Musical Mondays Week 28 Preview (SaraK’s 2nd Pick)

[FisterRoboto 7499]

I'm definitely happy to discuss Muppet Christmas Carol! I watched it last week and totally forgot how much I loved it.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

I don't want to get too much into it because I'm hoping in about 3-4 months, someone will choose this as a MM pick. I think there's a TON to talk about, and it'll make for a great discussion.

 

So, the main thing is that it ultimately comes down to a glorification of a total garbage person. Barnum was a terrible (and terribly racist) dude that exploited the people who the movie has praise him. I think I would have liked it a lot more if it weren't presented as a biopic but was instead presented as a fictional story inspired by PT Barnum (which is actually what it is). Or if they had done the movie as being about the circus performers and told their stories, I'd be really into it. The hero worship of Barnum, though, just really turned me off.

 

All that said, fucking Zac Efron needs to get back in the musical game right now. He's so good in this, and his song with Zendaya was the standout scene for me. And while Jackman can sing and dance very well, Efron blows him away as soon as they have their first song together.

 

[snip]

I totally agree with Zac Efron. I admit I had HSM flashbacks watching him with Zendaya but he absolutely makes the movie. My biggest issues were that turns are glossed over and the whole thing felt like a stage musical filmed. I watched the cast perform Come Alive during A Christmas Story Live! and didn't care for it but it's now my favorite song after I saw it in the movie.

[FisterRoboto 7499]

I totally agree with Zac Efron. I admit I had HSM flashbacks watching him with Zendaya but he absolutely makes the movie. My biggest issues were that turns are glossed over and the whole thing felt like a stage musical filmed. I watched the cast perform Come Alive during A Christmas Story Live! and didn't care for it but it's now my favorite song after I saw it in the movie.

I've been listening to the soundtrack and hating myself for how much I enjoy it. I like "Come Alive," but does the part right before the chorus not remind you of "Firework" by Katy Perry?

 

I also really like "This is Me." The bearded lady was my favorite character, and I wouldn't hesitate to watch a spinoff about her.

[Quasar Sniffer 4174]

I'm definitely happy to discuss Muppet Christmas Carol! I watched it last week and totally forgot how much I loved it.

I love this post.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

I love this post.

[Quasar Sniffer 4174]

I totally agree with Zac Efron. I admit I had HSM flashbacks watching him with Zendaya but he absolutely makes the movie. My biggest issues were that turns are glossed over and the whole thing felt like a stage musical filmed. I watched the cast perform Come Alive during A Christmas Story Live! and didn't care for it but it's now my favorite song after I saw it in the movie.

I really enjoyed The Greatest Showman. I mean, it's not the deepest movie, but for sheer surface-level pap, it made me smile in a rather uncontrollable fashion. I agree that Zac Efron was totally magnetic in this movie. His athleticism and charisma are pretty remarkable so I hope he finds projects that utilize his talents like Greatest Showman does.

 

And what Fister Roboto said about PT Barnum being a racist snake oil salesman scumbag, I totally agree. I had the same thought about wishing the movie had just invented a character inspired by the Barnum myth. I mean, it would be more historically accurate if Brisco County Jr. had been called "Wyatt Earp: A True Story" without making any other changes.

 

Maybe it's just my love for Hugh Jackman, but I think he is a once-in-a-generation performer. His charisma, acting ability, singing voice, and athleticism, even now into his late 40s, are all at extraordinarily high levels. To see that in a single movie star is a dose of hyper-present talent. When coming up with historical equivalents, I am hard pressed to find comparisons. For example, he is definitely not the dancer that Gene Kelly was, but he is a far better actor. What he's able to bring to roles like what we saw in Logan or Prisoners were rather extraordinary. Plus, he screams while shirtless with claws unsheathed pretty well WHILE looking super handsome in a top-hat and tails.

[SaraK 1980]

Ok you guys have convinced me to go see it. Plus, I heard from some of my aerial friends (I practice Lyra and silks for fun) that those performances are pretty cool.

 

Zac Efron is one of those actors I always enjoy but immediately forget about when he doesn’t have a current project. He’s so charismatic on screen but one of those ‘too good looking for a personality’ types. I hope this leads to less frat boy movies.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

Thanks again, Cameron H., for mentioning HBO Go. I was going to rent Muppet Christmas Carol from Amazon but then saw it was available on the HBO Channel in Amazon Video. Decided to check HBO Go and I can watch it there for free!

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

[snip]

Maybe it's just my love for Hugh Jackman, but I think he is a once-in-a-generation performer. His charisma, acting ability, singing voice, and athleticism, even now into his late 40s, are all at extraordinarily high levels. To see that in a single movie star is a dose of hyper-present talent. When coming up with historical equivalents, I am hard pressed to find comparisons. For example, he is definitely not the dancer that Gene Kelly was, but he is a far better actor. What he's able to bring to roles like what we saw in Logan or Prisoners were rather extraordinary. Plus, he screams while shirtless with claws unsheathed pretty well WHILE looking super handsome in a top-hat and tails.

I was thinking this would be a great stage show if the story was worked on. I could see him doing this kind of performance night after night. I never saw The Boy from Australia but he was supposedly very good in that.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

I was thinking this would be a great stage show if the story was worked on. I could see him doing this kind of performance night after night. I never saw The Boy from Australia but he was supposedly very good in that.

ETA: Sorry. It's The Boy from Oz.

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[SaraK 1980]

It occurred to me that these movies are a true nundercover situation

 

Also I’m hopped up on cold meds so when I thought of that, I laughed a little too much.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

It occurred to me that these movies are a true nundercover situation

 

Also I’m hopped up on cold meds so when I thought of that, I laughed a little too much.

Also nundercover:

 

 

 

 

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

I apologize for the delay but I'm ready to discuss Muppet Christmas Carol if anyone is still willing.

 

Likes:

Rizzo the Rat overall - funny character and had heart

The rat bookkeepers - Also funny ("ask him! ask him!")

Michael Caine overall (except for one part mentioned below)

Robin the Frog as Tiny Tim

The Ghost of Christmas Present - I liked how he shrank to fit the room. He reminded me of one ghost from Jim Carrey's animated version

The Scrooge song

Paul WIlliams doing all the songs

 

Dislikes:

Michael Caine in the Christmas of the Future scene -- maybe I tuned out but I missed whatever frightened Scrooge into turning his life around

Kermit's family dynamics - It seemed like the girls were on Miss Piggy's side and the boys on Kermit's side. No mixing or toning down.

 

I'll leave it there for now. Thoughts?

[taylor anne photo 11311]

Likes:

The rat bookkeepers - Also funny ("ask him! ask him!")

They get my favorite line in the whole movie!

 

 

Dislikes:

Michael Caine in the Christmas of the Future scene -- maybe I tuned out but I missed whatever frightened Scrooge into turning his life around

So he really (in my opinion) had already made this decision during the Christmas Present portion of the story but they really just needed to hammer home how little people cared about him by showing him what would happen after he and Tiny Tim passed away. And when Future takes him to his own grave it's like "oh shit I'm the one that dies and literally no one cares."

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

I've been listening to the soundtrack and hating myself for how much I enjoy it. I like "Come Alive," but does the part right before the chorus not remind you of "Firework" by Katy Perry?

 

I also really like "This is Me." The bearded lady was my favorite character, and I wouldn't hesitate to watch a spinoff about her.

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[SaraK 1980]

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[Cinco DeNio 5290]

If you want to see the live performance of Come Alive that was done during A Christmas Story...

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[FisterRoboto 7499]

That was totally me when she grabbed Hugh's hand. I already really like the guy, but how encouraging he was and how genuinely happy he is for her at the end just melted my cold, dead heart.

[Quasar Sniffer 4174]

That was totally me when she grabbed Hugh's hand. I already really like the guy, but how encouraging he was and how genuinely happy he is for her at the end just melted my cold, dead heart.

Yeah, speaking as a former theater geek, that footage is basically a theater geek's Big Dream. Just having everyone so enthusiastic about the material that even people who aren't in the scene are compelled to sing along just by the power of the performance. And then Hugh Jackman holds your hand at the end? Theater Geek Heaven!

[joel_rosenbaum 1269]

I don't know if any of you have ever been PBS Create! watchers but there was a time in my life when my wife and I would watch cooking shows on that channel religiously. One of the cool/stranger ones was hosted by Marja Vongerichten, wife of Jean-Georges, featuring Korean food, recipes, etc.

 

The reason why I bring it up is that the show was de facto hosted by her neighbor Hugh Jackman (with occasional appearances by Deborra Lee Furness). Heather Graham also makes a lot of appearances.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwIhQG6DVCg

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

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Is it blasphemy to say it's hard for me to see it's Hugh Jackman even when he stands up at the end? He looks more like Jon Hamm than himself. In another video, where he sings From Now On, he looks more like himself. My eyes play weird tricks sometimes.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

I don't know if any of you have ever been PBS Create! watchers but there was a time in my life when my wife and I would watch cooking shows on that channel religiously. One of the cool/stranger ones was hosted by Marja Vongerichten, wife of Jean-Georges, featuring Korean food, recipes, etc.

 

The reason why I bring it up is that the show was de facto hosted by her neighbor Hugh Jackman (with occasional appearances by Deborra Lee Furness). Heather Graham also makes a lot of appearances.

Heather Graham (drool)

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