Yeah, the Les Mis movie was just meh. It's really hard to adapt a serious musical into a live action film, because the seriousness kills the power of imagination. I also didn't lack Phantom for the same reason, and Mama Mia was sort of boring. Little Shop and Grease will probably always be the quintessential examples of doing it right.
Oh my god my people. Yeah the Les Mis movie pissed me off. Gavroche didn't get to throw the ammo bag? You cut out huge portions of the best songs? What the fuck people. Les Mis being my favorite musical, having seen it many many times and even had master classes from a touring cast, it's hard for me to get pleased by a movie version though.
Do they offer the full songs in the bluray version? I don't understand why they wouldn't do that. It seems like it would only be a few extra days worth of filming.
Oh, apparently they released a sequel to Phantom. Visually, it looks stunning. But these songs aren't really doing anything for me.
Honestly, the only real apprehension I have is Emily Blunt, since I have never heard her sing. I actually really enjoyed Mamma Mia and thought Meryl Streep was fantastic, especially during The Winner Takes it All, so I have no doubt she can rock the witch, but...if Moments in the Wood is anything less than spectacular, I will be sad.
edit: Giants in the Sky, too, but I haven't even seen hints at a Jack so that may be premature.
I dislike Jack intensely so I could care less. There's really no way they can top Bernadette Peters and Joanna Gleason so I'll settle for simply seeing a new interpretation.
Maybe it's easier to watch in a darkened theater, when your eyes have time to adjust. But so, so, so annoying.
That and HBC couldn't really sing the part of Mrs. Lovett. To be fair, few can - it's tough even by Sondheim standards, but her struggles hurt the movie even more than Burton's art direction/lighting choices.
My favorite stage musical is probably [Title of Show].
It's about itself.
It follows two writers, Jeff and Hunter, who are writing a musical. (Their musical is about two writers, Jeff and Hunter, writing a musical.) in the original production, the characters of Jeff and Hunter were played by writers Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell.
A lot of the show contains Broadway in jokes and allusions to other musicals, most of which I don't get because I'm not a theater geek. I like the self-awareness of it and how it deals with a very simple feeling - wanting to create something but not knowing what it is you want to create... Or even how to go about it.
every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.
It was just too dark. Not thematically dark, literally dark. I had eye strain throughout the entire movie.
I have the opposite opinion! I thought the shadowy lighting made the film more evocative and fit in with the grim story.
I saw a local performance of the show, and clips of the original Broadway version, and both had bright, undramatic lighting, and that just felt wrong to me, by comparison.
Yeah, the Les Mis movie was just meh. It's really hard to adapt a serious musical into a live action film, because the seriousness kills the power of imagination. I also didn't lack Phantom for the same reason, and Mama Mia was sort of boring. Little Shop and Grease will probably always be the quintessential examples of doing it right.
My only problem with the Sweeney film is that they don't have the Ballad of Sweeney Todd, but I understand why they didn't do that.
I think they actually were going to have it in, and even filmed it (featuring Anthony Stewart Head and Christopher Lee, even!) before cutting it. Wonder if that's on the DVD.
Have we mentioned The Producers? My wife got to see it with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick on Broadway. So jealous!
My Fair Lady was one of my favorites as a kid.
I saw the Producers with those two as well. Their ability to ad lib was hilarious.
At one point, the heel of Matthew Broderick's shoe came off, so Nathan Lane kept making cobbler jokes.
At another, some machinery under the stage started making noise, so he stomped on the stage and yelled "I am trying to work here!" like it was neighbors underneath his office.
Finally, when the two police officers come to investigate, they both fake Irish brogues. One of them is a black man however, and as he's being arrested, Lane remarked "I've heard of black Irish but this is ridiculous."
Posts
Oh, and NPH attempts to save broadway:
http://www.hulu.com/watch/52190
Oh, apparently they released a sequel to Phantom. Visually, it looks stunning. But these songs aren't really doing anything for me.
With Johnny Depp as the wolf. And Meryl Streep as the witch. And Chris Pine and Jake Gyllenhaal as the princes.
And allegedly James Corden and Emily Blunt as the Baker and his wife.
I'm not even a little bit joking
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holyfuckholyfuckholyfuck
I have a stack of playbills in my room. Actually been mulling over what to see this season.
Has anyone seen The Book of Mormon, Rock of Ages, or How to Succeed in Business without really trying? Or Elf! the musical, but that was pretty bad.
Into The Woods is my fave musical ever. I will watch the hell out of this.
edit: Giants in the Sky, too, but I haven't even seen hints at a Jack so that may be premature.
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JUSTIN BEIBER AS JACK CONFIRMED KILL ME NOW
It was just too dark. Not thematically dark, literally dark. I had eye strain throughout the entire movie.
And you know it didn't look like that when they filmed it, so they intentionally made it visually unwatchable in post.
Maybe it's easier to watch in a darkened theater, when your eyes have time to adjust. But so, so, so annoying.
That and HBC couldn't really sing the part of Mrs. Lovett. To be fair, few can - it's tough even by Sondheim standards, but her struggles hurt the movie even more than Burton's art direction/lighting choices.
BTW, anyone else familiar with Captain Invincible?
Alan Arkin and Christopher Lee play musical superhero and supervillain.
I assume that everyone here already understands just how hard it is to get a decent performance from children.
I can't even imagine what the child labor labor laws are like for this.
Also, that's the greatest number of Asian actors I've seen in a musical that wasn't "Miss Saigon" or "Flower Drum Song."
If you think the singing is boring why the hell are you even watching a musical?
I saw it last weekend. Those kids were pretty fucking professional.
The kids rotate, I think I saw 4 out of that group.
I took a plane to the face because we were near the front row.
Note: There isn't any context for the "adults" showing up. And Matilda isn't there.
The little girl who played Matilda that night was really good.
A lot of people in the comments are joking that this is the prequel to Spring Awakening due to angst.
It's about itself.
It follows two writers, Jeff and Hunter, who are writing a musical. (Their musical is about two writers, Jeff and Hunter, writing a musical.) in the original production, the characters of Jeff and Hunter were played by writers Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell.
A lot of the show contains Broadway in jokes and allusions to other musicals, most of which I don't get because I'm not a theater geek. I like the self-awareness of it and how it deals with a very simple feeling - wanting to create something but not knowing what it is you want to create... Or even how to go about it.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
So excited about Into the Woods.
I love that show. I played the Mysterious Old Man/Narrator in a community theater production of it about 5 years ago.
Also apparently there is a theater in London that did a Princess Mononoke musical that seems to have been well received.
Not surprised. Apparently, there was a Bleach musical in Japan 8 years ago.
I saw a local performance of the show, and clips of the original Broadway version, and both had bright, undramatic lighting, and that just felt wrong to me, by comparison.
But Burton got to the point where it was physically painful for me to watch. It's just as flat, but in the other direction.
3DS: 1607-3034-6970
At least a couple of you mentioned Tommy
Rocky Horror Picture Show
Little Shop of Horrors
My Fair Lady
those are all little slices of musical heaven
Right there.
1/3rd of my statement is retracted!
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So dark.
My Fair Lady was one of my favorites as a kid.
Glee has its own thread. No one posts there anymore though. The show has kind of gone downhill.
I saw the Producers with those two as well. Their ability to ad lib was hilarious.
At one point, the heel of Matthew Broderick's shoe came off, so Nathan Lane kept making cobbler jokes.
At another, some machinery under the stage started making noise, so he stomped on the stage and yelled "I am trying to work here!" like it was neighbors underneath his office.
Finally, when the two police officers come to investigate, they both fake Irish brogues. One of them is a black man however, and as he's being arrested, Lane remarked "I've heard of black Irish but this is ridiculous."
M. Night Shymalan recently revealed that he wrote the 90s remake of "My Fair Lady."
Still better than Unbreakable.