#cooper nielson

[danceblr]

All right, girls. Come on. Go! Yes! Go for it!

[xxcodycolaxx]

OC version bc I said so

[softiedancers]

P21 Intensive

Ale Mancillas Dance Studio

Ruby Salinas (junior)

Balbina Cueva Toussaint (teen/senior)

Loreto Perez Robles (teen/senior)

Paloma Wise Hernandez (teen/senior)

Allegro Performing Arts Academy

Arina Bryzgunova (mini)

Art & Soul Dance Company

Domenica Mauti (junior, 12)

Base Dance Studios

Kit Swaddling (teen/senior)

Bella Dance Academy

Ava Fryer (teen/senior)

CA School of Classical Ballet

Aliya Yen (mini, 10)

Center Stage Performing Arts Studio

Stella Brinkerhoff (mini, 9)

Brooklyn Ward (mini, 11)

Ruby Taylor (junior, 11)

Vivienne Mitchell (teen/senior, 14)

Class Act Dance and Performing Arts

Jaklyn Woodland (teen/senior, 15)

Club Dance Studio

Finley Nielson (mini, 9)

Navy Forrest (mini, 9)

Brooklyn Besch (junior, 11)

Kendyl Miller (junior, 11)

Danceology

Soleil Lynch (mini, 9)

Ella Nani Knight (junior)

Dance Concept

Jacilynn Mar (junior)

Dance Dimensions Performing Arts Center

Victoria Safahi (mini, 10)

Sophia Hasson (junior)

Dance Expressions Dance Studio

Kiersten Mcbride (teen/senior)

Dance Nation

Jaelynn Walls (mini, 9)

Summer Schilling (mini, 9)

Dance Precisions

Brooklyn Ladia (teen/senior, 13)

Jasmine Sison (teen/senior, 15)

Dance Star Academy of Performing Arts

Bella Salcedo (mini, 9)

Evoke Dance Movement

Tayah Klimuck (junior, 12)

Evolve Dance Studio

Sienna Hoover (mini, 10)

FootNotes Dance & Acrobatics

Alexis Ratliff (teen/senior)

Fusion Dance Force

Abby Rodriguez (mini, 10)

Sophia Bianco (junior, 11)

Ava Rodriguez (teen/senior)

Hudson Dance Academy

Lauren Piepel (teen/senior, 17)

Imagine Dance Academy

Maria Moreno (mini)

JDI Dance Company

Adelynn Muesse (mini, 10)

Just For Kicks School of Dance

Cooper Makowski (teen/senior)

K2 Studios

Jessica Sutton (mini, 9)

Eva Wright (mini, 10)

Leilani Lawlor (junior)

Larkin Dance Studio

Evie Mccune Barrett (mini, 9)

L.A. Dance Arizona

Kate Summers (teen/senior)

Main Street Dance Company

Jaklyn Woodland (teen/senior)

Momentum By Dellos

Rozene Edino (junior)

Motion State Studios

Harley Gross (junior, 11)

Murrieta Dance Project

Khloe Cabrera (mini)

Nadines Dance Company

Angel Imani Wood (teen/senior)

Lily Straughan (teen/senior, 15)

Nor Cal Dance Arts

Mika Takase (mini, 11)

North Alabama Dance Center

Lana Hinchman (junior)

N10 Dance Studios

Carissa Hsu (teen/senior)

Claire Kingston (teen/senior, 14)

Oddity Dance College

Elizabeth Lara (junior)

Ivanna Canob (junior)

Julieta Marroquin (junior, 12)

Katherine Carranza (junior, 12)

Orange County Preforming Arts Academy

Olive O'Connell (junior, 12)

Pave School of the Arts

Addyson Paul (mini, 11)

Premier Ballet Conservatory

Graisyn Clare (junior)

Premiere Dance Center

Avery Dowling (mini, 10)

Project 21

Cece Chung (mini, 9)

Hadley Schulz (mini, 10)

Madelyn Nasu (junior, 11)

Madison Ng (junior, 11)

Olivia Armstrong (junior, 11)

Berkeley Scifres (junior, 12)

Bristyn Scifres (junior, 12)

Chloe Mirabal (junior, 12)

Ellie Anbardan (junior, 12)

Jilly Mahan (junior, 12)

Regan Gerena (junior, 12)

Sara Von Rotz (junior, 12)

Savanna Musman (junior, 12)

Airi Dela Cruz (teen/senior, 13)

Cali Cassidy (teen/senior, 13)

Makeila Bartlett (teen/senior, 13)

Leighton Werner (teen/senior, 14)

Lilly Baraja (teen/senior, 14)

Brielle Lieberman (teen/senior, 15)

Brooklyn Lieberman (teen/senior, 15)

Mady Kim (teen/senior, 15)

Richie Granese (teen/senior, 15)

Rylee Young (teen/senior, 15)

Stella Eberts (teen/senior, 15)

Kami Couch (teen/senior, 16)

Katie Couch (teen/senior, 16)

Lexi Blanchard (teen/senior, 16)

Kenz Couch (teen/senior, 17)

Loila Rhee (teen/senior, 17)

Sammi Chung (teen/senior, 17)

Sienna Carlston (teen/senior, 17)

Jojo Jessen (teen/senior, 18)

Project 520 Dance Studio

Adelynn McLeod (mini)

Pulse Dance Centre

Olivia Toneguzzo (junior)

Renner Dance

Tinsley Wallace (mini, 10)

Stars Dance Studio

Hannah Burak (teen/senior)

Starstruck Performing Arts Center

Remi Hilson (mini, 9)

Studio X

Tate Bisono (junior, 12)

Summer's DanceWorks

Lyla Sitrin (junior)

The Academy

Francesca Jen (junior, 12)

Kinsley Oykhman (teen/senior, 13)

The Base Dance Center

Roxie Onellion (junior, 12)

The Company Space

Piper Perusse (junior, 12)

The Space TV

Nevaeh Chanel (teen/senior, 17)

To The Pointe Dance Centre

Caitlyn Paik (junior, 11)

Triple Threat Performing Arts

Daniella Usa (teen/senior, 16)

Varient Movement

Mila Vishnevski (mini)

Yaya Dance Academy

Renee Liu (junior)

Yorba Linda Academy of Ballet

Emma Walters (mini, 8)

Mayyah Barajas (mini, 8)

300 Dance Studio

Filippa Kavalic (teen/senior)

Mini

Arina Bryzgunova (Allegro Performing Arts Academy)

Aliya Yen (CA School of Classical Ballet, 10)

Stella Brinkerhoff (Center Stage Performing Arts Studio, 9)

Brooklyn Ward (Center Stage Performing Arts Studio, 11)

Finley Nielson (Club Dance Studio, 9)

Navy Forrest (Club Dance Studio, 9)

Soleil Lynch (Danceology, 9)

Victoria Safahi (Dance Dimensions Performing Arts Center, 10)

Jaelynn Walls (Dance Nation, 9)

Summer Schilling (Dance Nation, 9)

Bella Salcedo (Dance Star Academy of Performing Arts, 9)

Sienna Hoover (Evolve Dance Center, 10)

Abby Rodriguez (Fusion Dance Force, 10)

Maria Moreno (Imagine Dance Academy)

Adelynn Muesse (JDI Dance Company, 10)

Jessica Sutton (K2 Studios, 9)

Eva Wright (K2 Studios, 10)

Evie Mccune Barrett (Larkin Dance Studio, 9)

Khloe Cabrera (Murrieta Dance Project)

Mika Takase (Nor Cal Dance Arts, 11)

Avery Dowling (Premiere Dance Center, 10)

Cece Chung (Project 21, 9)

Hadley Schulz (Project 21, 10)

Adelynn McLeod (Project 520 Dance Studio)

Tinsley Wallace (Renner Dance, 10)

Remi Hilson (Starstruck Performing Arts Center, 9)

Mila Vishnevski (Varient Movement)

Emma Walters (Yorba Linda Academy of Ballet, 8)

Mayyah Barajas (Yorba Linda Academy of Ballet, 8)

Junior

Ruby Salinas (Ale Mancillas Dance Studio)

Domenica Mauti (Art & Soul Dance Company, 12)

Ruby Taylor (Center Stage Performing Arts Studio, 11)

Brooklyn Besch (Club Dance Studio, 11)

Kendyl Miller (Club Dance Studio, 11)

Ella Nani Knight (Danceology)

Jacilynn Mar (Dance Concept)

Sophia Hasson (Dance Dimensions Performing Arts Center)

Aryanna Lafontaine Cooper (Dance FX, 11)

Tayah Klimuck (Evoke Dance Movement, 12)

London Davi (Evolve Dance Company of Fresno, 11)

Sophia Bianco (Fusion Dance Force, 11)

Leilani Lawlor (K2 Studios, 11)

Rozene Edino (Momentum By Dellos)

Harley Gross (Motion State Studios, 11)

Lana Hinchman (North Alabama Dance Center)

Elizabeth Lara (Oddity Dance College)

Ivanna Canob (Oddity Dance College)

Julieta Marroquin (Oddity Dance College, 12)

Katherine Carranza (Oddity Dance College, 12)

Olive O'Connell (Orange County Preforming Arts Academy, 12)

Graisyn Clare (Premier Ballet Conservatory)

Madelyn Nasu (Project 21, 11)

Madison Ng (Project 21, 11)

Olivia Armstrong (Project 21, 11)

Berkeley Scifres (Project 21, 12)

Bristyn Scifres (Project 21, 12)

Chloe Mirabal (Project 21, 12)

Ellie Anbardan (Project 21, 12)

Jilly Mahan (Project 21, 12)

Regan Gerena (Project 21, 12)

Sara Von Rotz (Project 21, 12)

Savanna Musman (Project 21, 12)

Olivia Toneguzzo (Pulse Dance Centre)

Tate Bisono (Studio X, 12)

Lyla Sitrin (Summer's DanceWorks)

Francesca Jen (The Academy, 12)

Roxie Onellion (The Base Dance Center, 12)

Piper Perusse (The Company Space, 12)

Caitlyn Paik (To The Pointe Dance Centre, 11)

Renee Liu (Yaya Dance Academy)

Teen/Senior

Balbina Cueva Toussaint (Ale Mancillas Dance Studio)

Loreto Perez Robles (Ale Mancillas Dance Studio)

Paloma Wise Hernandez (Ale Mancillas Dance Studio)

Kit Swaddling (Base Dance Studios)

Ava Fryer (Bella Dance Academy)

Vivienne Mitchell (Center Stage Performing Arts Studio, 14)

Jaklyn Woodland (Class Act Dance and Performing Arts, 15)

Kiersten Mcbride (Dance Expressions Dance Studio)

Brooklyn Ladia (Dance Precisions, 13)

Jasmine Sison (Dance Precisions, 15)

Alexis Ratliff (FootNotes Dance & Acrobatics)

Ava Rodriguez (Fusion Dance Force)

Lauren Piepel (Hudson Dance Academy, 17)

Cooper Makowski (Just For Kicks School of Dance)

Kate Summers (L.A. Dance Arizona)

Jaklyn Woodland (Main Street Dance Company)

Angel Imani Wood (Nadines Dance Company)

Lily Straughan (Nadines Dance Company, 15)

Carissa Hsu (N10 Dance Studios)

Claire Kingston (N10 Dance Studios, 14)

Airi Dela Cruz (Project 21, 13)

Cali Cassidy (Project 21, 13)

Makeila Bartlett (Project 21, 13)

Leighton Werner (Project 21, 14)

Lilly Baraja (Project 21, 14)

Brielle Lieberman (Project 21, 15)

Brooklyn Lieberman (Project 21, 15)

Mady Kim (Project 21, 15)

Richie Granese (Project 21, 15)

Stella Eberts (Project 21, 15)

Rylee Young (Project 21, 15)

Kami Couch (Project 21, 16)

Katie Couch (Project 21, 16)

Lexi Blanchard (Project 21, 16)

Kenz Couch (Project 21, 17)

Loila Rhee (Project 21, 17)

Sammi Chung (Project 21, 17)

Sienna Carlston (Project 21, 17)

Jojo Jessen (Project 21, 18)

Hannah Burak (Stars Dance Studio)

Kinsley Oykhman (The Academy, 13)

Nevaeh Chanel (The Space TV, 17)

Daniella Usa (Triple Threat Performing Arts, 16)

Filippa Kavalic (300 Dance Studio)

[2000sfm]

hypothetically… do you have a most wanted existing reboot and/or character to be taken up 👀

oh  i  actually  love  this  question  !!!  some  roles  we  would  love  to  be  taken  up  in  each  reboot  are  under  the  cut  as  the  list  is  so  long.  

the  vampire  diaries  :  jenna  sommers,  jeremy  gilbert,  all  of  the  mikaelsons,  vicki  donovan,  tyler  lockwood,  lexi  branson

the  oc  :  marissa  cooper,  seth  cohen,  sandy  cohen,  kirsten  cohen,  anna  stern,  julie  cooper,  taylor  townsend,  kaitlin  cooper.

one  tree  hill  :  lucas  scott,  brooke  davis,  keith  scott,  deb  scott,  dan  scott,  peyton  sawyer,  jake  jagielski,  mouth  mcfadden,  rachel  gatina,  karen  roe,  chris  keller,  skills  taylor

gossip  girl  :  jenny  humphrey,  lily  van  der  woodsen,  rufus  humphrey,  eric  van  der  woodsen,  vanessa  abrams,  ivy  dickens,  carter  baizen

sons  of  anarchy  :  opie  winston,  donna  winston,  tara  knowles,  juice  ortiz,  chibs  telford,  trig  trager,  happy,  half-sack  epps,  wendy  case,  bobby  munson

gilmore  girls  :  rory  gilmore,  jess  mariano,  luke  danes,  tristan  dugray,  logan  huntzberger,  sookie  st.  james,  lane  kim,  paris  geller,  dean  forester

true  blood  :  lafayette  reynolds,  eric  northman,  jessica  hamby,  bill  compton,  tara  thorton,  jason  stackhouse,  alcide  herveaux,  sam  merlotte

the  office  :  dwight  schrute,  michael  scott,  jim  halpert,  erin  hannon,  andy  bernard,  oscar  martinez,  karen  filippelli

buffy  the  vampire  slayer  :  angel,  spike,  willow  rosenberg,  faith,  xander  harris,  drusilla,  dawn  summers,  cordelia  chase,  riley  flynn,  tara  maclay

pretty  little  liars  :  emily  fields,  maya  st.  germain,  spencer  hastings,  hanna  marin,  kate  randall,  alison  dilaurentis,  jason  dilaurentis,  mike  montgomery

high  school  musical  :  ryan  evans,  kelsi  nielson,  gabriella  montez,  coach  bolton,  ms.  darbus,  martha  cox

freaky  friday  :  stacey  hinkhouse,  peg,  ryan,  maddie

jennifers  body  :  chip  dove,  colin  gray,  nikolai  wolf,  toni  lesnicky

twilight  :  rosalie  hale,  jessica  stanley,  edward  cullen,  bella  swan,  esme  cullen,  carlisle  cullen,  jacob  black,  jane,  aro,  caius,  angela  webber,  mike  newton,  eric  yorkie,  leah  clearwater,  emily  young,  sam  uley,  james,  laurent,  victoria,  bree  tanner

resident  evil  :  albert  wesker,  jill  valentine,  leon  s.  kennedy,  chris  redfield,  barry  burton,  ada  wong,  billy  coen,  rebecca  chambers,  ashley  graham,  carlos  oliveira

the  devil  wears  prada  :  andrea  sachs,  nigel,  emily  charlton,  christian  thompson,  james  holt,  nate

almost  famous  :  russell  hammond,  william  miller,  dennis  hope,  polexia  aphrodisia,  anita  miller

scream  :  gale  weathers,  dewey  riley,  tatum  riley,  billy  loomis,  stu  macher,  randy  meeks,  casey  becker,  cotton  weary

[2dents]

Robin Williams

Jamie Fox

Leslie Nielson

Kelsey Grammer

Cat Stevens

Alice Cooper

Haley Joel Osman

I feel like we need a spreadsheet. Personally hoping for Kelsey Grammer or Robin Williams cause the character voice potential lol

Potential Freddie Wong PC names for DnDads season 3:

1. Drew Barrymore

2. Cameron Diaz

3. Robin Wright

4. Stevie Nicks

5. Reese Witherspoon

6. Billie Piper (or Billie Eilish, take your pick)

7. Joey King

8. Hayden Panettiere

9. Jordin Sparks

10. Blake Lively

Feel free to add on to this. :)

[tofeelthecold]

verse name: taking center stage

verse info: max is one of the legacies to the american ballet academy with his dads being involved in the everyday running of the school and company. while it may not seem like max doesn’t take his dancing seriously he does though he’s also focused on socializing with not just his peers but those outside of the academy. he often draws comparisons to cooper nielson because of the way he acts towards others. max doesn’t pay much mind to those rumors. with his goals being more than a little muddled max isn’t the first choice to gain a permanent spot in the company but that’s exactly what max wants.

additional info: loosely based off of center stage and a couple clips from the high strung movie that thomas was in.

[justbeyouandshine]

Wait. All my life I've wanted to be one of ABC's perfect ballerinas. I wanted to be you, Juliette. But I'm not you, and I'm not perfect, I'm just me, bad feet and all, and I'm starting to think that I like that just as much.

No, because if you're not going to offer me a place in the company I don't want to hear it. And if you are, I might not have the strength to say no, and then I would be spending my best dancing years in the back of a corps waving a rose back and forth, and I'm better than that. So thank you, Jonathan, for turning me into the best dancer I can be, I appreciate it more than I can say, really. Because the best dancer I can be is a principal in Cooper Neilson's new company.

[buffyfan145]

It finally dawned on me who William Zabka kept reminding me of seeing pics/vids of him in the late 80s/early 90s (as I was used to both him in the 80s teen movies and what he looks like now) and it was the actor who played Cooper Neilson, Ethan Stiefel, in one of my fav teen dance movies in 2000′s “Center Stage”!!! :D  Gets even funnier as Cooper pretty much was the Johnny Lawrence of that movie being the rebellious dancer/mentor who was know for being a player with all the girls in the ballet company (they’re all college age), had a motorcycle (like the gif below both on and off stage), dressed the same including with a black headband, and fighting with Charlie over everything including Jody who he actually developed feelings for. LOL :D Also while there was 2 sequels and Cooper was redeemed in those already and Charlie married Jody there’s now a TV sequel series in development where Cooper is the head of the ballet school/college now. The movies also had many other characters and storylines, since it was an ensemble movie, but this whole triangle pretty much is Johnny/Ali/Daniel but with ballet instead of karate. :)

[justanoldbat]

Cooper Nielson loses his girlfriend, goes to England when said girlfriend gets married to his boss, comes back, and choreographs a dance that tells the story in where his character has simulated sex with his ex, AND THEN ends it with the female protagonist choosing herself over both men?!? Chaotic icon, messy bitch, I love it.

[mgmpluto]

Center Stage (2000)

[danceblr]

Forget about the steps. Just dance the shit out of it!

[dancebook]

Center Stage (2000)

[bachelorgifs]

The Bachelor Season 22 // Reactions to the first rose ceremony

[2000sfm]

where could you see sophie thatcher fitting? thank you xx

sophie  !!  ugh,  love  her.  i  think  she'd  work  as  :  marissa  cooper  or  kaitlin  cooper  (the  oc);  peyton  sawyer  (one  tree  hill);  paris  geller  (gilmore  girls);  alison  dilaurentis  (pretty  little  liars);  buffy  summers  (buffy  the  vampire  slayer);  sookie  stackhouse  (true  blood);  jenny  humphrey  (gossip  girl);  kelsi  nielson  (high  school  musical);  needy  lesnicky  (jennifers  body)  &  casey  becker  (scream)

[mst3kproject]

The Atomic Submarine

I’ve had this one sitting around for a while. It’s a pretty dull 1950’s White Men vs the Saucer People movie, which attempts to differentiate itself from the crowd by taking place underwater instead of in outer space.  It features Brett Halsey from The Girl in Lover’s Lane and a few moments of Jean Moorhead from The Violent Years, and has parts for Jack Mulhall and Paul Dubov from The She-Creature.

It is… the future.  The US and the USSR are friends now, and passenger submarines regularly run between the two under the polar ice!  But all is not well – the USS Sturgeon, largest of this arctic fleet, suffers a reactor meltdown somewhere just shy of the North Pole, resulting in the loss of all hands.  The Pentagon convenes some guys in suits, and decides to send another submarine, the Tiger Shark, to figure out what happened.  When the Tiger Shark encounters a mysterious electrical phenomenon, their scientists conclude that the only possible answer is creatures from outer space!

I seem to be making a tradition out of starting with the shitty science, so here’s a good one: the Flying Saucer’s source of power is stated to be magnetic – that’s why it has to return to the North Pole every time it sinks a ship, to recharge.  Except… that’s not how the magnetic field works.  In the late fifties and early sixties, the north magnetic pole was somewhere near the southern end of Bathurst Island in Nunavut (as of 2020, it’s on its way into Siberia and is actually closer to geographic north than it’s been in centuries).  Sailors would definitely know that, making this plot point kind of hilarious to anybody actually in the navy.

I mentioned Moorhead… she and Joi Lansing (who was once in a movie called Queen of Outer Space) are the only women in the entire movie.  They occur in the same scene, which seems to serve only to remind us that women exist, and have no effect on the plot whatsoever.  Once we’ve entered the submarine where most of the film is set, the cast is entirely similar-looking guys in uniforms, and there are no romantic reunions at the end.  The Atomic Submarine couldn’t even give us the requisite 50’s movie Cute Girl Scientist.  I guess they were going for realism in their story about trans-arctic Soviet passenger subs and one-eyed semi-aquatic aliens.

On to the actual movie.  The first ‘character’ we hear from is the deep-voiced 50’s narrator, who sounds exactly like the guy rhapsodizing about radar at the beginning of The Deadly Mantis, but I looked him up and Patrick Michaels has never narrated any other movie.  I guess there’s just a category of men that have 50’s Movie Narrator Voice. His job is to sound portentous as he talks about things that are either irrelevant or else stuff the movie could have showed us but chose to tell instead.  He falls silent for long stretches of movie and then pops up again, interrupting the flow of the story every time.

The special effects in The Atomic Submarine are okay – they’re nothing ground-breaking, but considerable effort seems to have gone into them.  The saucer and the submarines are obviously small models but they’re nice and the underwater photography is quite atmospheric.  I especially like the little submersible the Tiger Shark carries, the Lungfish, which was clearly designed based on ideas for such machines that were in the works at the time.  There’s a shot of the saucer breaking through the ice cap and rising into the air which looks really good until the saucer itself actually emerges, wobbling on top of a rod.  The one-eyed alien inside the saucer is nice and gooey and parts of it look like they’re made out of living sea creatures.

Like many movies on MST3K, The Atomic Submarine has some germs of good ideas in it, and like the rest of them, fails to do anything much with it.  The flying saucer – maybe we should call it a swimming saucer – is described as a living organism, possibly the same organism as its pilot.  The aliens themselves are biological engineers who will use humans as a template for altering themselves to live on Earth.  That’s pretty cool, but is ultimately not important to the plot. Besides the pilot, who seems to have been assembled by a variety of marine organisms, the inside of the saucer doesn’t look particularly organic.  If nothing else they had an opportunity for some really neat visuals here, but let it slip through their fingers.

The alien intelligence remains unseen and inscrutable for much of the movie.  This theoretically builds suspense but there’s honestly not a lot of suspense here. A plot summary makes The Atomic Submarine sound like an exciting adventure, but the impression one gets from actually watching the film is that it’s kind of a day at the office.  In a way, that’s fairly realistic – the crew of the Tiger Shark aren’t a ragtag group of misfits, they’re professionals doing their jobs which just so happen on this particular day to include saving the world.  Unfortunately, this doesn’t make for a very exciting movie.  An awful lot of scenes are just suspenseful music over footage of men in uniforms frowning at things.  Rather than feeling any excitement, the audience just wants to get to the damn aliens already.

The movie’s only about half over by the time we do enter the swimming saucer to meet the one-eyed, tentacled beast within, but it feels like we’ve been here for hours.  Once the boarding party enters the craft, some things do happen but they’re still not exciting.  Three of the four men die, one by being cut in half by a sliding door and two getting melted by intense radiation – these deaths are surprisingly explicit and gruesome for a 50’s movie, but they’re drawn out far too long and don’t serve a plot purpose.  If the alien killed the men to stop them cutting the Tiger Shark free of where it rammed the vessel’s hull, that would be one thing, but it appears to do it just because.

The main characters all sort of look the same, as lumpy-faced white guys in old movies tend to do.  The only one who really stands out from the crowd is Dr. Nielson, the son of the scientist who invented the Lungfish and an avowed pacifist who’s only on this mission because he knows his father wanted to see the sub used.  He has a running beef with an old friend of his father’s who thinks he’s a coward, all talk and no action.  This is supposed to be the movie’s main arc and yet it fails to go anywhere on just about every level.

Neilson spends much of the movie insisting that he isn’t a coward, which one would assume is a lead-up to him doing something heroic.  It’s not. He’s just here to drive the Lungfish and that’s literally the only thing he does – he takes the boarding party to the saucer, and then sits there and waits for the sole survivor to return.  There’s a bit where the captain of the Tiger Shark decides to ram the saucer with the sub in order to get through its defenses, and Neilson speaks up, pointing out that this is a suicide mission.  Nothing ever comes of this, and it might be evidence of his ‘cowardice’ but I’m not sure… the movie is not nearly as interested in his character as it ought to be.  At the end he seems to have decided that war is cool after all… or maybe the guy he was arguing about has agreed that we need to set aside war with other humans in order to focus on war with aliens.  It’s very unclear.

If there’s a regular passenger service between Alaska and Siberia, doesn’t that suggest that in this future we’ve already set aside war with other humans?  I’m not sure this movie thought very hard about its worldbuilding.

In fact, watching the ending I don’t even know if the guy Neilson talks to at the end was the same man he was arguing with earlier, because, as I mentioned, the actors all look similar. Until that final conversation I thought the other dude had died aboard the saucer and honestly I’m still not convinced he didn’t.  What mainly makes me doubt the idea is that it would mean there’s no closure to the feud at all, which would be the height of poor writing.  I’ve seen movies where I would buy that they were just that careless, but other aspects of The Atomic Submarine are competent enough that I want to give them the benefit of the doubt.

So what does this movie want us to think about war and the military?  It certainly suggests that they’re necessary, since after all we have aliens to defend ourselves from.  One of the scientists on board is British and another has what I think is supposed to be a Russian accent, so perhaps its extolling the virtues of international cooperation.  This would fit with Neilson’s statements about how we need to leave war behind, but if that’s the movie’s point it hobbles itself by never talking about it in that light.

This is all made that much more annoying because, as I said, the effects are decent, the cinematography is pretty good, and while none of the actors are stellar they all do their best.  There’s no real reason why The Atomic Submarine had to be so dull and messy, unless they were just saddled with a half-assed script. Even then, they made a pretty good effort to get some gold out of the dross.  You might find The Atomic Submarine worth watching even if only to think about what might have been.

[kwebtv]

A is for Acid  -  ITV1  -  September 9, 2002

Drama / True Crime

Running Time:  120 minutes

Stars:

Martin Clunes as John George Haigh

Keeley Hawes as Gillian Rogers

Richard Hope as Dr. Archie Henderson

Celia Imrie as Rose Henderson

Rowena Cooper as Olive Durand-Deacon

John Flanagan as Arnold Burtin

Terence Beesley as Detective Sergeant Heslin

Matyelok Gibbs as Constance Lane

Barbara Marten as Emily Haigh

Geoff Holman as John Haigh Senior

Neil McKinven as Donald McSwan

Christopher Town as John George Haigh (as a boy)

Claire Nielson as Amy McSwan

Donald Douglas as William McSwan

Christopher Ettridge as Steven Rogers

Charlotte Webb as Legs of dead woman in a barrel