I wouldn’t normally rave about a YouTube video but this is an exception.
As with any job, it takes a certain level of effort to create something good. It takes so much more to create something of true quality. I’ve done just enough video editing to be dangerous and respect the effort required here. When my wife spotted a video of old-time movie stars dancing to Uptown Funk, it sounded like it might be fun. If the beats match up well, the anachronistic style mismatch might be worth a chuckle, right?
Well, nope. This ain’t that.
This video is far better than it needs to be. Good enough would have taken 1% of this effort. Without speeding up or slowing down any clip, the editor, Michael Binder, pulled together the perfect moments from over fifty musicals from the 1930s, 40s and 50s. He synched subtle dance moves with subtle parts of the song and the biggest musical moments with the biggest dance moves. Tempo changes and minor beats and claps and, most of all, attitude, are matched to perfection. Shoot, the dancers sometimes look like they’re mouthing the lyrics. And I’m only scratching the surface.
The unparalleled talent of Fred Astaire and the other MGM stars are showcased perfectly for a new generation here. In fact, I can’t remember any video with this much quality, talent, and attitude.
My goal this year is to do anything this well. Enjoy it loud.
PS – My favorite moment is the Nicholas Brothers’ reprise just after 04:30. But each viewing exposes something new, like tough guy James Cagney dancing down the stairs at 03:42 or Georges Guétary yelling ‘Say what?!” at 04:00.
The Elements of Simple 