#1
Posted: 9/30/05 at 11:01am
Last night in Sherman Oaks, California, I attended a sneak preview of "The Producers." It was FANTASTIC! FANTASTIC!!!!
Here are a few thoughts on it..........
I all ready saw the trailer of the film that's now on-line. In this cut of the movie, "The King of Broadway" was gone??? Very bizarre. It opens with the theatre customers exiting the theatre and singing "it's the worst show in town." Then we see a man reading a newspaper - Nathan Lane - and, then it cuts right to Max's office to where Matthew Broderick enters. The bits with Matthew's blue blanket are hysterical!
The "Hold Me, Touch Me" sequence is next. Very, very funny! Then it goes right into "We Can Do It." Immediately following that we see Matthew going to work at his Accounting office and hating life. "I Want To Be A Producer" is a ABSOLUTE SHOWSTOPPER!!! It's so polished and just a wonderful number. And, of course, Matthew is so charming and captivating dreaming of being a Broadway producer.
Will Ferrell is BRILLIANT in the role of Franz. The scene of Max, Leo and Franz on the roof dancing the "Guten Tag Hop Hop" is so very funny. Especially a little section of the dance with their middle fingers.
Roger Bart and Gary Beach, are, of course.........fabulous in their roles of Carmen Ghia and Roger De Bris. Roger holding his sssssssssssssss when he says "yes" had the entire theatre in hysterics! Jai Rodriquez from "Queer Eye" pops up in "Keep It Gay." As does Brent Barrett as the Leather Man and the gal who originated the role of Shirley Markowitz in the musical, reprises her bull dyke role again for the film. She was very funny.
Uma Thurman is very good as Ulla. Her dancing is very good. There are some moments where it's evident that a "dancing double" was used. The scene when she paints the office completely white, rather than saying to Leo "Vhy Bloom go so far downstage right?" In the movie she says, "Vhy Bloom go so far down camera right." It's a funny bit.
Getting all the old ladies to write checks to Leo and Max is a great number. It's very, very colorful as it was filmed in Central Park.
The audition process and the actual performance of "Springtime For Hitler" is great. Just great! John Barryman as the Lead Tenor has colored his hair and now he's a blonde. At first the audience is horrified at what they are seeing. Then they love it. Ruth Williamson has a great cameo as an offened theatre goer who storms out of the theatre.
I could go on and on and on, on how wonderful this movie is.
The pacing, the comedy, the cleverness, the chemistry is wonderful. Just like the musical, it's zany, over the top and completely enjoyable! The production numbers are ALL fantastic. The movie doesn't lag and it just flies by.
I was in the panel discussion after the film and said that "The King of Broadway" needs to be put back in the film....especially since it's in the trailer. Nathan really needs that "grand entrance" on camera, rather than waking up under the newspapers in his office when Leo arrives. Hopefully, it will be added back.
There's another moment in the trailer that wasn't in the version from last night....Nathan and one of the little old ladies are in Central Park at a hot dog stand. That was gone.
There were no closing credits and very few opening credits. The last number was "Goodbye," just like in the musical, with Mel Brooks added in a great, little cameo.
Mel Brooks was there as was Tom Meehan. My friend and I saw them after the screening going into PJ Chang's China Bistro Restaurant. We spoke with them briefly telling them that they have A HIT on their hands.
I see Oscar, Oscar, Oscar in this film's future. I'm sure that it will dominate The Golden Globes since they have the Musical/Comedy category.
Thanks for reading!
Here are a few thoughts on it..........
I all ready saw the trailer of the film that's now on-line. In this cut of the movie, "The King of Broadway" was gone??? Very bizarre. It opens with the theatre customers exiting the theatre and singing "it's the worst show in town." Then we see a man reading a newspaper - Nathan Lane - and, then it cuts right to Max's office to where Matthew Broderick enters. The bits with Matthew's blue blanket are hysterical!
The "Hold Me, Touch Me" sequence is next. Very, very funny! Then it goes right into "We Can Do It." Immediately following that we see Matthew going to work at his Accounting office and hating life. "I Want To Be A Producer" is a ABSOLUTE SHOWSTOPPER!!! It's so polished and just a wonderful number. And, of course, Matthew is so charming and captivating dreaming of being a Broadway producer.
Will Ferrell is BRILLIANT in the role of Franz. The scene of Max, Leo and Franz on the roof dancing the "Guten Tag Hop Hop" is so very funny. Especially a little section of the dance with their middle fingers.
Roger Bart and Gary Beach, are, of course.........fabulous in their roles of Carmen Ghia and Roger De Bris. Roger holding his sssssssssssssss when he says "yes" had the entire theatre in hysterics! Jai Rodriquez from "Queer Eye" pops up in "Keep It Gay." As does Brent Barrett as the Leather Man and the gal who originated the role of Shirley Markowitz in the musical, reprises her bull dyke role again for the film. She was very funny.
Uma Thurman is very good as Ulla. Her dancing is very good. There are some moments where it's evident that a "dancing double" was used. The scene when she paints the office completely white, rather than saying to Leo "Vhy Bloom go so far downstage right?" In the movie she says, "Vhy Bloom go so far down camera right." It's a funny bit.
Getting all the old ladies to write checks to Leo and Max is a great number. It's very, very colorful as it was filmed in Central Park.
The audition process and the actual performance of "Springtime For Hitler" is great. Just great! John Barryman as the Lead Tenor has colored his hair and now he's a blonde. At first the audience is horrified at what they are seeing. Then they love it. Ruth Williamson has a great cameo as an offened theatre goer who storms out of the theatre.
I could go on and on and on, on how wonderful this movie is.
The pacing, the comedy, the cleverness, the chemistry is wonderful. Just like the musical, it's zany, over the top and completely enjoyable! The production numbers are ALL fantastic. The movie doesn't lag and it just flies by.
I was in the panel discussion after the film and said that "The King of Broadway" needs to be put back in the film....especially since it's in the trailer. Nathan really needs that "grand entrance" on camera, rather than waking up under the newspapers in his office when Leo arrives. Hopefully, it will be added back.
There's another moment in the trailer that wasn't in the version from last night....Nathan and one of the little old ladies are in Central Park at a hot dog stand. That was gone.
There were no closing credits and very few opening credits. The last number was "Goodbye," just like in the musical, with Mel Brooks added in a great, little cameo.
Mel Brooks was there as was Tom Meehan. My friend and I saw them after the screening going into PJ Chang's China Bistro Restaurant. We spoke with them briefly telling them that they have A HIT on their hands.
I see Oscar, Oscar, Oscar in this film's future. I'm sure that it will dominate The Golden Globes since they have the Musical/Comedy category.
Thanks for reading!
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