Across The Universe Discussion

[xxhplinkxx]

OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOD!!! This movie was AMAZING!

Okay, so I've never really been a Beatles fan, but I'm a total movie musical whore. This movie looked fantastic from the trailers alone. I went in with somewhat high expectations, which I usually try not to do. Let me just say that the movie not only met my expectations, but surpassed them. Visually BEAUTIFUL and they've totally gotten me into the Beatles. EVERYONE SHOULD GO SEE THIS MOVIE!!! We definitely need more movies like this today, not crap like the f*****g Bratz movie. Kids should watch this, not that mindless crap.


10/10!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ting Ting]

I'm pretty much a Beatles fanatic and have been dying to see this film for months. Unfortunately, it's not playing in my city and now there will be a slight tarnish at the core of my heart until it's released on DVD. Grrr!

By the way, if you haven't picked up the soundtrack yet, do it <b>now</b> because it's incredible! Be sure to pick up the Deluxe Editon; it's nearly the same price as the regular edition and it has over 15 more tracks.

[SpringHeelJack]

Well, it was pretty.

And while "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite" was visually amazing and easily my favorite part of the film, it brought the movie to a grinding halt, much like "I Am the Walrus" and a few others.

Had it been trimmed a bit in length, I may have liked it more. But as is, it felt overly long and not really having anything to say.

But I will also say the rendition of "I Want To Hold Your Hand" was beautifully sung. Even though it had the goofy slo-mo football visuals behind it.

[Lazario]

I don't like remakes. Most covers make me gag. The original in nearly every single case is always better. Mocks, mimics, imitations, rip-offs, and copies will never be anything but pure and mere novelties.

[Escapay]

Across the Universe was released on DVD & Blu-Ray today with several store exclusives.

Wal-Mart and Target both have books (Wal-Mart's is some skinny lyric book with pictures, Target's is a Beatles book).

BestBuy has a free CD case, and Circuit City has a free napster download card.

Finally, FYE has an exclusive third disc, but there's no mention on the site of what's exactly on the disc. I have a feeling that it's the "Faces & Places" featurette (20:18 ) that was passed by the BBFC, but is not on the regular two-disc. Of course, I'm hoping it's more (such as the trailer), but if not, that's fine. Can anyone who has the FYE edition confirm what's on it?

(I got my copy a couple weeks before street date, not thinking there'd be store exclusives. Of course, now I find there are several, so I'll likely buy the FYE one and sell the other one to my cousin or something)

Also, I learned to NEVER watch this movie with my mother. She will randomly sing along with it, and even though the words appear via close captions (since the DVD subtitles only do dialogue and the first few verses of the songs), she still gets them wrong. It's annoying.

Other than that, wonderful film. Got the soundtrack a few days ago, and often just play the first disc rather than the second. Maybe because the songs are more upbeat for me and is better driving music.

Scaps

[Just Myself]

Kids should watch this, not that mindless crap.

Whoa, nelly.... While I agree this is a great (and strange) film, it is definitely not something that kids should watch, at least not the kids being aimed at in the Bratz demographic. It's pretty racy in some parts, hence the PG-13 rating. I will say that most pre-teen to teens should definitely see this instead of shit like Meet The Spartans and stuff like that.

Cheers,
JM

[dvdjunkie]

Lazario wrote:

I don't like remakes. Most covers make me gag. The original in nearly every single case is always better. Mocks, mimics, imitations, rip-offs, and copies will never be anything but pure and mere novelties.

Once again speaking from the place that the sun doesn't shine. This is an original movie, not a remake. And if you would go see a movie first before criticizing it, you may find that you would enjoy it. "Across The Universe" is a very original film, and I agree with what has been said. Teens should be seeing this film instead of the crap that is out there like "Meet the Spartans" and "Hanah Montana/Mylie Cyrus Best of Both Worlds". This movie has something for everybody, young and old alike.

[Jack Skellington]

I like the "I wanna hold your hand" scene, T.V Caprio's voice was mind blowing.

I'm getting it on bluray, since it released today.

[2099net]

Lazario wrote:

I don't like remakes. Most covers make me gag. The original in nearly every single case is always better. Mocks, mimics, imitations, rip-offs, and copies will never be anything but pure and mere novelties.

Once again speaking from the place that the sun doesn't shine. This is an original movie, not a remake.

I believe Laz is talking about "cover" versions of the Beatles songs.

[Lazario]

I believe Laz is talking about "cover" versions of the Beatles songs.

That I am.

Junkie, get help.

[Disney Duster]

Why are people comparing this to the Bratz: The Movie and Meet the Spartans? Neither of those are much like it, especially since Meet the Spartans is a comedy. And for your information, "stupid" low-brow humour has a place in entertainment and they actually parody things in real life to comment on them which isn't so stupid or crappy.

Anyway, I don't like this movie, I don't think it's very good. Just like what SpringHeelJack said, "Well, it was pretty." And the weird druggy songs really slowed the film down and hindered, not helped. I thought I only liked Cats because of the wonderful visuals and music, but this movie had great visuals and music and I still didn't care for it. Maybe it's because it strived to be a big story, but didn't get there, and Cats didn't try to be more than it's little story but seems more than it is (and it's open to interpretation). I mean, this movie tried to establish characters to care about and failed. We never knew enough about any of them to spend such a long time with them. Or maybe I just didn't care because they were boring.

And you know, as great as the visuals were, what was the point? Compare "I Am The Walrus" to, I don't know, "Sing Sweeet Nightingale". Cinderella's soap bubble friends could represent her wish for human companionship (peole more lke her) or, since it stemmed from the sequence where she dreamed of multiple workers to get to the ball, some extra helping hands. But this film took songs from a group that people know were on drugs and just visualized them. It's not even Fantasia which tried to tell stories set to music, or the segments where it was cool to imagine music as moving and vibrating lines. Okay, maybe they tried to make the words mean things I didn't catch, or maybe I'm reading too much into Cinderella, but what can you do with "Koo Koo Ka-choo"?

If the movie didn't want to have a point or make the visuals mean anything, then why wrap a story around them? As an excuse to put the sequences together like the mice making a storybook in Cinderella II?

Maybe there was something about the characters falling into madness or being surrounded by love that I just didn't see in the funky sights, but I'm not too bothered about them when I know they just took Beatles songs and turned them into events in a story or people's names. Everytime they said Jude I was just waiting for the song his name's the title of and it got annoying that I knew the only reason they named him Jude was for that song.

[SpringHeelJack]

Everytime they said Jude I was just waiting for the song his name's the title of and it got annoying that I knew the only reason they named him Jude was for that song.

This was the same thing I thought. I was too busy wondering when "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" would play as opposed to being concerned with what little character development was going on with her. I remember in a screenwriting class of mine, a student was doing a modern take on Robin Hood, and the professor told him if he used too many references (i.e., naming the main character Rob, calling the bar they hang out in Sherwood Forest, etc.), the audience would pay less attention to the plot and more the minor in-jokes. I think that really held true in "Across the Universe", I kept trying to think of what character would turn up next. I spent more time trying to remember what Max's name was from than paying attention to what he was doing.

I'm kind of willing to rent it again and give it another go, but as it is, it still seems like an overly long music video with some great singing and lovely visuals but a terrible lack of solid story.

[Timon/Pumbaa fan]

I believe Laz is talking about "cover" versions of the Beatles songs.

That I am.

Junkie, get help.

Well, maybe if you actually were actually smarter and used "cover" instead of "remake" simple mistakes wouldn't be made.

While you're at it get anger management and someone who can convert people while you're at it.

[Disney Duster]

Interesting, SpringHeelJack. I don't want to agree, because even when I see a film of something I know is based on something like, say, Sweeeney Todd, I wonder who's going to look like what and how they'll sing what and even that is a distraction. It's hard not avoid thinsg like that. I think Across the Universe just had little more than that distraction because they were turning Beatles songs into a story that wasn't good enough to distract from how it was concieved.

That I am.

Junkie, get help.

Well, maybe if you actually were actually smarter and used "cover" instead of "remake" simple mistakes wouldn't be made.

While you're at it get anger management and someone who can convert people while you're at it.

Who did you mean, Lazario or DVDjunkie? Because you were referring to something aimed at DVDjunkie, so I have good reason to assume you were also aiming that at DVDjunkie. Maybe you should be smarter and clarify what you're talking about.

[2099net]

I can't speak for Across the Universe because I've not seen it, but generally this "trend" for making musicals from a series of pop songs crowbarred into a nonsensical story is - in my mind - damaging the whole of musical theatre.

Musicals are so all about specific character emotion. Not characters and not emotions. But character emotions. The songs have to be equally valid to the character as the emotion. And its pretty clear song written for other means, while they may be very emotional, are not written for acharacter who didn't yet then exist.

(Plus as an aside, given the crappy narture of most covers these days, sung by singers barely out of school and who haven't experienced any of the emotions or experiences the song they have picked to sing are about, it appears most people don't expect true emotional resonance these days, be they songs on the radio or songs in a musical).

However, I am willing to give Across the Universe the benefit of the doubt, especially as many reviews are quick to class the film as a work of art. The problem is, most films that are "works of art" tend to polarize the audience into those who love them and those that hate them. Look at my reactions to the Sleeping Beauty narrative for example. I must say, nothing I have seen about the Across the Universe makes me desperately want to see it. It appears to use some of the 60's/Beatles iconography well, but how many people these days will truly appreciate that? I just wonder if the same "work of art" couldn't have been greater had it been all original compositions.

Should Sony run another 3 for 2 on Blu-rays in the UK, I'll probably pick this up – the fact that it is different deserves some respect and reward for the filmmakers. But, you know, I'd much rather Hollywood released a totally original musical movie – Phantom of the Opera, Chicago and Hairspray have shown that theatrical musicals can become movies, but why can't we have an totally, original movie musical? All we have to look forward to is Mamma Mia – a theatrical musical of ABBA songs.

[Lazario]

That I am.
Junkie, get help.

Well, maybe if you actually were actually smarter and used "cover" instead of "remake" simple mistakes wouldn't be made.

You mean, like this:

I don't like remakes. Most covers make me gag. The original in nearly every single case is always better. Mocks, mimics, imitations, rip-offs, and copies will never be anything but pure and mere novelties.

Like that? Looks like I already did what you are suggesting I did. So...

While you're at it get anger management and someone who can convert people while you're at it.

I have no idea what that wink is supposed to mean.

[Disney Duster]

Someone in another forum said, "Are you serious? I am the Walrus is the sweetest part about that movie. Both visually and meangfully. (is that a word?) it is so neat to watch, plus it sums up what they believe in, unity and they we are all together."

But isn't the whole message about unity and being together already in the song, and the song came first? So the did the visuals really help it? Having them all take drugs during a song where everyone thinks the lyrics came from trips doesn't help, does it? And if people take drugs...don't they have different experiences anyway, so you aren't experiencing the same flying potato or warped color in someone else's head? So you're not really together. Or are you? I haven't been on a trip before.

[Timon/Pumbaa fan]

Who did you mean, Lazario or DVDjunkie? Because you were referring to something aimed at DVDjunkie, so I have good reason to assume you were also aiming that at DVDjunkie. Maybe you should be smarter and clarify what you're talking about.

Me putting "someone who can convert people" should of been explanatory that I was talking to Lazario.

Cause Junkie's politics don't suck.

[Lazario]

Cause Junkie's politics don't suck.

That's what you think.

[DaveWadding]

I spent the whole time thinking about how they shoehorned Beatles in-jokes into this movie (it was almost The Beatles for Morons) than worrying about the crappy story, forced musical numbers and visuals that would have been much cooler if I were high.