Carrie Ann Inaba Movies
Hawaiian-born Carrie Ann Inaba's diverse ethnic background inspired her to pursue a number of divergent paths, each with impressive success. Of Chinese, Japanese, and Irish descent, Inaba attended UCLA and earned a degree in World Arts and Cultures before using her fluent Japanese to live in Tokyo between 1986 and 1988. During that time, she had a successful career as a pop star, releasing three hit singles over the course of her two years in the country. Returning to the States, Inaba focused on her dancing skills, becoming a Fly Girl on the edgy sketch comedy show In Living Color from 1990 to 1992. She also joined many famous and prestigious dancing troupes, appearing as a backup dancer for Madonna's The Girlie Show tour, and Ricky Martin's Living la Vida Loca tour. Inaba also appeared as a dancer in movies such as Austin Powers in Goldmember and Showgirls. In 2005, Inaba put her loads of experience in dance to a different use, becoming a judge on ABC's hit reality series Dancing With the Stars. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide- 2009
This season of the hit competitive reality show Dancing with the Stars features yet another cast of actors, musicians, and other celebrities putting their feet to the test, pairing them with professional partners to showcase their toe tapping skills for a panel of judges, as well as at-home audiences. Some cast members include Jackass's Steve-O, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, and comedian David Alan Grier. The cast also features the first ever married couple competing against each other -- folk artist Jewel, and her rodeo star husband Ty Murray. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Bergeron, Samantha Harris, (more)
- 2008
The seventh season of the competitive reality series Dancing with the Stars is the first to line up 13 couples rather than 12 in the ballroom dance contest designed to crown one pair the season winner. Some of the celebrities that grace the floor with a professional dance partner during this season include Lance Bass, Toni Braxton, Brooke Burke, Susan Lucci, and Cloris Leachman - who, at 82, is the oldest contestant ever to join the Dancing with the Stars cast. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Bergeron, Samantha Harris, (more)
Mike Myers' phenomenally successful spy spoof gains a few more characters, a slew of celebrity cameos, and even more free-associative laughs in this third installment of the popular franchise. Austin Powers in Goldmember continues the exploits of the swinging-'60s leftover, who, as the film opens, is busy critiquing a big-budget Hollywood production of his life story, replete with a 20-million-dollar star in the lead role and a slew of John Woo-style action scenes. But not far from the soundstage lurks arch nemesis Dr. Evil (Myers), who has opened up a talent agency representing some of the industry's biggest stars -- all the while channeling their profits into a diabolical world-destruction plan with the unfortunate code name Preparation H. Dr. Evil presents a distraction to Austin by kidnapping his similarly swingin' father, Nigel Powers, and transporting him back in time to 1975. Travelling there to save his father -- and in turn win back his dad's sometimes-errant affection -- Austin comes across the alluring superspy Foxxy Cleopatra (Beyonce Knowles). The three of them travel back to the present day, where they join forces to battle Dr. Evil and his posse of nefarious evil-doers, including the trusty clone Mini-Me (Verne Troyer); his snotty son, Scott (Seth Green); the inimitable Fat Bastard (Myers); and the eponymous new addition to the fold: the epidermis-obsessed, precious-metal-fortified Dutchman called Goldmember (Myers). ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mike Myers, Beyoncé Knowles, (more)
- 1995
- NC17
"I'm gonna dance," Nomi Malone (Elizabeth Berkley) insists in the opening scene of Showgirls, and dance she does. In this quasi-update of All About Eve, Nomi is a drifter whose sole ambition is to headline the "Goddess" topless dance show at the Stardust in Las Vegas. Of course, even Nomi must pay her dues, and she does so at the Cheetah, grinding poles and lap dancing her way to a future. Fortunately, her roommate, Molly, works at the Stardust and invites Nomi to see the show, where she meets Crystal Conners (Gina Gershon, in the Bette Davis role), with whom she immediately forms a love/hate relationship. Nomi soon learns what she must do to get ahead, and the rest of the film documents her cat-like crawl up the showgirl ladder of success. Directed by Paul Verhoeven, (Robocop, Basic Instinct, The Fourth Man), Showgirls was conceived as the first big-budget "adult" film since 1977's Caligula, and the first such production to wear the NC-17 rating; its failure at the box-office discouraged further attempts at large-scale adult productions. ~ Dylan Wilcox, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Berkley, Gina Gershon, (more)
The Wayans Brothers -- Keenen Ivory, Damon, Kim, and Shawn -- continue to dominate the proceedings on the cutting-edge comedy variety series In Living Color as the show begins its second season on Fox. Still, the series' other regulars -- Jim Carrey (this year introducing the character of hideously disfigured "Fire Marshal Bill"), David Alan Grier, Kelly Coffield et. al. -- are given plenty of elbow room in the many savagely satirical sketches and musical numbers. Plus, season two serves up a full complement of guest stars, including Queen Latifah, Monie Love, Billy Dee Williams, Nikki D, Leeza Gibbons, John Tesh, Ice Cube, and Public Enemy. Among the season's best individual sketches are "Homey the Clown: When Homey Met Sally," "Tag Team Evangelists," "Miss Black Person USA," "Vera DeMilo: Buffed, Beautiful, and Bitchin';" "Amazing Grace - Rocky VI;" "Handi-Man: The Justice Legion of America" (featuring a handicapped superhero); "Vanilla Ice: White, White Baby," "Anton in the Burbs," a showcase for the series' "pet wino;" "Andrew Dice Clay on Love Connection;" "Arsenio Hall of Justice;" "Fashion Tampons;" and "Clear Conscience Fur Farm and Outlet Store." ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Keenen Ivory Wayans, Damon Wayans, (more)
The first season of Fox's Afro-centric comedy variety series In Living Color is dominated by the personalities of the series' creators, the Wayans brothers. Though Marlon Wayans has not yet joined the series, his siblings Keenen Ivory Wayans, Damon Wayans, Kim Wayans and Shawn Wayans are very much in evidence, along with such stellar season-one regulars as Kelly Coffield, Tommy Davidson, David Alan Grier, and T'Keyah "Crystal" Kehmah, not to mention the show's "token WASP" Jim Carrey. Also appearing exclusively during this season is singer/actress Kim Coles. Introduced during the series' freshman season are such recurring characters as Blaine Edwards and Antoine Maywether, flamboyantly gay hosts of the movie-review series "Men on Films;" Homey D. Clown, taciturn kiddie entertainer from the 'hood ("Homey don't play that!"); Anton, the zoned-out wino; The Hedleys, West Indian protagonists of the "Hey Mon!" segments; and the Buttmans, a family with their derrieres on their foreheads. Among the most memorable of the series' season-one sketches are "Homeboy Shopping Network," "The Wrath of Farrakhan," "Ridin' Miss Daisy," "Mitzvah Train", "Don King: The Early Years," "America's Funniest Security Camera Videos," "Anton on Po' People's Court," "Ray Charles in Charge," and "Della Reese's Pieces." ~ All Movie Guide
