Temptation

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 9/28/04 at 12:49am

Oh. Dear. Lord.

Well, I can surely say that "there's nothing else like it."

Really quickly: very, very very weird. Awful, actually - but at least it was so bad that we could laugh at it and have a good time. It's a shame the movie is as bad as it is, because the cast is such a powerhouse. Some cast members were there, and it was the first viewing for many of them. The Q&A was scrapped, and there was some sort of party after, but I didn't go.

Anyway, I'm absolutley exhausted. I have to formally review the film for something else, so, since I promised details, I'll put some of that stuff up here for you guys at some point tomorrow.

[MadeofGold]

Posted: 9/28/04 at 12:57am

So funny because I went with two other people and one person didn't like it at all, one person thought it was okay and I actually liked it a lot. I thought it was trippy and weird but loved the individual performances a lot.

I especially LOVED Deven May. Such a cutie and what a voice! Who are you Deven May? :P

I thought Adam was good as well.

*shrugs shoulders*

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 9/28/04 at 12:59am

I thought the cast was amazing. The movie itself... too weird.

And I love Adam, not matter what. He's apparently full of surprises.

More to come tomorrow...

[MadeofGold]

Posted: 9/28/04 at 1:03am

And I love Adam, not matter what. He's apparently full of surprises.

I was pleasantly surprised by his acting chops in this. I thought he was very effective and sounded amazing! :)

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 9/28/04 at 1:07am

So was I. This was a few years ago, if I'm not mistaken, so I expected his acting to be pretty - yes, I'm saying this - bad. I can't believe half the things they got him to do; the cheerleading outfit, "let's go SHOPPING!" (hands, geeky glasses and all...). He did sound great, though. I love when he gets to show off his falsetto.

[Trisky]

Posted: 9/28/04 at 1:11am

Went with MadeofGold to see this tonight and the thing that bothered me the most about the movie, which I'm sure is supposed to be the thing that's unique about it, was the animation.

I thought a lot of the songs were very pretty and well performed (especially by Devon May, Alice Ripley and Orfeh) and the story could have been interesting. The animation/computer graphics just totally distracted me and ultimately left me confused and feeling very detached from the whole thing.

[b-way buff]

Posted: 9/28/04 at 1:14am

i agree with everything emcee said.

[MadeofGold]

Posted: 9/28/04 at 1:16am

So was I. This was a few years ago, if I'm not mistaken, so I expected his acting to be pretty - yes, I'm saying this - bad.

LMAO! I didn't want to say it but I'm glad you did! :) That's what I was expecting and yet I thought he was surprisingly good!

I can't believe half the things they got him to do; the cheerleading outfit, "let's go SHOPPING!" (hands, geeky glasses and all...).

I couldn't believe it either. Oh geeky Adam! Too cute. :)

He did sound great, though. I love when he gets to show off his falsetto.

Me too. I could listen to him sing all day! :)

I thought a lot of the songs were very pretty and well performed (especially by Devon May, Alice Ripley and Orfeh) and the story could have been interesting.

Have I mentioned that Deven May was really, really good? :P

And I agree that Alice and Orfeh were pretty amazing as well.

The animation/computer graphics just totally distracted me and ultimately left me confused and feeling very detached from the whole thing.

Oddly enough, the animation didn't distract me too much. I don't know. I really thought the movie was interesting.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 9/28/04 at 1:21am

lol - I'll be the first to admit that Adam didn't used to be much of an actor. I was impressed!

"Have I mentioned that Deven May was really, really good?"
LOVED HIM!

[KarenNYC]

Posted: 9/28/04 at 2:01am

I especially LOVED Deven May. Such a cutie and what a voice! Who are you Deven May? :P

It's nice to see people appreciating him! Deven is the original L.A., New York, and (currently) London Bat Boy. Check out the original Bat Boy site for photos. He should have a website up shortly.

http://batboy-themusical.com/offbway.html

Should any of you find yourself in London, here's where you can find info on the London production of Bat Boy.

http://batboy.co.uk

(And I'm officially outing myself as a shill. I've been with the Bat Boy production since 2001 and I did Deven's website and will be working on launching a new site for him soon.)

[Al Dente]

Posted: 9/28/04 at 10:30am

Would everyone join me in a rousing chorus of "I told you so"? I had heard this from people who saw much earlier screenings and posted as such. I'm curious about your more detailed review LUV.

Just once, I'd like to hear that Orfeh was a stand-out in a *good* project but I must admit, that I'm more than a little curious now. Sounds like it belongs in the "awesomely bad" category. How was my favorite underrated hearthrob, David St. Louis? Did he end up on the cutting room floor?

[Trisky]

Posted: 9/28/04 at 10:47am

Orfeh was actually sitting right in front of us, Al Dente. Whomever was with her certainly cheered her on when she showed up on screen.

If David St. Louis is who I think he is then his part was very small and consisted of mainly staring at (and loving from afar) Anika Noni Rose's character Fog. I was actually a little confused (okay a lot) about the point of that tiny little subplot. I'm sure it had to do with the overall theme of the choices people make, but eh... that would just be a shot in the dark. Vocally speaking he was good though.

[Al Dente]

Posted: 9/28/04 at 10:50am

Good to know that St. Louis, at least, has a presence in the film. It sounds like it might never be released, DVD or otherwise. Shame too, considering how great the cast is. Updated On: 9/28/04 at 10:50 AM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 9/28/04 at 11:10am

Like Undiscovered said, we went into this knowing it wasn't going to be good...

And yes, I'd describe it as "awesomely bad."

I promise I'll post a lot tonight - I've got to finish writing this review for what I need it for, then edit it for the internet.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 9/28/04 at 11:28am

LOVE Deven May
LOVE Orfeh

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 9/28/04 at 11:33am

My friend forced me to listen to Bat Boy, and the whole cast blew me away.

[GirlfriendFromCanada]

Posted: 9/28/04 at 1:42pm

I'm not even sure that "awesomely bad" would describe it. It was certainly BAD, but the only reason I had a good time was because it was SO bad that I could laugh at it the entire time. And I did. Oh, I did.

However, there were some parts of it that COULD specifically fall into the "awesomely bad" category:
- Adam's sparkly bow tie!
- The Lion King-esque animation that signified...I don't know what. But there were zebras!
- NICHOLI'S GOSPEL BUS REVIVAL! I will admit that THIS was awesome. "Evil small, evil big, evil in a platinum wig!" And random people doing the conga and dressed in flowy shirts with cap sleeves and a rotating Pinocchio. Please. Awesome. Bad.
- The dancing skyscrapers!
- Ok, I have to say it. MANLEY POPE. I found him to be the most entertaining in the whole film, mostly because I didn't feel as bad laughing at him as I did everyone else. "I don't know why I didn't get the job... I mean, I ROCKED that audition!". It took a few years off my life to see animated women wearing bathing suits with Manley's face on them though.

I will admit, Orfeh was awesome. She really did well with the song she had to sing, and it was exciting to hear her singing again during the end credits. Also, Deven May really made me notice him, if only because he was the only character they actually made us feel anything for.

I won't be surprised if nothing else happens with this. It's definitely a piece that COULD have been much better, even if they had more time and money to put into it. But ultimately, the best part about it is the cast. The songs aren't well-written, the lyrics are at times embarassingly bad, and the story almost falls flat. I applaud those involved in it, because they did well with what they had to work with, and I can't help but wonder if they would have signed on for it if they knew what the end result would be.

But yeah, I still had a good time. It's fun seeing people you've seen on stage and in person on the big screen. I liked the bunny rabbit too. Updated On: 9/28/04 at 01:42 PM

[MadeofGold]

Posted: 9/28/04 at 1:46pm

As probably the only person in the free world that didn't think this was terrible, I have to say that what I enjoyed most about it was the coming together of some of my favorite theater performers. Their voices were all great even if some of the lyrics and songs weren't.

I don't know. I was entertained and I can't explain why other than seeing Adam, Orfeh, Alice, Deven, Anika etc. singing "live" on screen was as enjoyable to me as seeing all of them on stage would have been.

[TGIF]

Posted: 9/28/04 at 1:51pm

I am STILL processing what I saw last night! :) . Highlight - Nicholi's Gospel Bus Revival. That was priceless.

I was talking to Undiscovered and Emcee about this, if done in the "real world" and not the CG world, and had some dialogue, this would/could have been an awesome movie, not an awesomely bad one!

Ill let Emcee give her(our)account for the movie, because I dont even know what to say!

[Trisky]

Posted: 9/28/04 at 2:14pm

I was talking to Undiscovered and Emcee about this, if done in the "real world" and not the CG world, and had some dialogue, this would/could have been an awesome movie, not an awesomely bad one!

That was my reaction to, if it had been grounded in reality, it could have been decent. But the CGI giraffes and spinny, smashed things and all of those other put upon effects just seemed bizarre. I should have known it wasn't going to turn out well when they handed out the entire plot synopsis beforehand, probably so the audience could follow along.

Ok, I have to say it. MANLEY POPE. I found him to be the most entertaining in the whole film, mostly because I didn't feel as bad laughing at him as I did everyone else.

I had never seen Manley Pope before last night and let's just say I have absolutely no desire to see him do anything again, singing or acting.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 9/28/04 at 2:38pm

I'm between classes (and late for one!) but I needed to tell you, Girlfriend from Canada, how much your post made me laugh.

"However, there were some parts of it that COULD specifically fall into the "awesomely bad" category:
- Adam's sparkly bow tie!
- The Lion King-esque animation that signified...I don't know what. But there were zebras!
- NICHOLI'S GOSPEL BUS REVIVAL! I will admit that THIS was awesome. "Evil small, evil big, evil in a platinum wig!" And random people doing the conga and dressed in flowy shirts with cap sleeves and a rotating Pinocchio. Please. Awesome. Bad.
- The dancing skyscrapers!
- Ok, I have to say it. MANLEY POPE. I found him to be the most entertaining in the whole film, mostly because I didn't feel as bad laughing at him as I did everyone else. "I don't know why I didn't get the job... I mean, I ROCKED that audition!". It took a few years off my life to see animated women wearing bathing suits with Manley's face on them though."

Yes. That sums up everything that I am still currently laughing at. TGIF and I saw the animated animals and were like "Look! It's The Circle of Life! WTF?" Thoroughly entertaining.
... and NICHOLI'S GOSPEL BUS REVIVAL. *sigh* Adam, Adam, Adam. *shakes head*

[TGIF]

Posted: 9/28/04 at 2:41pm

Nicholi's Gospel Bus Revival.. wow. That is something I need to see again because everything was done so quickly, by the one thing registered in my head they moved on, it was ALOT to handle at once.

[insomniak]

Posted: 9/28/04 at 2:47pm

Adam in a cheerleading outfit? *tries to picture* Like, our Adam? Like, a girl's cheerleading outfit? I do not believe this.

So how was the music? And what was it about? Who of the cast was there?

[GirlfriendFromCanada]

Posted: 9/28/04 at 2:55pm

The people in the cast there that I saw were Zoe Saldana, Anika Noni-Rose, David St. Louis, Sebastian Arcelus, Manley Pope, and I believe Michael Cerveris and Alice Ripley were there by the end, after coming from Broadway UnPlugged. Oh, and Annie Golden was there. I felt bad for her, because she was in the movie for about five seconds. The bunny rabbit had more screen-time than her.

The cheerleading outfit was a guy's cheerleading outfit, but he had the pom poms and the most ridiculously amusing look on his face. That is when I almost wet my pants. I had been laughing really hard by that point, and I think I just guffawed when that came on screen. I felt bad, but at the same time, how could you NOT? I just wish I knew what was supposed to be funny, and what wasn't!

Most of the music was bad, but there were a few good songs. The mix, for whatever reason, was awful. It was an edited production, and yet the music was louder than the vocals. I understand that the vocals were recorded live, meaning they were done while shooting the scenes, but WHY couldn't they have been mixed better?

Nicoli's Gospel Bus Revival does live on though. I think that is one of the only reasons I'd actually want to see it again. That, and my favorite guy was the first real person you saw in the movie (and for this, he got a name!).

[Thoroughly Modern Cara]

Posted: 9/28/04 at 3:38pm

I know it's not likely but I do hope they release this on DVD because no matter how bad it was it sound absolutely hysterical. When I was talking to Emcee and TGIF right after they got out the two of them couldn't even speak they were laughing so hard. Ohhh Adam...