Steven Soderbergh’s MAGIC MIKE’S LAST DANCE ends the Channing Tatum male-stripper trilogy in a much different place than it began, centered on the unlikely romance between Tatum’s Mike and a wealthy woman, played by Salma Hayek, who’s interested in nurturing his talents. And while we’re all in agreement that’s to the detriment of the movie, it does make for a useful comparison point with 1951’s AN AMERICAN IN PARIS. After working through our frustrations with LAST DANCE with the help once again of Chicago critic Deirdre Crimmins, we compare them to our frustrations with AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, as well as the nuances of each film’s unbalanced power dynamics and extended climactic dance sequences. 

Note: due to a technical failure during recording, some of the audio on this week’s episode is suboptimal. We apologize for the aural inconvenience.

Please share your comments, thoughts, and questions about AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, MAGIC MIKE’S LAST DANCE, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email to [email protected], or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730.

Works Cited:

Channing Tatum takes an alternate-reality approach to his stripping past in ‘Magic Mike’, by Genevieve Koski (avclub.com)

“Female pleasure looks mighty odd in ‘Magic Mike XXL,’” by Tasha Robinson (thedissolve.com)

“How It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Pulled Off Mac’s Jaw-dropping Dance,” by Maria Elena Fernandez (vulture.com)

Outro music: “Pony” by Ginuwine

Next Pairing: Sylvester Stallone’s ROCKY III and Micheal B. Jordan’s CREED III

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