les miserables (the movie film; not the concert film or book. Dutch angles! Americans! Australians!)

I was mostly just making a joke about "the musical on rollerskates" not being sufficient enough description

Yeah see I didn't know there was another! Impressive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3LKrnCXvsM

i'm so excited for this movie

in fairness, the Xanadu musical is only 5 years old (it was on Broadway for about 18 months)

the only reason I brought it up is because it's playing in Boston now and some of my friends are in it, tbh (I also have friends in Avenue Q)

Nicole - amazing!

The best part of that video is at the 4:36 mark when you see the Tony audience's collective "Wtf did I just watch?" face.

"Starlight Express" is probably the biggest "this music doesn't go with these costumes" show ever created

I saw the trailer for this yesterday, and they had some kinda behind-the-scenesy thing afterwards -- I had no idea that they were singing live, and not lip-synching to playback. Now I *really* want to see it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwgQjfg0hZw

and yes, I even want to see Rusty singing, lol

He's the one I especially want to hear, because I imagine a disaster of Brosnan proportions.

this was pretty big in my household as a kid, i bet if were dragged to this it would still move me

it could be ok. i'm no kind of movie musical buff but hooper's suggestion that all other pre-recorded movie musicals are all false is nagl

all my friends in college loved the soundtrack, my mum saw it a bunch of times but I've never seen it - I never got the chance or paid attention when it was showing

but I just kinda love Hugh Jackman singing so I have to see it

i'm no kind of movie musical buff but hooper's suggestion that all other pre-recorded movie musicals are all false is nagl

It's ridiculous, and makes him look petty.

ive gotten that clip a few times... whats weird is they play it with the trailers and not the commercials before the trailers... i dont care for it!!!

i hope crowe brings some of that russ le roq flavor to this

http://i.imgur.com/eeQLV.jpg

yeah I don't get why it's up front with the trailers either

the only thing that could potentially kill it for me is Amanda Seyfried. She looks like the cleo the goldfish from pinocchio.

http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/6500000/Cleo-pinocchio-6585856-247-215.jpg

lol

i dont really like her either, though i havent contrived a good reason to hate her yet

goldfish is the only reason I've ever had

it's not hate so much as...she's just weird looking, lol

i have warm feelings for her bc of mean girls. also i'm really excited for this movie, even if it's bad it's going to be great.

I am interested in Anne Hathaway itt

does Hooper know that they recorded Burt Reynolds & Cybill Shepherd live when they destroyed Cole Porter in At Long Last Love?

They've flipped that here with awful songs and decent singer-actor leads. Still, must to avoid.

these songs are the opposite of awful

yeah I don't find the songs awful at all

morbs ya big grinch

I've only heard 20 seconds of them before I sent them back to the kitchen

i'm sure there is something gained from first being exposed to them around 8 years old

yeah my Mum listened to the soundtrack a lot, so I know most of the songs even though I don't really know where they go in the storyline, lol

that kind of post-Sondheim epic bombast just tests my gag reflex in a hurry

musicals quit being good when ginger rogers was no longer available to star in them

Bernadette Peters still around

What's the over/under on people bursting out into singalong during various screenings? Gunna be pretty hard for me to not do so if I've had a few that day

what kingfish said. what is this movie even for if not drunken singalongs?

Who is this man?
What sort of devil is he?
To have me caught in a trap
And choose to let me go free?
It was his hour at last
To put a seal on my fate
Wipe out the past
And wash me clean off the slate!
All it would take
Was a flick of his knife
Vengeance was his
And he gave me back my life!
Damned if I'll live in the debt of a thief!
Damned if I'll yield at the end of the chase.
I am the Law and the Law is not mocked
I'll spit his pity right back in his face
There is nothing on earth that we share
It is either Valjean or Javert!

The school edition cuts a considerable amount of material from the original show. It is divided into thirty scenes and, although no "critical" scenes or songs have been removed, it runs 25–30 minutes shorter than the "official" version making the total running time about 2 ½ hours.[44] A few subtle changes of vocal pitch have been made: "What Have I Done?", Valjean's Soliloquy, "Stars" by Javert, "A Little Fall of Rain" by Éponine and Marius, "Turning", and "Castle on a Cloud" lose a verse each. During "Fantine's Arrest" Bamatabois loses two verses. The song "Fantine's Death/Confrontation" is edited, and the counterpoint duel between Javert and Valjean is lost, as well as a verse by Fantine. "Dog Eats Dog" by Thénardier is heavily truncated. "Beggars at the Feast", is shortened, with Thénardier losing a verse, and the song before it, "Wedding Chorale", is excluded entirely although the rest of the wedding remains in place. Also, the drinker's introduction to "Master of the House" is cut completely.[citation needed]

After The King's Theatre, The King's School and Tara Anglican School for Girls, in Sydney, Australia, gained rights for the full production in late 2000 from Cameron Mackintosh to perform the show. Music Theatre International developed a school version, available only to productions with an entirely amateur cast aged under 19. Hundreds of schools worldwide have purchased the rights and staged performances, and it was the best-selling production for high schools in the year 2006.[citation needed]

In November 2001, Harry S Truman High School in Levittown, Pennsylvania piloted the school version under director Lou Volpe. Cameron Mackintosh attended closing night of the performance and shared how impressed he was with the adaptation. The show was met with rave reviews.

The Woodlands School, located in Mississauga, Ontario, marked the first presentation of the Les Misérables school edition in Canada.[45]

I mean, I'm 6'1", 250lbs, and sing baritone, so not belting out "Do I stay and do i DARRRRREEEEEE!" is gunna be REAL HARD if the filmmakers pull off a proper emotional connection

also, listening to the 1985 London original cast and dear GOD is there a shitload of rubbish synthwork for the score. Worse than any of the 80s Phantom recordings, surely.

i'm listening to that RIGHT NOW.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSxq-JCrLag

I had forgotten that Paul Rudd actually shows up in tunic and bicorne for this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhXsJjVdj1E

in my hands via FedEx.

hell no, not even on mute.

I WILL WATCH IT FOR U

saw an endless preview for this about how much more ~meaningful~ it was when shot live

morbs otm

SEND IT TO ME MORBS

I Have seen some of the first clips online. They are not good...at all.

Witness the normally Reliable Hugh Jackman doing a William Shatner impression with the songs rhythms, and singing the usually bombastic "Who Am I?" As if it were a Jim Croce song!

Hear the quiver in Amanda Seyfriend's voice that makes her sound like a 14 year old taking her first voice lesson!

Listen to Russell Crowe channeling Officer Barbrady as he sings Confrontation!

It frustrates me to hear so much of this speech-sung as if this was a Rex Harrison show. The actors keep trying to justify these as acting choices made in the moment because they're "feeling the song". I read it as "MASKING VOCAL INADEQUACIES!"

At the End of the Day is Good, though.

http://broadwayworld.com/videoplay.php?colid=433130

in my hands via FedEx.

Jesus, first This is 40 and now this. Nothing is showing up for me this year. (Good.)

The prologuey bit of Valjean's release actually works pretty well for Jackman, but Crowe's voice is a bit too bellowy

i might see this. normally dont care for broadway-style musicals at all, but it looks kewl

hungry4bread

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8WSysB5vKM

lol i didnt know they sung all the dialogue in this puppy

How the fuck did Helena Bonham Carter get cast in another musical?

she was fine in S Todd

also, fuck singing

The movie is fine except for that it ruins all the slow songs by taking them at thrice the speed. Literally the worst version of "Somewhere" ever.

― Zero Dark 33⅓: The Final Insult (Eric H.), Saturday, January 12, 2013 11:47 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Also turns that song into a sex duet instead of sung by an anonymous girl during the Nightmare

In fairness (now that I've seen it), the thing with Thenardier's accent appears to be that it's HBC-matching English at base, he just throws on a French accent when playing the innkeeper to his guests - and a dreadful Irish one for the con before the mugging.

The restaging of Mme Thenardier's coda to Master of the House, as one more con, is kind of interesting, though I like the vanilla interpretation that they're bound together in hate.

The reworking of Beggars at the Dance blows though, that is one of the classic "No, fuck you and your morals, we win" statements, and taking it away cheapens the last scene.

There was some other stuff in there, but I'm all about the Thenardiers.

Also have we not had this yet?
http://25.media.tumblr.com/aa97cfd1ace95c205a2b86e5388becb9/tumblr_mfzlzozQRj1qf0u9eo1_500.png

Also of course "I Dreamed a Dream" benefits from not being all "is this a conversation, are we talking over each other, are we switching from talking to singing and back", and is just sit yourself down sonny, I'm going to Sing you a Song.

Tom Hooper hates people's eyes because he makes shit that looks fucking terrible and he knows nothing about anything.

"I Dreamed a Dream" was amazing though. Worth the price of admission, I'd say.

Denby such a hack I wish I liked this more.

Just watched this and fuck it, I goddamn loved it. Vocal wise, Hathaway is fucking great, all three of the revolutionary hero dudes are as well, both kid actors obv total pros, Amanda seyfried (who outside of mean girls I fucking hate) was shockingly good, Russell Crowe way better than he is getting credit for. Big surprise is that Hugh Jackman pretty much shits the bed throughout - bad constant vibrato, mushy nowhere delivery. As a movie? Eh it's shiny in all the right parts. Master of the house is half-assed at best.

As much as I dug Hathaway, idg the supporting actress nod at all, it's kind of "hi I'm here, hi I am downtrodden, lemme sing like a badass, whoops I'm dead". Give her a Grammy or some shit, Oscar gtfo. And i like her, but wtf.

How do you feel about the show in general? I've stayed away because I really really hate the show

Thought jackman did a better than passable job tbh, with notable winces. Hathaway got oscar for 'dreamed a dream' and if you can show me a more deserving 3 mins from a supporting actress last year then i'm listening

If 'delivery' is what Russell Crowe brought then I am not at home, they can ring the doorbell all they want.

It was def an off year for that category, but certainly Ann Dowd and Jennifer Ehle had more than just 3 deserving minutes.

Yeah but had they 3 mins like that?

Andrew otm re foghorn crowe

Those 3 minutes were not all that.

In fact* they were.

*opinion

How do you feel about the show in general? I've stayed away because I really really hate the show

― AMERICA IS ABOUT RESSLING (DJP), Thursday, May 16, 2013 1:09 PM (2 hours ago)

heh until last night i had never seen it. first 15-20 minutes border on awful imo (meaning the actual songs, not the movie in specific), but it starts to work after that.

hmm

it is probably my most despised commonly-enjoyed musical (main competition is "Miss Saigon")

oh miss saigon suuuuuuuucks

probably the only thing that ever strained my friendship with Kyl3 was his insistence on playing that soundtrack over and over during senior year whenever I was at his house and how he would frequently accost me with "THE HEAT IS ON IN SAIGON/THE GIRLS ARE HOTTER THAN HELL"

I just thank God we were in different cities by the time Rent came around

I finally saw this!

I've never seen Les Miz before, but these are my thoughts, such as they are:

- I don't think I liked the talking-style singing? It bothered me that the music was way down in the mix, I wanted the words + music to be more harmonious together like a regular musical, just having them sing-talk kinda took away the majesty of some of those songs. once I got into the movie I realized I wanted them to be just straight-up songs. I understand what they were going for, and it worked to an extent but it just felt like the songs, with a few exceptions, were always sort of half-sung.

- I dreamed a dream, Eponine's solo song, and the ending made me BAWL so I think despite my reservations about the way the story was delivered, it still had enough power to knock me over anyway.

- Jackman was a little disappointing but I'm wondering if it's because he's done both - broadway and film acting - that making him blend both together diluted his, idk, superpowers somehow. Because I know if he could just stand and belt it, he would have. He was still pretty good, but it felt like he was at about 50% power from magnetic-stage-presence-mode.

- Rusty's a good actor, he at least had me buy the character. His singing is not great but I knew that going in. I thought he did well with it, for what he brought to the table.

Now I'm going to go dig up a cast recording or something from an old staged version so I can get some serious SONG action.

also just in general, storywise, lyrics etc...impressive bit of work, that. I'm a fan.

This is now a thread about the 280 minute 1934 Raymond Bernard film version starring Harry Baur

It’s good!

As much as I dug Hathaway, idg the supporting actress nod at all, it's kind of "hi I'm here, hi I am downtrodden, lemme sing like a badass, whoops I'm dead". Give her a Grammy or some shit, Oscar gtfo. And i like her, but wtf.
― AMERICA IS ABOUT RIESLING (jjjusten), Thursday, May 16, 2013 12:35 AM (nine years ago)

It was def an off year for that category, but certainly Ann Dowd and Jennifer Ehle had more than just 3 deserving minutes.
― Not Simone Choule (Eric H.), Thursday, May 16, 2013 8:22 AM (nine years ago)

* Checks notes *

My god did they screw that category up that year. Sally Field, OK, but what the hell re: the other four -- Amy Adams in The Master, Anne Hathaway in this, Helen Hunt in The Sessions, Jacki Weaver in Silver Linings Playbook?!

* Checks list of candidates that might have had a legitimate shot from the pool here: http://skandies.org/results/categories/6?year=2012 *

Ah, OK, that does make sense

Flooded with memories of how close Nicole Kidman came to getting a nod for The Paperboy