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OT: attend the tale of Sweeney Todd
Just a quick note to recommend the film to anyone who has the least interest in either Tim Burton, or Stephen Sondheim. This is a brilliant adaptation by a dark prince of the cinema of one of the darkest musicals ever to grace a Broadway stage. Performances were well up to the material. The opulent, dark vision of 19th century London is a feast for the eyes.
Arnie
Now in post: Peristroika, a film by Slava Tsukerman
https://www.arniepix.com/blog -
5 Replies
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Going to see it this afternoon.
Sweeney is one of my favorite shows… was fortunate enough to catch a really great production of it when directing a film on location in San Francisco earlier this year.
I don’t think I have seen the actual theatrical trailer, but I find it a bit funny that in almost all the the television commercials (and there are several different versions) that the music is very downplayed… I think most of them don’t even have one word of singing in them.
I’m just betting there were be a lot of Depp and Burton fans going to see this who don’t know a thing about the play… “What???? Why are they singing????”
Funny.
T2
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Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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Just back from seeing it.
Fantastic.
Someone in a magazine called it the “most Tim Burtony of the Tim Burton movies,” and I have to say that was a fair assessment.
Very faithful to the play, if you are a fan of that. I did miss the “bookend” songs that open and close the play but were missing in the film (“The Ballad of Sweeney Todd” at the beginning, and the reprise of it at the very end)… but overall, a pretty darn cool and creepy film.
It was obvious there were a few in the theatre that were unaware of the story, as there were audible gasps at the quite prolific bloodiness of it all.
All in all, great fun… catch it if you can.
T2
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Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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That song appears several times in the play. It seems to me that all of the chorus songs were cut from the film. It’s an interesting choice. Not the choice I would have made, but that doesn’t detract anything for me. If anything, I’d applaud it as removing something that is very theatrical to create something more cinematic.
More pies!
Arnie
Now in post: Peristroika, a film by Slava Tsukerman
https://www.arniepix.com/blog -
A fair assessment. I just always liked the way the ballad set the stage, and the wrapped up the show. I didn’t miss it at all at the beginning, but sorely missed it at the end… my ears kept waiting to hear it.
I was also a bit surprised to see such a little little kid cast as Toby, on stage you almost always see him quite a bit older. First time I saw the show maybe 20 years ago in a community theatre production a teenager played the part (and was wonderful)… last time I saw it a few months ago in a professional show I’d say the actor was in his early 20s. So, I was surprised by the film… but the kid did a nice job (although he was a stronger singer than actor).
T2
__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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That’s funny, I’m the opposite on the ballad. I think it would have been great under the main titles, but I loved the final tableau, and the ballad would have robbed it of some of it’s power.
I agree about Toby. When I saw the NYC Opera version a few years ago, Toby was in his 20s. And had long hair, throughout.
Arnie
Now in post: Peristroika, a film by Slava Tsukerman
https://www.arniepix.com/blog
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