Mad Hot Ballroom
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GREG JACOBS, “LOUDER THAN A BOMB”
The world’s largest youth slam poetry competition is the subject of Greg Jacobs and Jon Siskel‘s audience-pleasing doc, Louder Than A Bomb, a high school competition pic in the tradition of films like Spellbound and Mad Hot Ballroom. For a decade now the Louder Than A Bomb competition has brought together budding young slam poets from over 60 Chicago high schools for a series of juried team and individual readings. The contest is highly competitive — one school goes home with the prize — but the event itself provides something far more valuable than competition; it is one of the few non-sports related […]
by Brandon Harris on May 18, 2011 -
EVERYBODY DANCE NOW!
The folks at Stay Free Magazine have have an informative blog entry up on the music clearance hassles of Mad Hot Ballroom. The film’s producer and writer Amy Sewell talks about the unexpected issues she faced clearing everything musical numbers to a Rocky cellphone ring tone. Here she recounts one of the more vexing moments: “When we were down shooting the boys playing foosball, Ronnie yelled out, “Everybody dance now!” Just when I think we’ve finished the film, someone points out that we have to clear that because it’s a “visual vocal cue.” So I went back to the publishers, […]
by Scott Macaulay on Jun 25, 2005
