Cinco DeNio

I just found this on a different website.

You made me go searching. From an NYU Teacher's Guide I found this.

Just finished the Rifftrax version. I'm good if I never see the original again.

TubiTV has the original in English & Spanish, and the Rifftrax, all free with ads. https://tubitv.com/search/Little shop

I went on a family vacation to Toronto when the movie came out. I wore the crap out of the soundtrack cassette during that trip.

I just discovered this video. Why did we not discuss this during Mamma Mia! week?!?

On a separate separate note, I would like to ask people's views on soundtracks. One reason the movie 1776 works is the cast had already performed the roles for several years and had time to explore. Supposedly William Daniels (as John Adams) was quite bombastic early in the stage run. As time went on he was able to find the humanity and subtlety. Yet listening to the Broadway soundtrack (I admit I haven't), created early in the run, those qualities wouldn't necessarily come through. I think it's the same with Hamilton. I received the CD soundtrack for my birthday a few weeks ago (a present from my cats) and have been interested in the differences with the Disney+ movie. I would love to buy a soundtrack made from the movie. Thoughts?

On a separate note, I am always amazed at the variety of movies people are watching on Letterboxd. I am seeing movies I've never heard of plus ones that sound intriguing. Well done everyone!

tl;dr Without David Byrne you get the Tom Tom Club.

I'm stunned

One last quote from that article. Shade was thrown.

Here's a Rolling Stone article with Chris Frantz from 2014.

I have watched this in parts several times this week, and realized several things. 1) I was wrong in commenting on the audience. I see and hear enough to know they are there but I do love the focus on the band. 2) Intermission happens after "Life During Wartime" (During wartime we all jog together!) I finally noticed that pretty much everyone changes outfits, not just Tina Weymouth. Not sure why that wasn't obvious to me before to me. 3) It's after the intermission that the movie loses the energy for me. In the first part it was raw energy, a band having fun. Once the video screens started flashing random words, then they turn out the lights and put a lamp on the stage, I started to tune out. The backup singer/dancers disappeared for a bit. For me they were a large part of the fun, interacting with the band.

This is what I'm talking about. Now you see them Now you don't (but look at the pattern) She definitely is more active

True or otherwise

I re-read the review and I slightly mis-spoke about the audience. Ebert's review mentions he was glad there were no (or few) shots of the audience during the concert since the audience's actions were often out of sync with what the band was performing. In other words, since they couldn't have a camera always filming the audience, the cameramen would have to get "pick up" shots of the audience. Those shots would be taken during a later song so it's not a true depiction of the audience's response to the specific song the band is performing. I can agree with the rationale to leave the audience shots out of it. My issue is with the sound of the crowd. It would have been nice to hear more of them, singing or clapping at the end of a song.

I don't understand that either. I was also curious about "consistency" (whatever the movie term is to make sure things are the same on each new take). At one point early on Tina Weymouth loses her long pants (shortly after Slippery People - where everyone jogs on stage). I thought it was an odd costume choice then I'm like "Duh. They filmed four concerts. People aren't going to wear the exact same outfits every night." but the pants stayed off for the rest of the time that I watched. It also seemed like she was wearing some sort of patterned leggings. I saw shadows but then some shadows moved with her legs. I know it's an odd thing to obsess over. It's just I didn't notice anyone else doing any clothing changes (except for David's big business suit of course).

Overall I admit this isn't the movie for me. I made it less than an hour (maybe even before Burning Down the House) the first time. Last night I watched it again from just after Psycho Killer onward and stopped at an hour, a song or so after the Tom Tom Club song. (I vaguely remember The Tom Tom Club on the 80's radio but not the song they sang in the movie.) I do appreciate the lyrics being "grounded", by that I mean, they jump all over but still tell a story. I have never understood how Bono can write songs that sounds like a random phrase generator wrote them. Having the subtitles really helped a lot in letting me enjoy the songs.

I was reading reviews and one thing made me scratch my head. It needs a little set up. Roger Ebert's review mentions how the cameras focused on the band since the audience reactions would be out of sync with what's on screen. Another review mentions that the band only wanted actual concerts to be filmed, and not to do any studio work since the band would lose the audience energy. It doesn't make sense to me. (I guess the band stopped making sense.) The film works because it ignores the audience but the Talking Heads wanted the movie done this way because they wanted the audience to be there?

That impressed me. For me that feeling of space started by seeing just how large the physical stage was before everything was added in. Whenever I go to a concert I'm seeing the finished product so I have nothing to compare to. Seeing how they filled up the space, but it was still small enough for David to run behind the band, was cool. I like that they spread the band out side-to-side instead of front to back. David jumping back over the middle of the stage to come out front again was neat. The entire stage wasn't built to showcase the builders' skills, it was done to showcase the band.

So I thought I was hot stuff when I recognized the credits in the Dr. Strangelove style. Big whoop. That's the credit designer's shtick. (Think Men in Black for instance.) https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/11/giving-credit-to-the-guy-who-revolutionized-movie-credits/281714/

Stop letting the days go by and start discussing.

Trying this again since my original post is chopped up (for want of a close quote tag). Apologies for not participating in my own choice. Now that things are getting back to usual (never normal), I do have some things I'd like to mention. 1) The whole first exchange (Sit Down, John; then Piddle, Twiddle, and Resolve) had me hooked. I had never seen such open snark in a historical movie. The initial debates between Adams and Dickinson were the same kinds of points I had wondered about. When I saw the movie for the first time I was living in or near the Philadelphia area and had been to Independence Hall several times. Figured it was time to see what the movie was like. 2) When I get depressed the last exchange between John and Abigail Adams always helps me. John complains he fears there is nothing left but the discontentment. Abigail replies That response always makes my eyes well up. There are people I consider to be great, accomplished, persistent, admirable people. They seem to think I'm OK so why can't I? 3) Ben Franklin throughout is a hoot. "Oh, Stephen, I only wish King George felt like my big toe all over." (Since Frankin suffered from gout.) I was surprised to learn John Adams' comment about being left out of the history books is reasonably accurate. 4) The distortions of people of honor are distressing, particularly James Wilson of Pennsylvania. James Wilson was a very honorable fellow who had indeed served with distinction as a judge. I can forgive changing the story to come down to a tie but turning Judge Wilson into a fop who, until the crucial moment, served solely as John Dickinson's lap dog, does Judge Wilson a grave disservice. Franklin makes an offhand comment about Judge Wilson having served before but then makes it sound like Wilson can't think for himself because Independence is "a new idea, you clot!"