Worst Movie Ever!!!

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

Ponine, how it reads to me is that some aspects of it were live and others were the prerecorded elements, or a mixture of the two.

At least I think that's what it means.

Huh.

[surfinmuse]

Phantom the movie reminds me of what I did not like about Evita movie: there were way too many "off" moments where the song and/or underscore did not fit the images on screen. I like that they beefed up the orchestrations for the score, but the movie itself was lacking.

I've seen the stage production (West End & Bway), and I loved it, but there is definitely a sense of reality distortion involved in that kind of thing; a darkened movie theatre weaves a different kind of magic.

I wonder what's next... Sony Pictures presents "Miss Saigon" directed by Martin Scorsese?

[Tref]

I can't wait to miss it!

[Ponine]

Oh, dont even get me started on the Evita movie

[flippyshark]

Well, for what it's worth, I'm a heterosexual guy (in my late thirties), and I liked the ALW Phantom on stage, quite a bit, really. Now, the movie? I'm really torn, because there are things I liked about it, and I generally want to be a booster for musical films. But there are some staggering missteps in this movie.

Exxagerated and hyper-real, it used its stylistic choices as an excuse for bad plotting and staging. (One horrid example - during one of the best songs, "Past the Point of No Return," the main characters are completely upstaged by clusters of black-clad dancers gyrating around in what looks like bad wanna-be Martha Graham style. And what was with the "Vogue" posturing during the Masquerade?!?)

So, the movie wants to have it both ways - to be a tear jerking romantic classic, and a highly stylized fanastmagoria. But it's too silly for the former, and not nearly delirious enough for the latter. Alan Parker might have made good on a more straight-forward version, and Ken Russell would have been the man to bring us an energetically lysergic take.

I will probably enjoy having this on video as an imperfect but serviceable record of the play, but as cinema, I doubt it will win many people over.

(I sure hope that Les Mis is made into a much better film than this, if it ever gets made at all.)

[surfinmuse]

Originally Posted by flippyshark

Well, for what it's worth, I'm a heterosexual guy (in my late thirties), and I liked the ALW Phantom on stage, quite a bit, really. Now, the movie? I'm really torn, because there are things I liked about it, and I generally want to be a booster for musical films in generaal. But there are some staggering missteps in this movie.

(I sure hope that Les Mis is made into a much better film than this, if it ever gets made at all.)

Flippyshark, agree on the stage vs movie comparison.

FYI, there was a critically-acclaimed theatrical release of Les Misérable, in 1998 starring Liam Neeson & Geoffrey Rush. Very handsome production. I think the DVD is readily available on Amazon.com and such.

[Gemini Cricket]

I agree with your take on the film, flippyshark.

Originally Posted by flippyshark

(I sure hope that Les Mis is made into a much better film than this, if it ever gets made at all.)

Seeing as how I felt 'Evita' and 'Phantom" bombed, I do not have high hopes for 'Les Mis' nor 'Rent' (both I adore, 'Rent' changed my life).
But 'Rent' will have the director from 'Chicago' at its helm, so maybe there's a ray of hope. But like it was said here about 'Les Mis's' plot, 'Rent's' plot is depressing, too.
So, who knows? I have my fingers crossed.

[flippyshark]

A quick addeneum to my comment above. I thought I was responding directly to a long-ago post from Ponine that ended with this quote:

"I knew better than to ask a person of male gender in my own age group and hetrosexual to accompany me."

And that is why my above post begins the way it does. I didnt; realize at the time that there were two more pages of posts between that comment and my own, so I hope no one is wondering why I thought it necessary to start right off with a disclaimer about my lifestyle preference and age.

I haven't figured out the whole "Quote" function on this system either. I'm something of a cyber-klutz, and probably always will be. My apologies to everyone if I come off as confused, behind the curve and naive. It's because I am.
Thanks,
DP

[Ponine]

Originally Posted by flippyshark

A quick addeneum to my comment above. I thought I was responding directly to a long-ago post from Ponine that ended with this quote:

"I knew better than to ask a person of male gender in my own age group and hetrosexual to accompany me."

And that is why my above post begins the way it does. I didnt; realize at the time that there were two more pages of posts between that comment and my own, so I hope no one is wondering why I thought it necessary to start right off with a disclaimer about my lifestyle preference and age.

Noted, and intriguing. I have three hetrosexual men in my life, all over 30, one over 40...two of them wouldnt even entertain the thought of going, the last, I just plain knew better than to even try.
When I saw the movie last Saturday, the theatre was fairly full, yet there was only one man who looked under 50, and he was about 12.

And no worries... There's a great many of us that arent very good at quoting other posts.

[Not Afraid]

Originally Posted by flippyshark

And that is why my above post begins the way it does. I didnt; realize at the time that there were two more pages of posts between that comment and my own, so I hope no one is wondering why I thought it necessary to start right off with a disclaimer about my lifestyle preference and age.

Have I mentioned lately that I adore you?