Cultural Implosion
Many people say that the art scene has its head stuck up its own arse but I sometimes feel that the mainstream "art" scene is turning in on itself, so much so that its head is up its own arse and it is knawing on its own slippery intestines and pretty soon it is going to fall into a quivering heap on the floor, strangled by its own sphincter. Sorry to go all Chuck Palahniuk on you. Let me explain.
The whole blockbuster mentality seems to be so pervasive at the moment that the only way any work is able to find the financing to move into production is if it is a known quantity. What does that mean for us? Remakes, reworkings and revivals! That is fine, I am quite happy to see a revival, some of them are quite good, Walter Bobbie's 1996 revival of Chicago was fantastic, as was Rob Marshall's film version based on it.
Turning stage into screen is nothing new, it rarely works but when it does it is a joy to watch. Bringing screen to the stage is new. In a theatre world already dominated by "revue" musicals like Mamma Mia: The ABBA Musical, We Will Rock You: The Queen Musical and Moving Up! The Billy Joel Musical (along with Boney M, John Lennon, The Smiths...) musical movies are now making headway. The Lion King, Mary Poppins, Hairspray, Saturday Night Fever are all musicals now and Xanadu is gearing up (at least that gives me an excuse to add a picture of Livvy).
No big whoop!
But now we are getting movies of musicals of movies. The Producers became The Producers: The Mel Brooks Musical became The Producers: The Movie of the Mel Brooks Musical.
John Travolta has just signed up to star in Hairpray: The Movie of the Musical of the Movie.
I only hope they can milk it for all it's worth and make a musical about the making of the movie of the musical of the movie.
I know I am whinging. It can work if people put the effort in. I suppose I am complaining more about the "surefireness" of it all. That mentality is what brought us the dud film versions of Phantom of the Opera and the musical banality of most of the "jukebox" musicals in the West End at the moment.
Maybe I'm just grumpy! Maybe I should go and eat my own intestines.
Tags: movies, remakes, theatre
posted by walypala @ 8:26 pm
3 Comments:
It's hard no to conclude that it's all just for more moola. "The Producers" for example, was a funny movie and made a great theatrical musical, but simply filming that musical didn't make a great movie.
I think the theatrical musical as an art form can (contrary to popular belief) often do so much more than a movie. Why compromise the process (and the art) by trying to then turn it back into a movie? (Other than to squeeze every last penny out of the cultural goodwill established by success on the stage).
Same with "Rent": a great musical, but when filmed, a terrible movie.
And John Travolta as Mama? No, no, no! He should get together with Kirstie Alley and Tom Cruise and stage: "Xenu: The Musical Spectacular!".
Donald, I have no doubt that 'Xenu: The Musical Spectacular!'is in the pipelines somewhere. Theme music by Isaac Hayes. Guest starring Jason Lee, Nancy Cartwright, Punky Brewster...oh the great people we have lost to Scientology. It's strange; I feel like I need to mourn these people.
I am just imaging the scene in which the protagonist, Kate Cebrano, in a brillian career comeback, gives birth in total silence (shhhhh!) surrounded by interpretive dancers carrying lame-arse "Be silent and make all physical movements slow and understandable" placards and spirit fingers.
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