.

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) – Several years before competing on season three of Dancing with the Stars, sexy actress Vivica A. Fox played Vernita Green, a suburban homemaker who once worked as an international assassin under the alias Copperhead. The first half of Quentin Tarantino’s violent ode to martial arts, exploitation, and revenge movies, Kill Bill depicts Vernita’s well-choreographed living room showdown with The Bride (Uma Thurman), a fellow assassin who was betrayed and left for dead. We also get to see the vengeful Bride take on an Asian crime boss (Lucy Liu), her seemingly limitless supply of henchmen, and a lowlife who drives a truck called the “Pussy Wagon.” Co-starring Daryl Hannah, David Carradine, and Michael Madsen.

Monsters, Inc. (2001) – Best-known for his role as barfly Cliff Clavin on TV’s Cheers, John Ratzenberger would later put on his dancing shoes to compete alongside partner Edyta Sliwinska on the fourth season of Dancing with the Stars. He’s also had a long-running relationship with Pixar, providing voices for every one of their projects to date. In this particular film about good-natured monsters (including stars John Goodman and Billy Crystal) who provide power for their city by harnessing the screams of frightened children, Ratzenberger lends his voice to the role of the Abominable Snowman.

Ringmaster (1998) – Season three contestant Jerry Springer shows off his acting ability (or lack thereof) by playing a thinly-veiled version of himself. Jerry Farrelly is the host of a bizarre daytime talk show, and his guests include a white trash mother/daughter duo (Jaime Pressly), and an African-American man who’s boffing his girlfriend’s two besties. While it’s hardly quality cinema, Ringmaster does posses the same train wreck quality of Springer’s show. Jer-ry! Jer-ry! Jer-ry!

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That wraps up our look at Dancing with the Stars movies. If you’re unfamiliar with the show, one or two viewings may have you hooked. And if not, you can always pass the time by watching the films listed above.

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 26th, 2011 at 4:08 pm and is filed under Good Movies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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