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| Apple TV's new musical of 'A Christmas Carol' left me dis-'Spirited' | |
| Last Edit: WaymanWong 02:03 pm EST 11/22/22 | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 01:55 pm EST 11/22/22 | |
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| Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds star in ''Spirited,'' a new modern-day musical of Charles Dickens' ''A Christmas Carol,'' now on Apple TV and screening in limited theaters. Ferrell plays the Ghost of Christmas Present who sets out to redeem Clint Briggs (Reynolds), a selfish, amoral media consultant. Ferrell and Reynolds try to give their all, singing and dancing, and the cast includes ''Hadestown's'' Patrick Page as Marley. But the plot is so contrived and convoluted, and easily wears out its welcome at 2 hours and 7 minutes. (''Spirited'' gets a 68% rating at Rotten Tomatoes.) ''Spirited'' boasts new songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (whose lyrics I loved in their Oscar-winning ''La La Land''). Usually, there's at least a couple of tunes that stand out for me in most any Pasek and Paul score. Even in the current film of ''Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile,'' for which they also wrote new songs and are credited as executive producers. I really enjoyed their ''Top of the World'' and ''Carried Away,'' a wonderful ballad that deserves Oscar attention. But there's not a single holiday tune in ''Spirited'' that I'd give a jingle about. They're bouncy but bland. What a blah humbug. |
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| Link | Apple TV's 'Spirited': Official Trailer |
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| re: Apple TV's new musical of 'A Christmas Carol' left me dis-'Spirited' | |
| Posted by: conciergekey 01:53 pm EST 11/23/22 | |
| In reply to: Apple TV's new musical of 'A Christmas Carol' left me dis-'Spirited' - WaymanWong 01:55 pm EST 11/22/22 | |
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| Why they keep giving Pasek and Paul so many jobs is beyond me. They've always been bland. | |
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| re: Apple TV's new musical of 'A Christmas Carol' left me dis-'Spirited' | |
| Last Edit: Chazwaza 04:03 pm EST 11/24/22 | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 04:01 pm EST 11/24/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Apple TV's new musical of 'A Christmas Carol' left me dis-'Spirited' - conciergekey 01:53 pm EST 11/23/22 | |
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| Their stuff is undeniably popular and pop-like, categorically, as far as "showtunes" are concerned. I love 90% of the score to Dear Evan Hansen, and I can't deny I really liked many of the songs in Greatest Showman, and I think they did fine work on Dogfight (fine used in the old timey sense to mean quality, not mediocre as we use it now)... But it's too much. It's way too much. They are hired for everything. There are 3 songwriting entities hired for just about all things right now... Lin Manuel Miranda, Pasek & Paul, and the Lopezes. Please I beg of you, Hollywood, give other writers a chance... and give the audiences a chance to hear different things. Each of these extremely talented writing entities have identifiable sounds... their work largely all sound like the work of the writers who wrote it... and I don't mean that in a good way, though it's also not a bad thing, it's just a thing that I find to be observably true more than not. Even while taken individually I love In the Heights, and I love Hamilton, and I love Encanto and Moana... they all sound very similar if you mix them together. And I can say very much the same for the work of the Lopezes and P&P. And you know what will make it easier for writers to write musicals and have them produced? Financial stability from film work, and credentials/recognizability for producers and audiences. It's very very hard to get a musical to broadway or off-broadway at a reputable theater... help other writers do that by giving them high profile jobs where no one cares who wrote the songs as long as they're good... like in movies and TV. |
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| re: Apple TV's new musical of 'A Christmas Carol' left me dis-'Spirited' | |
| Posted by: RAR85558 04:49 pm EST 11/22/22 | |
| In reply to: Apple TV's new musical of 'A Christmas Carol' left me dis-'Spirited' - WaymanWong 01:55 pm EST 11/22/22 | |
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| The Regal chain has a program where they occasionally show a Monday "surprise" film. You are not supposed to know anything until you enter the theatre and take your seat. "Spirited" was the film a few weeks ago. I make it a habit not to leave a cinema, no matter how bad the film. I had to run for the exit after 90 minutes. It was insufferable. Everyone was yelling and chewing the scenery. The songs just added to the noise. It would be nice to have a new holiday classic for future generations. This isn't it. | |
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| re: Apple TV's new musical of 'A Christmas Carol' left me dis-'Spirited' | |
| Posted by: comedywest 04:00 pm EST 11/22/22 | |
| In reply to: Apple TV's new musical of 'A Christmas Carol' left me dis-'Spirited' - WaymanWong 01:55 pm EST 11/22/22 | |
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| I have to agree. I saw it a while back and the whole opening, which was to let you know that it was an update of a Christmas Carol, seemed so unnecessary. Once you see the Ghost of Christmas yet to come, it is either A Christmas Carol or the musical version of The Seventh Sea. And way too many complications, Octavia Spencer's scenes were the best, mostly I think because they were much calmer than the rest. It's a very hectic film. |
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