Musical Mondays Week 74 Anna and the Apocalypse

[Cameron H. 23786]

A movie that knows how to deal with a Duckie. 

We watched:

[Cameron H. 23786]

Overall, I really liked it. There were a few things I think needed to be tightened up, but otherwise, I feel like it accomplished what it set out to do. (I also might have bought the soundtrack )

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

1 hour ago, Cameron H. said:

Overall, I really liked it. There were a few things I think needed to be tightened up, but otherwise, I feel like it accomplished what it set out to do. (I also might have bought the soundtrack )

Yeah, I was thinking of buying the soundtrack as well.  I bought the movie sight unseen a while ago.  I think is is like Repo Man for me where the songs fill out more because I can use my imagination.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

1 hour ago, Cameron H. said:

Overall, I really liked it. There were a few things I think needed to be tightened up, but otherwise, I feel like it accomplished what it set out to do. (I also might have bought the soundtrack )

I might have been singing "oo-ah, oo-ah.  There's no such thing as a Hollywood ending" for several hours after watching it last night.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

Found some alternate posters.

 

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

I was thinking this was much like Stage Fright.

[Cam Bert 8145]

I really get where Max is coming from. Like he said he couldn't decide if he liked the movie or hated it and I'm pretty much in the same camp. Like I said in my letterboxd review I think the movie tries to do too many things and instead of being really good at one or two it just kinda middles at them all. 

The biggest thing I loved were the songs. I did find them catchy and for the most part well done.

However, the script really needed another pass or I missed some stuff at the start because there were things like why the headmaster hated Anna and her father so much that just seemed arbitrary rather than established. Like he wanted to fire her father when he became the headmaster because... reasons?

[Cam Bert 8145]

Also her relationship with the non-ducky love interest. He's presented as some sort of jerk, is that way until she confronts him in the school and something we didn't know happened, he makes a heroic self sacrificial move to prove her wrong and some how they end up together at the end. I just found that whole character and story line to be disappointing. Like either he's an asshole until his second to last scene and then we're suppose to be happy they're together at the end? Meh.

That said I really enjoyed the story of Chris and Lisa and thought that was done well. That's what I mean about this movie, for me for every bad their is a good.

[Cameron H. 23786]

8 hours ago, Cam Bert said:

Also her relationship with the non-ducky love interest. He's presented as some sort of jerk, is that way until she confronts him in the school and something we didn't know happened, he makes a heroic self sacrificial move to prove her wrong and some how they end up together at the end. I just found that whole character and story line to be disappointing. Like either he's an asshole until his second to last scene and then we're suppose to be happy they're together at the end? Meh.

That said I really enjoyed the story of Chris and Lisa and thought that was done well. That's what I mean about this movie, for me for every bad their is a good.

I wanted to bring that up. I feel like the point was to show that in a real apocalypse the Duckies are way less likely to survive than the Billy Zabkas ( sorry for mixing my 80’s archetypes). On the one hand, I thought that was pretty likely, but I also felt like they made him TOO much of an asshole ( a Dickie?) to really make his redemption arc work. I mean, I didn’t think she belonged with Duckie, but I didn’t like him getting picked on either.

I’m also not sure that they end up together at the end as a couple, just that they both survived. I could be wrong though.

[Cameron H. 23786]

1 hour ago, Cinco DeNio said:

This is the cover of the album - which I now own  

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

48 minutes ago, Cameron H. said:

I wanted to bring that up. I feel like the point was to show that in a real apocalypse the Duckie’s are way less likely to survive than the Billy Zabka’s (sorry for mixing my 80’s archetypes). On the one hand, I thought that was pretty likely, but I also felt like they made him TOO much of an asshole ( a Dickie?) to really make his redemption arc work. I mean, I didn’t think she belonged with Duckie, but I didn’t like him getting picked on either.

I’m also not sure that they end up together at the end as a couple, just that they both survived. I could be wrong though.

I had the feeling that she and Steph were going to wind up together.  We never hear about nor see her girlfriend IIRC.  Just that one reference that the girlfriend wasn't picking up the phone.

[Cameron H. 23786]

2 hours ago, Cinco DeNio said:

I had the feeling that she and Steph were going to wind up together.  We never hear about nor see her girlfriend IIRC.  Just that one reference that the girlfriend wasn't picking up the phone.

I didn’t just because the movie was more focused on her independence than on her being attached to anyone.

[Cameron H. 23786]

I think the scene that nailed what this movie should have been doing more of was the “Turning My Life Around” scene.

 

[Cam Bert 8145]

7 hours ago, Cameron H. said:

I wanted to bring that up. I feel like the point was to show that in a real apocalypse the Duckie’s are way less likely to survive than the Billy Zabka’s (sorry for mixing my 80’s archetypes). On the one hand, I thought that was pretty likely, but I also felt like they made him TOO much of an asshole ( a Dickie?) to really make his redemption arc work. I mean, I didn’t think she belonged with Duckie, but I didn’t like him getting picked on either.

I’m also not sure that they end up together at the end as a couple, just that they both survived. I could be wrong though.

Yes. I was glad she put Duckie in the corner and he was basically accepting on this. However the fact that she is interested in this Zabka that is constantly belittling her so called best friend seems like a guy that read The Secret one too many times. I agree that it isn't 100% they are a couple but the fact that he survives at all feels a bit... disappointing considering on freely the movie was killing off the other characters. Also, how is killing your father who's turned into a zombie doing something selfless? She told him that he only thinks of himself and his counter point was he killed his zombie turning dad because that's what his dad wanted. That just seems like common sense in a zombie apocalypse scenario.

[Cam Bert 8145]

2 hours ago, Cameron H. said:

I think the scene that nailed what this movie should have been doing more of was the “Turning My Life Around” scene.

 

While this is the biggest homage scene to Shaun of the Dead with Shaun going to the shop, I agree. This and Zabka's being good at killing zombies are probably the most on point songs for a "zombie musical"

[Cameron H. 23786]

15 minutes ago, Cam Bert said:

Yes. I was glad she put Duckie in the corner and he was basically accepting on this. However the fact that she is interested in this Zabka that is constantly belittling her so called best friend seems like a guy that read The Secret one too many times. I agree that it isn't 100% they are a couple but the fact that he survives at all feels a bit... disappointing considering on freely the movie was killing off the other characters. Also, how is killing your father who's turned into a zombie doing something selfless? She told him that he only thinks of himself and his counter point was he killed his zombie turning dad because that's what his dad wanted. That just seems like common sense in a zombie apocalypse scenario.

That’s true and didn’t make much sense, but I did like the thread of “Yes, killing your zombie-parent is the sensible thing to do, it’s still going to leave you emotionally fucked up.” In most zombie shows/movies when these scenes inevitably play out, yes, there’s some guilt, but ultimately they get over pretty quickly. I appreciated this movie actually showed that it really wouldn’t be as easy all that and it’s not something you just move on from.

[Cameron H. 23786]

18 minutes ago, Cam Bert said:

While this is the biggest homage scene to Shaun of the Dead with Shaun going to the shop, I agree. This and Zabka's being good at killing zombies are probably the most on point songs for a "zombie musical"

Agreed. I touched on that in my LB review where very few of the songs felt specifically written for the movie. I liked most of them, but there wasn’t anything that was specifically “zombie Musical” about them. Zabka’s song, and one by the principal, are I think the only songs that specifically comment on what’s happening in the movie. Like the song in the bowling alley was fine, but it felt kind of like a stretch as far as being narratively important. For me, this is one of the biggest dings against it. 

(Although, I always appreciate a solid penguin rap.)

[GrahamS. 803]

11 hours ago, Cinco DeNio said:

Yeah, I was thinking of buying the soundtrack as well.  I bought the movie sight unseen a while ago.  I think is is like Repo Man for me where the songs fill out more because I can use my imagination.

Hold up—Repo Man was a musical? The Emilio Estevez/Harry Dean Stanton Repo Man? I haven’t watched that in a LONG time. I’ll have to rewatch it—I don’t remember that AT ALL.

10 hours ago, Cam Bert said:

I really get where Max is coming from. Like he said he couldn't decide if he liked the movie or hated it and I'm pretty much in the same camp. Like I said in my letterboxd review I think the movie tries to do too many things and instead of being really good at one or two it just kinda middles at them all. .

However, the script really needed another pass or I missed some stuff at the start because there were things like why the headmaster hated Anna and her father so much that just seemed arbitrary rather than established. Like he wanted to fire her father when he became the headmaster because... reasons?

I won’t totally recap my initial reaction (which I added to the other post last week). It boiled down to: I wanted to like it but it simply didn’t gel for me. I’ve only watched the first 45 minutes because I felt like I had seen what it had to offer and it didn’t appear to really be ramping up to be something different.

i still have Epix  because I think I forgot to cancel my subscription (and at least I can watch that Ben Kingsley/Jackie Weaver crime show now that’s supposed to be good), so I can still finish Anna. My honest question is, Is it worth it? I guess I found a handful of jokes funny—the film itself had the potential to be really funny—but it seemed like the filmmakers felt like it was enough to set up an amusing situation and then not follow through on the jokes. It seemed like the people behind the movie thought it was more outrageous than it actually was. I didn’t hate it, but It felt weirdly inert.

I hope I don’t sound overly grouchy—I’m just burnt-out on zombies and feel like if they aren’t used for more than window dressing in a movie/show, I wish they’d stay dead (which is somewhat hypocritical of me because one of the stories I’m working on involves zombies, but I try to make them more than bullet-fodder). But having said that, I’ll probably still see the Zombieland sequel.  

[GrahamS. 803]

P.S. those were supposed to be zombie emojis but now I don’t know what the hell they are.

[Cameron H. 23786]

14 minutes ago, GrahamS. said:

Hold up—Repo Man was a musical? The Emilio Estevez/Harry Dean Stanton Repo Man? I haven’t watched that in a LONG time. I’ll have to rewatch it—I don’t remember that AT ALL.

I won’t totally recap my initial reaction (which I added to the other post last week). It boiled down to: I wanted to like it but it simply didn’t gel for me. I’ve only watched the first 45 minutes because I felt like I had seen what it had to offer and it didn’t appear to really be ramping up to be something different.

i still have Epix  because I think I forgot to cancel my subscription (and at least I can watch that Ben Kingsley/Jackie Weaver crime show now that’s supposed to be good), so I can still finish Anna. My honest question is, Is it worth it? I guess I found a handful of jokes funny—the film itself had the potential to be really funny—but it seemed like the filmmakers felt like it was enough to set up an amusing situation and then not follow through on the jokes. It seemed like the people behind the movie thought it was more outrageous than it actually was. I didn’t hate it, but It felt weirdly inert.

I hope I don’t sound overly grouchy—I’m just burnt-out on zombies and feel like if they aren’t used for more than window dressing in a movie/show, I wish they’d stay dead (which is somewhat hypocritical of me because one of the stories I’m working on involves zombies, but I try to make them more than bullet-fodder). But having said that, I’ll probably still see the Zombieland sequel.  

I think he meant Repo: The Genetic Opera. We did that one awhile ago.

I mean, I liked the ending. If you’ve got 45 more minutes, I’d say it’s worth it. Then again, I think I like the movie more than anyone else.

[Cam Bert 8145]

7 minutes ago, GrahamS. said:

Hold up—Repo Man was a musical? The Emilio Estevez/Harry Dean Stanton Repo Man? I haven’t watched that in a LONG time. I’ll have to rewatch it—I don’t remember that AT ALL.

I won’t totally recap my initial reaction (which I added to the other post last week). It boiled down to: I wanted to like it but it simply didn’t gel for me. I’ve only watched the first 45 minutes because I felt like I had seen what it had to offer and it didn’t appear to really be ramping up to be something different.

i still have Epix  because I think I forgot to cancel my subscription (and at least I can watch that Ben Kingsley/Jackie Weaver crime show now that’s supposed to be good), so I can still finish Anna. My honest question is, Is it worth it? I guess I found a handful of jokes funny—the film itself had the potential to be really funny—but it seemed like the filmmakers felt like it was enough to set up an amusing situation and then not follow through on the jokes. It seemed like the people behind the movie thought it was more outrageous than it actually was. I didn’t hate it, but It felt weirdly inert.

I hope I don’t sound overly grouchy—I’m just burnt-out on zombies and feel like if they aren’t used for more than window dressing in a movie/show, I wish they’d stay dead (which is somewhat hypocritical of me because one of the stories I’m working on involves zombies, but I try to make them more than bullet-fodder). But having said that, I’ll probably still see the Zombieland sequel.  

1. Repo the Genetic Opera not Repo Man the Emilio Estevez movie and not Repo Man the Jude movie.

2. As a person who was so-so on the movie personally I would say no. The film doesn't really do anything overly creative, new or interesting with the zombies. They just kill off characters to raise the stakes and that's about it. Much like the Christmas element the zombies are just kinda there. They are used to move some character growth but that's about it. If you are a fan of zombie films I think you'll also find some of the zombie attacks hamfisted (Ducky just randomly sticks his hand up and out into the open for no reason just so he can get bit at the most dramatic time).

[Cameron H. 23786]

2 minutes ago, Cam Bert said:

They just kill off characters to raise the stakes and that's about it. Much like the Christmas element the zombies are just kinda there.

You know something Cam, “Last Christmas” is a great Christmas song. He *gave* her his heart - as a present. You’re just bitter you weren’t in Wham! (emphasis theirs)  

[Cam Bert 8145]

1 hour ago, Cameron H. said:

That’s true and didn’t make much sense, but I did like the thread of “Yes, killing your zombie-parent is the sensible thing to do, it’s still going to leave you emotionally fucked up.” In most zombie shows/movies when these scenes inevitably play out, yes, there’s some guilt, but ultimately they get over pretty quickly. I appreciated this movie actually showed that it really wouldn’t be as easy all that and it’s not something you just move on from.

I know you said this movie could use a view rewrites and I completely agree and I feel a bulk of that should be put into the first act on this movie. It would further the relationship between Anna and Zabka and actual establish him as a character rather than "hot guy who made lewd gesture." It would also establish more of a relationship between the headmaster and Anna's father. I think the reason that Chris and Lisa works so well is they are the most defined at the start. Duckie also works because he's focused on too.

[Cam Bert 8145]

9 minutes ago, Cameron H. said:

You know something Cam, “Last Christmas” is a great Christmas song. He *gave* her his heart - as a present. You’re just bitter you weren’t in Wham! (emphasis theirs)  

If I were in Wham! I would want to be the guy at 39 seconds in the Club Tropicana video.

 

[Cameron H. 23786]

9 minutes ago, Cam Bert said:

I know you said this movie could use a view rewrites and I completely agree and I feel a bulk of that should be put into the first act on this movie. It would further the relationship between Anna and Zabka and actual establish him as a character rather than "hot guy who made lewd gesture." It would also establish more of a relationship between the headmaster and Anna's father. I think the reason that Chris and Lisa works so well is they are the most defined at the start. Duckie also works because he's focused on too.

On the one hand, I appreciated they had the guts to off Duckie, but I agree, if they were going to make Zabka an important character, they really needed to establish that earlier. What the movie really needed was a big opening number that introduces us to everyone. Like, it wouldn’t have hurt to have a song where - even in a single line - we see Zabka and his father together. And also, maybe a small nod to the fact that his feelings are sincere, but he’s got to hide it to be cool. Basically, Zabka needs to Zucko it.