My Bloody Valentine (1981)
Movie
When a group of young adults decide to proceed in throwing a decades-suspended Valentine's Day...
Slasher Holidays
Chris Hooker (419 KP) rated The Disease in Books
Jan 12, 2018
The characters of Olga and Ludmilla face choices that will not only affect them but possibly the entire world. The setting is an Eastern European nation while a pandemic rages. Ludmilla is a doctor and "Daughter of the Nation", while Olga her daughter is a dissident. Who can be trusted and what is the right choice are themes throughout this novel.
Pop Art
Book
Pop artists of the 1960s, heralded by the Great Andy Warhol, commented on everything from mainstream...
The Cabinet
Book
The US Constitution never established a presidential cabinet―the delegates to the Constitutional...
History
Artists' Postcards: A Compendium
Book
Over the last twenty years an increasing number of artists have turned to expressing themselves...
Doc Hollywood (1991)
Movie Watch
Cocky young doctor Ben Stone (Michael J. Fox) is off on a road trip to California in pursuit of a...
The Hamilton Collection: The Wisdom and Writings of the Founding Father
Book
The smash-hit musical Hamilton presents its central character as a truth-telling immigrant...
The Living Dead (The Living Dead, #1)
Book
Ideal for fans of iZombie, Colin Morgan, The Walking Dead, iZombie comics, Resident Evil anthology,...
Texts From Founding Fathers
Education, Book and Stickers
App
Get daily texts from the Founding Fathers of the USA. Get daily tidbits of wisdom and historical...
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Hamilton (2020) in Movies
Jul 5, 2020
I could go on and on about the Pulitzer-Prize winning show, the script, the music, the performances and/or the cross-cultural casting - all of which works to perfection, but what separates this film from the other hit Broadway shows that are converted to film is how well that the filmmakers were able to translate the power of being inside the theater during a live performance of this show.
Credit, of course, needs to go to the visionaries responsible for this show, creator/writer/star Lin-Manuel Miranda and Director Thomas Kail. They realized pretty early on (when the show was becoming the phenomenon that it has become) that they wanted to preserve this event for future generations, so started making plans to film the show - in High Def - with an audience and without an audience (for close-ups). In June 2016, about a month before the original cast started leaving the show (and right after the show won 11 Tony Awards), they spent $10 million to capture the show - with live audiences on Sunday and Tuesday and then spent the rest of Sunday night and all day Monday doing close-ups and crane shots to augment the action.
The results are outstanding. The wide-shots show the breadth of the production - showing the strong, Tony Award winning choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, the unique, minimal and highly versatile set, the Tony Award winning costumes by Paul Tazewell and the Lighting Design that earned Howell Blinkley a Tony. All of these are showcased in this film - special note should be made about the Lighting that needed to be tweaked on the spot for the filming.
As for the close-ups, they showcase the wry smile and comedic delight that Tony winner Daveed Diggs shows in his roles as Lafayette/Jefferson, the power and sorrow of Tony Award winner Renee Elise Goldsberry - her spotlight number SATISFIED is as "perfect" a musical number as you will ever see. The powerful acting of Leslie Odom, Jr. as Aaron Burr (who won the Tony as Best Actor over Lin-Manuel's performance as Hamilton) as well as terrific supporting turns by the likes of Anthony Ramos (Lawrence/Phillip), Chris Jackson (showing real leadership as George Washington) and Okieriete Onaodwoan as Hercules Mulligan (one of my absolute favorite characters in this show)./James Madison.
Special note should be made to Jonathan Groff's portrayal of King George III - it is, basically, a cameo role, but he is filmed with such tight close-ups (showing spittle rolling down has chin as he sings) that marvelously juxtaposes King George's real emotions with that of the words he is speaking.
But, of course, the real star is Lin-Manuel Miranda - the genius creative force behind Hamilton. Interestingly enough, I thought his performance was the weakest of the lead cast (don't get me wrong, he was still excellent - just not "as excellent" as some of the others). His true vision, of course, was to tell the story of "the people of that era" as told by "the people of our era".
That is the true genius of Hamilton.
Letter Grade: A+
10 stars out of 10 (can I turn this up to 11)?