One of my favorite martial arts movies, Bloodsport, aired last night on Vs.  While the movie is by no means an Oscar contender, it does contain one of the coolest movie montages ever.  Jean-Claude Van Damme needs to be trained in the super-deadly arts in time for a secret full-contact tournament.  As a result, he must learn from his master how to do the splits, catch fish with his bare hands and set the table blindfolded… all in a reasonable time frame.

See for yourself (fast forward to 1:52 to skip the back story):

Awesome.

Montages became increasingly popular in movies throughout the ’80s and into the early ’90s. They were the perfect vehicle for moving the plot forward and turning the protagonist into an expert (boxer, fighter, ghostbuster, etc.), usually in less than ten minutes. If you needed to become good at something really quickly or reach your prime condition for a big showdown, a montage was your answer. It was also the opportune moment for playing a new single from a popular artist.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could apply montages to our professional and personal lives? I would love to learn everything about marketing in seven minutes, all to the beat of an awesome ’80s soundtrack. Maybe some Duran Duran? A short time later, I’m the next Seth Godin and ready to “take on my biggest challenge yet.”

But what about a montage for social media? If we could learn everything we needed to know about listening, engagement, conversations and communities in just a few minutes, could we all become “experts?” Or is there more to it than that?

You betcha. The real thought leaders possess traits that simply can’t be taught. Those who continue to inspire me are not just smart and perceptive, but passionate and helpful. We like them not just as experts, but as normal people. We trust them. That, unfortunately, isn’t something you can pick up from a montage… even with a catchy tune in the background.

Just for fun: some of my favorite movie montages

Rocky IV

The Karate Kid

Scarface

And who can forget – the Montage song from Team America: World Police