Across The Universe - thoughts?

[madbrian]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 10:17pm

Anyone else see the trailers for Across The Universe, a jukebox movie musical directed by Julie Taymor? I believe it is opening in the fall.

[G_Schlozinski2]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 10:32pm

What do you mean, 'anyone else?'
Have you seen them? If so, what's your impression, and why are you asking for others' before you share your own? Enquiring minds want to know.

[madbrian]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 10:35pm

I'm asking because I don't really know what to make of it. I guess it's a good trailer because it has gotten my interest without really telling all that much. But I don't know what to expect. It looks like a cross between Moulin Rouge and Hair.

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 10:36pm

you are aware that julie taymor is being forced to cut half an hour from it, right?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 10:37pm

No. You are the only person who has seen them. In the entire world.

[G_Schlozinski2]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 10:49pm

Well there you go - you did have an impression of the trailers after all. That wasn't so hard, was it?



... of course, now I have the impression that Julie Taymor's made a hairy moulin rouge... (AND that she has to cut a half an hour's worth of ... hair?) but that's her problem, isn't it? LOL

Updated On: 7/22/07 at 10:49 PM

[jeremykushnier1fan]

Posted: 7/23/07 at 1:24am

I'm actually really excited for this movie.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/23/07 at 1:37am

I'm really digging the Cinemark 'First Look' preview more than the actual trailer - it's the montage set to "I've Just Seen A Face" - not sure if all the theatres are playing it, but the ones here in San Francisco are.

I'm not quite sure what to make of it, as both previews for it are pretty quirky. I'm expecting it to be visually stunning with some semblance of a plot and a sprinkling of "WTF"? moments (as befitting a Julie Taymor work).

On the plus side, the previews make me want to go dancing across a bowling alley.

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 7/23/07 at 1:40am

Is it ever actually going to come out? The previews are intriguing, but we've been seeing them for what seems like a year with still no definite release date attached.

[DMsquared2]

Posted: 7/23/07 at 6:20am

I'm definitely looking forward to it. I LOVE what she did with Titus, and Frida was a visually and emotionally stunning film.

[ComaBaby01]

Posted: 7/23/07 at 11:50am

After Order of the Phoenix, this is the next big movie that I'm waiting for. Yes, we've been hearing about it for about a year and they have attached a September release date. Finally. Whether that release date remains final is another story, as they have recently hit new bumps in the road which also might lead to Taymor removing her name from the film. Apparently producers have been giving her less creative freedom and, yes, the requirement to cut half an hour.

Despite all this, I'm soooo excited for it. I was raised on Beatles music and have been waiting for something like this for what seems like forever. Some people keep dissin' the preview, but I think the preview is beautiful, both the Cinemark one and the theatrical one. I about cry when Hey, Jude starts to play.

No matter what happens, though, I still optimistic

[polly2]

Posted: 7/23/07 at 12:07pm

i have seen them and it looks like an interesting story. I am looking forward to seeing it.

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 10/14/07 at 4:55am

Ugh. Just saw it. So bad.

It's one of those ideas that sounds good on paper but then when you actually see it being executed...it's...*shudder*

It was like a two-hour David Brent anecdote. It was that cringeworthy.

[D2]

Posted: 10/14/07 at 8:30am

I saw it last night too. Not sure what to make of it - it had some visually stunning as well as some emotionally true moments, and it did hold my interest for most of it's looonng running time. But I can't say that I loved it, or even liked it - it's very derivative and I left with a feeling of deja vu.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 10/14/07 at 8:58am

Told ya Cruel! But I guess you had to see it for yourself!

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 10/14/07 at 1:46pm

My review:

"Ahh, the 1960s. It was America's adolescence; a time where America sprouted angel-woven nipples that lactate wondrously pure spring water (Located somewhere in Nebraska) and its testicles descended into the lower depths of hell.
It was a time of radical change. Teenagers, obsessed with proving how uncool and overly conservative their parents were, decided to rebel by doing the most dangerous thing possible: Take voice lessons and abruptly break out into mediocre covers of Beatles songs in an effort to be louder than the civil rights leaders that they were trying to assist. It was also a time of war: A war that was declared by President Taffy McHorseapples in a method of necessity, as future generations of poets, writers, and filmmakers would need a war to refer back to when a similar war would break out nearly thirty years later. That President McHorseapples...ran that White House straight into the ground (Almost literally. LBJ had to suck it out with his succulent, pink lips.).
I realize I'm straying a bit from talking about this movie. This is the sort of thing that sounded like a good idea on paper but when you actually see it being accomplished, you realize that folly of your ways. In addition, the overriding flaw of this film is that it is, in fact, a film. If I were Joe Roth, not only would I had cut this film myself, but I would have taken a magic paintbrush to the film strip, draw out outlines of its actors, and order them, at gunpoint, to march on to the nearest stage. This sort of heavily allegorical Kit-Kat bar is something that rarely works on film (SOMETIMES it does. Film Allegory CAN BE koo!) but here, it feels as if Taymor's main idea was to go into it while saying "I've always wondered who Jude truly was and why people were saying "Hey!" to him." In ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, not only do you find out, but you realize that he's going to have to come together if he will want to become the walrus that he so desires."

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 11/11/07 at 12:25pm

I think what annoyed me so much about this movie was its self-importance and pompousness. If it had embraced its campy nature, I think it would have been at least slightly better.

This whole thing was just a very, very bad idea.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 11/11/07 at 2:33pm

Welcome to the "Genius" of Taymor!

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 11/11/07 at 2:41pm

Sorry, but I loved it. While I thought a few segments didn't work and the overall story wasn't as strong as it could have been, it was almost like watching a series of 30+ mini-movies, most of which were very inventive and fun. It reminded me a lot of Ken Russell, which to me is a good thing. I had a blast.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/11/07 at 3:29pm

I will agree with one thing Margo- it was like a series of mini-movies! If she had done a series of unrelated vingettes I think I would have liked it. What drove me nuts was the absolute randomness of the film: From the odd uncle in the early holidya scene who seems portentious then vanishes, to the completely pointless trip to Eddie Izzard's commune to the Forrest Gumpishness of the last 45 minutes- it's like she started filming with out a screen play,

The music was wonderful and occasional sequences were amazing- the induction center, for example. But on the whole I found it so frustrating!

[justagirl2]

Posted: 11/11/07 at 5:07pm

I've been trying to decide for two weeks if I liked this movie or not, and I think I've come to the conclusion that I definitely didn't. It seemed to think itself "life-changing," but it...wasn't, to say the least. I had a hard time liking Lucy, and I agree with Joe's assessment that it just didn't all flow. Nevertheless, I liked the "I Want You" and "Come Together" scenes.

[withoutlovewithoutU]

Posted: 11/11/07 at 9:11pm

I liked it as a movie, but the music is what made it worth going to. I just got back from seeing it and I had to get the cd off of itunes.
I will buy the movie when it come out on DVD, cause I thought there were some really great scenes in there.

[cooperross]

Posted: 11/11/07 at 10:07pm

My thoughts:

Glad I didn't pay to see it

Well, there's 2+ hours of my life I'll never get back

[Roscoe]

Posted: 11/12/07 at 7:41am

I wanted to like it. I've admired Taymor's work in the past. I thought there were several splendid things in it. I think it could have worked with a stronger cast and a script that didn't lean quite so heavily on cliche.

The only thing that really annoyed me was Eddie Izzard, but I've never seen what the big deal is about him anyway.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 2/17/08 at 2:21pm

just watched this on dvd. ick.

some great moments. visually stunning.

but overall, a masturbatory trainwreck.