Exactly How Bad Is The MAN OF LA MANCHA Movie?- Page 2

Posted: 7/14/11 at 4:05am

I admit, I'm not a big fan of the show anway, but as everyonehas said, it's just bad--and sadly it's not kinda campy fun bad the way I can watch (every so often) the Chorus Line and Mame movies. But then what do I know--I actually have a soft spot for A Little Night Music's film, lol.

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/14/11 at 7:23am

It's funny how everybody seems to be rating this movie on a scale of "one to Mame."

Personally, I never made it through the film version of Mame. I have tried no less than five times in the past 30 years. I can't do it. I always turn it off. The last time, I tried it in wide screen with great picture and sound. I lasted 20 minutes.

I have made it through Man of La Mancha and lived to tell the tale, so I guess that makes it one hellacious notch above Mame for me.

So on a scale from "One to Mame," I give it a "Nine."

[ggersten]

Posted: 7/14/11 at 8:17am

>So on a scale from "One to Mame," I give it a "Nine."<

Besty - this truly outdoes some of your best witticisms. Bravo!

On the subject at hand - I haven't seen Man of La Mancha for many many years - but detested it when I saw it in the theatre. I don't think I've watched it or any part of it since. I've never made it through Mame, but have watched moments and so long as Lucy isn't vocalizing, it wasn't too bad. But, why doesn't anyone ever pick on poor "Paint Your Wagon"?

[madbrian]

Posted: 7/14/11 at 8:28am

OK...but is it worse than the movie version of A Little Night Music? For me, that's the standard.

[tazber]

Posted: 7/14/11 at 8:39am

I am with you brian. ALM is just god awful. And the whole thing looks like it was shot through a Vaseline smeared lens (this was intentional, not the result of a deteriorated film stock) which only heightens the somnolent feel.

It's impossible to even dream how boring La Mancha is though.

The good film musicals of Broadway shows are minimal, compared to how many were actually made. Hollywood, mostly, gets it wrong.

Johnboy, I totally agree.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 7/14/11 at 9:32am

As a Spanish speaker, O'Toole's constant mispronunciation of "Miguel" made me cringe. It's mee-gell (hard G), not mee-gwell. Nobody bothered to correct him?

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/14/11 at 9:37am

It doesn't look like anybody said much of anything on that movie set.

They just pointed the camera at their box office stars and said, "Okay, go!"

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 7/14/11 at 12:01pm

Of course, what makes all this ironic, in its own way, is that it also works in reverse. How many times have we seen a great movie musical from, say, the 30s or 40s and thought, "Wow, wouldnt that look cool onstage?" -- only to wind up with overly padded messes like LITTLE MERMAID or WTF moments like CALAMITY JANE or SEVEN BRIDES?

Posted: 7/14/11 at 5:41pm

I find it far worse than Night Music--I think I'm the only one I know who finds Night Music watchable (and the Weekend in the County bit is pretty great--of course we now know that that section was essentially storyboarded by Sondheim himself, who wanted to do more cinematic treatments of other numbers but couldn't). It's nice to see some of the original cast, I think Liz is fine, but I do admit it's plodding and overly static. Still, I'm happy to have it on DVD and do pull it out every so often *ducks and covers*

(but of course part of it is I like the source material much more than Mame and Mancha).

[charlesjguiteau]

Posted: 7/17/11 at 2:03pm

Eric, I agree there's still lots to love about ALNM on film, particularly Federicka's hugely improved film version of The Glamorous Life vs the stage version of the song. That and Diana Rigg's performance throughout.

The best thing about Man of La Mancha on film was the poster. It was all down hill once you entered the movie theater. And I'm one of those who finds the stage show very worthy if performed well. Always loathed the lyrics but the music can really soar and I'm a sucker for the deathbed resurrection reprise.