Jem - General Discussion

[David T. Cole]

Your movie topic.

[Actionmage]

After a five episode marathon last weekend, I noticed that Jem used her Glitter and Gold  gold outfit a lot! It was okay, but the furry boa made it sooo 80s. Were there any other "overused" outfits?

[Actionmage]

I have seen who the movie studio has cast and I'm okay with the picks of the main ladies. I hope the casting for the other important roles are thoughtful. when it comes to properties like Jem, I fear Mario Brothers The Movie is the outcome, not Superman The Movie. 

 

I am very interested in how the Misfits are cast and used in the film. (Hopefully, they will. I am pretty sure there will be un-ladylike reaction if they aren't.)

[Actionmage]

As much as they are (sometimes) stupidly evil and funny, there were clear times that if the show was anything close to reality, these chicks would've ended up in prison for long stays. I hated them with the heat of a thousand nuns (on escalators, for The Amazing Race fans), but understood there wasn't going to be any other band that was a threat to Jem and the Holograms. (Not counting the later Stingers.)

 

I did end up liking Clash a bit and feeling bad for Pizzazz/Phyllis, due to her dad seemingly bonding with Kimber (and Kimber not really do much to get them to talk to each other.)

[Actionmage]

The Jerrica/Jem dual identity didn't seem too "dual" other than one wasn't supposed to be around the other. Then, she makes a third identity to see if her boyfriend would stay faithful? Someone needs some time away from Synergy and everyone in her circle of friends if that went by without a 'Jerrica, that's insane.'

 

I felt badly for Jerrica because her best friends and sister could so easily believe that Jerrica could do bad things so easily! No one ever heard of people impersonating/cashing in on looking like someone else? *sigh* I know: Too much thought, but for folks who claimed to love/care about Jerrica/Jem to so easily be led into thinking the worst? Just made me mad!

[Actionmage]

Talk about your favorite/ most hated songs here!

[Actionmage]

I only remember one episode with the Stingers, but I liked it in that the Misfits were constantly beaten to whatever badness they wanted to do. Or they were "outclassed" in the badness by the Stingers.

 

I don't remember if Riot and company had any axes to grind with Jem and the ladies, other than record sales. (I guess I am not as Jem-aholic as I thought. :( )

[Actionmage]

Sorry to post after myself, but I cannot get the original Jem theme out of my head! It's a fun tune, but after five days, it's popping up when I least expect it.

[Ubiquitous]

I read this morning that filming was finished after four weeks and the movie will neither include the Misfits nor Synergy. What's the point?

[Chip]

So, it's Josie and the Pussycats then?

[Bort]

What? No Misfits? How the hell do they even do that? I can't imagine what the plot would be without them.

And no Synergy either? I figured the modern age was a ripe time to do all the hologram stuff.

Sounds like the movie is just going to be about the shenanigans of an all-girl band. Snoooooore...

I'll still be in the theater watching though, because I'm pathetic that way.

[Bill C.]

Considering the budget I'm wondering if this will only get a brief and very limited theatrical release before effectively heading straight to video (see also My Little Pony: Equestria Girls), though it doesn't need that much to turn a profit.  I'm still bumming over the rumored lack of Misfits, though; that's the one thing I really didn't want to hear about this project.

[Actionmage]

After reading about the pushback over Ms. Perrineau's casting, I understand it and agree. No one was wishing ill of her, but massive distrust of the above the line folks who somehow couldn't find anyone to approximate the cartoon version of Shanna. I, too, disbelieve. In the cartoon, there was a voice cast and a singing cast. I was told this by Jem herself, Samantha Newark.  I bring that up to point out that even if the actress to act the part of Shanna couldn't sing, that can be covered. (see Wood, Natalie in West Side Story  and too many to name)

 

I believe that if the reboot/modernizing of the story weren't so bleak-sounding and devoid of big chunks of what made Jem Jem? The casting would still be a problem, but potentially, not a major blow. Lack of major characters ( such as Synergy, Eric and the Misfits), a seeming major tonal change and a big change to Jerrica and Kimber's backstory don't lend themselves to fan support. Especially when the characters haven't reached major movie status before now, imo.

 

I hesitate to commit to not seeing it simply because, it could still be a good movie. Unlike with Halle Berry as Storm in the X-movies, where the writing and editing left an Oscar-caliber actress with a stupid joke and not much to do (at least in the first movie), Ms. Perrineau  could be fun and engaging as Shanna. Hey, it could happen.

 

Mr. Chu, the director, has mostly music and dance films on his resume, but he also has the Bieber documentary and the second G.I. Joe movie under his belt. Mr. Landels seems to have worked on some projects Mr. Chu worked on, so that may be a good thing, a cohesive vision. While IMDb tells me there are women behind the scenes, and specifically for this discussion, in casting, they still have to look for what their boss is telling them to look for, as opposed to 'match this drawing'. Again, that's how it looks from the outside. Maybe they are just too busy with the business of making the film to take a couple of moments to address these issues, to reassure fans, to nip potential bad press in the bud. I would hope Mr. Chu realizes that bad pr gets as many, if not more, hits than nice pr, bad pr could also hurt his BO, and I'm not talking body odor.

[Bort]

@Actionmage, I don't suppose you could post a link or some sort of reference to whatever "pushback" you mentioned? Because a cursory google search didn't really yield any results and your entire post confuses me because I don't know what you're talking about.

[Bill C.]

It was mostly social media-based, kariyaki, but the upshot was that various folks kind of freaked out because Aurora Perrineau "didn't look black enough to play Shana."  (For example.)

[Actionmage]

Thank you, Bill C., for the link.

 

Here are the articles I read:

http://metro.co.uk/2014/04/25/jem-movie-casting-confirmed-its-outrageous-and-not-in-a-good-way-4708503/ and

http://madamenoire.com/423678/hollywood-whitewashing-jem-holograms/

 

My personal disbelief with the movie is that there are so many elements that don't have to be changed/updated, yet are missing in the bare outline of the movie ( un-orphaned Jerrica and Kimber, Eric, The Misfits, Synergy, the Starlight Foundation, unadulterated optimism).  Jem doesn't need to be grimdark to be updated and "modern".  Talk about missing the point of "being true to yourself"!

[mtlchick]

Well to be somewhat fair, it seemed Jem et al were slightly older in the cartoons (early to mid 20s) unless Mr Benton thought it was a great idea to hand over the keys to starlight music to a teenager, so I can forgive the lack of that angle and the foster home. But I'm sorry, Synergy has to be represented in some way because you know, the whole basis is moot without her. And no Misfits?! The series thrived on their rivalry.

That said, I will buy some Jem star earrings if they're made.

[Actionmage]

In re: the status as orphans:

 

In the cartoons, Mr. Benton dies of a health problem years after Mrs. Benton died. The Starlight foundation was already established, as was Starlight Records. The girls are already sisters and Kimber was still the youngest(I think in the 16 to 18 range.)  So they were technically "orphaned" in that both parents died, but they were old enough to not have to go into a foster system themselves.

 

I know I sound like I am against tweaks to the story and I'm not, not when they make sense. Part of Jerrica/Jem's background was the "superpower" of money- so the show wasn't bogged down in the everyday and questions of "How can they [fly to Italy/throw Live Aid/ put a show on Broadway]?"   If the movie purports to be a grittier, more realistic take, four young women under twenty in this day and age rarely are awarded their inheritance straight out.  Now, that may be the taking off point for the story. How they make music, help those in need, and be true to themselves is very JEM.  Yet it seems like, with no mention of Eric or the Misfits, that Our Heroes may face very mundane villains, as opposed to the very dynamic Misfits and squirrelly Eric. With potentially strawman villains (boo! Mean Banker who can't see they are super and or trying to fund an orphanage! boo! Mean club booker/talent scout!), how big are the victories?

 

As I said before, I might see it because it might actually be good. Then again, I also felt the same way about Mortal Kombat 2  and American Beauty.

[In2You]

I think all the girls are miscast but especially Aurora . Yes I know her father is black because I'm familiar with his work but she looks racially ambiguous in some photos. Shanna was never racially ambiguous and too often girls who are lighter skinned with more European features will be cast for black female roles. 

 

Any way the lack of Synergy and the Misfits means this movie is only Jem in name only. And from what I heard from extras the band was pretty wack. 

[magicdog]

IIRC The Stingers had a really hardscrabble life in the streets as an up and coming band.  I suppose it was used to somewhat explain their wild behavior .    There presence in the show also made The Misfits watch their backs, which I took for a good thing.

[magicdog]

There were times this show frustrated me with the easily fooled friends, and black and white plot and resolutions ("Misfits movie sucks, but the Hologram's movie is the best evah!").  I would love to see the show get a reboot - with stronger storylines, and maybe even a soundtrack.   

[magicdog]

I didn't mind the bands being rivals but the girls almost seemed evil for evil's sake - with the exception of Stormer who seemed to have a conscience but went with the group because she was rather weak.  I was waiting for the episode in which she's tell off Pizzazz and either join The Holograms or perhaps team up with her brother.  I did appreciate that Phyllis had some characterization (mean due to being spoiled but ignored by her father - shades of Harry Osbourne, no?), and Roxy was functionally illiterate.

 

I also admit I did like their tunes a bit better than those of The Holograms.

Edited July 20, 2014 by magicdog

[Bort]

I look back and don't really understand the POINT of the secret identity. The rest of the band didn't have them and they all lived in the same damn house. For that matter, how come nobody could figure out Jerrica was Jem? "The whole band + Jerrica lives at the house. But no Jem. And what is Jerrica's affiliation with the band? Hmmmm..." It's like Lois Lane levels of galactic stupidity that it doesn't get deduced. Especially by Rio, who made out repeatedly with Jerrica and Jem, he couldn't tell he was kissing the same girl?

And really, don't get me started on whatever Jerrica's complex was in that she kept getting Rio to cheat on herself.

[Actionmage]

You have a point, kariyaki- I'm going to have to find some episodes and see what the reason was behind the Jerrica/Jem thing. As to Jerrica's affiliation? She owned Starlight Records, the label Jem and the Holograms recorded on.   

[Actionmage]

mtlchick, here is a seller of Jem earrings, in case you didn't already know.

 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/44570258/jem-and-the-holograms-earrings-fuschia

[Actionmage]

From the Jem & The Holograms Wiki-- (http://jem.wikia.com/wiki/Jem_%26_The_Holograms_Wiki )

 

She have several skills like mechanics and also for technology and electronics as well. In the episode, "Adventure in China", it is then revealed that Aja can read Chinese, when she purchases and reads a newsbook written fully in Chinese.

 

I like that even though she's tomboyish, that she's allowed to be as glamorous as the other girls in the band. Also, for having the strong STEM interests, Aja also got to rock  as lead guitar. That is one well-rounded lady.

[Actionmage]

As far as the cartoons go, how can you not love Shanna? This gal designs the outrageous fashions for the band, can play drums or bass guitar, and sings backup! Being one of Jerrica and Kimber's foster sisters ( along with Aja , both 12 years old at the time), that means she's got to be one of Jerrica's closest friends. (Yes, even biological sisters don't have to be friends, but to keep Jem and Synergy's secrets, one has to feel it's worth it.)

 

In the topic, I had it say blue-haired, but it also seems to be purple. ::shrug::  Maybe she has magical mood hair?

[Actionmage]

As co-owner of the Starlight Foundation and writer for the band, Kimber surely keeps busy.

 

A missed opportunity was the episode "Fathers' Day." In it, Video, their video director, had problems coming up with something for her dad for the titular holiday. Jerrica/Jem suggests a video that has old footage of them (the band and their fathers.)  Kimber has a bad time, upset that her dad is dead and why should she have to write anything about a gift for someone else's dad. Video turns out to have been neighbors with the Misfit Clash and her family. Clash's family acts as you'd expect.  Yet! Kimber is helped by Mr. Gabor, Pizzazz's dad ( horse riding accident, iirc.) Kimber and Mr. Gabor bond, and Kimber hears Mr. Gabor's sadness at the current state of his relationship with Phyllis ( Pizzazz's real name.) 

 

Now, while I don't expect Kimber to be all Jimmy Carter, I was hoping that she would try a bit harder to be sensitive to Pizzazz's feeling about her dad- like not walking off with him as he ignores Pizzazz or after heated words between the two. Yes, Kimber is allowed to be friends with whomever she wants, but to so obviously side between the two then act like she can't understand how Pizzazz might feel? That was a missed story for Kimber, who had been throwing a fit when anyone tried to get her to write a song about dads.  Then Kimber seems to, in essence, steal Pizzazz's dad  to fill the Mr. Benton-shaped hole in her heart.   I am pretty sure that is not how things were meant to appear. Of course, I could be misreading how those scenes played.

[Actionmage]

Thanks to the Jem & The Holograms Wiki, again.

 

The Housemother was Mrs. Bailey, who " has served as housemother to the Starlight House for an unspecified amount years (The Beginning). A motherly, sensible fixture, she cooks for the girls and tends to their daily needs. She also consults with Jerrica on the management of the house and the finances. She is not aware of either Synergy or Jerrica's secret identity as Jem. "

 

The girls are Ashley, Anne, Ba Nee, Becky, Deirdre, Delaree, Joellen, Krissie, Laura Holloway, Lela, Marianne, Nancy and Terri.

 

I don't have a favorite (yet), but it was the 80s and they were plucky young girls, huh?

[Bort]

 I know what Jerrica's affiliation was. I just meant that her only role was to own the record label and everybody was always wondering who Jem was, it should've been super-obvious to an outsider.

[Actionmage]

Oh, now I understand. Sorry about that, and yes, they should've.

 

Except Eric; he gets no cookies!

Edited July 25, 2014 by Actionmage

[mtlchick]

 

Especially by Rio, who made out repeatedly with Jerrica and Jem, he couldn't tell he was kissing the same girl?

See that's something I never understood.  In the first episode when they're shooting Starlight, they make a big deal that the make up artist cannot touch Jem's face And yet, she made out with Rio all. The. TIME.  And he was playing with her pink hair and touching her face.  So how does that work?

[Actionmage]

Aja, poster girl for STEM, magicked up some amazing cosmetics just for Jem that didn't smudge! Or the gals could huddle up, playing up as "getting into their headspace" and Jem was fixing her make-up as Kimber or someone positioned a small compact so Jem could see to apply fresher make-up. Or the Jem make-up was holographic and Rio just didn't catch on. (He didn't about Jem's identity!) *g*

Edited August 1, 2014 by Actionmage

[Sun-Bun]

I was about 8 when "Jem" came on the scene, and I remember just being completely sucked into this show and all its "glamour and glitter, fashion and fame"---it was a Child of the 80's dream come true, with actual cartoon music videos and glam fashions!!

Although Jerrica/Jem got on my last nerve because she played up the victim thing so much and was always needing Rio and Synergy to bail her out of various scenarios, I still wanted to "be" her when I grew up.

Needy/boring/goody-two-shoes as she was, you had to hand it to the gal: she had quite a head for business to be able to wear so many different hats!

And those earrings...I worshipped those earrings. I even made myself a hideously fugly glass pair as a kid. I guess my inner Jem-fan never quite died, because I ordered my own pair on etsy last year for nostalgia's sake.

Maybe one day I'll finally dress up as Jem for Halloween if I can convince Mr. SunBun to dress up as Rio?

[Actionmage]

I liked (well, not exactly liked) that the Misfits were more ready to outsell, be more popular, to use media for PR campaigns as opposed to just being mean girls and starting catfights. They had their dumb moments, but they weren't stupid. They were business savvy, even if they did seem more Evil because Jem and Co. were Good. They were characters that were fleshed out, as opposed to being just cardboard rivals or straw-man opponents. It was a good thing when Kimber and Stormer (?) became friends and weren't shamed by their respective groups.  Well, it probably took the Misfits a bit longer, but eventually they din't seem to give a rip, correct?

[mtlchick]

 

she had quite a head for business to be able to wear so many different hats!

 

 

I do have to chuckle at the amount of hats she actually owned both on the cartoon and the dual clothing sets.

[Actionmage]

The official release date for Jem and The Holograms is October 23, 2015, as per IMDb and Entertainment Weekly. According to the info at IMDb, the only currently scheduled movie for that date is The Conjuring 2.

[Trini]

Synopsis and a new film still.

[mtlchick]

Bonus point for using Jem's original belt.  But now she plays the gee-tar? NO!  

[Actionmage]

Just checked IMDb. In the Coming Soon section, the film showing as opening against our ladies is a Vin Diesel witch-hunting flick with Elijah Woods also in the cast.

Edited March 30, 2015 by Actionmage

[Actionmage]

New article I found on IMDb. It's actually from HitFlix.

 

http://www.hitfix.com/harpy/first-official-jem-and-the-holograms-photos-are-anything-but-outrageous

 

What I liked was the slideshow after the article; it has stills of fashions the author/someone at the site is daring the film to replicate. Fun and the commentary is silly fun too.

[Trini]

Trailer! That link also has a gallery with the movie poster and the new stills.

Edited May 13, 2015 by Trini

[junemeatcleaver]

What was the point of using the Jem and the Holograms name if they were going to make a movie that bears zero resemblance to the tv show?  The 12 year olds the studio are targeting don't know or care about Jem and they alienated the people who grew up watching the show or discovered it on YouTube or Netflix.  Always trust Hollywood to take something that was bright and campy and turn it into a bland retread of every rise to stardom movie ever made.

Edited May 13, 2015 by junemeatcleaver

[CocoaGoddess]

They completely missed the point of the entire series, and that trailer and the director's comments about the "soul" of the franchise is just heart shattering. They just don't get it. At all.  

 

I'm just sick of being told that liking things that are traditionally "girlish" and "feminine" are bad. Being into fashion, being boy crazy, wearing makeup and liking fun and catchy pop tunes are deemed "shallow" and girls/women who like those things must be shallow and demonized as well, and I'm seeing that kind of push against "pretty" in this new Jem film. Jem/Jerrica was essentially a classic superhero and the show had strong elements of science fiction. Wealthy, orphaned, secret identity Superheroes and sci-fi are very popular right now. Why is this a retelling of every stale "rise to stardom" (and then it all comes crashing down!) story EVER made, when you have the original source material that would fit right in to the current film and pop culture scene? If there was any movie script that needed to catch up to technology, it was Jem and the Holograms. 

 

I just don't get how you can have a Jem and the Holograms film in 2015 without ...holograms. 

[mattie0808]

I'm surprised by just HOW ANGRY that trailer made me. They made it a teen rise-to-stardom story?! REALLY?!!! No freakin' Misfits? No Synergy? Secret identity? Home for orphaned teens? WHAT?

 

Ugh. Just ugh. It's like they didn't even watch the show's opening with the theme song. How could you, and still somehow come up with THAT?!

 

(And I can't believe that in 2015, we had to make a black character FROM THE 80s less black, with straighter hair. REALLY?!?!?!?!?!)

 

I need to watch that cartoon opening continuously on loop to make myself feel better. Why couldn't we just have some awesome 80s (girly!) fun? Ridiculous.

[Actionmage]

So, it's Josie and the Pussycats then?

 

Ding ding ding! Chip wins the Guess How the Franchise Gets Blanded  Sweepstakes! So sorry about your win, Chip as it's this movie.

 

Upside? Juliette Lewis as Erica Raymond could be great.

 

I mean, there isn't even a friend of the four girls that's nicknamed Video and she's who puts Jerrica on YouTube or whatever?

 

I am so angry and disappointed.  This is Hollywood feminism I guess. Ladies' stories get to be as rote and derivative as the guys' stories. Yay?

[mtlchick]

Well at least Mrs Bailey gets name checked and has a role of being their aunt instead of housekeeper.  (Though in some ironic twist, the woman who a big part of 80s culture is in a movie that may ruin one of the best things about the 80s. Go figure.) And I can see Juliette having a ball chewing the scenery.

 

There are some things I am willing to slide like Rio lacking purple hair.  But no Misfits or Synergy (that we know of) isn't giving me hope and makes it more like a (ugh) Hannah Montana rip off.  More to the point, why use a One Direction song to sell this?  Couldn't they update the original theme song instead? 

[Trini]

Haven't the Misfits always been off the table for any adaptation/remake since there's an real music group called "The Misfits"?

[Bort]

Haven't the Misfits always been off the table for any adaptation/remake since there's an real music group called "The Misfits"?

That may be so but geez, writers, grab a thesaurus to change the band name and still use the characters already. Even if they didn't want to go with the Synergy and hologram aspect, a rival group would at least make it semi-interesting. As it is, it looks so lame.

[Trini]

More fuel to the fire?

Shortly after the trailer premiere, we spoke to Stefanie Scott, who plays Jem’s sister Kimber in the movie, about her role in the upcoming horror threequel Insidious Chapter 3 and we asked her about the fan’s reaction to the first Jem trailer.

 

“I think you have to see the movie to understand,” she told us. “You can’t put it all in the same movie, and I feel like it really does set it up in a cool way. I think a lot of the things that people think are missing are in there. You just have to see it to understand. You can’t put the whole movie in the trailer.”

 

“I want people to see it so they can see it’s a heartwarming story,” she continued. “It’s a beautiful coming-of-age story about family, but the music is incredible and it’s really our rise to fame and then after that… I think it really needed to set up the story before we could get into everything.”

 

I doubt this will do well enough for a sequel....