MEMPHIS in movie theaters Reviews- Page 3

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/29/11 at 11:22pm

"The cuts by director Don Roy King are what made this film "the best seat in the house" as you could see performances you usually miss at the theater (reminded me of the Rent filming, which was also very well done)."

If this is even close to the way "RENT" was filmed, I will wait for the DVD. I was really disappointed with the "RENT-Final Performance" film. It was like looking at an MTV video. JMO

[phantom39]

Posted: 4/30/11 at 1:57am

^ uncageg, this was done the "traditional" way; no cameras were placed on stage. The RENT comparison was to comment on the fact both these movies give the viewer "something extra" they won't get live on Broadway.

Positive review from Times Union

After all, the emotional connection changes in the second song, Huey's "Music of My Soul," and that has everything to do with the camera's ability to get up close and let the movie audience see and experience the musical in ways the live theater audience couldn't.

The film version also raises the question: Which is a more authentic experience, the one on stage or the screen? That question, I can answer: the experiences are different, and you can enjoy both for what they excel in allowing you to experience.

http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Tony-winner-Memphis-also-wins-on-screen-1358834.php#ixzz1Kz21nEkK

[phantom39]

Posted: 4/30/11 at 8:38am

Video of "Someday" someone posted on YouTube...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvfIFgkMfyI

Second screening's tonight!

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 4/30/11 at 12:05pm

The Rent Final Performance is shot incredibly well, so what if its cut with some style and MTV style editing, its not Hello Dolly

[phantom39]

Posted: 4/30/11 at 5:42pm

I also thought the Rent filming was great (in terms of production value and filming choices), it's a shame The Hot Ticket has not done Broadway since.

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 4/30/11 at 10:36pm

Just got back from tonight's screening (in Columbus, Ohio). I really enjoyed myself, though the show really isn't my favorite. I was glad I was able to see the show (in what I considered to be very good format) without having to see it on Broadway.

The theatre had about 50 people in it, which I guess is a pretty healthy number.

I found the whole thing to be very well done, though it would've benefitted from a few more wide shots. I felt like I was missing a lot of the (extremely good) choreography some of the time. I thought the sound and quality was excellent and I really felt like I was in the theatre.

I hope they do more of these types of events. The show seemed to be very well received and played well in the context of the movie theatre. I know I had fun.

[phantom39]

Posted: 5/1/11 at 8:02am

Good to hear the screening is pulling in more people this weekend!

Nice article from the Philadelphia Inquirer titled "Broadening Broadway":

For show producers who depend on real bodies at a single venue when the curtain rises, film-house exposure is just that - a branding device and a potential for international audiences, plus another revenue stream. Although arrangements vary, exhibitors and producers often split cinema box-office receipts 50-50, and theater artists are paid extra by the producers.

Live theater wouldn't be taking this route if it weren't for the Metropolitan Opera, whose nine cinema simulcasts last season sold 2.4 million tickets, grossed $48 million, and put a net profit of $8 million into the opera company's coffers.

Bruce Brandwen, a television entrepreneur, first tested the idea of major live shows on the big screen a decade ago, but was ahead of the curve. The avid following for the Met "revived the idea, and Bruce talked with Broadway producers," says Don Roy King, a longtime TV director and former Philadelphian who directed The Mike Douglas Show here, as well as the current capture of Memphis for big screens.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/121041539.html

[pushdabutton]

Posted: 5/1/11 at 9:58am

I'm going to the matinee this afternoon.

[pushdabutton]

Posted: 5/1/11 at 9:05pm

Went to the 12:30 matinee this afternoon in Massachusetts. Only a total of 23 people in the movie theater. The sound only came from the front of the theatre and not in the surround sound on the sides and rear. I complained twice but it was never fixed. Was this show recorded in surround sound? I can't imagine it wasn't. I think it was the movie theatre's fault. After the 15 minute intermission, the lights in the theatre stayed on for 20-30 minutes. After 4 people going up to complain, they turned the lights off.

I thought they did a great job filming this show. It was so nice to revisit a show that I saw on Broadway a year ago. Montego's voice blew me away. I am so glad I was fortunate to see this show live as watching the movie really loses that live experience and also having an audience appreciate it and react to it as I did. That said, I hope that they film more Broadway shows and release them in movie theatres for a large audience who are unable to make it to New York City. I look forward to Memphis on dvd and hope there is a lot of bonus footage.

[phantom39]

Posted: 5/2/11 at 12:17am

^ Don't forget theatrical distribution is not the only revenue source of this film. PPV, DVD, International distribution, should all follow...

Fandango already has 60 audience reviews for the movie, with a "Must Go!" rating:

http://www.fandango.com/memphisbroadwaymusical_142244/moviereviews

Updated On: 5/2/11 at 12:17 AM

[Wicked Fanatic]

Posted: 5/2/11 at 12:33am

The sound only came from the front of the theatre and not in the surround sound on the sides and rear. I complained twice but it was never fixed. Was this show recorded in surround sound? I can't imagine it wasn't. I think it was the movie theatre's fault.

It was the theatre's fault as it was in surround sound when I saw it and it was fabulous! It was better than hearing it at the Shubert. Too bad about the attendance; you had 11 more people than when I saw it on Thursday evening.

[phantom39]

Posted: 5/2/11 at 12:41pm

5 star review from The Examiner:

To say the performance was outstanding is to state the obvious. The production comes straight from Broadway, after all, and saying that the show represents the pinnacle of theatre would be akin to declaring that the sun is going to rise tomorrow. But a show this outstanding deserves the fullest praise one can offer regardless of its self-evidence. The dancing was smooth and crisp, the voices soaring and beautiful, the acting heartfelt and humorous—all of it, from the two leads to White Girl #2. But the true standout is Kimball. No, he doesn’t dance much, and no, his voice, though stunning (especially in the heart-wrenching ballad “Memphis Lives in Me”) doesn’t distinguish itself among a cast full of equally powerful singers, but his interpretation of Huey defines the way the role ought to be played for all future incarnations of the show.

http://www.examiner.com/theater-in-syracuse/theatre-review-memphis-is-filled-with-sizzle-and-soul-review

[phantom39]

Posted: 5/3/11 at 2:35am

Nice article about the movie from The Lantern

"I think that the sound's better ... They did a really good job of mixing it. You don't feel like you've lost anything," Peter Boyuk said. "In fact, I feel like we gained something. For example, the sirens coming in from behind you."

http://www.thelantern.com/arts/memphis-meets-columbus-in-musical-1.2216814

And for those that already watched the film, you can answer this post-presentation survey and recommend more Broadway shows getting this treatment.. http://e.fathomevents.com/content/FathomSurvey

Updated On: 5/3/11 at 02:35 AM

[Eris0303]

Posted: 5/4/11 at 12:41pm

I saw it last night and thought it was very well shot for a love show. AND....no audience shots! Love that. Anything shot for PBS requires audience shots and I do hate them so. When I go to a show I don't look around at the audience so why would I want a DVD where the camera moves away from the action to show someone grinning in their seat? Blah. So, I was very pleased with that.

I've actually never seen the show before mostly because of how many people on the board poopooed it. But, I actually enjoyed it a lot. My sister was disappointed with the lack of resolution as well but I told her that I thought we're meant to imagine that things worked out. And she seemed pleased with that answer.

I'd love to see this done again because this showing has not deterred me from seeing the show in NYC. Now, I actually want to see the show live. And I can't be alone in that thinking.

[phantom39]

Posted: 5/4/11 at 4:23pm

^^ Most of the people in my theater left the movie with that feeling. I think these screenings can do the job, in terms of spreading the word and market a running production. Just wish they'd have done a better job advertising this.

Wondering if we'll get any indication of how the movie did B.O. wise.

[phantom39]

Posted: 5/4/11 at 6:33pm

"Memphis" itself blazes off the screen. Video director Don Roy King has done a beautiful job. I was especially struck by the extraordinarily skillful editing. The takes aren't too short; they are held just long enough for the maximum emotional impact of the lines, the reaction, the song -- whatever's happening on stage. For those who are used to the three to five-second takes of the sports world, this work is a revelation. However, my seat companion, a veteran in the world of video, said the sound dubbing wasn't precisely in sync at several points, but when I paid close attention, I didn't see a problem.

http://solangeontheater.blogspot.com/2011/04/walking-in-memphis.html

[canmark]

Posted: 5/4/11 at 10:52pm

Saw this tonight in a theatre in north Toronto. Very good sized audience (easily 100+ people, mostly middle aged and seniors) for a Wednesday night (and the second screening of the show).

Although I knew of the show and had seen the performance on the Tonys and at the White House, I otherwise was unfamiliar with the plot and hadn't heard the cast album. I was expecting to be indifferent to it, but... I quite liked it. A very pleasant surprise. Simple, easy to follow story, yet with enough emotion and message (but not too much of that, either). The Huey Calhoun character had some complexity and I was quite emotionally taken (esp. when he proposes marriage). The audience seemed to be taken, too, gasping at certain parts (the N-word, the broken record, the kiss on the TV show).

While I probably wouldn't see it if I came to NYC, I will certainly check it out when the tour comes to town in December.

[phantom39]

Posted: 5/5/11 at 4:13pm

Great to hear all these positive reviews... now i'm wondering what's next for this film (PPV? DVD?) and the company in charge of filming...

Updated On: 5/5/11 at 04:13 PM