The Resident Bitch Prepares for... the Most Recent MoFo Countdown

Charlotte's Web
(Charles A. Nichols and Iwao Takamoto, 1973)

I've never been a fan of musicals, even as a child I wasn't much one for the genre but this particular movie has always stood out to me and I think it's a shame that I don't often hear people talk about it. I get that it doesn't have that same crisp, polished look as the offerings of Disney, nor are its colors as vibrant as those films, but I think it's immensely charming just the same.

I've always really liked the character designs, particularly those of Templeton the rat and Charlotte the spider, and I think the animators did a wonderful job of bringing E.B. White's classic children's novel to the screen. But what really stands out to me is the voice work. The casting is absolutely perfect and most surprising of all is that I truly love all of its songs. I don't think there's really a weak one in the bunch, though of course the show stopper for me has always been and will forever be Templeton's rendition of "Veritable Smorgasbord" (with the rat/goose duet version of the song being a close second) and really Templeton totally steals the show in every scene where he appears. I do like Wilbur the pig, but that self-centered, sarcastic rat is hilarious and is totally my spirit animal. The character is also partly responsible for my near lifelong love of pet rats, though I no longer keep them.

While I acknowledge that much of my love for this movie is based in nostalgia, I do I think it's a genuinely wonderful movie and I really, really hope it sneaks onto the countdown.

__________________

Funny that Phantom of the Paradise was just mentioned because that's next on my watchlist. I was already thinking that it looked like something I should mention to you but I figured I'd see it first.

I haven't seen Charlotte's Web in a very long time but I loved it as a kid so it likely makes my ballot.

LOL. In that case you'd really hate Seven Victims For Seven Rapists.

And that's before it's a 50's musical.

Ah,well. At least you didn't hate it, but I'm guessing you didn't like it enough to add it to your list?

I put forward both Tommy and Phantom Of The Paradise in the prelim thread.

__________________
5-time MoFo Award winner.

Yeah, that's a hard no.

It's a "maybe." Anything that I rate a or higher is a possibility for my ballot. The bar is set real low.

Did you? I must've forgotten. I doubt I'll watch Tommy. I love "Behind Blue Eyes" but don't really like much else from The Who.

Meet the Feebles
(Peter Jackson, 1989)

This movie was actually suggested to me before I even started this thread. I'd never heard of it so I checked out the trailer - and immediately knew this was going to be something that I would not enjoy. However, I also knew that morbid curiosity would prevent me from ignoring it.

So today I decided to give it a try. The best word I can come up with to describe it is grotesque. From the concept, to the character designs, to the story, to the attempts at gross-out humor, to the sex and violence. Everything is ramped up to extremes. Having said that, I don't actually regret watching it. As predicted, I didn't like it but I also couldn't take my eyes away from it and I do have to give it some credit for that.

Oh and yes, the director is that Peter Jackson.

Jackson was a more interesting director before he got stuck with IP duty

A Mighty Wind
(Christopher Guest, 2003)

I've never been a fan of Christopher Guest's brand of awkward comedy and I have really tried. This is Spinal Tap, Best in Show, For Your Consideration... none of them work for me. But I have loved A Mighty Wind since the first time I saw it 21 years ago.

But it's not the humor that I love about it. I do think it's funny and it gets some chuckles from me (as well as some groans in reaction to Fred Willard's corny jokes) but the thing that I love is the music. For a movie that's supposed to parody folk music, Christopher Guest and company created some truly wonderful original folk music. Indeed the movie's soundtrack CD is among my all time favorite soundtracks.

I also really love how well its cast play off each other, in particular long time friends Catherine O'Hara and Eugene Levy as Mitch & Mickey and Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer as The Folksmen - who previously starred together as Spinal Tap. Their chemistry is incredible, though the other performances are also very strong - both in terms of standard acting and musically speaking.

I know that movie musical purists aren't likely to give this film any consideration, but I really hope that those who, like me, aren't fans of the genre and are looking for something a little more their speed will give this movie a shot.

I generally find that my favorite parodies display a level of love, affection, and understanding for the thing they are making fun of.

When I saw this film in the theater, the part where Coolidge is "humming" with her mouth open made me laugh so long and so hard that I almost had to excuse myself so that I wouldn't bother the other audience members. I remember my side physically hurting from trying to contain my laughter.

Les Misérables
(Tom Hooper, 2012)

I saw this movie during its original theatrical release and I vaguely remember liking it. I also vaguely remember buying the DVD, watching it again, and still somehow liking it. I don't think I've seen it since then, couldn't really remember any details about it, and until now its length and the fact that it is musical has kept me from refreshing my memory of it.

Having now seen it again, I rather enjoyed myself. I'm a sucker for a good period film and this is certainly a good period film. I really appreciated the sets and costumes and I also really liked the cinematography and overall look of the film. The story kept me engaged and I thought the casting and performances were really strong - and, to my surprise, I was not at all bothered by the singing. I've seen a lot of people online complain about the performance from Russell Crowe, but I think he did just fine. I thought his physique gave the character an imposing air that fit well, his facial expressions really conveyed the conflicted emotions of his character, and I felt his unpolished singing voice suited the character as well. Having said that, of course, I acknowledge that I am very biased in that man's favor. I'm a big fan. He was briefly my absolute favorite actor and I've long been familiar with and enjoyed his singing - I own several of his music CDs and in 2001 even saw him in concert with his old band Thirty Odd Foot of Grunts.

But I definitely don't love this movie. The singing didn't bother me (perhaps the overabundance of singing and the lack of dance removes the cringe-factor that makes me hate most musicals?), but I also wouldn't say I liked the songs. There was also one particular character that I absolutely hated - Marius. Now, I'm not trying to bash on Eddie Redmayne. I thought his performance as Marius was good, but Marius's infatuation with Cosette bothered the hell out of me. Eponine was a far more interesting character than Cosette and Samantha Barks is a far more beautiful woman than the pasty, doe-eyed Amanda Seyfried. Yet even with what Eponine did for him, Marius's thoughts were still firmly on some girl he'd met twice and didn't even know. What an a-hole.

Overall, I think this movie is more of a 3.75 than a 4 for me but I'll be generous and round up because I didn't hate the songs.

The movie version of Les Misérables is nowhere near as good as the original musical on Broadway. That was an experience you never forget!

I'll take your word for it.

Yeah, she's pretty great in her scenes. "Thank God for model trains. You know if they didn't have the model trains they wouldn't have gotten the idea for the big trains."

I enjoyed the movie version of Les Miz. There are always purist who will tell you how the play was beyond. Don't buy it. The only musical where I preferred the stage version to the film version was Sweeney Todd. It's an experience that is difficult to duplicate.

I too am a fan of Russell Crowe. Way back in the day, my friend made me computer wallpaper of pictures of Russell Crowe. This occurred long before the new millenium. Ah the olden days!

I have Les Miserables on my watchlist already, perhaps I should add A Mighty Wind as I do like the cast.

Oh, don't worry. I don't buy it. The only stage musical I've ever sat through as an adult was a recording of Hedwig and the Angry Inch when it still starred John Cameron Mitchell. Hedwig is also the only one I've ever considered buying tickets to attend in person.

I can't say the same. I jumped on the bandwagon with Gladiator, but I've firmly stayed there ever since, even though he's done a few really shitty movies since then.

I'm no purist - but I am a longtime Broadway fan. Experiences like Les Miz, Miss Saigon, and Phantom of the Opera are practically impossible to recreate with film. They can try, but they can't really replicate what it felt like watching those on Broadway. Lighter fare like Mamma Mia! does tend to fare best when making the transition to cinema, imho.

The first time I watched Russell in a movie was 1992's Romper Stomper - and he made an indelible impression. I always knew he would go on to bigger things! If you haven't seen it, I would recommend it, assuming the subject matter isn't something that would put you off.

Romper Stomper is a fantastic movie and he is mesmerizing in it.

Romper Stomper is indeed a good movie.

Starstruck
(Gillian Armstrong, 1982)

I don't have a lot to say about this one. It was fine. There wasn't anything that I hated about it, but - except for being mildly amused at the audacity of the kids' schemes in a couple of scenes - there wasn't really anything that I particularly liked about it either. The movie failed to get me invested in its characters so I was pretty indifferent to the things that happened to them. The movie also felt a little over long for what it had to offer.

I do think I might have looked at this movie more favorably if I'd seen it as a child, but at this age it just didn't really work for me.