Saturday, June 7, 2008
Quick Take: Iron Man
I'm finally getting around to reviewing Iron Man as it's leaving the theaters. Of the potential summer blockbusters, Iron Man has been the best so far. Robert Downey is great in the role, supported by a great Gwyneth Paltrow. The battle scene at the end of the film is anti-climactic rather than a climax to the film. But the path to get there is always engaging.
Passing Strange: The Original Cast Recording
How do you sell a Broadway show that is so infinitely greater than the sum of its parts? I watched Passing Strange, one of my top-five theater experiences, on The View and thought it came off horribly. I've seen the commercial. Doesn't make me want to see the show. The web site? Well it's a little better, but nothing that makes the show a must-see. So, I had some hope that the original cast recording would capture at least some of the extraordinariness of Passing Strange.
Passing Strange is now available on iTunes and will be available on CD next month. In all honesty, the show doesn't translate all that well to cast album either. It brings back great memories of the experience of seeing the show live, but hasn't been all that impressive to the uninitiated.
The album is a live recording, a great idea given the way the audience's energy informs the show. On the recording, however, the audience seems distant and appreciative rather than enthusiastic. The recording never approaches the level of energy the show itself reaches.
The songs also seem truncated. The endings often seem abrupt. One- or two-minute songs that work seamlessly at the Belasco come across as excerpts on the cast album. So, ultimately don't think the album will sell anyone on the show.
There are some great things about the show and the recording. The performances are excellent. Stew comes off great, as do most of the supporting cast. Daniel Breaker is very good, though he seems less of a presence than on stage. The music is also excellent and the great songs from the show give me memory chills every time I give it a listen.
Passing Strange is now available on iTunes and will be available on CD next month. In all honesty, the show doesn't translate all that well to cast album either. It brings back great memories of the experience of seeing the show live, but hasn't been all that impressive to the uninitiated.
The album is a live recording, a great idea given the way the audience's energy informs the show. On the recording, however, the audience seems distant and appreciative rather than enthusiastic. The recording never approaches the level of energy the show itself reaches.
The songs also seem truncated. The endings often seem abrupt. One- or two-minute songs that work seamlessly at the Belasco come across as excerpts on the cast album. So, ultimately don't think the album will sell anyone on the show.
There are some great things about the show and the recording. The performances are excellent. Stew comes off great, as do most of the supporting cast. Daniel Breaker is very good, though he seems less of a presence than on stage. The music is also excellent and the great songs from the show give me memory chills every time I give it a listen.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Speed Racer
So, I've finally had a chance to see the first three intended blockbusters of the 2008 summer season now that commencement is over. Of course, I'm saying intended, since Speed Racer has yet to break $40 million in its second weekend and Prince Caspian, which was expected to pull $80 million in its first weekend is "falling short," according to the blogs. Certainly, attendance out here in the hinters was sparse at all three films, though word is that Iron Man has legitimately earned the blockbuster label.
Let's take them in order, folks.
Given the brutal reviews Speed Racer was getting, I decided to hedge my bets and travel 90 minutes to the IMAX to see it. I was certainly taking a risk that five stories of Speed would be better than five feet of Speed on the local screen. And the Wachowskis have done interesting things with sound that attracted me to the larger experience, too.
Are the reviews right? Pretty much. Speed Racer is pitched at 10-year-old boys, and unlike the great kids films, it offers very little for the adult chaperone to chew on. The storytelling is muddled; character development is non-existent. Visually, the film is sometimes interesting and often headache inducing.
But the Wachowski brothers do interesting things and, flawed as Speed is, there are interesting things here. The film creates its own universe with its own rules. It doesn't rigidly follow its own rules, like, say, the Buffyverse, but it allows for curious things to happen. The visual style, that slips not so effortlessly back and forth into animation, keeps things moving (if not necessarily interesting).
The actors are reduced to cartoon characters, though generally with less depth. There's little opportunity for Emile Hersch (Speed), John Goodman (Pops) or Matthew Fox (Racer X) to do more than draw a passing familiarity to their animated selves. Any depth of character comes from our familiarity with the original cartoon. They're less wasted than irrelevant.
I could go through the plot, but it, too, is largely irrelevant. So what is relevant to the film. Largely, its the races. The animation is slick. The "Racerverse" has its own rules of gravity and geography that make the races is intriguing.
Mostly, though, there's far too little that is interesting or relevant in Speed Racer. It hardly invoked my fond memories of the cartoon I watched as a kid. It didn't bring out the sense of wonder in the kid that's inside me now. And it didn't even give me the adrenalin rush that even a bad Wachowski film usually does.
Let's take them in order, folks.
Given the brutal reviews Speed Racer was getting, I decided to hedge my bets and travel 90 minutes to the IMAX to see it. I was certainly taking a risk that five stories of Speed would be better than five feet of Speed on the local screen. And the Wachowskis have done interesting things with sound that attracted me to the larger experience, too.
Are the reviews right? Pretty much. Speed Racer is pitched at 10-year-old boys, and unlike the great kids films, it offers very little for the adult chaperone to chew on. The storytelling is muddled; character development is non-existent. Visually, the film is sometimes interesting and often headache inducing.
But the Wachowski brothers do interesting things and, flawed as Speed is, there are interesting things here. The film creates its own universe with its own rules. It doesn't rigidly follow its own rules, like, say, the Buffyverse, but it allows for curious things to happen. The visual style, that slips not so effortlessly back and forth into animation, keeps things moving (if not necessarily interesting).
The actors are reduced to cartoon characters, though generally with less depth. There's little opportunity for Emile Hersch (Speed), John Goodman (Pops) or Matthew Fox (Racer X) to do more than draw a passing familiarity to their animated selves. Any depth of character comes from our familiarity with the original cartoon. They're less wasted than irrelevant.
I could go through the plot, but it, too, is largely irrelevant. So what is relevant to the film. Largely, its the races. The animation is slick. The "Racerverse" has its own rules of gravity and geography that make the races is intriguing.
Mostly, though, there's far too little that is interesting or relevant in Speed Racer. It hardly invoked my fond memories of the cartoon I watched as a kid. It didn't bring out the sense of wonder in the kid that's inside me now. And it didn't even give me the adrenalin rush that even a bad Wachowski film usually does.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
What to do on a Saturday afternoon when you have to see a movie because it's been weeks. Well, April 25 did not bring an grand openings, though the promise of the summer movie season is just a week away. After reading a very positive review by A.O. Scott in the New York Times, I decided to check out Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. Truth be told, the film has a little something to chew on.
Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay is not your typical stoner comedy. In fact, our heroes are not stoned or looking for bud for a large chunk of the film. Kumar's love of weed moves him to smuggle dope and a bong onto his flight to, where else, Amsterdam. When he says "bong" people hear "bomb" and hijinx ensue. Harold and Kumar are delivered to Gitmo, but escape two minutes later and spend the rest of the film being chased across the south.
The film has lots of laughs, and not just scatological humor (though such humor figures prominently as expected). Much of the humor and the plot are driven by judgments people make based on the appearance of others. That gives Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay a resonance that most stoner comedies never achieve.
The film is definitely deeply flawed, but a late scene with W alone makes the film worth an afternoon at the movies. The cameo by Neil Patrick Harris as "Neil Patrick Harris" is also worth the price of admission.
Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay is not your typical stoner comedy. In fact, our heroes are not stoned or looking for bud for a large chunk of the film. Kumar's love of weed moves him to smuggle dope and a bong onto his flight to, where else, Amsterdam. When he says "bong" people hear "bomb" and hijinx ensue. Harold and Kumar are delivered to Gitmo, but escape two minutes later and spend the rest of the film being chased across the south.
The film has lots of laughs, and not just scatological humor (though such humor figures prominently as expected). Much of the humor and the plot are driven by judgments people make based on the appearance of others. That gives Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay a resonance that most stoner comedies never achieve.
The film is definitely deeply flawed, but a late scene with W alone makes the film worth an afternoon at the movies. The cameo by Neil Patrick Harris as "Neil Patrick Harris" is also worth the price of admission.
Quick Takes: Three New Albums
I've been waiting for months since I heard in October that the B-52's were releasing their first album of new material in 16 years. Funplex is the result of that effort, and it doesn't disappoint. Funplex is reminiscent of the B's of old--pre Cosmic Thing. It's sexy and bouncy and makes you want to get your groove on. The harmonies are still fierce and the lyrics witty and fun. Does the album break new ground? Not especially, though the synth influence might be a little heavier. But the number one party band moniker is still safe.
I'm still taking in the new Moby disk, Last Night. I've played it several times now, and every time it feels like a new discovery. I think that's good. It's a fresh album and contains the great hooks and solid dance beats I love to hear from Moby.
The new album that's getting the most play at the moment: Pretty.Odd. from Panic at the Disco. At first listen Pretty.Odd. seems ready made for the adult contemporary circuit. When Brendan Urie sings on "We're So Starving": You don't have to worry cuz we're still the same band, it really isn't clear that's true. The music feels a little lighter, a little poppier, but the lyrics are still the fascinating tongue twisters we expect from Panic. Take the songs out of the context of the album, and it becomes a little clearer that this is, in fact, the same band. And Pretty.Odd. is a worthy follow-up to a fine debut album.
I'm still taking in the new Moby disk, Last Night. I've played it several times now, and every time it feels like a new discovery. I think that's good. It's a fresh album and contains the great hooks and solid dance beats I love to hear from Moby.
The new album that's getting the most play at the moment: Pretty.Odd. from Panic at the Disco. At first listen Pretty.Odd. seems ready made for the adult contemporary circuit. When Brendan Urie sings on "We're So Starving": You don't have to worry cuz we're still the same band, it really isn't clear that's true. The music feels a little lighter, a little poppier, but the lyrics are still the fascinating tongue twisters we expect from Panic. Take the songs out of the context of the album, and it becomes a little clearer that this is, in fact, the same band. And Pretty.Odd. is a worthy follow-up to a fine debut album.
Cry-Baby
Now that the reviews are out, it's high time I add my thoughts about Cry-Baby, the latest John Waters film-to-stage adaptation that opened at the Marquis on Thursday. The show is based on the film that helped Johnny Depp on his way to stardom.
Cry-Baby is John Waters' version of the sweet naive virginal girl who falls for the bad-boy outcast. You can see it currently in the Grease revival stinking up the boards, or in a gazillion other films, television shows and plays. How does this one measure up? Right square in the middle, I would guess. It's not bad, but it's not particularly engaging either.
The musical captures much of the plot of the film, but the characters are largely bland iterations of their filmic counterparts. James Snyder is sexy, but not special as Cry-Baby. Perhaps he and the equally bland Elizabeth Stanley as Allison are really made for each other. The rest of the cast--Harriet Harris excepted--even pales by comparison.
James Snyder said in an interview that Cry-Baby is Hairspray's dirty sibling. Not really. The show would be helped immensely by more crassness and tastelessness and raunch. But this is a musical for the mainstream, and it never takes the risk to be bad.
And so, it's never particularly good either. At $54 for preview performances, it was a not unpleasant divertissement. But in the company of any of the other shows I saw that week, it was a distant last.
Cry-Baby is John Waters' version of the sweet naive virginal girl who falls for the bad-boy outcast. You can see it currently in the Grease revival stinking up the boards, or in a gazillion other films, television shows and plays. How does this one measure up? Right square in the middle, I would guess. It's not bad, but it's not particularly engaging either.
The musical captures much of the plot of the film, but the characters are largely bland iterations of their filmic counterparts. James Snyder is sexy, but not special as Cry-Baby. Perhaps he and the equally bland Elizabeth Stanley as Allison are really made for each other. The rest of the cast--Harriet Harris excepted--even pales by comparison.
James Snyder said in an interview that Cry-Baby is Hairspray's dirty sibling. Not really. The show would be helped immensely by more crassness and tastelessness and raunch. But this is a musical for the mainstream, and it never takes the risk to be bad.
And so, it's never particularly good either. At $54 for preview performances, it was a not unpleasant divertissement. But in the company of any of the other shows I saw that week, it was a distant last.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Sunday
It's great to see Sunday in the Park with George on the boards again. I find it to be one of Stephen Sondheim's great scores (greater scores, they're all great)--an intellectual work with great heart and insight. The Act I finale has always moved me to tears, and I've had the luxury of seeing three great productions: Patinkin/Peters (OBC), Esparza/Kuhn (Kennedy Center Sondheim Festival) and now the Roundabout Theatre's import of the Menier Chocolate Factory production.
This production features direction by animator Sam Buntrock and imports the London leads Daniel Evans and Jenna Russell. It's a wonderful production, and the fantastic animation never overwhelms the production, it only enhances it. The strength of Sunday in the Park with George has always been the near-prefect first act. This production finds great strength and deeper meaning in the second act.
Daniel Evans and Jenna Russell are fine as George and Dot/Marie. Russell's Dot is quiet and sometimes hard to hear. Her Marie, though, is wonderful and provides great focus for the second act. Truth be told, as wonderful as Evans and Russell are, I don't think think they're an essential component of the Buntrock production. In other words, I could imagine the production without them.
So what's different? The score is played by a group of five musicians. At times it's effective and at times the score sounds thin. The show is softly miked. Even in the balcony we often heard the voices directly from the stage. How uncommon is that?
But really, it's the production design that brings great new life to this Sunday. It's inspired, creative, an just so right for the show.
This production features direction by animator Sam Buntrock and imports the London leads Daniel Evans and Jenna Russell. It's a wonderful production, and the fantastic animation never overwhelms the production, it only enhances it. The strength of Sunday in the Park with George has always been the near-prefect first act. This production finds great strength and deeper meaning in the second act.
Daniel Evans and Jenna Russell are fine as George and Dot/Marie. Russell's Dot is quiet and sometimes hard to hear. Her Marie, though, is wonderful and provides great focus for the second act. Truth be told, as wonderful as Evans and Russell are, I don't think think they're an essential component of the Buntrock production. In other words, I could imagine the production without them.
So what's different? The score is played by a group of five musicians. At times it's effective and at times the score sounds thin. The show is softly miked. Even in the balcony we often heard the voices directly from the stage. How uncommon is that?
But really, it's the production design that brings great new life to this Sunday. It's inspired, creative, an just so right for the show.
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