Jennifer Lopez to Star in KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN Film- Page 29

[nmartin]

Posted: 10/14/25 at 5:41pm

I went to see this again today and was surprised by how much more I liked it the second time.

There are many flaws to this film: the movie-within-a-movie needs to have more of an MGM musical look or at least 20th Century Fox, Molina only describing one film, making Tonatiuh and Diego Luna characters in the movie, Molina doing the tango with Valentin instead of the Spider Woman, and many others: however, there are some really good moments: the prison scenes, "Dear One", "A Visit", "I Do Miracles", and other moments as well.

Even though I knew it was coming, I still choked-up during the end credits when I saw "For Fred, Terrence, and Chita."

I asked this earlier in the thread but got no response, so I'm going to ask it again. 

Did anyone else notice Graciela Daniele as Clemencia? 

[willep]

Posted: 10/14/25 at 7:00pm

I’m honestly a bit surprised that people are having such an opposite reaction to me re: Tonatiuh’s performance. I thought he came off best in the “dream” sequences, but his performance as Molina was just so big and broad and theatrical that I found it absolutely didn’t work on film for me.

[bwayobsessed]

Posted: 10/14/25 at 8:34pm

Saw the movie today. I really liked a lot of it. I hope to see it onstage as I feel like the Aurora/Spider woman device works better onstage than on film. I thought Tonatiuh was really amazing. The film within a film moments were generally a little lacking for me. 

[joevitus]

Posted: 10/14/25 at 9:03pm

nmartin said: "I went to see this again today and was surprised by how much more I liked it the second time.

There are many flaws to this film: the movie-within-a-movie needs to have more of an MGM musical look or at least 20th Century Fox, Molina only describing one film, makingTonatiuh and Diego Luna characters in the movie, Molina doing the tango with Valentin instead of the Spider Woman, and many others: however, there are some really good moments: the prison scenes, "Dear One", "A Visit", "I Do Miracles", and other moments as well.

Even though I knew it was coming, I still choked-up during the end credits when I saw "For Fred, Terrence, and Chita."

I asked this earlier in the thread but got no response, so I'm going to ask it again.

Did anyone else notice Graciela Daniele as Clemencia?"

I, too, enjoyed it more on second viewing. May go back for a third...

One thing that bothered me more than the first time, though: why oh why have JLo sining the Prologue over a series of logos for the companies releasing this? Why not all that in silence and then let the picture proper start off with this bit, either accompanied by an atmospheric visual or even just with the screen dark? It's a kind of key moment to set up the importance of La Luna/Aurora/the Spider Woman as a figure larger than just an idolized movie star, as a figure who hovers over the action--in Molina's mind, if nothing else. Just seems like such a lazy, unimaginative choice the way it was done.

Updated On: 10/14/25 at 09:03 PM

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 10/14/25 at 9:39pm

I said the same thing in my early review, Joe. That felt so tacky to me.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 10/14/25 at 10:23pm

Sadly it wasn’t a box office hit this weekend. 

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 10/14/25 at 11:04pm

To put it mildly--under 1 million domestic (although as mentioned they didn't have the Canada market like most wide openings, but that wouldn't make much of a difference.

[bwayobsessed]

Posted: 10/15/25 at 5:23pm

Having since been exposed to the movie yesterday as my first exposure to the property and listening to the OBCR and the movie soundtrack since-I can’t help but feel like JLo’s voice is almost too pretty. Chita’s voice has a depth and imperfection that feels a lot like the aging stars of the day-Judy, Liza, etc. I vastly prefer the OBCR. 
 

Another thing I realize on reflection is that it’s really hard for me to remember which of her songs go with what was happening on screen for quite a few numbers. The book scenes leave so much more impact.

 

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 10/15/25 at 7:40pm

bwayobsessed said: "Having since been exposed to the movie yesterday as my first exposure to the property and listening to the OBCR and the movie soundtrack since-I can’t help but feel like JLo’s voice is almost too pretty. Chita’s voice has a depth and imperfection that feels a lot like the aging stars of the day-Judy, Liza, etc. I vastly prefer the OBCR.
"

I mean to be fair, off the top of my head I can't think of one movie soundtrack I prefer over the OBCR, even when I love the movie version in and of itself.  *Maybe* Cabaret to hear Liza in her prime.  If you're interested in exploring this score more (and it sounds like you are) I do recommend tracking down the replacement/Vanessa Williams cast album.  It's better produced (by the great Thomas Z Shapard) and I feel gives a better sense of the show overall (a bit more music, etc.)  I know we already discussed this somewhere weeks back in this thread, but...  The original leads are irreplaceable to me (it helped that I saw Chita on tour as a young teen) but the replacement cast is all good, and I assume Vanessa Williams' voice is closer to JLo's so that could be interesting to compare (I haven't checked out the soundtrack and won't until I can finally see the movie on Friday here in Canada.)

[bwayobsessed]

Posted: 10/15/25 at 10:17pm

EricMontreal22 said: "bwayobsessed said: "Having since been exposed to the movie yesterday as my first exposure to the property and listening to the OBCR and the movie soundtrack since-I can’t help but feel like JLo’s voice is almost too pretty. Chita’s voice has a depth and imperfection that feels a lot like the aging stars of the day-Judy, Liza, etc. I vastly prefer the OBCR.
"

I mean to be fair, off the top of my head I can't think of one movie soundtrack I prefer over the OBCR, even when I love the movie version in and of itself. *Maybe* Cabaret to hear Liza in her prime. If you're interested in exploring this score more (and it sounds like you are) I do recommend tracking down the replacement/Vanessa Williams cast album. It's better produced (by the great Thomas Z Shapard) and I feel gives a better sense of the show overall (a bit more music, etc.) I know we already discussed this somewhere weeks back in this thread, but... The original leads are irreplaceable to me (it helped that I saw Chita on tour as a young teen) but the replacement cast is all good, and I assume Vanessa Williams' voice is closer to JLo's so that could be interesting to compare (I haven't checked out the soundtrack and won't until I can finally see the movie on Friday here in Canada.)"

Totally fair. I’ll def give it a listen tomorrow at work. It’s a show I just really want to see onstage now (and honestly want to work on). I wish more place produced it. I’m interesting in reading the book too. It seems like an interesting structure.

Chicago and Hairspray are both ones where I listen to the movie more than the OBCR 

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 10/16/25 at 2:22am

Oh I actually do prefer the Hairspray soundtrack (though I have been obsessed with the Chicago OBCR--even with all the missing music--since I was 12 when it was still impossible to find on CD and I found a used vinyl, so that has my heart.)

If you do listen to the Vanessa Kiss I'd be interested to hear what you think.  (Also, you probably know this, but there is a good, for its time, bootleg of the original Broadway production on YT--I think if you search for the title and subtitles.  At the least it gives some sense of the performances and how inventive for the time the staging was--use of projections, which when I saw the original tour was something I had never seen before, etc.  And if you do a deep dive, as mentioned earlier in this thread, Aurora Spiderwoman also has about 25 minutes from the completely wrongheaded 1990 Puchase version.)  

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 10/16/25 at 6:22am

So, all these screenings with Q&A panels, and all these countless TV talk show appearances and heck, even a CBS Morning Show profile didn’t stir any excitement onto the mass mainstream audiences and the film sadly was ignored. I’m sure this totally is upsetting to all involved as they were all obviously riding the wave of praise the film was receiving during their countless post-screening appearances. JLo’s delusional comments about her true singing voice was always meant for musical theater is what happens when… never mind. And I watched a handful of YouTube reviews and every single one weren’t thrilled with the film and many saying JLo’s potential moment was ruined by the intercutting of her sequences as had they kept the full one-take dance numbers uninterrupted, she would have been a huge revelation. The intercuts ruin the flow so the dance numbers never build. Whatever. I’m sure it’ll find its audience once it starts streaming. A few YouTube reviewers who never had seen the stage version watched the slime tutorial of the original Broadway production afterwards and found it miles superior in every way to this film adaptation. 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 10/16/25 at 9:04am

Also of note, Sergio Trujillo did not choreograph the "Gimme Love" number - Christopher Scott did. Luckily, he's credited in the film.  

[joevitus]

Posted: 10/16/25 at 11:44am

BrodyFosse123 said: "So, all these screenings with Q&A panels, and all these countless TV talk show appearances and heck, even a CBS Morning Show profile didn’t stir any excitement onto the mass mainstream audiences and the film sadly was ignored. I’m sure this totally is upsetting to all involved as they were all obviously riding the wave of praise the film was receiving during their countless post-screening appearances. JLo’s delusional comments about her true singing voice was always meant for musical theater is what happens when… never mind. And I watched a handful of YouTube reviews and every single one weren’t thrilled with the film and many saying JLo’s potential moment was ruined by the intercutting of her sequences as had they kept the full one-take dance numbers uninterrupted, she would have been a huge revelation. The intercuts ruin the flow so the dance numbers never build. Whatever. I’m sure it’ll find its audience once it starts streaming. A few YouTube reviewers who never had seen the stage version watched the slime tutorial of the original Broadway production afterwards and found it miles superior in every way to this film adaptation."

77% positive reviews from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. 

[joevitus]

Posted: 10/16/25 at 11:44am

BrodyFosse123 said: "Also of note, Sergio Trujillo did not choreograph the "Gimme Love" number -Christopher Scott did. Luckily, he's credited in the film."

Why is what's clearly credited onscreen "of note"?

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 10/16/25 at 2:03pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "Also of note, Sergio Trujillo did not choreograph the "Gimme Love" number -Christopher Scott did. Luckily, he's credited in the film."

Part of why I was so excited for the film - before we heard of all the changes - was the idea that we'd get a variety of choreopgraphers for the different films-within-a-film. Now I just feel bad for Trujillo that a lof of people are singing the praises of the dance done by a different choreographer. I think it's just that it was the one production number that was totally within Molina's imagination, so it was a breath of fresh air from the rest, but hopefully it doesn't discount from all the great stuff Sergio did in the movie.

[Musical Master]

Posted: 10/16/25 at 3:37pm

Finally watched it and the good news is that this is nowhere even close to being a bad film adaptation of a Broadway musical. Kiss of the Spider Woman isn't Nine or the live-action Beauty and the Beast which was a relief, but it's not as good as Wicked and hearing the news of it bombing isn't surprising me; considering that this doesn't have the household name power that Wicked has. Everyone in the cast was really good and the musical numbers were charming and nicely done all around, though I would've liked it if there were more songs from the stage show here but oh well. "Where You Are" and "Gimmie Love" were highlights for me personally.

Bill Condon did a pretty decent job all together considering the low 30-million-dollar budget they had to work with; but it's a shame that it's going to be overshadowed by other movies now and later. Especially that we're getting Wicked: For Good in about a month. I think it's a solid 6 out of 10.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 10/16/25 at 4:31pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "So, all these screenings with Q&A panels, and all these countless TV talk show appearances and heck, even a CBS Morning Show profile didn’t stir any excitement onto the mass mainstream audiences and the film sadly was ignored. I’m sure this totally is upsetting to all involved as they were all obviously riding the wave of praise the film was receiving during their countless post-screening appearances. JLo’s delusional comments about her true singing voice was always meant for musical theater is what happens when… never mind. And I watched a handful of YouTube reviews and every single one weren’t thrilled with the film and many saying JLo’s potential moment was ruined by the intercutting of her sequences as had they kept the full one-take dance numbers uninterrupted, she would have been a huge revelation. The intercuts ruin the flow so the dance numbers never build. Whatever. I’m sure it’ll find its audience once it starts streaming. A few YouTube reviewers who never had seen the stage version watched the slime tutorial of the original Broadway production afterwards and found it miles superior in every way to this film adaptation."

At the risk of being call a shill for this movie or overly defensive, I don't... understand the point of this post?  Are you implying it would be a bigger hit (and don't get me wrong, it's opening weekend numbers are disastrous) if the dance numbers had less intercuts?  

Also there is absolutely nothing new with theatre fans not knowing a work, seeing the movie, then seeing a "slime tutorial" and finding it superior.  Wicked probably aside, given how the movie fleshes out Act I rather than taking things away, I'm sure there are a lot of musical theatre lovers who are first introduced to a show and then learn to prefer the stage version.  (I'm actually glad the movie, at least among a group of younger musical theatre fans, does seem to be making people aware and interested in a show that was completely off their radar before.  I've already talked to a few friends on social media who I could never get into the show before, but now are interested.)

As others have mentioned the reviews have been mixed but I'd say slanting towards positive.  A 66 on Metacritic is pretty decent, and the main takeaway I've gotten is people appreciate what it's trying to do but don't think it quite gets there (this is from friends who came to the movie blind as well.)  I certainly think it's silly to act like the reaction to the cast and crew during talk backs and other appearances would be anything BUT full of praise--those things always are no matter what the quality of the material is.  *shrug*

 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 10/16/25 at 4:47pm

Brody just says stuff.

[bwayobsessed]

Posted: 10/16/25 at 6:33pm

EricMontreal22 said: "Oh I actually do prefer the Hairspray soundtrack (though I have been obsessed with the Chicago OBCR--even with all the missing music--since I was 12 when it was still impossible to find on CD and I found a used vinyl, so that has my heart.)

If you do listen to the Vanessa Kiss I'd be interested to hear what you think. (Also, you probably know this, but there is a good, for its time, bootleg of the original Broadway production on YT--I think if you search for the title and subtitles. At the least it gives some sense of the performances and how inventive for the time the staging was--use of projections, which when I saw the original tour was something I had never seen before, etc. And if you do a deep dive, as mentioned earlier in this thread, Aurora Spiderwoman also has about 25 minutes from the completely wrongheaded 1990 Puchase version.)"

Thanks for recommending the Vanessa recording. I like how much context it gives for the numbers. It really helps get a sense of the musicals structure. Also Brian Stokes Mitchell is brilliant in this. That said I still think Chita has the edge for me over Vanessa. She just has a presence that few have. 

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 10/16/25 at 6:54pm

Glad you liked it!  Apparently the producer of the original cast album (recorded in London during their pre-Broadway run) didn't have too much experience with cast albums so was less successful about how to capture the show, rather than just recording it if that makes sense.  But I absolutely agree with you about Chita.

[bwayobsessed]

Posted: 10/16/25 at 7:18pm

Fascinating. I was listening to a podcast yesterday where they talked about what makes a successful cast album and choosing which dialogue makes it in/gets cut. I think when I know the score a bit better I’m gonna make a playlist where I combine the plot of Vanessa’s and Stokes’ big moments, Chita’s big songs and maybe some moments of the movie tbd there.

[joevitus]

Posted: 10/16/25 at 8:25pm

bwayobsessed said: "Fascinating. I was listening to a podcast yesterday where they talked about what makes a successful cast album and choosing which dialogue makes it in/gets cut. I think when I know the score a bit better I’m gonna make a playlist where I combinethe plot of Vanessa’s and Stokes’ big moments, Chita’s big songs and maybe some moments of the movie tbd there."

LOL, I made a play list combining the two recordings, myself.

Famed record producer Goddard Lieberson never liked dialogue on his cast albums. I mostly agree, but I think it's rather nifty how Shepard gave us an encapsulation of the play on his Spider Woman. And, of course, I think the difference between the days when people owned albums with a synopsis included, vs. today when people mostly download music with nothing else to go by than the numbers makes a difference in how the material should be presented (to be clear, he recorded Spidar Woman in the CD era, before downloads existed much of anywhere besides Napster).

Updated On: 10/16/25 at 08:25 PM

[bwayobsessed]

Posted: 10/16/25 at 8:39pm

joevitus said: "bwayobsessed said: "Fascinating. I was listening to a podcast yesterday where they talked about what makes a successful cast album and choosing which dialogue makes it in/gets cut. I think when I know the score a bit better I’m gonna make a playlist where I combinethe plot of Vanessa’s and Stokes’ big moments, Chita’s big songs and maybe some moments of the movie tbd there."

LOL, I made a play list combining the two recordings, myself.

Famed record producer Goddard Lieberson never liked dialogue on his cast albums. I mostly agree, but I think it's rather nifty how Shepard gave us an encapsulation of the play on his Spider Woman. And, of course, I think the difference between the days when people owned albums with a synopsis included, vs. today when people mostly download music with nothing else to go by than the numbers makes a difference in how the material should bepresented (to be clear, he recorded Spidar Woman in the CD era,before downloads existed much of anywhere besides Napster)."

What’s your recommended track list?

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 10/16/25 at 8:46pm

My playlist mainly consists of tracks from the original Broadway cast recording with the final three ('Lucky Molina,' The Warden's Office, and 'Only in the Movies') being from the replacements cast album. Although vocally, I do prefer Brian Stokes Mitchell to Anthony Crivello.