Loverly: The Life and Times of My Fair Lady
Book
Few musicals have had the impact of Lerner and Loewe's timeless classic My Fair Lady. Sitting in the...
Andy K (10821 KP) rated Mary Poppins Returns (2018) in Movies
Jun 16, 2019
Basically Mary Poppins returns to the Banks household for additional assistance. The original children are grown up and now have problems of their own including unruly children and the bank trying to foreclose and repossess their house. What are they to do?
The film had some fun musical numbers like when Mary send the kids to go take a bath; however, none of the musical numbers hold a candle to the original.
It honestly felt the entire film they were trying too hard to be too close to the original story in almost every way without much variation or surprises at all. I know others had mentioned the Meryl Streep scene as being unnecessary and I completely agree. Her character brought nothing to the story and the entire film could've been like 20 - 30 minutes shorter. The middle and 3rd act dragged on incessantly and was a lot darker like the sequence where all the guys are climbing the clock near the end.
I love Emily Blunt as well, but she really seemed like she was trying to do her Julie Andrews impression instead of making the character her own. Maybe that is asking too much.
The movie had some fun cameos which were a delight, but overall not enough to save this somewhat dull and unnecessary film.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Kinky Boots (2006) in Movies
Sep 4, 2018 (Updated Sep 4, 2018)
Joel Edgerton is great as Charlie. I wasn’t expecting him to be, but he did very well and his accent was flawless. I actually spent the entire film doubting myself that he was Australian, because he did that well. The star of this film though is undoubtedly Chiwetel Ejiofor. He is an absolute riot as Lola and brings such joy to every scene that he’s in, from the musical numbers to the factory scenes. He seems to be channeling Tim Curry in parts (which isn’t a bad thing) and he’s such a hoot. I don’t think there are many that could pull off Lola quite as well as he has.
I do have a few minor criticisms though. The story itself is pretty predictable, but then would anyone expect any less from such a premise? The film though for me was for a change a little too short. I would’ve happily watched a lot more of this without getting bored.
I’m going to watch the musical of this in the theatre in a few months, and this has really got me excited. Just a shame Chiwetel Ejiofor isn’t appearing in the theatre version, I’d love to see that!
TacoDave (3607 KP) rated Anna and the Apocalypse (2018) in Movies
Dec 10, 2018 (Updated Dec 10, 2018)
Luckily, I *loved* this movie. The first 30 minutes or so just follow several high schoolers as their school prepares for a Christmas performance. The way they randomly break into song, then look at each other weirdly when the song ends and continue with their day was amusing. The songwriting was great - the singing too! - and, except for one song, I wanted to own the soundtrack.
The rest of the movie follows a group of parents and students trapped in a school with zombies outside and, concurrently, a small group of high schoolers who are trying to make their way to the school to see if their loved ones are still alive. Heads explode. Bodies are mangled. People get bitten. And there is quite a bit of gore.
Yet, at the same time, the movie is light and hilarious. It walks a fine balance between horror/comedy/Christmas/musical, and succeeds almost completely.
If you like horror movies mixed with comedy and you are a fan of musicals, this one is a no-brainer. Pun intended.
Begin Again: A Biography of John Cage
Book
A man of extraordinary and seemingly limitless talents musician, inventor, composer, poet, and even...
Calling Me Home: Gram Parsons and the Roots of Country Rock
Book
On September 19, 1973, Gram Parsons became yet another rock-and-roll casualty in an era of excess, a...
Florence Foster Jenkins
Nicholas Martin and Jasper Rees
Book
'People may say that I couldn't sing. But no one can say that I didn't sing.' Despite lacking pitch,...
I Sang the Unsingable
Bethany Beardslee and Minna Zallman Proctor
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American soprano Bethany Beardslee rose to prominence in the postwar years, when the modernist...
Experiencing Bessie Smith: A Listener's Companion
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Bessie Smith occupies a unique place in the history of American music. She was one of the first...
Psychology of Music: From Sound to Significance
Siu-Lan Tan, Peter Pfordresher and Rom Harre
Book
In Psychology of Music: From Sound to Significance (2nd edition), the authors consider music on a...