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"Howard, when was the last time you actually watched Funny Girl?"
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LOL. Yeah, a good portion. But you just couldn't make it to the end, could you?
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Posted: |
May 19, 2008 - 1:34 AM
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By: |
Ron Pulliam
(Member)
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I thought Chicago was really poorly directed, especially the musical numbers. Odd, since the director is a choreographer. The High School Musical things are horrendous, and for two-year olds. Hairspray was done fairly well, but even with that one, I had an issue with the final number. The director (another choreographer) chose to break the number for unnecessary business, and it never quite recovers from that. It's fine for what it is, but it completely lacks the wit of the original John Waters film. The musical isn't funny, at all. I hated the show Sweeney Todd on stage, so I didn't even bother with the film. Haven't seen Enchanted I hated even single second of Dreamgirls and The Producers. You DO seem to hate a lot, John. Thanks so much for sharing it with us at every opportunity we attempt to discuss our love for the things you hate so much.
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Posted: |
May 27, 2008 - 3:58 PM
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By: |
Morricone
(Member)
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I've always loathed the film, I'm sorry to say. Yes, it looked swell in 70mm, but that doesn't make it a great film. It's poorly directed, IMO, and Michael Kidd's choreography, while very busy, is not a patch on the butt cheeks of Gower Champion's original stage choreography. I just don't see the charms of it as others do - I love Streisand in other things, but not this. Matthau is not at the top of his game, Crawford is completely annoying, as is E.J. Peaker (someone I normally like) and Marianne McAndrew has no screen magic whatsoever. I don't think Channing would have worked on film, so I'm not sure who at the time could have done it, but just about everything in the film falls flat for me. Holy mackeral, we agree! Actually I think I am less harsh on it than you. I did think Streisand was funny in parts (paticularly her asides)but it is like she is in another movie. Nothing is played to or with Matthau. And parts of it seem to be emulating FUNNY GIRL (the tinted colors in the opening). But I think the one moment of magic in the film was the title number with Louis Armstrong where I have to agree with Pauline Kael, that's where the love story is. Otherwise you caught what I felt in every way, even when the film opened.
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Yes, it's comforting to know that a thousand years into our bleak future, even a robot will be able to recognize the redemptive power of a Jerry Herman tune. If you love "Hello, Dolly" you'll get a kick out of "WALL·E." Bravo, Pixar showmusic buffs!
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Hey Sig, thanks for the heads-up. I'll make every effort to be there. Great! Me too.
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So, I thought that was a terrific print, crystal clear. As the Film Society official who presented the film beforehand put it, "Blu-ray, eat your heart out!" I've been enjoying this Gene Kelly 100th birthday series at Lincoln center as much as possible, and stayed all day for three movies ("Hello Dolly," "Summer Stock," and "The Young Girls of Rochefort.") The real joy of seeing the movie with a packed house is the opportunity to observe one of these glorious entertainment machines performing its function for an audience only too happy to let it. Practically everything Streisand did got a laugh, starting with her first conspiratorial glance at the camera. Matthau too. Only a couple of those strange nerdy noises Michael Crawford makes in this film fell flat with the audience. The supposed flaws, structural or casting or otherwise, which one has time to ponder when watching by oneself on DVD, just simply vanish in an ideal screening like this, and I can't encourage folks enough to GO if you ever get the chance. I have to admit, though, just for the record, that last night's screening of "Xanadu" was also thoroughly savored by its good-sized (though not sold-out) audience, the laughs in that one often coming for "the wrong reasons" -- but laughs are laughs after all, are they not?
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