Your LOVELY Movie Viewing Log

[UmbrellaFish]

I tend to not warm to most modern musicals myself. To me they sound all the same. I think Sondheim was a genius, but about 25 years ago everybody started imitating him and they have been mostly shit at it. That said— I don’t really seek out or make time to listen to new musicals. The last new musical I loved was Hamilton, and that was 10 years ago now. Sometimes I talk with a friend about going to Broadway to see shows and they always want to see new stuff and I only want to see revivals. I would kill to see Audra McDonald in Gypsy right now, for instance. That to me is bound to be a landmark performance— I think Audra is the best actress working on Broadway right now.

I was supposed to go to New York last year to visit family and planned to go to Wicked, The Lion King, Hamilton and perhaps Book of Mormon and Hadestown. Basically the ones that tourists go all the time. Eventually I had to cancel my trip, but if I lived in the US and went to New York frequently, I most likely would have went to revivals as well, Audra McDonald in Gypsy sounds like a great experience and if I have another chance to go to New York, I'll definitely check it out. I ended up watching a bootleg of Hadestown and honestly I was disappointed. I know it has fans but I found it a bit overrated with the way people talked about this. I still haven't seen Book of Mormon (why doesn't Josh Gad push for a film adaptation of that one?).

A friend of mine once asked me to help her pick a show to see with her husband. I had not seen or listened to Hadestown, but I had heard good things so I suggested that one. She and her husband hated it! She knew I hadn’t seen it when I suggested it, but I still felt bad she spent her money on a show I told her to see and she didn’t like it. So you’re definitely not the only person who isn’t a fan of the show!

I really like the YouTube video essayist Lindsay Ellis, and she was a big fan of Hadestown. I still haven’t watched or listened to it. Some of the college kids I work with, who have theatre and dance backgrounds, love the show, though. So I don’t know. I’ll get around to seeing some version of it, some day. They also love Heathers and Ride the Cyclone which I also know nothing about. Meanwhile, I start talking about Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and they know nothing about it! It makes me feel so old…

Re: the Josh Gad thing, I think he knows he’s too old to play that character now.

It does feel like the 21st century did have some good musicals but they are few and far between compared to the 20th century.

Have you seen/do you like the movie versions of Chicago and Hairspray? For my money those are the best movie musicals of the past 25 years, plus Wicked.

By the way, I watched the recording of Newsies. I know it's based on a true story but I guess it just didn't interest me that much. The music was fine and Jeremy Jordan was good.

I’m glad you enjoyed parts of it. I need to re-listen to the music, I know there are a few songs that I really liked. I think “Seize the Day”?

[Farerb]

I remember going to Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at West End when I was 13. I don't really remember anything from it. I also went to Mama Mia TWICE - once on a tour and once on Broadway. When it was on tour my parents planned to go and couldn't so they gave the tickets to my brother and me, and then we went on a trip to New York 15 years ago and went to see it (their first time but for me it was the second time). I also went to local productions of Sound of Music and My Fair Lady. I wish younger people would be more familiar with the classics, maybe Spielberg's WSS would have been more successful if that was the case. We can also see how younger people's taste in music has changed with how Disney's music has changed in the last decade.

I liked Chicago, it was well made and Hairspray was fun. I also thought the Sweeney Todd film was decent.

I have a friend who told me that there's probably a plan to film a proshot of Hadestown at West End, so it might give you a chance if that's true.

[Mooky]

Funny you guys should mention Little Shop of Horrors and Fiddler on the Roof. I just rewatched Moonstruck last night – same director as FotR and stars Vincent Gardenia (Mr. Mushnik from LSoH).

And speaking of Ford’s Theatre, that’s where I saw the stage production of Little Shop of Horrors last April and it was amazing, even with Lincoln’s lounge looming over the stage. I miss living in the States and DC specifically; where I am currently doesn’t really have an active theatre scene.



Regarding different endings of LSoH, I think the theatrical ending works for the movie and the original ending works for the show. Seymour in the show isn’t as likable as Rick Moranis portrays him, and you don’t really feel bad about his bleak ending. Add to that that the whole world invasion plot is hurried, and over and done in like 5 minutes, and you don’t really get to process it properly. I do feel that Audrey’s death scene in the show packs a punch, and maybe if the tone of the rest of the movie was slightly different, that specific plot point could have been included as well.

I missed a whole year of movie watching updates here… Won’t bother listing them all, but in the last couple of months I’ve seen:
- Night of the Creeps (1986)
- His Three Daughters (2023) - one of the best movies I’ve seen all last year. All three lead actresses are sublime.
- Dreamscape (1984)
- Curious George: Cape Ahoy (2021)
- Your Monster (2024)
- Gladiator II (2024)
- Cam (2018)
- Heretic (2024)
- Moana 2 (2024)
- Wicked: Part One (2024)
- The Madness (2024)
- Conclave (2024)
- Carry-On (2024)
- The Conversation (1974)
- Apartment Zero (1988)
- Dream Productions (2024)
- Inside Out 2 (2024)
- Mufasa: The Lion King (2024)
- Nosferatu (2024) - visually gorgeous and with striking performances, but in the end it left me cold. I feel this way with most of Eggers’ movies, I think The Northman was the only one I thoroughly enjoyed.
- Dead to Me (2019-2022) – finally got around to seeing the final season and it broke me. You can see it was a bit rushed and reworked from whatever the original intent was because of Christina Applegate’s illness, but the story to me had such a great, emotionally-rewarding ending and both Christina and Linda Cardellini were amazing.
- No Good Deed (2024) – saw this one before DtM and that’s what pushed me to finish it (they share the same creator). Another great Liz Feldman show, funny, emotional, and full of twists and turns.
- Yentl (1983) – first time seeing it, but I remember reading it was kind of a target of many jokes in pop culture. I liked it but I do agree with the author of the original play that it would have been better as a non-musical. All the songs sounded the same to me and slowed down the plot, but the core of the story was great, performances were mostly great, even though you kind of question how nobody saw through Yentl’s disguise given Barbra Streisand didn’t make much of an effort in portraying her differently or manlier as Anshel.
- Rebel Ridge (2024)
- The Constant Gardener (2005)
- Moonstruck (1987)

[UmbrellaFish]

I also thought the Sweeney Todd film was decent.

I’m not a fan of that movie, but I know many people are. I think Sondheim himself said it was the best adaptation of one of his musicals. Speaking of musical films in general, I’d probably rank it below the Les Misérables film, which I think gets the job done but isn’t great itself. I’m just not a fan of many of the choices Tim Burton made in adapting that musical. I prefer watching the recording of the stage production with Angela Lansbury and George Hearn. I need to listen to the most recent revival recording— Josh Groban has the voice of an angel.

I have a friend who told me that there's probably a plan to film a proshot of Hadestown at West End, so it might give you a chance if that's true.

Oooh!! I’ll be on the lookout!

And speaking of Ford’s Theatre, that’s where I saw the stage production of Little Shop of Horrors last April and it was amazing, even with Lincoln’s lounge looming over the stage. I miss living in the States and DC specifically; where I am currently doesn’t really have an active theatre scene.

How cool! The production I saw was all the way back in 2010. I wonder if the puppet/s you saw might have been the same ones I saw 15 years ago? I also did not remember that Lincoln’s box was literally right over the stage like that! I love theatre and history so it was very cool to experience a show there. I wonder if they ever do productions of Our American Cousin? I don’t know anything about that play, except that’s what Lincoln was watching when he was assassinated but I’d be sort of morbidly curious to watch a revival in that theatre. I remember when we visited the theatre, we also visited the apartment next door where Lincoln was taken after he was shot, and where he actually died. I remember the hallways were very narrow.

Although I do not live in a metropolitan area, I’m very lucky that there’s lots of theatre available nearby. I’m very close to an important and historical regional theatre that mounts professional productions and employs Actors Equity performers, as well as a community theatre that actually does very polished shows. That community theatre is doing Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella this year, as well as The Prince of Egypt, both of which I want to see. A couple of years ago the local university also built a big performing arts center that gets traveling shows— I haven’t seen any of those shows yet because the tickets are so expensive, but I have seen the college’s shows there. This semester the college is doing The Tempest which is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays.

I haven’t acted since 2018, but I really need to get out there and audition again. I loved and still love performance.

I’ve started rewatching Downton Abbey. We had a couple snow days last week, so it gave me some extra time. I was surprisingly affected by Maggie Smith’s passing last year. I kept watching old interviews and clips of her acting and whatnot. Her role I am most fond of is as Violet Crawley in Downton Abbey and it really has been a treasure rewatching her. I’m very excited for the third movie (I thought the second one was better than the first), but I do wonder how they’re going to fill that gap with the character and the actress gone.

[Farerb]

I need to watch recording with Angela Lansbury!!
Interesting about Sondheim's thoughts - do you happen to know what he thought about other adaptations of his musicals? Like Into the Woods?

[Mooky]

How cool! The production I saw was all the way back in 2010. I wonder if the puppet/s you saw might have been the same ones I saw 15 years ago?

If you have any memorabilia from that production, I could compare it to my playbill to see if the same people were involved. It would be cool if they were and the puppets were the same

I wonder if they ever do productions of Our American Cousin? I don’t know anything about that play, except that’s what Lincoln was watching when he was assassinated but I’d be sort of morbidly curious to watch a revival in that theatre. I remember when we visited the theatre, we also visited the apartment next door where Lincoln was taken after he was shot, and where he actually died. I remember the hallways were very narrow.

I actually googled it after I read your post, and they do not stage productions of Our American Cousin, for multiple reasons, most of which have to do with the assassination.

And same, after I toured the theatre for the first time, the guide took our group to the house/museum across the street where Lincoln passed away after getting shot. I remember the bed being very small and I wondered how that must have made it even more uncomfortable for such a tall man.

The only other production I saw at Ford's Theatre was A Christmas Carol in December 2023.

Although I do not live in a metropolitan area, I’m very lucky that there’s lots of theatre available nearby. I’m very close to an important and historical regional theatre that mounts professional productions and employs Actors Equity performers, as well as a community theatre that actually does very polished shows. That community theatre is doing Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella this year, as well as The Prince of Egypt, both of which I want to see. A couple of years ago the local university also built a big performing arts center that gets traveling shows— I haven’t seen any of those shows yet because the tickets are so expensive, but I have seen the college’s shows there. This semester the college is doing The Tempest which is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays.

I haven’t acted since 2018, but I really need to get out there and audition again. I loved and still love performance.

You’re so lucky to have so many theater venues and a wide variety of productions to choose from. Looking back, I wish I had taken the chance to see more plays when I was living in the US. I typically went to a show once a month, which truth be told isn’t too bad, but with the sheer number of productions in the DMV area, I can’t help but feel like I missed out on so much. There was a production of R&H’s Cinderella in Baltimore, also in December 2023, that I really wanted to see, but I had to pass on it due to logistics. Oh well.

And that's so exciting! I’m sure your love for performance will shine through in any audition you go for. Wishing you the best of luck as you get back out there. I'm sure you’ll do great!

[UmbrellaFish]

I need to watch recording with Angela Lansbury!!
Interesting about Sondheim's thoughts - do you happen to know what he thought about other adaptations of his musicals? Like Into the Woods?

The Angela Lansbury version used to be up on YouTube in its entirety (I think that’s probably how I originally saw it), but now there are only clips. It is still in print on DVD though!

The statement about the Tim Burton Sweeney Todd movie was from his book of lyrics, Finishing the Hat, IIRC. Alongside the lyrics he has written lots of asides about all kinds of things… opinions about adaptations of his works, opinions about fellow composers/lyricists, industry stories. The book came out in 2010, so it predates the Into the Woods film. I googled to see if he made any comments about it, and all I found was him issuing praise around the time the movie was released. Sondheim was a huge cinephile himself, so I wonder if he might have shared more critical thoughts if he had lived longer and seen more distance from the movie’s release. Or maybe he really did like it!

Some things I remember from his book… I think he really didn’t like Hal Prince’s film version of A Little Night Music (not an uncommon opinion, but another film I haven’t seen personally), but IIRC he praised Diana Rigg’s performance in the film. He published lyrics from some shows he never produced— in his early years, he tried to write a musical of Mary Poppins (I think this was a challenge from Oscar Hammerstein, who told him to try writing an adaptation of something). His version predates Disney’s film. He said he was a big fan of PL Travers’ books and struggled to capture her tone from the stories, and added that he thought the Disney film also failed to capture that tone. I have to say, the Poppins lyrics he wrote and published in his book were a lot more prickly than Disney’s version, so more in keeping with Travers’ tone.

In the book he mentions a movie that would have starred the Muppets in Into the Woods, that failed to materialize which he regretted. And a different version in the 90’s that would have had Cher, Goldie Hawn, and Robin Williams. I think the 90’s would have produced a better adaptation… maybe something that looks more like Spielberg’s Hook.

How cool! The production I saw was all the way back in 2010. I wonder if the puppet/s you saw might have been the same ones I saw 15 years ago?

If you have any memorabilia from that production, I could compare it to my playbill to see if the same people were involved. It would be cool if they were and the puppets were the same

Y’know, I actually think I still have the program in my closet. The next time I rummage through there, hopefully I’ll remember this thread and can share.

I actually googled it after I read your post, and they do not stage productions of Our American Cousin, for multiple reasons, most of which have to do with the assassination.

Ahh, how interesting. I guess I understand their reasoning, especially since it appears there’s a long tradition of not performing that play in that space since the assassination. For me, I actually think their most compelling argument is that, apparently, the play doesn’t hold up for modern audiences. I will have to read it myself sometime.

And that's so exciting! I’m sure your love for performance will shine through in any audition you go for. Wishing you the best of luck as you get back out there. I'm sure you’ll do great!

Thank you for the encouragement! Recently, a lot of my college friends have started acting again and I’ve gone to support them, and they’ve reignited the “bug” in me.

[Farerb]

Thank you for all the info

A '90s adaptation of Into the Woods would definitely have been better. I think Disney was the worst studio to adapt this musical because they took away all the "we can't put this in the film cause kids are going to watch it" scenes and pretty much undermined all its themes. I'm currently watching the recording on YouTube and it's much better, funnier and more entertaining than the movie.

The book sounds interesting. I should get it but there are so many books I bought and haven't read yet.

[UmbrellaFish]

When Disney announced they were doing the Into the Woods movie, I was hopeful because they do fairy tales better than anyone. But of course, you’re right. In the end, they let their legacy get in the way and what we got was a middling adaptation of a great stage musical. And it was so dark and blue and bleak, too! Bleh. You’re right, the recording with the original Broadway cast is leaps and bounds better than the movie version.

[Farerb]

If Disney had done the adaptation in the '90s they would have released it under Touchstone and would have kept the adult tone of the stage show. It would have been more colorful and they would have probably brought back the original cast.

I also watched the 1982 recording of Sweeney Todd and I agree with you that it is better than the movie. I also watched the recording of Sunday in the Park with George and liked that as well.

[Disney Duster]

In the book he mentions a movie that would have starred the Muppets in Into the Woods, that failed to materialize which he regretted. And a different version in the 90’s that would have had Cher, Goldie Hawn, and Robin Williams. I think the 90’s would have produced a better adaptation… maybe something that looks more like Spielberg’s Hook.

I remember the book saying first there was a reading with some stars, then another reading with bigger stars like Robin Williams and Cher, and it wouldn't have the Muppets but animals from Jim Henson's creature shop. Probably like the Wolf and Milky White.

I did not know that about Sondheim and Mary Poppins! Incredible info!

How do I know one thing from the book and not the Poppins thing? A friend let me read the Into the Woods section of his book when I asked.

Very best luck to you in performing!

[UmbrellaFish]

Duster, I am sure you are right about those details. It has been probably more than 10 years since I read that book.

And thank you for the good luck!

I’m up to the first episode of season 4 of Downton Abbey. I did not remember that Lady Sybil and Matthew Crawley both died in season three. I thought Matthew made it one more season, at least. They also lay out the groundwork for Miss O’Brien’s exit that season, too. I remember watching season 3 as it aired and those exits felt really dramatic and unexpected. But I am just now realizing probably all of the actors initially signed three season contracts and they probably knew from the first episode of season 3 who was reupping or not.

Back in the day, I used to watch each episode of Downton Abbey three times. As soon as it aired in the UK, someone on the IMDb forums (which no longer exist) would share a Google drive file with the latest episode. Then I would watch it as it aired on PBS. And finally, I’d buy the Blu-ray and rewatch the whole series on disc. But this is the first time I’ve watched the series all in one go.

I was always harsh on season 2, but rewatching it, there are a lot of positives and I think they handled WWI and its aftermath pretty well. Season 3 is hampered by the Bates in jail stuff, but what are you going to do. If there is one thing I am not looking forward to as the series progresses, it is all the misery that I know is yet in store for both of the Bates. As for the exits in the series— I’ve always felt that if Jessica Brown Findlay and Dan Stevens had stuck around, their characters might have grown into interesting places. But Siobhan Finneran was absolutely justified in leaving— after a super strong first season and an okay second season, Julian Fellowes just gave up on her character in the third. What a disappointment.

I never really thought much of Allen Leech or Elizabeth McGovern as the series was airing, but on rewatch they are sort of the unsung MVPs (especially McGovern) of the show. McGovern has a quiet command that is really breathtaking in particular. And they both shine in their scenes around Sybil’s death. Also, I’ve always liked her in the show, but Penelope Wilton is fabulous, too. And I find I laugh just as much at Jim Carter’s mugging as Carson as Lady Grantham’s quips!

Anyway, all that to say, I’m really enjoying my rewatch.

[Mooky]

My latest watches:
- I, Tonya (2017)
- The Woman in Red (1984)
- Mad Money (2008)
- Civil War (2024) - this was an interesting watch albeit not really an enjoyable one. I liked the acting, but the story was full of clichés and could have been set in any other war of the last 50 years instead of inventing a dystopian future one. What is the cinematic equivalent of a clickbait because that's what this movie is. I kept waiting for it to explain the root of the conflict and what lead to the war, because that would have actually made for a compelling movie-watching experience.
- Anora (2024) ‐ a wild ride from start to finish, it's Pretty Woman meets Uncut Gems. I really enjoyed it. It's funny, it's romantic, it's heartbreaking. She didn't impress me in Scream 5 and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but I see now why Mikey Madison is this awards season's darling. This is only the second movie directed by Sean Baker that I've seen, and I'll definitely look his other stuff up.

[carolinakid]

I just watched Stage Door from 1937.
Loved it! But the snappy zingers were flying by so fast that after 5 minutes I put on the closed captioning so I wouldn’t miss a single one.

[Disney Duster]

I finally watched Yentl! I never thought the film was...what it was! I thought it was set in the modern time period Streisand was was popular star, and was a comedy! Nope, set in the very early 1900s and mostly a drama! She directed, sang, and acted her heart out! It really was so sad that even Jewish people could be so set in the ways of "men think and do, women stay home and generally suck". And what constituted as sins! Look, I have tried to not be myself, a self which is in itself just something that almost all the things I enjoy are sins, and it physically hurt my brain! God doesn't want us to not be able to do all that that stuff Judeo-Christians say make you impure! Well, enough preaching, the movie was a masterpiece, I was surprised by a lot. I was also surprised it was on a list of the best movie endings ever, just because I didn't think the ending was amazing, but that's what happens when something is hyped so much sometimes.

I also saw Conclave. It was pretty good. I liked that I did not know the surprise twist till I saw it.

[Vlad]

That's what I thought of Yentl as well. It blew me away. It is mostly drama, but it's got some comedy moments throughout as well. But yeah, the soundtrack is the highlight, and I love that ending, it's so glorious.

[Disney Duster]

I am glad we felt so similarly. Actually the story was the highlight for me, but the music really clinches it.

[Vlad]

What impressed me the most was the fact that Mrs. Streisand produced, directed, wrote, sang and starred in the movie. I remember in The Nanny, that Fran said that her not winning any Oscar for her work in the movie was a real tragedy. After having seen the movie, I wholeheartedly agree.

[Disney Duster]

Oh, yes, yes I agree with that whole post, Vlad!

[Disney Duster]

I saw the Nosferatu remake a while back and I thought it was GREAT! I thought it was better than Coppola's Dracula at first, because I thought the story made more sense in the end. How a woman saves everyone by keeping the vampire with her till sunrise, in this film, made more sense to me than the ending of Coppola's Dracula where the love between Mina and Dracula saved their souls, when Dracula turned his back on God and threw a sword in his cross to drink his blood and become undead. God is in charge of their souls and what did Dracula or Mina do that made God let them into Heaven in the end? I would love someone to answer that question, but also, what made the main woman in Nosferatu have her seizures and connection to Nosferatu in the first place? That part I did not get and was the weakest for me, so I am open to people answering that question, too, to change my mind. Brelly, also, I myself did not feel the main guy went into the carriage in a trance, but he seemed to be moved into the carriage by magic, similar to how that (scarier) scene is done in Coppola's film. I also wish Nosferatu himself was as scary as Oldman's vampire, or even the perhaps scarier original Nosferatu actor's look. The mustache took away some of the scare for me, and even if they kept the 'stache, I feel they could have made him scarier somehow. The original Salem's Lot main vampire also has the scarier original Nosferatu look.

Anyway the costumes and cinematography were amazing and it was a great film!