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| Spielberg should be SO proud of West Side Story | |
| Last Edit: DistantDrumming 03:30 am EDT 03/18/22 | |
| Posted by: DistantDrumming 03:29 am EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| I finally caught up with y'all and watched West Side Story on HBO Max tonight. I'm not the biggest Spielberg fan and I was, admittedly, one of the (many?) people who felt like this would be a serviceable and unneeded remake of a film classic. Don't get me wrong -- I thought it was wonderful that the film was authentically cast -- but that wasn't enough to justify this remake in my mind. But unlike, say, Gus Van Sant's entirely unnecessary remake of Psycho, West Side Story was simply thrilling. Did I like EVERY choice that Spielberg and Kushner made? No, of course not. But, minor quibbles aside, at the risk of sounding a touch hysterical, I genuinely think this is a masterwork. Spielberg very clearly has this material in his bones. The film is a showcase of dazzling cinematic technique. But he uses that technique to aide the screenplay and the score, not to distract from it or work against it. I honestly hope this isn't Spielberg's last musical. And, judging by the acclaim the film has on Metacritic, I'm clearly not alone. It's a shame it didn't perform commercially. Not to detract from Jane Campion's excellent work on Power of the Dog, but I have to wonder if Spielberg and the film would be taking home Oscar gold later this month if audiences had embraced the film the way critics did. By the way, I wonder if the producers (of the Oscars or of the film) ever considered having the cast perform on the Oscars telecast. Yes, it would be a lot of work to restage a number (like America) for the Oscars stage, but with such seasoned, talented musical theatre performers in most roles, it could have been wonderful. |
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| Yes, it is a masterwork | |
| Posted by: peter3053 01:29 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
| In reply to: Spielberg should be SO proud of West Side Story - DistantDrumming 03:29 am EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| A film for the ages, a virtuoso demonstration of how to make a great film while concealing one's virtuosity, a perfect example of how to move from dialogue to song naturally, and for those familiar with Sondheim's author-led critique of some lyrics, a demonstration of sheer love and care to justify many of those lyrics in clear and plausible ways. It should win every award it is ever nominated for. And it should be taught in every film school. |
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| Spielberg - Should he do another musical film? | |
| Posted by: pecansforall 03:02 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
| In reply to: Yes, it is a masterwork - peter3053 01:29 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| What film should he make or remake? | |
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| re: Spielberg - Should he do another musical film? | |
| Last Edit: mamaleh 09:28 am EDT 03/19/22 | |
| Posted by: mamaleh 09:26 am EDT 03/19/22 | |
| In reply to: Spielberg - Should he do another musical film? - pecansforall 03:02 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| I don't recall if it was included in one of the "extras" attached to WSS on HBO-Max or elsewhere, but I heard him say in an interview that he's never undertaking another musical film again. He's proud of WSS but I think he found the project daunting and exhausting. If so, that's a shame. What a great job he did on this film. | |
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| re: Spielberg - Should he do another musical film? | |
| Last Edit: PlayWiz 03:13 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 03:05 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
| In reply to: Spielberg - Should he do another musical film? - pecansforall 03:02 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| He should do "Fanny" or "Irma La Douce" but with all the songs put back in! Great scores that were used only in the background in films that were otherwise well-cast originally. "Fanny" really worked well in its Encores presentation a number of years back. It was well-cast and sung. On the other hand, Encores' "Irma La Douce" was not well-cast or done, but its original cast recording is wonderful. | |
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| re: Spielberg - Should he do another musical film? | |
| Posted by: StanS 04:11 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Spielberg - Should he do another musical film? - PlayWiz 03:05 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| "but with all the songs put back in!" In that category, wouldn't "On the Town" be a prime candidate? |
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| re: Spielberg - Should he do another musical film? | |
| Posted by: shocktheatre 04:30 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Spielberg - Should he do another musical film? - StanS 04:11 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| He is the only person who could get a film version of FOLLIES off the ground. I guess he just doesn't have much interest in the material. He's also probably skittish about commercial viability since his WSS has underperformed commercially. But he's STEVEN SPIELBERG. I certainly hope he makes another movie musical, definitely. Any lover of movie musicals would. He is to the manor born. I thought this way back when I saw his movie "1941", which has a superb musical number that comes out of nowhere and flies off the screen. And "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom", if memory serves, opens with a fairly nifty dance number. WSS surely won't be his last stab at the genre, especially if he wins the Oscar (and I think he could upset). | |
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| re: Spielberg - Should he do another musical film? | |
| Posted by: showtunetrivia 06:31 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Spielberg - Should he do another musical film? - shocktheatre 04:30 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| Yes, “Anything Goes” in Mandarin! My favorite part of the entire film! Laura |
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| re: Spielberg - Should he do another musical film? | |
| Last Edit: BroadwayTonyJ 04:06 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 04:02 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Spielberg - Should he do another musical film? - PlayWiz 03:05 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| Musicals Tonight! did an excellent production of Irma La Douce. I loved the Encores production of Fanny, one of my all-time favorites. Unfortunately they are mostly forgotten musicals and Spielberg would never pick anything that obscure since no one would finance it. It would be great if Spielberg wanted to remake Hello, Dolly! and/or A Chorus Line, 2 very fine musicals which received uninspired film versions. I like the Spielberg remake of West Side Story. It's beautifully sung and acted. Janusz Kaminski's cinematography is excellent. However, the film has some serious flaws, especially Kushner's dialogue. Ask anyone who is Latino, especially Puerto Rican. Ask anyone who belonged to an urban white or Latino gang in the 50's. Ask anyone whose family lived in a lousy tenement building in a crumby urban neighborhood. Did you ever notice that Kushner slipped a silly line of dialogue from The Music Man into one of Riff's conversations with Graciela? Despite these flaws Spielberg's film is excellent overall and a fine achievement. Probably the best remake ever of a Best Picture Oscar winner. |
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| re: Spielberg - Should he do another musical film? | |
| Posted by: scoot1er 10:59 am EDT 03/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Spielberg - Should he do another musical film? - BroadwayTonyJ 04:02 pm EDT 03/18/22 | |
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| I think Irma la Douce and Fanny aren’t serious enough for Spielberg. If he were to do another musical, I love it to be Cabaret. And I know this is heretic, but I think Liza, being as wonderful as she was, was the major flaw in the film. She was just too good to be at the Kit Kat Klub. What makes the role so difficult to play is the the actor playing it has to be a terrific actor and a good enough singer to pull off the songs, but not so good a singer that we wonder why someone that talented is in such a crappy club. I would love to see a film of Cabaret that is closer to the show that Masteroff, Kander and Ebb wrote and not a showcase for the director. Fosse made it a movie about Fosse. I know this is a very unpopular and minority opinion, but there it is. Spielberg would be the perfect choice. He would make a brilliant film that is about Cabaret in the same way his film about West Side Story is about West Side Story. | |
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| As it happens, this conversation is moot | |
| Posted by: dbdbdb 05:23 pm EDT 03/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Spielberg - Should he do another musical film? - scoot1er 10:59 am EDT 03/19/22 | |
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| As per below, at the Producers' Guild Awards breakfast he stated that he was done with musicals | |
| Link | https://variety.com/2022/awards/news/steven-spielberg-pga-awards-2022-breakfast-1235209794/#recipient_hashed=d136b797e2e8f1d3d3d420dada1a00dde32ff8920d0f4e4ae39f3d87ac0723e3&utm_medium=email&utm_sourc |
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| re: Spielberg - Should he do another musical film? | |
| Last Edit: PlayWiz 12:43 pm EDT 03/19/22 | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 12:38 pm EDT 03/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Spielberg - Should he do another musical film? - scoot1er 10:59 am EDT 03/19/22 | |
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| There are plenty of folks who have terrific talent who don't get the breaks in real life, so why can't we have a Sally who is enjoyable to hear and see? Maybe because Liza did get breaks like being able to perform at the London Palladium and on her Mom's tv show, and to her credit, having own wonderful talents, makes it plausible for someone to think that her Sally Bowles should be predestined to have a great future and is thus not ideally cast. I think she's brilliant in the role. Some of the actresses who weren't great singers made a success in the role, and yes, an argument can be made for that being the reason their Sally isn't a star. But I have sung with some great people who didn't get the breaks, and they were just as good, and sometimes even better, than some who went on to stellar careers. I prefer Sallys who can really sing. "Fanny" actually has a rather timeless love story about youth's desires, unwed pregnancy, and older people wanting a legacy to pass on to their children, among other things. There was enough stuff there for the musical to pick and choose what to focus on from the trilogy of films it was based on. |
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| AUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!! | |
| Posted by: shocktheatre 12:02 pm EDT 03/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Spielberg - Should he do another musical film? - scoot1er 10:59 am EDT 03/19/22 | |
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| I'm not worried. It will NEVER happen. Thd film "Caabaret" is literally untouchable. | |
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| re: AUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!! | |
| Posted by: scoot1er 01:04 pm EDT 03/19/22 | |
| In reply to: AUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!! - shocktheatre 12:02 pm EDT 03/19/22 | |
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| On that we will have to agree to disagree. I think it is plenty touchable. | |
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| Oh come on. | |
| Posted by: BigM 07:08 pm EDT 03/23/22 | |
| In reply to: re: AUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!! - scoot1er 01:04 pm EDT 03/19/22 | |
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| We all know Cabaret will never be remade. The film is considered eminently successful and the kind of investment necessary for a remake won't be available just because some musical theatre fans are dissatisfied with it. If West Side Story wins Oscars and eventually recoups, Spielberg might be persuaded to try again. Personally, I think Follies might be an interesting possibility - more so if Sondheim was still with us, but tantalyzing nonetheless. For Spielberg to invest his time in it, the choice would have to be something epic. |
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| re: AUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!! | |
| Posted by: shocktheatre 04:23 pm EDT 03/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: AUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!! - scoot1er 01:04 pm EDT 03/19/22 | |
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| Well, my post is certainly touchable. Sorry for the typos. | |
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| re: Spielberg - Should he do another musical film? | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 11:13 am EDT 03/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Spielberg - Should he do another musical film? - scoot1er 10:59 am EDT 03/19/22 | |
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| An interesting and thought-provoking suggestion. | |
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