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| re: Film director/screenwriter ("Evita") Alan Parker has died | |
| Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 02:44 pm EDT 08/01/20 | |
| In reply to: Film director/screenwriter ("Evita") Alan Parker has died - Ann 09:45 am EDT 08/01/20 | |
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| ***The most terrifying film I had seen at the time, "Midnight Express"*** I can certainly understand why you felt that way. At the risk of stating the obvious, the terror in that movie is all the more powerful because it's real-life terror based on a true experience -- even if some details were exaggerated, and I really don't think they were. I've loved several of Parker's films, and have always appreciated his versatility. Whatever the flaws of the EVITA film, and even if one has strongly negative feelings about Madonna's performance, I think the movie is an exceptionally well directed film adaptation of a stage musical in so many ways -- the spectacular location filming, the camera work, the editing, the pacing, the excellence of the screenplay adaptation, etc As I recall, the only strange flaw in the direction is when Parker cuts to a VERY long shot just as Madonna launches into the first chorus of "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina." I've never been able to figure out why he did that. Some non-fans of Madonna have suggested it's because her acting is inadequate, but of course, the camera is fairly close on her in much of the rest of the song, and I really think it needed to be much closer for the first statement of the most famous part of that song. |
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| I don't think Evita gets enough credit for its contributions to the rebirth of the movie musical. | |
| Last Edit: DanielVincent 03:52 pm EDT 08/01/20 | |
| Posted by: DanielVincent 03:40 pm EDT 08/01/20 | |
| In reply to: re: Film director/screenwriter ("Evita") Alan Parker has died - Michael_Portantiere 02:44 pm EDT 08/01/20 | |
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| As you alluded to, there are, of course, a lot of mixed feelings toward the film and Madonna's performance, not to mention the musical itself. However, if we try to look at the film's reception--both critically and commercially--as objectively as possible, I think it's reasonable to characterize it as a qualified success. Box Office Mojo estimates its budget as $55 million and its worldwide gross as $141,047,179, $50 million of which was domestic. Reviews were on the positive side of mixed and it picked up several Oscar and Golden Globe nominations, winning Best Original Song at the former ceremony (arguably a more significant win for a musical film than a non-musical) and Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical, and Best Original Song at the latter ceremony. Though I don't know anyone connected to the film, I think it's reasonable to assume that there were higher hopes for it at the Oscars, especially for Madonna's performance, and for its domestic box office. Nevertheless, Evita proved that a big budget, live action, wide release movie musical was commercially and critically viable--which many had doubted for years. When we think about the life of the movie musical, the apex of its modern resurgence is often described as Chicago, which, despite my own mixed feelings about the movie, I also think is reasonable. People often point to the Ashman/Menken/Rice/John animated Disney movies and the Zadan/Meron telemusicals, especially Cinderella and Gypsy, as having paved the way for Chicago--and deservedly so. But I think people undercredit Evita's significance. Like the Disney musicals, it was a wide release feature film; like the telemusicals, it was live action and a showcase for major celebrities* of the day. It's important connective tissue. *And let's not forget how important celebrities are in getting films financed. I'm sure many were interested in signing on to later projects like Chicago, Hairspray, Into the Woods, and Nine because of the awards circuit love enjoyed by actors in these earlier projects: Madonna, Golden Globe winner for Evita; Antonio Banderas, Golden Globe nominee for Evita; Bette Midler, Golden Globe winner and Emmy nominee for Gypsy; Kathy Bates, Golden Globe and Emmy nominee for Annie; and, if we're willing to consider Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows a musical, then Judy Davis, Golden Globe and Emmy winner, and Tammy Blanchard, Golden Globe nominee and Emmy winner. |
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| re: I don't think Evita gets enough credit for its contributions to the rebirth of the movie musical. | |
| Last Edit: Delvino 09:54 pm EDT 08/02/20 | |
| Posted by: Delvino 09:53 pm EDT 08/02/20 | |
| In reply to: I don't think Evita gets enough credit for its contributions to the rebirth of the movie musical. - DanielVincent 03:40 pm EDT 08/01/20 | |
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| Who else in the NYC area recalls the advance ticket sales? I went to the opening day (Dec. 26 or 27th if memory serves), the big, premium space on B'way/Upper West Side. I got tickets 10 days in advance, and most performances sold out. It was a spectacularly beautiful film, marred only by the music not shaking the rafters. It needed to feel big, explosive at times, and the soundtrack, even on pristine equipment just didn't have enough power to my ears. Here we had an MTV star in the lead, and the mix in the print was too respectful. Plus, a number like "Buenos Aires" begged for a splashy Madonna performance, and it was edited poorly, no build, no sexual energy, heat or perspiration; afraid to look like a musical number. Small quibble, along with some of Madonna's lesser work (the middle scenes with Pryce, you can see her discomfort with the contact lenses and not having enough intention in scenes; once he's elected, she's at her best). Mostly, it works, and Bandaras doesn't get much credit, either. The great cinematographer, Darius Khondji, did exquisite work. | |
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| re: I don't think Evita gets enough credit for its contributions to the rebirth of the movie musical. | |
| Posted by: EvFoDr 07:25 pm EDT 08/04/20 | |
| In reply to: re: I don't think Evita gets enough credit for its contributions to the rebirth of the movie musical. - Delvino 09:53 pm EDT 08/02/20 | |
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| I didn't live in New York at the time, but we had advance ticket sales where I was, too (Kansas City). That was back before buying in advance was really a thing, and I remember the ticket being very attractive, with a color logo, as opposed to the usual cardboard like thing spit out by most movie ticket machines. I think there was only one--or maybe two--venues in town where the film could be seen on opening weekend. I think in KC it might have been New Year's Day, but could have been Christmas time. It's interesting that you credit the music mix in the film print as being the culprit for certain moments not being big or explosive enough. I always credited that to the casting (yes I know totally necessary in order to get the film made) of a person who could not sing the most exciting and explosive parts of the score as written. I think the orchestra and Antonio Banderas pop rather excitingly throughout. Don't get me wrong, I am not a Madonna hater---like her quite a lot in fact. And watching the movie again recently with some distance I really like what she did in the majority of the film. Overall I think it worked. And for non musical theatre afficianados who don't even like the sound of a "Broadway" singer, and had no point of comparison for the parts of the score Madonna couldn't handle, it could very well have been a perfect experience. I especially enjoy the Lament in the film, which I am pretty certain is not the same cut that is on the commercially released soundtrack. The film version is more raw and emotional. Not sure if Madonna is singing live there or how that was acheived since the entire score had been recorded in advance of filming. I also think that the cut of She Is A Diamond in the film is not the cut on the soundtrack. And again, I think the cut in the film is better. |
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| "Lament" was indeed sung live. | |
| Posted by: DanielVincent 05:50 pm EDT 08/05/20 | |
| In reply to: re: I don't think Evita gets enough credit for its contributions to the rebirth of the movie musical. - EvFoDr 07:25 pm EDT 08/04/20 | |
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| I can't remember if it was on the DVD or even the laserdisc (yes, I had a laserdisc player), but in an audio commentary or possibly an interview, Parker said the Lament (and the whole scene) was indeed sung live. The gist of his comment was that Madonna and Jonathan Pryce did such beautiful work in the scene and it was such a different level of intensity than what had been sung in the studio, he felt he had to use the live version. I have a significantly vaguer memory of a magazine article where Madonna discussed shooting the Lament scene and thinking of her mother, who died when she was a child, and the unborn daughter she was carrying, and how the connection caused the emotion of the scene to hit her much harder. |
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| re: "Lament" was indeed sung live. | |
| Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 02:11 pm EDT 08/06/20 | |
| In reply to: "Lament" was indeed sung live. - DanielVincent 05:50 pm EDT 08/05/20 | |
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| When EVITA was first released and I saw in in a theater on opening night, it was quite clear to me from that first viewing that both "She is a Diamond" and the "Lament" were sung live on set by Pryce and Madonna. There are many things I love about the movie, but I think one of the flaws is that in the bulk of the film, where the songs are lip-synched to tracks, the illusion that the actors are singing live is not successfully created. I think mostly because there's something about the acoustic of the vocals and the sound mix that give the whole thing more of a music video feel, and maybe that was intentional. | |
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| re: I don't think Evita gets enough credit for its contributions to the rebirth of the movie musical. | |
| Posted by: mikem 09:47 pm EDT 08/01/20 | |
| In reply to: I don't think Evita gets enough credit for its contributions to the rebirth of the movie musical. - DanielVincent 03:40 pm EDT 08/01/20 | |
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| The Evita soundtrack also did well commercially. The album hit #2 in the US and #1 in the UK, and it sold several million copies. "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" was also released in a remixed, more uptempo, Latin-influenced version, and the single hit #8 in the US and #3 in the UK (and #1 in France, Spain, Canada, and several other countries). I believe that this was the most recent song originally from a stage musical to hit the Top 10 in the US. It, "Summer Nights" from the Grease movie, and "One Night in Bangkok" are the only three I can think of that have done so in the past 50 years -- am I forgetting one? (Of course, commercial success of the music isn't typically enough. Xanadu is a perfect example. The music was extremely successful, but the movie didn't sell tickets and was a major flop.) |
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| re: I don't think Evita gets enough credit for its contributions to the rebirth of the movie musical. | |
| Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 11:46 pm EDT 08/01/20 | |
| In reply to: re: I don't think Evita gets enough credit for its contributions to the rebirth of the movie musical. - mikem 09:47 pm EDT 08/01/20 | |
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| Interesting. I remember that "You're the One That I Want" from GREASE was a huge hit, but I didn't realize that the soundtrack performance of "Summer nights" hit the Top 10. | |
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| re: I don't think Evita gets enough credit for its contributions to the rebirth of the movie musical. | |
| Posted by: mikem 01:33 pm EDT 08/02/20 | |
| In reply to: re: I don't think Evita gets enough credit for its contributions to the rebirth of the movie musical. - Michael_Portantiere 11:46 pm EDT 08/01/20 | |
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| The Grease soundtrack must have been a real phenomenon at the time. There were four Top 10 hits, of which "Summer Nights" was the only one written for the stage musical. The other three ("You're the One that I Want," "Hopeless Devoted to You," and "Grease") were all written for the film. Trivia footnote: In the UK, Summer Nights was #1 for seven weeks, and You're the One That I Want was #1 for nine weeks. For several years, the act credited as "John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John" were the only "group" that hit #1 in the UK twice and never had another hit before or since. In 1990, a "Grease Megamix" was released, which hit #3 and negated that situation. Even more trivial trivia: in the US, the duo LMFAO almost did this. They were featured on a #31 hit in 2010, then had two #1's as the lead artist in 2011. The follow-up only went to #49, and they broke up shortly afterwards, so their last two Top 40 hits were both #1's. |
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