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[Great King Bowser]

Anyone else go to see this? (in the cinema)

I took my mum to see it yesterday as it's her sorta thing, must say it wasn't 'alf bad. Whoever played Christine was pretty hot, and corsets + cleavage = winning combination to me.

 

[Memles]

Did it release in the UK already? Doesn't release in the States until the 22nd.

From the commercials, the art direction looks absolutely stunning...but it IS Joel Schumacher.

 

[Great King Bowser]

Yeah came out last Friday here in the UK.

Just listening to the OST, not quite up to the stage version, but still pretty good.

 

[teiresias]

I hear the overall production of the film is very good, with designs and production values to kill for (even if they don't stray very far from the original stage versions). However, the constant thing I keep hearing is that the guy playing the Phantom is the weakest link with an entirely inappropriate voice, which, IMO, is completely idiotic to have allowed to happen. People were complaining about him months ago, and apparently for good reason. From what I've heard of the OST of the film the complaints are warranted as well - there's no strength in his voice at all.

 

[Memles]

I hear the overall production of the film is very good, with designs and production values to kill for (even if they don't stray very far from the original stage versions). However, the constant thing I keep hearing is that the guy playing the Phantom is the weakest link with an entirely inappropriate voice, which, IMO, is completely idiotic to have allowed to happen. People were complaining about him months ago, and apparently for good reason. From what I've heard of the OST of the film the complaints are warranted as well - there's no strength in his voice at all.

In reading a few reviews, it's definitely a blanket statement that "He can't really sing all that well". I honestly think that, based on reactions, that anyone other than Crawford would have been flamed for the role. And the guy is 62. Seriously...would NOT have worked.

 

[teiresias]

I honestly think that, based on reactions, that anyone other than Crawford would have been flamed for the role. And the guy is 62. Seriously...would NOT have worked.

While I don't agree that Crawford would not have worked simply because of his age (the girl playing Christine was jailbait age while she was filming it anyway, at least USA jailbait age), I still think there are many people that could have worked in the role, but I think they not only cast the part too young, but they also seemed to have gone out of their way to find someone with a "pop" voice who had no vocal training at all. In an interview the guy playing the Phantom told the story about telling his mom he had gotten the part and he said his mom said to him, "But can you sing?"

 

[Great King Bowser]

Yeah I did think the Phantom was out of place both vocally and visually. He wasn't bad per se, I'd just say different.

This Crawford guy = Frank Spencer from Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em Right? What was his full name? I was surprised to hear he was the original stage version.

 

[Memles]

While I don't agree that Crawford would not have worked simply because of his age (the girl playing Christine was jailbait age while she was filming it anyway, at least USA jailbait age), I still think there are many people that could have worked in the role, but I think they not only cast the part too young, but they also seemed to have gone out of their way to find someone with a "pop" voice who had no vocal training at all. In an interview the guy playing the Phantom told the story about telling his mom he had gotten the part and he said his mom said to him, "But can you sing?"

She was 16 when they went into the production, yeah. I think they wanted to avoid cries of pedophile with it. They cast her so young, that they felt they had to go young for the Phantom...the line in the trailer is fine, but having not listened to any of the OST I can't say how the rest sounds.

But visually...the trailer is absolutely stunning. Simply for the visuals, the film looks like one to simply experience.

 

[teiresias]

Michael Crawford is his name (don't know his middle name or initial). Honestly, the full CD recording of the original broadway cast is only like $35 bucks and it's amazing just to hear Crawford go full-out in the role - even Sarah Brightman gives a good performance compared to how she's gone to pot and all out diva-mode recently (though there are plenty of stories about her behavior during the run of the show).

It's a really good recording, which is high praise coming from me because I can't stand any Webber show other than Phantom, his over-the-top, somewhat shallow work is actually served rather well by the spectacle of the story, so the style works for this show. If you voluntarily choose to listen to "Sunset Boulevard" though you deserve the ear drum bursting that is sure to follow. :lol

 

[Great King Bowser]

I just realised, was everyone other than Minnie Driver actually singing their own part rather than miming?

 

[Dan]

She was 16 when they went into the production, yeah. I think they wanted to avoid cries of pedophile with it. They cast her so young, that they felt they had to go young for the Phantom...

It's still a guy in his mid-thirties feeling up an underage girl on film. I'm waiting to see if there's any vocal backlash against it from the crazy people in this country.

 

[Memles]

I just realised, was everyone other than Minnie Driver actually singing their own part rather than miming?

Yep...and she ended up singing over the end credits. She simply could not do the operatic thing.

 

[Desperado]

"sing once agaaain with me, our strange duueet, your power ooover me, grows stroonger yet.."

awesome song.

 

[teiresias]

MY power over YOU

Anyway, I mean, anyone familiar with Crawford's rendition of "Music of the Night" go listen to the audio clip available on the Amazon page for the movie soundtrack and listen to it, there's just no comparison at all. Sure, there will be those that are always sentimental for Crawford in the part, but come on, I refuse to believe there wasn't anyone with a stronger singing voice more appropriate for the role.

 

[Desperado]

MY power over YOU

WHATEVER

 

[Great King Bowser]

So I dug up my brother's original Phantom OST, and I guess my view was something distorted by nostalgia. Though I still feel the vocals on the newer tracks aren't up to par with the originals, the production > the originals.

Going back to the originals they sound so flat. I'm actually looking forward to picking up Phantom when it comes out on DVD now.

 

[teiresias]

Well, obviously. The original cast recording is using a musical theater sized orchestra, whereas the movie uses 100+ piece orchestrations plus some boys choir from one of those european countries where boys choirs are like soccer.

 

[dem]

Isnt Jennifer Ellison in Phantom?

big boobies ahoy!

 

[Great King Bowser]

Isnt Jennifer Ellison in Phantom?

big boobies ahoy!

If the film were in black and white she'd still have too much fake tan on.

 

[Fowler]

You can see her in the trailer. I know, because the three frames of her massive tits you see were enough to make me go "Wait, that can't be... Jennifer Ellison?!"

 

[dem]

Isnt it time for Ellison pics yet?

 

[xsarien]

I've been afraid ever since I heard Joel Shumacher directed it.

 

[keeblerdrow]

Andrew Lloyd Weber is the worst thing to happen to theater since Andrew Lloyd Weber.