Jack Goes Confidential: Get Ready to Cut ‘FOOTLOOSE,’ Y’all

Back in 1984 an unknown big city kid named Kevin Bacon moved to a small southern town where he confronted a dancing ban and a hellfire preacher…

It was in a pre-GLEE era that included dance flicks like FAME, DIRTY DANCING, FLASHDANCE and, of course, FOOTLOOSE.

Now 27 years later there’s a new FOOTLOOSE, and yes another dance restriction.

But this time not so much based on morals and religion but strictly in response to a deadly car crash that killed 4 high schoolers after a party.

Welcome to readin’, ridin’ and red-neckin’ in Bomont, Georgia!

This time Dennis Quaid steps in the preacher’s shoes. Andie McDowell sleep walks through the role of mom. And newcomer Kenny Wormald is bad boy Boston transplant Ren who’s now facing a heavy dose of southern culture shock—not to mention the preacher’s smokin’-hot troubled daughter Ariel played by Julianne Hough…

Whose jeans are so tight if she had a quarter in her back pocket, you’d be able to tell if it was heads or tails

Not a sequel. Not a prequel. But about as pure a remake as one could imagine.

As for the famous title song, it’s still there. TWICE! Both at the beginning and at the end of the movie—even though it’s been ‘countryfied’ this time around.

Hey, if you can get past some of the corny dialogue in the movie you may just enjoy FOOTLOOSE, for which I’m line dancing with a straw in my teeth with 2-1/2 out of 5 fingers tapping to the catchy beat.

Catch JACK GOES TO THE MOVIES Friday mornings at 6:40 a.m. on NewsRadio KMBZ AM & FM and 8:20 a.m. on 1160 RADIO BACH. Also anytime on Time-Warner Cable’s K.C. ON DEMAND, Channel 411.