Quentin Tarantino’s unexpected review
Although the film Perfection received harsh criticism and poor reviews upon release, it has since gained a cult following.
John Wilson’s book Official Razzie Movie Guide even listed it as one of the ‘100 Most Enjoyable Bad Movies Ever Made’.
Quentin Tarantino also praised the film in a 1994 interview with Rolling Stone, calling it ‘vastly underrated due to Curtis’ very tight performance.’ Not too bad!
A recreation of her iconic aerobics routine
Nearly four decades after starring in Perfect, Jamie Lee Curtis proved she can still move – and has a great sense of humour. Joined by Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show, Curtis recreated the legendary aerobics scene from the 1985 film, bringing the hip-pushing choreography back to life in a hilariously funny performance.
The sketch begins to Jermaine Jackson and Whitney Houston’s 1985 hit ‘Shock Me’ as Curtis, in his trademark striped jumpsuit, leads an aerobics class. Fallon, stepping into John Travolta’s shoes, sweats along with her as she mimics the proverbial moves – and yes, it’s not without its jolts.
The comedy reached the point of absurdity when Fallon decided to send Curtis a video of his own dance moves. As befits a professional, Curtis pulled the phone out of her tight outfit and kissed it, before sensually eating pizza and dousing herself with champagne. Naturally, she didn’t miss a beat, making circular motions with her hips.
The pair took things to the next level with even wilder antics, culminating in Fallon releasing a pigeon from his shorts and Curtis bringing a defibrillator to get the ‘dead body’ to join the routine. Fallon, clearly impressed with the original, joked about the length of the scene, ‘That scene lasted – I’m not kidding – about five minutes, right?’
To which Curtis, laughing, replied, ‘No, no, that scene lasted about seven minutes!’.
Clearly, Curtis has lost none of her grip or sense of humour, proving that even decades later, her ‘Perfect Aerobics’ scene will always be in esteem.
I’m not going to claim that ‘Perfect’ is a cinematic masterpiece, but I think it’s better than its reputation would suggest. I’ve always been a fan of John Travolta and Jamie Lee Curtis, and there’s a certain charm to their acting. But what really surprised me was finding out how Jamie Lee Curtis actually feels about those infamous aerobics scenes.
I had no idea she had such mixed feelings about them! It’s amazing how what was supposed to be playful and sexy ended up being something she wasn’t quite comfortable with. Of course, one can understand that this scene could have been considered a funny moment, but hearing her talk about it made me wonder: should we rethink our attitudes towards such scenes in retro films? Maybe it’s time for a more balanced discussion? What do you think?