Sweeney Todd Feedback

[MovieDan82]

Posted: 10/24/07 at 2:01am

http://johnnydeppreads.com/index.php?showtopic=3377&view=findpost& amp;p=6370140

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 10/24/07 at 2:17am

Whoa, according to the poster who saw the film 90% of the film is sung... Interesting. Not sure if that is a good or a bad thing.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/24/07 at 2:21am

I think 90 percent is probably an exaggeration. If the film really were 90 percent music, we would have heard virtually every line of spoken dialogue in the film between the two released trailers. I don't even think 90 percent of the stage musical is sung.

I think movie musicals run into problems when they are predominantly sung only when most of the film is lip-synced (i.e. EVITA, parts of DREAMGIRLS,etc).

Though the film has divided audiences into love it-hate it factions, the recent movie musical that has far and away best utilized singing on film is ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, of which, most of the singing was apparently done live, or partially live.

Whatever they did, it works, because you never once feel that strange disconnected feeling that you often get watching actors lip sync to pre-recorded tracks on camera.
Updated On: 10/24/07 at 02:21 AM

[Brick]

Posted: 10/24/07 at 3:03am

While I didn't feel "Across th Universe" was entirely effective, I was also struck by how effective the use of live vocals, or vocals that certainly appeared to be live.

I noticed the moments of "Dreamgirls", "Evita", and others, that used live vocals always leapt from the film to the point of almost startling me. And, yes, Bennett I think you're right: they leapt out because of their emotional honesty when that "strange disconnect" was removed...

(It should be mentioned, "DeLovely" also had the actors singing live but was such an incompetent film I hardly cared enough to evaluate the contribution of live vocals.)

[rabymon10]

Posted: 10/24/07 at 3:40am

Wait, no sung 'Ballad'? Nooooo! That's my favourite part. Ah well. Hopefully that awesome instrumental from the second trailer is in it. And 'By the Sea' is in it too, can't wait!

Seems that further on in the thread, another person has reported that the film is about 75% singing.

[Ghosthost999]

Posted: 10/24/07 at 3:52am

I'm so happy to hear Pretty Women made the cut!! XD

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 10/24/07 at 4:04am

So 75% sung thats not bad, looking forward to this. I just hope they don't release too much, Hairspray and Dreamgirls leaks where getting crazy there by the end, nearly saw the whole movie before seeing it in the cinema.

[artscallion]

Posted: 10/24/07 at 8:34am

I think the fact that they invited a clump of posters from the Depp fansite tells me they won't be adverse to leakage. The question is, can I control myself enough to avoid watching too much of it?

And was no one there competent enough to jot down and leak a complete song list?!?

This all sounds very good. I'm very optimistic about this film. Let's just hope I don't pop from the anticipation before I actually get to see it!

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 10/24/07 at 8:41am

I think movie musicals run into problems when they are predominantly sung only when most of the film is lip-synced (i.e. EVITA, parts of DREAMGIRLS,etc).

Movies have ALWAYS been lip synced. It is very rare for musicals to records live vocals on the set.

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 10/24/07 at 8:46am

It's weird how they cut the Ballad of Sweeney Todd just like they cut the "showbiz" theme in Dreamgirls.

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/24/07 at 8:56am

Just for the record, Rex Harrison sang ALL of his songs in the film "My Fair Lady" live. He said he could never do the phrasing of the patter material the same way twice, and would fail miserably at lip-syncing.

So, everything you hear him do was recorded "live" on that particular take.

And yes, it was extremely difficult for the crew to pull it off. The acoustics had to be just right on the set to make it work. And it was anything but easy.

Interesting though that Robert Preston DID lip-sync in Music Man, even his "patter" material. Even Ya Got Trouble is all pre-recorded.

Also---Bette Midler did most (but not all) of her singing "live" on the TV version of Gypsy.

[artscallion]

Posted: 10/24/07 at 8:56am

"...It's weird how they cut the Ballad of Sweeney Todd..."


Well, there was the talk that it was cut because of time constraints that were thrown off by Johny's daughter's illness and Christopher Lee (ballad ghost) being dropped, etc.

Though there was the wonderful orchestration of the Ballad in the second trailer. Maybe it will be used as underscore for the opening credits. And wouldn't it be great to have a full, lush instrumental version of the ballad on the soundtrack?

Updated On: 10/24/07 at 08:56 AM

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/24/07 at 8:58am

Well, there are still two Ballad Ghosts listed in the movie, including Anthony what's-his-name from "Buffy."

Did their work "hit the cutting room floor?"

[DMsquared2]

Posted: 10/24/07 at 9:43am

Did their work "hit the cutting room floor?"

I hope not. That is such a cool way of using the song.

[Carl Magnum]

Posted: 10/24/07 at 9:54am

JCM did all his singing in the Hedwig film live as well.

Everyone is happy they kept Pretty Women, so am I. But I think the big news is that they kept Priest. I don't know why but I was worried and almost sure they would end up cutting that song and replacing it with dialogue.

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/24/07 at 10:05am

I think the bigger news is they kept Green Finch (according to Smaxie)!

That song has always haunted me (no, not because of Miss Joslyn's butchering of it, either). It's one of the best melodies in the show... particularly the bridge.

[Carl Magnum]

Posted: 10/24/07 at 10:25am

True, I didn't worry as much about that I guess when I heard Burton had gone with singers for Anthony and Johanna. And yes it is a beautiful song regardless of how it's ruined on the video. Does is worry anyone else that none of these reports mentioned Worst Pies... Do you think it's gone?

[MovieDan82]

Posted: 10/24/07 at 10:30am

The song list:

* No Place Like London
* The Barber and His Wife
* The Worst Pies in London
* Poor Thing
* My Friends
* Green Finch and Linnet Bird
* Johanna
* Pirelli's Miracle Elixir
* The Contest
* Wait
* Ladies in Their Sensitivities
* Pretty Women
* Epiphany
* A Little Priest
* God, That's Good!
* Johanna
* By the Sea
* Not While I'm Around
* Final Sequence

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 10/24/07 at 10:30am

Thoughts:

It saddens me that they cut The Ballad of Sweeney Todd. But I'm sure I'll get over it - especially with the amazing orchestrations I've heard so far.

It's nice to know that people have reached a consensus that Johnny Depp can sing. Hopefully this'll continue.

Damn, I can't wait to see the BY THE SEA sequence.

So they're going to keep 'Wait', but they can't put 'Ballad' in?! (I'm only kidding, folks. But 'Wait'?!)

God, I'm REALLY hoping 'City on Fire' is included in the "Final Sequence".

Updated On: 10/24/07 at 10:30 AM

[MovieDan82]

Posted: 10/24/07 at 10:36am

I've heard just a little bit shows up.

[sondhead]

Posted: 10/24/07 at 10:38am

I think the more important question is..

Ladies in Their Sensitivities but no Kiss ME?!!?!?


Although I don't really think Kiss Me would work cinematically... especially not the quartet. Cue Now/Soon/Later from the Night Music movie.

[Carl Magnum]

Posted: 10/24/07 at 10:41am

Glad to see Worst Pies is still in, much like Priest, I thought it would be cut due to the level of humor and the difficulty of the song. I really thought Burton would put the Mea Culpa back, it really seems like something he'd love putting on screen.

And if the audience were Burton fans with little to no knowledge of Sondheim and Sweeney, it's possible Kiss Me is in Ladies without them being able to tell the difference..?

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/24/07 at 10:43am

I'm ok with the Ballad of Sweeney Todd being cut from the body of the film simply because I think it works well on stage as a narrative device, but I just don't see it on film, where you don't need to cover scene changes or provide a conceptual backdrop to create a setting. Burton's style will handle the conceptualization of the piece well enough. The opening melody of the ballad would be wonderful as underscoring, but can you imagine trying to use the entire opening and closing ballads in the film? It would just seem endless. It's thrilling to see and hear live, but I don't honestly believe it would enhance the film in any way to sit there listening to a studio rendition of the song with various shots of 19th century London and various characters wandering the streets, all the while being told about how evil Sweeney is over and over again. I mean, does anyone honestly think the song could be used in any way that would not seriously bog down the film? I say, save it for the end credits, where it would make the most sense.

[artscallion]

Posted: 10/24/07 at 10:50am

A FULLER REVIEW

[B3TA07]

Posted: 10/24/07 at 10:51am

I can see the Ballad playing over the ending credits...