(mild spoilers)
Not gonna be your normal review, by the way. PLUS I am bound by my inner theater maven and will NOT give any of the plot away. Let someone else leak the twists; it’s not going to be me. I am also not a fan of the horror genre in general, usually finding it a pointless and incredibly, insultlingly stupid waste of time. There are some great exceptions (Slither comes to mind) but on the whole, usually you couldn’t pay me to go to the theater just to watch a bunch of dumb teenagers get carved up for no good reason.
That said, let us begin.
CABIN IN THE WOODS, which has been in movie studio limbo for nearly four years (due to MGM’s bankruptcy, not because of anything wrong with the finished film itself) was released, appropriately enough, today on Friday the 13th. A very twisted and uniquely cerebral horror film, it is the brain child of Joss Whedon and his personal cadre of writer and producer friends, and features several of his favorite actors.
It was, in the beginning, eye-rollingly dumb in its seemingly obvious character set ups – except even this was done in such a clever and… manipulative... way that these tropes became something altogether different – it begins to alternately make fun of and somehow pay homage to the very stereotypes it skewers.
It is laugh out loud funny, jump out of your seat scary, startling and brain teasing because you keep thinking you have it all figured out, and sometimes just downright strange and creepy, CABIN IN THE WOODS not only turns the horror genre on its ear, but has an absolutely maniacally gleeful time doing it. It is a twisting, turning, jaw dropping roller coaster ride with more spirals and loops than… well.
The funny thing is, you are in on the joke in the beginning, which surprised me, so I was wondering if there really was anything left to reveal… you know what the BIG DEAL is right up front – more or less – and so there aren’t too many more big surprises, right? Not so fast, Kimosabee. I swear I was afraid to lift my water bottle to my mouth once things got… going, I was sure something would happen and I would spray half the audience!
Enough about the plot; I really, really can’t say anything else without spoiling it. The production values were a little uneven, usually excellent, sometimes mind-bendingly awesome (that was one crazy “elevator”!!), and sometimes a little fuzzy around the edges like they ran out of money or lost interest on their way to the next crazy scene. The heart of the film also not quite up to the standard I expect from a Whedon project, but it may be I was expecting too much after four years of waiting for this release.
Do NOT go if you are in any way squeamish. Do not take the kids, no matter how much they love Buffy; there are some seriously twisted scenes. I am not giving anything away if I tell you that in this horror movie, some folks die in pretty gruesome ways.
I also guarantee it will be talked about by horror aficionados for years, and by those who, like me, thought the genre had nothing really original to say anymore. With Joss Whedon’s name all over the movie, I should have known better.
My rating: 8.5 out of 10
Just Musing,
Susan
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Friday, April 13, 2012
Sunday, April 1, 2012
“MIRROR MIRROR” Movie Review
4/1/12 (Minor Spoilers)
Taking a well known, well since the Disney version of 1937, fairy tale and twisting it, making sure that it never takes itself too seriously, MIRROR MIRROR was a delight.
Dominating the first half in every possible way, Julia Roberts was obviously having the time of her life playing the evil, vain and petulant Queen to absolute perfection. Every pretty snarl, roll of the eyes and bored, “I am surrounded by idiots” look played off of the incredible, lavish costumes. The movie suffered a little when she was not on screen, for while the entire cast was game, Roberts was so completely at home in the setting and role that even terrifically comic performances by Nathan Lane (Brighton), Arnie Hammer (The Prince who keeps losing his shirt) and all of the dwarfs (really should be dwarves, but that’s a quibble that goes back generations) could not completely save the faltering second act.
Lily Collins as Snow White was lovely, if a bit clumsy and rather weak of character; I would have liked to see more of the spunk and fire she demonstrates at the very end earlier on. And I do admit to being shallow enough to want to pluck those eyebrows, just a little bit.
Many very, very funny scenes and hilarious lines were scattered throughout the film, like candy gaily dropped along the path that we as an audience eagerly scooped up, but the story’s darker themes were barely skimmed over, leaving a bit of an incomplete feel to the film. When absolutely everything is played for laughs, then there is nothing to lose, and therefore, there isn’t really anyone to root for.
The real menace was, of course, the Queen, and just as she was getting to the place where she could expose her really, really “dark side”, she was cut off and her part of the story was essentially over, apples at wedding notwithstanding. ALTHOUGH, Puppy Love, hilarious! The effects were really wonderful, especially the Mirror, and making the mirror image, well, who it was, was a master stroke.
On the whole, the movie was like an apple, tart, juicy and quite delicious, but needing just a little something more to make it a real meal.
(My Rating: 7.5/10)
Just Musing,
Susan
Taking a well known, well since the Disney version of 1937, fairy tale and twisting it, making sure that it never takes itself too seriously, MIRROR MIRROR was a delight.
Dominating the first half in every possible way, Julia Roberts was obviously having the time of her life playing the evil, vain and petulant Queen to absolute perfection. Every pretty snarl, roll of the eyes and bored, “I am surrounded by idiots” look played off of the incredible, lavish costumes. The movie suffered a little when she was not on screen, for while the entire cast was game, Roberts was so completely at home in the setting and role that even terrifically comic performances by Nathan Lane (Brighton), Arnie Hammer (The Prince who keeps losing his shirt) and all of the dwarfs (really should be dwarves, but that’s a quibble that goes back generations) could not completely save the faltering second act.
Lily Collins as Snow White was lovely, if a bit clumsy and rather weak of character; I would have liked to see more of the spunk and fire she demonstrates at the very end earlier on. And I do admit to being shallow enough to want to pluck those eyebrows, just a little bit.
Many very, very funny scenes and hilarious lines were scattered throughout the film, like candy gaily dropped along the path that we as an audience eagerly scooped up, but the story’s darker themes were barely skimmed over, leaving a bit of an incomplete feel to the film. When absolutely everything is played for laughs, then there is nothing to lose, and therefore, there isn’t really anyone to root for.
The real menace was, of course, the Queen, and just as she was getting to the place where she could expose her really, really “dark side”, she was cut off and her part of the story was essentially over, apples at wedding notwithstanding. ALTHOUGH, Puppy Love, hilarious! The effects were really wonderful, especially the Mirror, and making the mirror image, well, who it was, was a master stroke.
On the whole, the movie was like an apple, tart, juicy and quite delicious, but needing just a little something more to make it a real meal.
(My Rating: 7.5/10)
Just Musing,
Susan
Monday, March 26, 2012
Review HUNGER GAMES
No spoilers - released 3/23/2012
I approached this movie with more than a little trepidation. As much as I tried to shield myself from the media, headlines caught my eye and I was truly afraid that the movie would not live up to the hype, which is what SOME people were saying, while others praised it to the skies.
After this first viewing, it is important to note two things: 1) If you are a fan of the book, it pretty faithfully follows it. 2) If you have NOT read the book, you will still "get" it; this is NOT one of those movies where everyone who read the book has to explain everything that is happening on the screen to those who have not.
It clocks in at 2 hours and 22 minutes, so they packed in as much of the book as humanly possible, without making it seem too rushed. The actors all did an incredible job of portraying the characters and the costumes were excellent, "girl on fire"!!
The changes that were made to the story were minor... and, on reflection, seemed necessary for time and/or clarity. Some ommissions, some additions, most made sense. Except for one ommission that I really missed, but, hey, I really liked the scene in the book, so I was sorry it was cut/changed.
The beginning was very disorienting – loads of camera shake in an in/out of focus montage, but still managed to convey the backstory fairly effectively. That being said, the burnt bread scene, a rather important in the book for a lot of reasons, was chopped into several tiny bits as flashbacks and didn't really work except to confuse the un-read audience. And the flashbacks regarding Katniss' Mom were odd as well, and happened extremely late in the movie, at that point it almost didn’t make sense to have it in the movie at all.
Showing the differenced between the Haves (Capitol) and Have-Nots (everywhere else) was striking. The silliness of the costumes, the inanity and shallowness of the People of Capital as compared to the rest of Panem underscored their differences: the children who are forced to fight (and kill) each other to survive and silly giddiness of those who view the Games as entertainment… and those who exploit the spectacle for political oppression of the masses.
The entire Arena section was a bit compressed, and contrary to some of the other reviews, not really sanitized, just FAST. The effects were excellent, and the whole "Reality Show/Gladiator TV Show Heartless Let’s keep Those Ratings UP" mood was conveyed very well.
There were some brutal scenes, a couple of jump-out-of-your-seat moments, and some funny flashes scattered throughout, enough to break up the tension. Gotta love that Effie!
The heart of the book was the heart of the movie, and I cried during that scene in the film, just like I did in the book... Those of you who have read the book know what I mean.
NOTE: If you have kids who have read the books and who are old enough to actually understand the theme and are able to discuss it, by all means take them to see this movie. Talk to them about it. It was far less violent than just about any Stephen King movie or Jurassic Park, for example. I would not take a young child (under 11) who is sensitive or who has NOT read the books, however.
On the whole, an excellent movie with a few minor quibbles. We saw it in an IMAX format, in perfect seats.
My rating: 9 out of 10. And I will be seeing this one again!
Just Musing,
Susan
I approached this movie with more than a little trepidation. As much as I tried to shield myself from the media, headlines caught my eye and I was truly afraid that the movie would not live up to the hype, which is what SOME people were saying, while others praised it to the skies.
After this first viewing, it is important to note two things: 1) If you are a fan of the book, it pretty faithfully follows it. 2) If you have NOT read the book, you will still "get" it; this is NOT one of those movies where everyone who read the book has to explain everything that is happening on the screen to those who have not.
It clocks in at 2 hours and 22 minutes, so they packed in as much of the book as humanly possible, without making it seem too rushed. The actors all did an incredible job of portraying the characters and the costumes were excellent, "girl on fire"!!
The changes that were made to the story were minor... and, on reflection, seemed necessary for time and/or clarity. Some ommissions, some additions, most made sense. Except for one ommission that I really missed, but, hey, I really liked the scene in the book, so I was sorry it was cut/changed.
The beginning was very disorienting – loads of camera shake in an in/out of focus montage, but still managed to convey the backstory fairly effectively. That being said, the burnt bread scene, a rather important in the book for a lot of reasons, was chopped into several tiny bits as flashbacks and didn't really work except to confuse the un-read audience. And the flashbacks regarding Katniss' Mom were odd as well, and happened extremely late in the movie, at that point it almost didn’t make sense to have it in the movie at all.
Showing the differenced between the Haves (Capitol) and Have-Nots (everywhere else) was striking. The silliness of the costumes, the inanity and shallowness of the People of Capital as compared to the rest of Panem underscored their differences: the children who are forced to fight (and kill) each other to survive and silly giddiness of those who view the Games as entertainment… and those who exploit the spectacle for political oppression of the masses.
The entire Arena section was a bit compressed, and contrary to some of the other reviews, not really sanitized, just FAST. The effects were excellent, and the whole "Reality Show/Gladiator TV Show Heartless Let’s keep Those Ratings UP" mood was conveyed very well.
There were some brutal scenes, a couple of jump-out-of-your-seat moments, and some funny flashes scattered throughout, enough to break up the tension. Gotta love that Effie!
The heart of the book was the heart of the movie, and I cried during that scene in the film, just like I did in the book... Those of you who have read the book know what I mean.
NOTE: If you have kids who have read the books and who are old enough to actually understand the theme and are able to discuss it, by all means take them to see this movie. Talk to them about it. It was far less violent than just about any Stephen King movie or Jurassic Park, for example. I would not take a young child (under 11) who is sensitive or who has NOT read the books, however.
On the whole, an excellent movie with a few minor quibbles. We saw it in an IMAX format, in perfect seats.
My rating: 9 out of 10. And I will be seeing this one again!
Just Musing,
Susan
Monday, March 19, 2012
Review: JOHN CARTER
JOHN CARTER REVIEW (minor spoilers):
Having never read the Burroughs Barsoom series, I can't say definitively how closely it follows the books, but it was a thrill ride almost from the beginning.
The intro and everything leading up to the eventual landing on Mars was a bit too long and slightly confusing, with a lot of disorienting editing cuts, although in retrospect, they made sense by the end of the movie.
The scenes with the Colonel were pretty damn funny, though, and that is where the move really started to take off.
The effects were simply amazing, even more so than Avatar's for the sheer stark REALITY of the vistas, machinery and all the creatures. And that blue glittery stuff.... very cooooooool!
There was not even a moment when I was bored or distracted out of the movie - I never once wondered, "How much longer??" It was full of a nice blend of adventure, fighting, pathos, a touch of humor and some heart. Oh, and a huge slobbering dog with a blue tongue that runs really fast...
A few quibbles and plot holes, and certainly the science as regards to Mars is totally wrong (considering when the books were written, it is easy to forgive those). It could have used a touch more humor (especially at the beginning) and a leeeetle teeny tiny itty bit more oomph/chemistry/playfulness/tension between John and the Princess.
I do have a feeling I am going to like it even better the second time around. I saw it in 3D, FUN without being in your face like some others.
MY RATING: 8/10
A NOTE ABOUT PRO-REVIEWERS: Personally I think that most Movie Reviewers have become jaded and stopped really enjoying movies. What on earth is a reviewer who gives John carter a 3.5 out of 5 stars doing heading their review (and spending a lot of time discussing) "It Wasn't As Bad As Expected"???? If you stripped out the getting over her poor expectations, she seemed to really like it, with the correct reservations, and yet she seemed reluctant to give it any praise, disappointed that it wasn't awful. Dumb reviewers. Well. Forget all of them! I shall give my personal reviews of all movies that we see right up here on my blog and on Facebook, so you be able to see if they are any fun at all. Because isn't that what it is all about: FUN??
Just Musing,
Susan
Having never read the Burroughs Barsoom series, I can't say definitively how closely it follows the books, but it was a thrill ride almost from the beginning.
The intro and everything leading up to the eventual landing on Mars was a bit too long and slightly confusing, with a lot of disorienting editing cuts, although in retrospect, they made sense by the end of the movie.
The scenes with the Colonel were pretty damn funny, though, and that is where the move really started to take off.
The effects were simply amazing, even more so than Avatar's for the sheer stark REALITY of the vistas, machinery and all the creatures. And that blue glittery stuff.... very cooooooool!
There was not even a moment when I was bored or distracted out of the movie - I never once wondered, "How much longer??" It was full of a nice blend of adventure, fighting, pathos, a touch of humor and some heart. Oh, and a huge slobbering dog with a blue tongue that runs really fast...
A few quibbles and plot holes, and certainly the science as regards to Mars is totally wrong (considering when the books were written, it is easy to forgive those). It could have used a touch more humor (especially at the beginning) and a leeeetle teeny tiny itty bit more oomph/chemistry/playfulness/tension between John and the Princess.
I do have a feeling I am going to like it even better the second time around. I saw it in 3D, FUN without being in your face like some others.
MY RATING: 8/10
A NOTE ABOUT PRO-REVIEWERS: Personally I think that most Movie Reviewers have become jaded and stopped really enjoying movies. What on earth is a reviewer who gives John carter a 3.5 out of 5 stars doing heading their review (and spending a lot of time discussing) "It Wasn't As Bad As Expected"???? If you stripped out the getting over her poor expectations, she seemed to really like it, with the correct reservations, and yet she seemed reluctant to give it any praise, disappointed that it wasn't awful. Dumb reviewers. Well. Forget all of them! I shall give my personal reviews of all movies that we see right up here on my blog and on Facebook, so you be able to see if they are any fun at all. Because isn't that what it is all about: FUN??
Just Musing,
Susan
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Shhhhhhhhhh!!!!
******
The problem with some people is that they tend to vocalize EVERYTHING they are thinking, even when it is not appropriate to do so.
Case in point: Talking, texting, checking email, etc. at the movies...
The problem I have is that I LOVE movies and want to get lost in them, to immerse myself in the experinece - the best movies are wonderful roller coaster rides!
Any distraction, even the blue glow of a cell phone in the row in front of me (stadium seating means that you can see right into the laps of all of the people in front of you!), takes me right out of the experience and back to reality. This can be mildly annoying to REALLY WANT TO RIP YOUR HEAD OFF BECAUSE YOUR LAME COMMENT MEANT THAT I MISSED SOMETHING IMPORTANT!!!!
As a result, I am ALWAYS shushing people, even my hubby and kids. Sometimes, if the distraction is great from stranger, I will begin with a glare and escalate to asking them to keep it down if they don't get the hint. A couple of times I have even threatened to have people thrown out (almost always teens with attitudes and very loud voices), and one time I did just that - to some scattering applause from the other patrons who were being annoyed by the antics of a few rude people.
Even when I am at home and watching something engrossing, whether it is my favorite TV show or a movie from our collection, I really want quiet!!! ESPECIALLY if it is a new movie that I haven't seen, or an especially good part in an old favorite. I am not sure why it is that some people feel the need to REPEAT the dialog we just heard - no matter how funny or wow-inducing - loudly accompanied by drawn out laughter or a long comment so that the next three lines are ALSO missed.
This may seem harsh, but with 1552 DVDs and Blurays in our collection we are obvious movie fanatics and I. Want. To. See. The. Movie... not listen to your comments about it!!
Really, people, really.
So pass the popcorn and SHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Just Musing,
Susan
********
The problem with some people is that they tend to vocalize EVERYTHING they are thinking, even when it is not appropriate to do so.
Case in point: Talking, texting, checking email, etc. at the movies...
The problem I have is that I LOVE movies and want to get lost in them, to immerse myself in the experinece - the best movies are wonderful roller coaster rides!
Any distraction, even the blue glow of a cell phone in the row in front of me (stadium seating means that you can see right into the laps of all of the people in front of you!), takes me right out of the experience and back to reality. This can be mildly annoying to REALLY WANT TO RIP YOUR HEAD OFF BECAUSE YOUR LAME COMMENT MEANT THAT I MISSED SOMETHING IMPORTANT!!!!
As a result, I am ALWAYS shushing people, even my hubby and kids. Sometimes, if the distraction is great from stranger, I will begin with a glare and escalate to asking them to keep it down if they don't get the hint. A couple of times I have even threatened to have people thrown out (almost always teens with attitudes and very loud voices), and one time I did just that - to some scattering applause from the other patrons who were being annoyed by the antics of a few rude people.
Even when I am at home and watching something engrossing, whether it is my favorite TV show or a movie from our collection, I really want quiet!!! ESPECIALLY if it is a new movie that I haven't seen, or an especially good part in an old favorite. I am not sure why it is that some people feel the need to REPEAT the dialog we just heard - no matter how funny or wow-inducing - loudly accompanied by drawn out laughter or a long comment so that the next three lines are ALSO missed.
This may seem harsh, but with 1552 DVDs and Blurays in our collection we are obvious movie fanatics and I. Want. To. See. The. Movie... not listen to your comments about it!!
Really, people, really.
So pass the popcorn and SHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Just Musing,
Susan
********
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Christmas Crass and Christmas Heart
********
There is something slightly crass about the Holiday… oh hell. Let’s call it what it really is: the Christmas Season.
Retailers are desperate to make sure Black Friday puts them solidly in the Black and gives them enough revenue to make it through the next year. Commercialism runs rampant, but is pretty much understandable because livelihoods – staving off foreclosure, repossession and starvation - depend on sales at this time of year.
Advertising is the vehicle by which these retailers get their message to the buying public, and many times the result is heartwarming and kinda fun (think big red bows and just in the nick of time snowfall saving the day and inducing spontaneous song singing). Other times it is just tawdry, screaming in your face, even guilt-inducing (YOU MUST BUY THIS OR YOU ARE A BAAAAD HUSBAND, PARENT, FRIEND, etc.). Either way – and all the ways in between – again, it is still pretty understandable.
Christmas movies… now there is another story.
Some movies are wonderful and stand the test of time, and others can, and do, disappear into the ethereal if slightly stale celluloid misty void where they belong amidst dusty distintegrating costumes and old chipped and cracked props.
Every year, movie makers attempt to reinvent the classics, with remakes and “re-imaginings”. Some brave souls even try new stories. For some reason beyond my real understanding, many of these seem hastily made and a rather desperate attempt to “cash in” rather than making an honest living selling stuff to people who are desperate to buy that same stuff.
Maybe if the quality of these “re-imaginings”, remakes and even some new stories were able to truly capture even the tiniest modicum of the magic we are all searching for this time of year, we could embrace their stories and add them to our DVD shelves for yearly watching huddled around the TV flickering like a cold fire, fighting over the popcorn and arguing over who has to go get the paper towels because SOMEone spilled their soda.
*sigh* Good times.
Anyway, I could probably forgive their attempts if they had some “heart”, that indefinable something that gives a film that special extra push that resonates long after the credits roll.
Take "A Christmas Carol", a novel that has been remade in film and on stage soooo many times that a true aficionado would have a hard time getting through all of them without either a boxful of Kleenex or a very large glass of wine and a steady hand on the mute button.
For those who have actually READ the classic book by Charles Dickens, you all know the story is not only about personal redemption via ghost dreams, but it is filled with humor, pathos, social commentary and an interesting history lesson on how people dealt with death of a hated colleague or beloved family member in an era where death was a sad but very frequent personal visitor.
So why is it that so many remakes fail to get past the ghosts and at least give a nod in the general direction of some of these underlying themes in this very slim volume? A clever writer would be able to interject the requisite pathos, a layered cast would play it just so and a competent director and editor would work it to allow the seasoning of the story to come through to elevate it beyond the obvious.
Alastair Sim, Albert Finney, Bill Murray, Fred Flintstone, Mr. Magoo, George C. Scott, Uncle Scrooge, Michael Caine, Patrick Stewart, Jim Carrey… so many Scrooges, so little time…
And we all have our favorite; for whatever reason, the one single version that sings to us; that one translation that tugs at our heartstrings year after year. Upon expanding these favorite versions, you can dig beneath the layers and find… more layers; layers that touch on or deeply explore one or more of the underlying themes laid out so carefully by the inestimable Mr. Dickens.
Whether the emphasis on the sub-themes is on the pathos or the social commentary or even the humor (gallows though it often is), there is something for all of us in this deceptively simple story.
Personally, even though a couple of very significant sub-stories are missing (like Scrooge's beloved sister, who emotionally ties him to his oft-maligned nephew), my favorite is … "The Muppet Christmas Carol".
Really. I am completely serious here.
Pathos, humor, social commentary, dealing with death… it is all touched on there, brilliantly executed by the Muppet cast and Michael Cain and a slew of other real live actors mingling seamlessly in with the legless puppets.
Only the dramatic reading by Patrick Stewart (not his film version...but the far superior stage reading – which I have seen in person TWICE!!! - also out on CD, available at Amazon.com…) even comes close.
Muppet Christmas Carol (also available at Amazon.com... hmmmmm starting to sound like a commercial here) is more than just fun, and the throw away lines and visual jokes really are hilarious, but the heart is deep, the layers complex and the simple felt Muppet puppets portray the cast that surrounds Michael Cain with a depth that is simply amazing.
Muppets and Charles Dickens… whoda thunk it??
Just Musing,
Susan
*********************
.
There is something slightly crass about the Holiday… oh hell. Let’s call it what it really is: the Christmas Season.
Retailers are desperate to make sure Black Friday puts them solidly in the Black and gives them enough revenue to make it through the next year. Commercialism runs rampant, but is pretty much understandable because livelihoods – staving off foreclosure, repossession and starvation - depend on sales at this time of year.
Advertising is the vehicle by which these retailers get their message to the buying public, and many times the result is heartwarming and kinda fun (think big red bows and just in the nick of time snowfall saving the day and inducing spontaneous song singing). Other times it is just tawdry, screaming in your face, even guilt-inducing (YOU MUST BUY THIS OR YOU ARE A BAAAAD HUSBAND, PARENT, FRIEND, etc.). Either way – and all the ways in between – again, it is still pretty understandable.
Christmas movies… now there is another story.
Some movies are wonderful and stand the test of time, and others can, and do, disappear into the ethereal if slightly stale celluloid misty void where they belong amidst dusty distintegrating costumes and old chipped and cracked props.
Every year, movie makers attempt to reinvent the classics, with remakes and “re-imaginings”. Some brave souls even try new stories. For some reason beyond my real understanding, many of these seem hastily made and a rather desperate attempt to “cash in” rather than making an honest living selling stuff to people who are desperate to buy that same stuff.
Maybe if the quality of these “re-imaginings”, remakes and even some new stories were able to truly capture even the tiniest modicum of the magic we are all searching for this time of year, we could embrace their stories and add them to our DVD shelves for yearly watching huddled around the TV flickering like a cold fire, fighting over the popcorn and arguing over who has to go get the paper towels because SOMEone spilled their soda.
*sigh* Good times.
Anyway, I could probably forgive their attempts if they had some “heart”, that indefinable something that gives a film that special extra push that resonates long after the credits roll.
Take "A Christmas Carol", a novel that has been remade in film and on stage soooo many times that a true aficionado would have a hard time getting through all of them without either a boxful of Kleenex or a very large glass of wine and a steady hand on the mute button.
For those who have actually READ the classic book by Charles Dickens, you all know the story is not only about personal redemption via ghost dreams, but it is filled with humor, pathos, social commentary and an interesting history lesson on how people dealt with death of a hated colleague or beloved family member in an era where death was a sad but very frequent personal visitor.
So why is it that so many remakes fail to get past the ghosts and at least give a nod in the general direction of some of these underlying themes in this very slim volume? A clever writer would be able to interject the requisite pathos, a layered cast would play it just so and a competent director and editor would work it to allow the seasoning of the story to come through to elevate it beyond the obvious.
Alastair Sim, Albert Finney, Bill Murray, Fred Flintstone, Mr. Magoo, George C. Scott, Uncle Scrooge, Michael Caine, Patrick Stewart, Jim Carrey… so many Scrooges, so little time…
And we all have our favorite; for whatever reason, the one single version that sings to us; that one translation that tugs at our heartstrings year after year. Upon expanding these favorite versions, you can dig beneath the layers and find… more layers; layers that touch on or deeply explore one or more of the underlying themes laid out so carefully by the inestimable Mr. Dickens.
Whether the emphasis on the sub-themes is on the pathos or the social commentary or even the humor (gallows though it often is), there is something for all of us in this deceptively simple story.
Personally, even though a couple of very significant sub-stories are missing (like Scrooge's beloved sister, who emotionally ties him to his oft-maligned nephew), my favorite is … "The Muppet Christmas Carol".
Really. I am completely serious here.
Pathos, humor, social commentary, dealing with death… it is all touched on there, brilliantly executed by the Muppet cast and Michael Cain and a slew of other real live actors mingling seamlessly in with the legless puppets.
Only the dramatic reading by Patrick Stewart (not his film version...but the far superior stage reading – which I have seen in person TWICE!!! - also out on CD, available at Amazon.com…) even comes close.
Muppet Christmas Carol (also available at Amazon.com... hmmmmm starting to sound like a commercial here) is more than just fun, and the throw away lines and visual jokes really are hilarious, but the heart is deep, the layers complex and the simple felt Muppet puppets portray the cast that surrounds Michael Cain with a depth that is simply amazing.
Muppets and Charles Dickens… whoda thunk it??
Just Musing,
Susan
*********************
.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Poem: Some Thoughts in a Darkened Theater After the Show
In the movies
Life is never petty,
The players are always Beautiful,
Jealousies are Grandly Noble, and
Love lasts forever.
A plot twist in the movies
can leave you gasping.
A plot twist in life
still leaves you gasping
but you cannot leave this theater
and walk out into the sun.
Here you must stay
and play it out.
And no one applauds
when the credits finally roll:
the best that you can hope for
is that the audience
will cry.
(c) Susan Quinland-Stringer
Life is never petty,
The players are always Beautiful,
Jealousies are Grandly Noble, and
Love lasts forever.
A plot twist in the movies
can leave you gasping.
A plot twist in life
still leaves you gasping
but you cannot leave this theater
and walk out into the sun.
Here you must stay
and play it out.
And no one applauds
when the credits finally roll:
the best that you can hope for
is that the audience
will cry.
(c) Susan Quinland-Stringer
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