Tuesday, 25 December 2012
Wednesday, 19 December 2012
One Day More Les Miz Movie!
http://www.lasexta.com/videos-online/sexta3/noticias/imagenes-excusivas-miserables_2012121800020.html
OK, I haven't watched this because I want to save it for watching the whole film!
OK, I haven't watched this because I want to save it for watching the whole film!
Sunday, 16 December 2012
Cats Don't Dance Review!
I only saw this last night and I had never heard of it until I saw The Nostalgia Critic's Top 10 Films He Wouldn't Review video and this film interested me!
Cats Don't Dance
Rating: ***
It's basically an animal version of Singin' In The Rain about Danny, voiced by Scott Bakula, a cat who dreams of becoming a Hollywood star with a group of eccentric and lovable animals, despite the fact they're given very minor roles, reflecting on African American actors being given minimal roles around that time in Hollywood films. Danny meets Sawyer, voiced by Jasmine Guy (singing by Natalie Cole), a cynical secretary cat whose dreams of becoming a dancer were shattered. The villain, child actress Darla Dimple, an obvious spoof of child star Shirley Temple, who claims to love animals, hates them and doesn't want them to ruin her stardom with the help of her bodyguard Max.
This was the last ever film for Hollywood legend Gene Kelly, who supervised helping with the choreography for this film, since he died before the film was released and it definitely doesn't disappoint and I can see much of Don from Singin' In the Rain in Danny. This was also the last film for Betty Lou Gershon, the voice of Cruella De Vil from 101 Dalmatians, who plays a smoking fish who can somehow survive on land.
Darla Dimple is a hilarious villain and her song Big and Loud is interesting as it starts off as an influential song for Danny but gradually becomes more threatening when her true intentions are revealed.
Speaking of the songs, they're actually really good and are definitely good for a Warner Brothers attempt at a Broadway style musical animated film, especially Danny's first song, Tell Me Lies sung by Sawyer and my favourite Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now! These were all composed by Randy Newman AKA the composer for the Toy Story films and the Princess and the Frog and they remind me of 30's Broadway muisical numbers. Also, the homages to classic Hollywood films are actually funny like King Kong, The Wizard of Oz and other MGM films past and present (for 1997 present anyway).
The only downside is Danny can sometimes come across as selfish and naive about Hollywood, thinking it's easy getting a part in a film and is a bit gullible since he thought Darla had good intentions, even though he had good intentions for the other animals.
Still, it's a good film and it's enjoyable to watch and it actually works as an attempt to copy the Disney formula in the 90's and it's actually more original than I thought, despite the obvious Singin' In The Rain parallels, which I see as more of a homage rather than a rip off since Gene Kelly did supervise for this film and there is a tribute to him at the end. It's such a shame this was a box office bomb because I would have seen this when it was out, even though I was too young to go to the cinema back then (I was born in 1995!)
Cats Don't Dance
It's basically an animal version of Singin' In The Rain about Danny, voiced by Scott Bakula, a cat who dreams of becoming a Hollywood star with a group of eccentric and lovable animals, despite the fact they're given very minor roles, reflecting on African American actors being given minimal roles around that time in Hollywood films. Danny meets Sawyer, voiced by Jasmine Guy (singing by Natalie Cole), a cynical secretary cat whose dreams of becoming a dancer were shattered. The villain, child actress Darla Dimple, an obvious spoof of child star Shirley Temple, who claims to love animals, hates them and doesn't want them to ruin her stardom with the help of her bodyguard Max.
This was the last ever film for Hollywood legend Gene Kelly, who supervised helping with the choreography for this film, since he died before the film was released and it definitely doesn't disappoint and I can see much of Don from Singin' In the Rain in Danny. This was also the last film for Betty Lou Gershon, the voice of Cruella De Vil from 101 Dalmatians, who plays a smoking fish who can somehow survive on land.
Darla Dimple is a hilarious villain and her song Big and Loud is interesting as it starts off as an influential song for Danny but gradually becomes more threatening when her true intentions are revealed.
Speaking of the songs, they're actually really good and are definitely good for a Warner Brothers attempt at a Broadway style musical animated film, especially Danny's first song, Tell Me Lies sung by Sawyer and my favourite Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now! These were all composed by Randy Newman AKA the composer for the Toy Story films and the Princess and the Frog and they remind me of 30's Broadway muisical numbers. Also, the homages to classic Hollywood films are actually funny like King Kong, The Wizard of Oz and other MGM films past and present (for 1997 present anyway).
The only downside is Danny can sometimes come across as selfish and naive about Hollywood, thinking it's easy getting a part in a film and is a bit gullible since he thought Darla had good intentions, even though he had good intentions for the other animals.
Still, it's a good film and it's enjoyable to watch and it actually works as an attempt to copy the Disney formula in the 90's and it's actually more original than I thought, despite the obvious Singin' In The Rain parallels, which I see as more of a homage rather than a rip off since Gene Kelly did supervise for this film and there is a tribute to him at the end. It's such a shame this was a box office bomb because I would have seen this when it was out, even though I was too young to go to the cinema back then (I was born in 1995!)
Saturday, 15 December 2012
The Princess and the Frog Review!
Yeah, I decided to do this now so I can make it quicker for me to do my video review!
The Princess and the Frog
Rating: *****
The Princess and the Frog is a 1920's version of the fairytale the Frog Prince with a fun New Orleans twist! It's about Tiana, a determined young waitress who wants to open her own restaurant after her father died in World War I. She comes across Prince Naveen, who was transformed into a frog by Dr. Facilier a voodoo witch doctor, voiced by Keith David, at a costume ball of her friend's who Naveen wants to marry instead of working hard and getting a job since his parents cut him off his riches. Thinking she's a princess, Naveen convinces her to kiss him in exhange for money for her restaurant. Deciding to take the easy way out Tiana kisses him, only to be turned into a frog since she wasn't a princess. The two come across some fun characters including Louis, a trumpet playing alligator, Ray a Cajun firefly and Mama Odie, a 200 year old blind witch.
This film brought the comeback of 2D animation after years of Pixar's and Dreamworks 3D animation taking over and it doesn't disappoint at all. The only thing I don't understand is why didn't they decide to do an African American princess until now? To me, Tiana is the most realistic princess I've seen: she works hard, she knows fairy tales don't exist and have to work to get what you want! She even has TWO jobs simultaneously, that's commitment! Anika Noni Rose's voice definitely shows off in this film, especially during her solo Almost There and the Down in New Orleans finale! I already mentioned how underused Anika was in my Dreamgirls review because of how much I love her acting skills and her incredible voice. They even got Oprah Winfrey, one of the most influential women in the world to voice Tiana's mum and she definitely is wise to her daughter, as most mothers are in Disney films! Bruno Campos' performance as the cocky and self absorbed prince Naveen is also done well, but I love Michael-Leon Wooley as Louis, Keith David as the villainous Dr Facilier and Jenifer Lewis as the hilarious Mama Odie. My personal highlight though, would have to be Jennifer Cody as Charlotte because every time she appeared on screen, I would laugh my head off!
The animation is amazing and is almost like the animation used during the Disney Renaissance and I love the design of New Orleans from the French Quarters to the bayou. The music by Randy Newman definitely reflects on the Jazz Age and were very fun to watch, especially the gospel influence for Dig A Little Deeper, but Alan Menken will always be my favourite Disney composer! The only downside I have is the rating, which is U here, and I think some elements including the voodoo theme are too scary for kids and should be up to PG. Still, it's a great film and I don't have any flaws with the actual film iteslf and everyone will love it, whether you're a kid or a fan of traditional animated films!
The Princess and the Frog
The Princess and the Frog is a 1920's version of the fairytale the Frog Prince with a fun New Orleans twist! It's about Tiana, a determined young waitress who wants to open her own restaurant after her father died in World War I. She comes across Prince Naveen, who was transformed into a frog by Dr. Facilier a voodoo witch doctor, voiced by Keith David, at a costume ball of her friend's who Naveen wants to marry instead of working hard and getting a job since his parents cut him off his riches. Thinking she's a princess, Naveen convinces her to kiss him in exhange for money for her restaurant. Deciding to take the easy way out Tiana kisses him, only to be turned into a frog since she wasn't a princess. The two come across some fun characters including Louis, a trumpet playing alligator, Ray a Cajun firefly and Mama Odie, a 200 year old blind witch.
This film brought the comeback of 2D animation after years of Pixar's and Dreamworks 3D animation taking over and it doesn't disappoint at all. The only thing I don't understand is why didn't they decide to do an African American princess until now? To me, Tiana is the most realistic princess I've seen: she works hard, she knows fairy tales don't exist and have to work to get what you want! She even has TWO jobs simultaneously, that's commitment! Anika Noni Rose's voice definitely shows off in this film, especially during her solo Almost There and the Down in New Orleans finale! I already mentioned how underused Anika was in my Dreamgirls review because of how much I love her acting skills and her incredible voice. They even got Oprah Winfrey, one of the most influential women in the world to voice Tiana's mum and she definitely is wise to her daughter, as most mothers are in Disney films! Bruno Campos' performance as the cocky and self absorbed prince Naveen is also done well, but I love Michael-Leon Wooley as Louis, Keith David as the villainous Dr Facilier and Jenifer Lewis as the hilarious Mama Odie. My personal highlight though, would have to be Jennifer Cody as Charlotte because every time she appeared on screen, I would laugh my head off!
The animation is amazing and is almost like the animation used during the Disney Renaissance and I love the design of New Orleans from the French Quarters to the bayou. The music by Randy Newman definitely reflects on the Jazz Age and were very fun to watch, especially the gospel influence for Dig A Little Deeper, but Alan Menken will always be my favourite Disney composer! The only downside I have is the rating, which is U here, and I think some elements including the voodoo theme are too scary for kids and should be up to PG. Still, it's a great film and I don't have any flaws with the actual film iteslf and everyone will love it, whether you're a kid or a fan of traditional animated films!
Friday, 14 December 2012
Prince of Egypt review!
OK, after the first 2 reviews of bad animated films, I decided to review a good musical film!
Prince of Egypt
Rating: ****
It's the story of Exodus from the Bible about Moses, voiced by Val Kilmer, a Hebrew man raised by the Egyptian royal family after being saved by his real mother from being killed by the Pharoh's men who were told to kill all male Hebrew newborns to avoid conflict. After Moses kills a guard by accident (although in the Bible it was on purpose!) and finds out the truth by his birth brother Aron and his sister Miriam, he runs away in exile and marries Tzipporah, voiced by Michelle Pfeiffer and finds out his destiny from God to save the Hebrews from his adoptive brother Ramases, voiced by Ralph Fiennes.
The animation is amazing in this and is actually accurate with the designs of the characters from the symmetrical Egyptian look to the natural Hebrew look, with my highlight in the animation being the scene of the Ten Plagues. The voice acting is also good with it's all star cast, especially Ralph Fiennes and I find it interesting that it focuses on the relationship between Ramases and Moses as brothers who are forced to be enemies because of their destinies, as much as they want to be where they were before. The supporting characters are actually nice to watch including Tzipporah's father Jethro, voiced by Danny Glover and is like a father figure towards Moses. The Pharoh's advisors voiced by Martin Short and Steve Martin are actually funny together, but also quite dark to watch at the same time, especially during Playing With The Big Boys Now.
I LOVE the songs in this film which actually help further the story, especially Deliver Us, Heaven's Light and of course, the Oscar winning When You Believe, well the Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston version anyway. Considering the songs were composed by the guy who wrote the songs for Enchanted and Wicked, I'm not surprised they're excellent!
The only downside I have is the number of inaccuracies to the original Exodus text which were noticeable to me, like it was the Pharaoh's daughter who adopted Moses, not his wife, the one I mentioned above about Moses killing the guard and that Aron never doubted Moses and it was him who turned the water into blood with the staff, not Moses. I find it ironic as Dreamworks talked with biblical scholars to make it accurate Still, they'll fly over kid's heads who haven't read the original story and I guess it's to make it more kid friendly and the overall plot is still the same.
So overall, it's a great film, with it's stunning animation, memorable songs and great cast, it won't disappoint you. While it has inaccuracies to the Bible, the main story is still intact about one of the most well known parables and this film definitely has a charm to it.
My release date for the Enchanted Christmas will hopefully be December 25th or January 1st as I have a TON of college work at the moment! My next review will be The Princess and the Frog, which I also like!
Prince of Egypt
It's the story of Exodus from the Bible about Moses, voiced by Val Kilmer, a Hebrew man raised by the Egyptian royal family after being saved by his real mother from being killed by the Pharoh's men who were told to kill all male Hebrew newborns to avoid conflict. After Moses kills a guard by accident (although in the Bible it was on purpose!) and finds out the truth by his birth brother Aron and his sister Miriam, he runs away in exile and marries Tzipporah, voiced by Michelle Pfeiffer and finds out his destiny from God to save the Hebrews from his adoptive brother Ramases, voiced by Ralph Fiennes.
The animation is amazing in this and is actually accurate with the designs of the characters from the symmetrical Egyptian look to the natural Hebrew look, with my highlight in the animation being the scene of the Ten Plagues. The voice acting is also good with it's all star cast, especially Ralph Fiennes and I find it interesting that it focuses on the relationship between Ramases and Moses as brothers who are forced to be enemies because of their destinies, as much as they want to be where they were before. The supporting characters are actually nice to watch including Tzipporah's father Jethro, voiced by Danny Glover and is like a father figure towards Moses. The Pharoh's advisors voiced by Martin Short and Steve Martin are actually funny together, but also quite dark to watch at the same time, especially during Playing With The Big Boys Now.
I LOVE the songs in this film which actually help further the story, especially Deliver Us, Heaven's Light and of course, the Oscar winning When You Believe, well the Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston version anyway. Considering the songs were composed by the guy who wrote the songs for Enchanted and Wicked, I'm not surprised they're excellent!
The only downside I have is the number of inaccuracies to the original Exodus text which were noticeable to me, like it was the Pharaoh's daughter who adopted Moses, not his wife, the one I mentioned above about Moses killing the guard and that Aron never doubted Moses and it was him who turned the water into blood with the staff, not Moses. I find it ironic as Dreamworks talked with biblical scholars to make it accurate Still, they'll fly over kid's heads who haven't read the original story and I guess it's to make it more kid friendly and the overall plot is still the same.
So overall, it's a great film, with it's stunning animation, memorable songs and great cast, it won't disappoint you. While it has inaccuracies to the Bible, the main story is still intact about one of the most well known parables and this film definitely has a charm to it.
My release date for the Enchanted Christmas will hopefully be December 25th or January 1st as I have a TON of college work at the moment! My next review will be The Princess and the Frog, which I also like!
Tuesday, 11 December 2012
Quest For Camelot Review!
OK, this film was out around the time the Disney Renaissance was fully in swing. This would also be a time when other film companies would attempt to copy the Disney formula with their princesses/heroines, great musical numbers, great animation and epic magical spells. Quest For Camelot has none of this.
Quest For Camelot
Rating: **
It's about Kayley, a blatant rip-off of Belle, who's the daughter of one of the knights of King Arthur's Round Table voiced by Jessalyn Gilsig (Terri from Glee) who wants to become a knight, despite the obvious anti-feminist laws! Excalibur is stolen by Ruber, voiced by Gary Oldman, possibly the weirdest and most boring animated villain I've ever seen, like Spider Smith from Lost In Space, which happened to have been released in the same year as this movie! Yeah, Kayley meets Garrett voiced by Cary Elwes, with a very different singing voice, a blind hermit who 'stands alone' (yes, that's one of the songs in the film which has no use or purpose in the movie like all the other songs in this film!) Oh yeah, there's one thing I won't understand, there's no point of Garrett being blind and at times I even forgot he was blind!
Kayley and Garrett meet an incredibly annoying two headed dragon voiced by Eric Idle and Don Rickles who have no purpose but to annoy the hell out of us so they can be a 'comic relief ' Yeah they even sing a song like Elvis and a load of pop culture references, obviously ripping off Aladdin, which actually pulled it off and none of it has anything to do with the King Arthur legend! Yeah, I call that scene a Big-Lipped-Alligator Moment which has no explanation just like everything else in this piece of shit!
Yeah, also I personally think they were mostly focusing on the soundtrack for this film even though it was still crappy since they got a load of singers like Andrea Corr, Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion! I'm not kidding! And before you ask, that song The Prayer which nearly everyone has sang came from this film and is so out of place, it's unbelievable! Nobody would ever believe such a great song would originate from such a lame film, and that's an understatement!
I'm not gonna go on to reveal everything because it's as cliché as it gets, except the blind guy's still blind at the end of the film! Wow! I didn't think Camelot would have a load of douche-bags, just give the guy his eyes! So overall, it's awful, the characters are bland and annoying rip-offs, the animation's bad, the songs are like the composers crapped on it and called it 'music' except for the Prayer. And in the words of the Nostalgia Critic 'JUST EXPLAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIN!'
My next animated musical this month will be The Prince of Egypt, which I actually like and I'll definitely be doing a video review of Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas!
Quest For Camelot
It's about Kayley, a blatant rip-off of Belle, who's the daughter of one of the knights of King Arthur's Round Table voiced by Jessalyn Gilsig (Terri from Glee) who wants to become a knight, despite the obvious anti-feminist laws! Excalibur is stolen by Ruber, voiced by Gary Oldman, possibly the weirdest and most boring animated villain I've ever seen, like Spider Smith from Lost In Space, which happened to have been released in the same year as this movie! Yeah, Kayley meets Garrett voiced by Cary Elwes, with a very different singing voice, a blind hermit who 'stands alone' (yes, that's one of the songs in the film which has no use or purpose in the movie like all the other songs in this film!) Oh yeah, there's one thing I won't understand, there's no point of Garrett being blind and at times I even forgot he was blind!
Kayley and Garrett meet an incredibly annoying two headed dragon voiced by Eric Idle and Don Rickles who have no purpose but to annoy the hell out of us so they can be a 'comic relief ' Yeah they even sing a song like Elvis and a load of pop culture references, obviously ripping off Aladdin, which actually pulled it off and none of it has anything to do with the King Arthur legend! Yeah, I call that scene a Big-Lipped-Alligator Moment which has no explanation just like everything else in this piece of shit!
Yeah, also I personally think they were mostly focusing on the soundtrack for this film even though it was still crappy since they got a load of singers like Andrea Corr, Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion! I'm not kidding! And before you ask, that song The Prayer which nearly everyone has sang came from this film and is so out of place, it's unbelievable! Nobody would ever believe such a great song would originate from such a lame film, and that's an understatement!
I'm not gonna go on to reveal everything because it's as cliché as it gets, except the blind guy's still blind at the end of the film! Wow! I didn't think Camelot would have a load of douche-bags, just give the guy his eyes! So overall, it's awful, the characters are bland and annoying rip-offs, the animation's bad, the songs are like the composers crapped on it and called it 'music' except for the Prayer. And in the words of the Nostalgia Critic 'JUST EXPLAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIN!'
My next animated musical this month will be The Prince of Egypt, which I actually like and I'll definitely be doing a video review of Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas!
Sunday, 9 December 2012
Les Miz featurettes!
This actually made me cry!
Wow! Really impressed!
Finally we get to hear Sacha and Helena! It's incredible how much detail's put into this!
Thursday, 6 December 2012
Les Miz premiere pics!
If you zoom in, you can see the back of Helena!
Yeah, that's Anne, Michael and Russel!
So yeah, photographic evidence I was there!
Thumbelina Review!
My apologies for the delay, I would have done a video review like the Nostalgia Critic, but I'm just going the quicker way to start my animated musicals December! So here it is:
Thumbelina
Rating: *
OK, I'm just gonna get straight to the point: IT'S A DISNEY RIP-OFF! SPECIFICALLY A LITTLE MERMAID RIP-OFF! Think about, both are based on a Hans Christian Andersen fairytale with red-head women as the titular characters, they fall into the syndrome of falling in love at first sight, the men only love their voices, as does everyone else, they want to be something they're not and most importantly: THEY'RE BOTH VOICED BY JODI BENSON! Did she really not see the similarities between them when she recorded the voice for Thumbelina!
OK, the plot is a contrived love/adventure story and is ridiculous and lacks common sense! Why didn't she get on that stupid bird when she was stuck of the lily pad so she could go home? Why didn't the prince die when he was frozen and why did Thumbelina agree to marry the mole in the first place even though she didn't love him? Yep I hate this film, but nothing could bug me more than the music, written by Barry Manilow, which is some of the shittiest music I have ever heard, especially Marry the Mole and Follow Your Heart, making this film be only animated film to win a Razzie!
So yeah, one other thing I find strange is why is it in Paris? May be ripping off Beauty and the Beast since that's set in France too, as well as fading into stained glass at the end. Also, how long did this film take place for? From my perspective, it would've been about 3 days, 4 maximum and also, the moral of the story leaves nothing for kids and I just hate it! Impossible and inconvinient aren't the same thing!
OK, I know this was short review, but my next one will be Quest for Camelot, where I will have things to talk or/write about!
Thumbelina
 |
| DISNEY RIP-OFF!!! |
OK, I'm just gonna get straight to the point: IT'S A DISNEY RIP-OFF! SPECIFICALLY A LITTLE MERMAID RIP-OFF! Think about, both are based on a Hans Christian Andersen fairytale with red-head women as the titular characters, they fall into the syndrome of falling in love at first sight, the men only love their voices, as does everyone else, they want to be something they're not and most importantly: THEY'RE BOTH VOICED BY JODI BENSON! Did she really not see the similarities between them when she recorded the voice for Thumbelina!
OK, the plot is a contrived love/adventure story and is ridiculous and lacks common sense! Why didn't she get on that stupid bird when she was stuck of the lily pad so she could go home? Why didn't the prince die when he was frozen and why did Thumbelina agree to marry the mole in the first place even though she didn't love him? Yep I hate this film, but nothing could bug me more than the music, written by Barry Manilow, which is some of the shittiest music I have ever heard, especially Marry the Mole and Follow Your Heart, making this film be only animated film to win a Razzie!
So yeah, one other thing I find strange is why is it in Paris? May be ripping off Beauty and the Beast since that's set in France too, as well as fading into stained glass at the end. Also, how long did this film take place for? From my perspective, it would've been about 3 days, 4 maximum and also, the moral of the story leaves nothing for kids and I just hate it! Impossible and inconvinient aren't the same thing!
OK, I know this was short review, but my next one will be Quest for Camelot, where I will have things to talk or/write about!
Wednesday, 5 December 2012
Saturday, 1 December 2012
Les Miserables clips!
FINALLY! THIS FILM LOOKS AMAZING! My highlights would have to be Samantha's On my Own and Anne's incredible acting after Fantine's fired. I also like Hugh and Russell and Eddie and Amanda on-screen chemistry together, but I want more of Helena and Sacha!
Thursday, 29 November 2012
December Reviews!
Production for the first episode of my new web-series is underway! For December I'll be revewing animated musicals so these are the ones I'll be reviewing:
- Beauty and the Beast
- The Little Mermaid
- The Lion King
- The Prince of Egypt (which is really underrated to me)
- The Princess and the Frog
- Thumbelina
- Quest for Camelot
- The King and I (animated version)
- Beauty and the Beast The Enchanted Christmas
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Friday, 23 November 2012
Announcement!
Hi sorry I haven't been on for a while, but just to let you know, I'll be doing videos of trivia and information about film versions of musicals, starting with the 2000's because I'm more aware of them, as well as early 2010's because it's a wee bit too early to do one for this decade! They'll be quite similar to Animat's animation lookback videos on Youtube (who is hilarious and I suggest you watch them if you love animated film!) and I'll be reviewing Disney animated musicals everyday in order (I have a rule that if a film has more than five songs it's a musical film!) in December until New Years Day and yes, it's a rip off of the Nostalgia Critic's Disneycember which he ripped off from someone else so it's a rip off of a rip off!
Wednesday, 21 November 2012
Saturday, 17 November 2012
Les Miz World Premiere!
Just found out the world premiere of Les Miz will be on 5th December in Leicester Square in London, which I hopefully will be going to! Heck, even the London cast have been given a day off to go to the premiere! I also may be seeing the show again with a friend of mine who really wants to see it and she knows how much I love it! Here's the Nostalgia Chick's review of the show which makes me laugh my head off (just skip to the end when everyone sings One Day More!) and she makes a great point to Marius and Cosette's relationship!
Saturday, 10 November 2012
Just heard Loserville's closing on Januray 5th which will have only have run in the West End for 5 months! I could tell from the start that show would be rubbish and it's just a rip off of a show like Glee, The Big Bang Theory and Grease! Reviews haven't exactly given any justice for the show's promotion and it's use of Lil Chris just bugs the hell out of me!
Friday, 9 November 2012
Book of Mormon London cast!
Congrats to the cast of the Book of Mormon, which includes Gavin Creel, Jared Gertner (who's reprising his role from the Broadway production!), Alexia Khadime (who most recently finished her run in Les Miz and is the first black actress to be the principal Elphaba EVER, who I must say, is amazing!), Stephen Ashfield, Gile Terera and Chris Jarman!
The musical is created by the creators of South Park and co-creator of Avenue Q and is coming to London on 25th February 2013 at the Prince of Wales Theatre (that's where Mamma Mia used to be!)
The musical is created by the creators of South Park and co-creator of Avenue Q and is coming to London on 25th February 2013 at the Prince of Wales Theatre (that's where Mamma Mia used to be!)
New Les Miz trailer!
I love it! This can't come soon enough! Quite surprised with Russell Crowe, Samantha's amazing as always. The only thing that confuses me is the different version of I Dreamed a Dream Anne sings, but she's good! Glad there's more of Helena and Sacha and Eddie and Amanda sound good! So happy they showed off more of the amazing music from this musical!
Tuesday, 6 November 2012
New Les Miz Cast!
From January 15th, this will be the new cast (I'm sad Sierra's leaving but I knew from the start and I'll be heading to New York to see her in Phantom on Broadway!)
Fantine: German actress Celinde Schoenmaker! She does have a pretty voice and I can definitely see her as Fantine! If you don't believe me, listen to this!
Marius: Australian actor, Jamie Ward! Not sure about his looks, but he sounds much better than Craig Mather in this video of him singing Empty Chairs at Empty Tables!
Fantine: German actress Celinde Schoenmaker! She does have a pretty voice and I can definitely see her as Fantine! If you don't believe me, listen to this!
Marius: Australian actor, Jamie Ward! Not sure about his looks, but he sounds much better than Craig Mather in this video of him singing Empty Chairs at Empty Tables!
Enjolras: Christopher Jacobsen, who's definitely no stranger to Les Miserables over the past few years!
Madame Thenardier: Corrie star Vicki Entwistle (my mother knows who she is cos she watches Corrie)! Quite surprised they've got a TV star to be in most likely one of the greatest musicals of all time! Then again, it worked with Matt Lucas! By the way, I couldn't find any video or audio clips of her singing!
Well it could've been worse, could've been Miley Cyrus as Eponine! OK, I know that sounds strange, but at least Danielle's still in the show!
Sunday, 4 November 2012
Rocky Horror Review!
Rating: *****
Plot: Spoofing classic horror films, Brad Majors (Bostwick) and his fiancée Janet Weiss (Sarandon) come across eccentric people called Transylvanians after their car broke down on their way to meet Dr. Scott to announce their engagement. Among the Transylvanians is Riff Raff (O'Brien), a spoof of Igor and the master's assistant, his sister Magenta (Quinn) with whom Riff Raff is having an incestuous relationship, swinger Columbia who's love is Eddie (Meat Loaf) and Frank N' Furter (Curry), the master and mad scientist who creates a tanned and blonde Frankenstein-like creature, Rocky. As Frank N' Furter's seduces both Brad and Janet and kills Eddie, their lives change during the bizarre events that come out to their strange adventure.
I must start with the songs for this film, which are incredible and unforgettable, with my personal favourites being Dammit Janet, Whatever Happened to Saturday Night? and of course, Time Warp and Sweet Transvestite! I love that a majority of the original cast from the stage show of Rocky Horror reprised their roles, which benefited everyone and helped Tim Curry become a household name in the acting industry. And I'm not afraid to say this: I am attracted to Frank N' Furter in a bizarre way (I think it's because of his legs and his costume)! Tim Curry is my personal highlight as the strangely seductive transvestite Frank N' Furter clad in lingerie and drag queen make-up! Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon are also interesting as the naive and uptight loved up couple, with Janet's transition from the latter, to sexually opening up with Rocky. Richard O'Brien, the creator of the show is hilarious as Riff Raff, accompanied with Patricia Quinn, who is also the iconic dismantled lips which sing the opening song Science Fiction Double feature which O'Brien provides the vocals for.
The plot is hilarious and strange, which the audience can either fully understand, not understand at all, or in-between like me, since I did not understand the purpose of the floor routine at all, as much as I love the songs and the eccentricity of the scene. One other thing confuses me: how did Frank put the costumes on if they were all completely frozen and unable to move?! Also, there's an array of continuity errors, but one may ask if they were put in on purpose just to show the quality of 30's B-rated movies? One example, Christopher Biggins (yes, the same one who won I'm a Celebrity!) clearly breaks the head off the Michaelangelo's David statue while moving away from Eddie on his motorcycle during Whatever Happened to Saturday Night? and clearly tries to put it back together. However, none of this stops me from enjoying the film and its hilarity and, is it OK to say charm or uniqueness? Anyway, the setting with the castle is perfect for the creepiness and Gothic style of the film.
Now, I think it's unfair of the rating being 18 (I'm 17 and got the DVD when I was 15!) here in the UK because the sex isn't explicit, only seen in silhouettes, there's no full frontal nudity except for statues and the violence isn't even seen and the killings of Frank and Nell and Eddie's dead body are clearly fake and are used for comedy, not horror! Still, it's an amazing film and is perfect for Halloween, as well as the film version of Sweeney Todd, Little Shop of Horrors, The Nightmare Before Christmas (I prefer to watch it at Christmas) and Repo: The Genetic Opera, of course!
Tuesday, 30 October 2012
Just heard all Broadway shows are cancelled in New York because of Hurricane Sandy. I hope everyone stays strong and are safe. I have faith in all of you!
Just heard the London Eye last night went green in honour of Louise Dearman's début as Elphaba in Wicked. She's the first EVER actress in Wicked to play both Glinda and Elphaba and I think it's very appropriate for them to do what they did last night! She does look very pretty as Elphaba I must say!
Now THAT is cool! Recreating Defying Gravity on the London Eye! Nice one, Wicked!
Just heard the London Eye last night went green in honour of Louise Dearman's début as Elphaba in Wicked. She's the first EVER actress in Wicked to play both Glinda and Elphaba and I think it's very appropriate for them to do what they did last night! She does look very pretty as Elphaba I must say!
Now THAT is cool! Recreating Defying Gravity on the London Eye! Nice one, Wicked!
Monday, 29 October 2012
Sorry I haven't been posting for a while and to make up for it, I'll be reviewing one of the perfect musicals for Halloween: ROCKY HORROR!!! Also, I heard there'll be a UK tour next year for the 40th anniversary featuring Superstar winner Ben Forster as Brad Majors, former Emmerdale star Roxanne Pallett as Janet Weiss, Priscilla Queen of the Desert actor Oliver Thornton as Frank n' Furter and X Factor runner-up (who I personally think should've won instead of that wimpy Leon who doesn't even have a singing career now!) Rhydian Roberts as Rocky!
OH MY GOD HE LOOKS SO SEXY IN A CORSET AND MAKE-UP!!!! Actually, he reminds me of a member from KISS!!
OH MY GOD HE LOOKS SO SEXY IN A CORSET AND MAKE-UP!!!! Actually, he reminds me of a member from KISS!!
Friday, 19 October 2012
It's a year since I went to Phantom 25th! Celebrating it with listening to Phantom 25th CD and watching the performance at the Classic Brits which I loved! Because of this, I now have 2 Theatre Stars of the Day!
Ramin Karimloo!
Theatre credits: Feuilly, understudy & principal Enjolras, understudy Marius & Jean Valjean in Les Miserables (Palace & Queen, london), Chris in Miss Saigon (UK Tour), understudy & principal Phantom & Raoul in Phantom of the Opera (London), Phantom in Love Never Dies (London), Enjolras in Les Miserables 25th Anniversary Concert (O2 Arena), Phantom for the Phantom of the Opera 25th Anniversary Concert (Royal Albert Hall)
Recordings: Love Never Dies (Original London Cast Recording), Ramin (Sony Records) He has also performed at the 2012 Classical BRIT Awards and the 2011 Olivier Awards
Sierra Boggess!
Theatre credits: Factory girl/understudy Cosette in Les Miserables (National US Tour), Christine Daae in Phantom- Las Vegas Spectacular (Las Vegas), The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall (London), the original Christine Daae in Love Never Dies (London), Sharon in Master Class (Broadway) and is soon to reprise the role of Christine for a fourth time in The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway for the 25th anniversary of the Broadway production and is the first ever Broadway production to celebrate it (Broadway)! Her big break came when she was Ariel in the Little Mermaid in the original Broadway cast and is currently Fantine in Les Miserables (London) opposite her fiancé Tam Mutu. She is scheduled to appear in Prince of Broadway in late 2013.
Recordings include: Love Never Dies (Original London Cast Recording), The Little Mermaid (Original Broadway cast recording) and John Wilson Orchestra CD. She has also appeared in the BBC 2010 and 2012 Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, Over the Rainbow, the 2011 Olivier Awards and performed at the Classical BRIT Awards 2012.
They're my favourite Phantom pairing & they're such nice people to meet. Actually, they're the nicest actors I've ever met!
Ramin Karimloo!
Theatre credits: Feuilly, understudy & principal Enjolras, understudy Marius & Jean Valjean in Les Miserables (Palace & Queen, london), Chris in Miss Saigon (UK Tour), understudy & principal Phantom & Raoul in Phantom of the Opera (London), Phantom in Love Never Dies (London), Enjolras in Les Miserables 25th Anniversary Concert (O2 Arena), Phantom for the Phantom of the Opera 25th Anniversary Concert (Royal Albert Hall)
Recordings: Love Never Dies (Original London Cast Recording), Ramin (Sony Records) He has also performed at the 2012 Classical BRIT Awards and the 2011 Olivier Awards
Sierra Boggess!
Theatre credits: Factory girl/understudy Cosette in Les Miserables (National US Tour), Christine Daae in Phantom- Las Vegas Spectacular (Las Vegas), The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall (London), the original Christine Daae in Love Never Dies (London), Sharon in Master Class (Broadway) and is soon to reprise the role of Christine for a fourth time in The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway for the 25th anniversary of the Broadway production and is the first ever Broadway production to celebrate it (Broadway)! Her big break came when she was Ariel in the Little Mermaid in the original Broadway cast and is currently Fantine in Les Miserables (London) opposite her fiancé Tam Mutu. She is scheduled to appear in Prince of Broadway in late 2013.
Recordings include: Love Never Dies (Original London Cast Recording), The Little Mermaid (Original Broadway cast recording) and John Wilson Orchestra CD. She has also appeared in the BBC 2010 and 2012 Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, Over the Rainbow, the 2011 Olivier Awards and performed at the Classical BRIT Awards 2012.
They're my favourite Phantom pairing & they're such nice people to meet. Actually, they're the nicest actors I've ever met!
Saturday, 29 September 2012
Wednesday, 26 September 2012
Tuesday, 25 September 2012
Theatre Star of the Day!
Samantha Barks!
Theatrical credits: Sally Bowles in Cabaret (UK Tour), Eponine in Les Miserables (London), Nancy in Oliver! (UK Tour)
TV/Film Appearances: Runner-up of I'd Do Anything, Eponine in Les Miserables 25th Anniversary Concert at the O2 & Les Miserables film.
Other: Performed at the 2011 Classical Brit Awards
Training: The Arts Educational School in Chiswick
I can't wait to see her in the Les Miserables movie! She's my favourite Eponine!
Why TV stars shouldn't be in musicals!
This has been bugging me for quite a while now, mainly because of television actors & 'celebrities' think they can just parade & strut around a stage terribly singing, calling themselves ' West End/Broadway stars!' I even detest it when theatre stars wind up becoming television & film stars with fans neglecting their origins of acting! Look at Lea Michele! She started theatre when she was 8 in Les Miserables & was the original Wendla in Spring Awakening! Now all she's known for is being Rachel in Glee & being in that rubbish New Year's Day film!
Also, I think it's mainly for stupid new theatre fans just to pay for expensive tickets just to see their favourite star, like Amanda Holden when she was Fiona in Shrek the Musical! I went to see her in the opening preview & I couldn't believe how rubbish she was at singing! Also, I hated how people payed more attention to her at the stage door, just because of her Britain's Got Talent fame, compared to Nigel Harman, who has been in the West End before, & Nigel Lindsay, sweating after taking off his prosthetics bless him, who was the title character for God's sake!
Also, I think it's just for advertisement, like with Legally Blonde with Sheridan Smith & Denise Van Outen & now all of a sudden, Sheridan Smith is in everything! They didn't even need to advertise Sierra Boggess when she joined the London cast of Les Miserables and I prefer her to all them idiots!
One other thing I detest is the use of TV talent shows to find new actors for roles in revivals of shows! Look at How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria when Connie Fisher won. What happened to her? What happened to the rest? Siobhan Dillon became Vivienne in Legally Blonde & Molly in Ghost the Musical! Jodie Prenger was told she was too fat to play Nancy in I'd Do Anything & she won! She even won the Biggest Loser beforehand! Rachel Tucker ended up becoming London's longest running Elphaba in Wicked & Samantha Barks ended up as Eponine in the film version of Les Miserables, who she played in London.
She even admitted afterwards she was glad she didn't win because it hasn't affected her career! Also, that new Jesus Christ Superstar tour has been given negative reviews & features a former Spice Girls singer, a comedian who wrote the Olivier award-winning Matilda & radio host Chris Moyles!
The only exception I have with this is Matt Lucas in the Les Miserables 25th Anniversary Concert because he could actually sing & is a very funny comedian & thus suits the role of Thenardier! However, when that scrawny & annoying Nick Jonas came on my screen next to theatre hunk Ramin Karimloo I was like 'GET THE FUCK OFF MY SCREEN BECAUSE YOU SHOULDN'T BE ANYWHERE NEAR THIS SHOW OR IT'S AMAZEMENT!'
Also, I think it's mainly for stupid new theatre fans just to pay for expensive tickets just to see their favourite star, like Amanda Holden when she was Fiona in Shrek the Musical! I went to see her in the opening preview & I couldn't believe how rubbish she was at singing! Also, I hated how people payed more attention to her at the stage door, just because of her Britain's Got Talent fame, compared to Nigel Harman, who has been in the West End before, & Nigel Lindsay, sweating after taking off his prosthetics bless him, who was the title character for God's sake!
One other thing I detest is the use of TV talent shows to find new actors for roles in revivals of shows! Look at How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria when Connie Fisher won. What happened to her? What happened to the rest? Siobhan Dillon became Vivienne in Legally Blonde & Molly in Ghost the Musical! Jodie Prenger was told she was too fat to play Nancy in I'd Do Anything & she won! She even won the Biggest Loser beforehand! Rachel Tucker ended up becoming London's longest running Elphaba in Wicked & Samantha Barks ended up as Eponine in the film version of Les Miserables, who she played in London.
She even admitted afterwards she was glad she didn't win because it hasn't affected her career! Also, that new Jesus Christ Superstar tour has been given negative reviews & features a former Spice Girls singer, a comedian who wrote the Olivier award-winning Matilda & radio host Chris Moyles!
Monday, 24 September 2012
Theatre Star of the Day!
Anna O'Byrne!
Theatrical credits: Alternate Christine in Phantom of the Opera (London), Christine Daae in Love Never Dies (Melbourne/Sydney), understudy Christine Daae in Phantom of the Opera (Australian tour), Polly Peachum in Threepenny Opera (Australia), understudy Pamina in The Magic Flute (Australia) & the Gossip in Angelique (Australia).
Training: Victorian Collage of the Arts with a Bachelor of Music Performance in Classical Voice.
I just love her rendition of Look with Your Heart!
Sunday, 23 September 2012
Erik vs Raoul!
Last night I had a debate with a really good friend of mine over Erik/Christine vs Raoul/Christine & that made me think to show you the pros & cons of each man, because to be honest, both men have their good sides & flaws, so honesty I must admit I'm now on Team Switzerland! I'll be writing the pros & cons for each of them so it isn't biased! Also, LND reasons are irrelevant for this!
Raoul
Pros
-He's known Christine since childhood & so he must know her very well - He comes from a very wealthy family so he can clearly provide for Christine.
- All he does is comfort & protect Christine & convinces her to sing in Don Juan to capture the Phantom so she can be free of his hauntings.
- He did go and risk his life to try & free Christine from Erik, so there's devotion for his love! He even sings 'I tried so hard to free you'
- He loves Christine for who she is on the inside, not just for her beauty or voice!
-He's not a murderer!
Cons
-He can come across as a pompous & arrogant fop.
- He can also come across as controlling & vengeful when it comes to the Phantom
-He makes Christine appear to be mad when she tells him about seeing the Phantom's world.
- He could've been a murderer with the man in the pit being told to shoot the Phantom in Box 5.
-One could say Christine only went with Raoul because of his status in society in comparison to Erik who was shunned because of his face.
Erik
Pros
-He's very sexy & seductive & sings my favourite songs!
-He is clearly devoted towards Christine & would do anything for her to be happy, even if it means letting her & Raoul go.-He's very academic being a scholar, composer, magician & architect.
- He's sympathetic and vulnerable due to his past being shunned by society for his face and all he wishes is to be normal so Christine can love him in return.
-He's chilvarous as he carries Christine to his bed after she faints.
-He loves Christine enough to want to marry her with the mannequin of her in the wedding dress.
Cons
-He's a violent murderer!
- He manipulates Christine by pretending to be her Angel of Music.
-He threatens others if things don't go his way! He even crashes a chandelier & forces Christine to sing in Don Juan for God's sake!
-One could argue that he feels sorry for himself throughout.
- His obsession with Christine can be considered quite severe since he made a doll of her in a wedding dress & he follows her everywhere.
-He loves her for her beauty & voice, instead of how she is on the inside.
Comment for your own opinions & if there's anything I've missed!
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