From the Something Completely Different Files:
I’ve been hanging onto this for several weeks, waiting for a lull in the GP activity to mention it…
Those of use who grew up in the 70s/80s—particularly those of us who skated as they grew up at that time—may have adored the frequent TV coverage of our favorite sport to no end. But when it came to seeing our sport take the spotlight in modern-day films, the opps were few and far between.
So when Ice Castles hit the big screen in 1978 with an incandescent Lynn-Holly Johnson making her screen debut as rising skating star Alexis Winston… well, some of us went nuts and wanted our moms to take us to see it as many times as we’d gone to see Grease earlier in the year. It didn’t matter that Robby Benson’s character was something of a putz. It didn’t matter that Colleen Dewhurst’s character kind of scared me. It didn’t even matter that the latter part of the plot was downright impossible in its day (how could a blind girl compete at all when figures were still in the mix?). The overall story, the skating scenes, that soundtrack that launched a thousand freestyle routines during my brief competitive career… it was truly the Rocky for figure skaters of that era. (I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in thinking that!)
Anyway, this article from last month plays a little bit of catch-up with Lynn-Holly GIVENS (she’s married now, you see). As the headline reveals, it’s not really so much about her, or Ice Castles, as it is about her place in film history as one of the more innocent Bond Girls (as in Bond… James Bond). But it includes ample mention of her dual careers in skating AND acting, as well as a detailed telling of how Castles almost got an “R” rating (translation: they wanted her to do a nude scene, but she refused).
It’s a fun read, even if you’ve never seen a Bond movie…or don’t know what it means to say “we forgot about the flowers”.
For a hint about that last line—or a teaser for the whole film—check out this Clip of the Day.
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1 comment:
Hey Kelli -
Until "The Cutting Edge" came along, "Ice Castles" was THE skating film for us modern day skating geeks...I loved that film. Watched it endlessly when it came out on VHS! Even though Lynn-Holly's acting left much to be desired, it was still a treasure. It's still a joy, though, dated as all get out now!
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