"Mamma Mia! the movie, a reality check:

For those who apparently have no sense of proportion or history concerning the film "Mamma Mia!" (this includes many critics) and it's place in the history of cinema, or who are either morally outraged over Pierce Brosnan's attempt to sing and consider the film to be an utterly abysmal attempt by a novice director, here's a reality check:Go to You Tube and enter,

"Siskel & Ebert review "Ishtar"--without the quotes, obviously.
"Mamma Mia"'s director, looks like Orson Welles by comparison and Pierce sounds like Pavoratti. The movie was not only directed by one of America's finest directors, Elaine May, it starred TWO of Hollywood's icons.

More than 22 years after it premiered film students in coffee houses around the world still ask the question "How could this happen?" Keep in mind this was a "serious" attempt to revitalize the Hope/Crosby genre of the 40's--not a lark .

LOL, borstal, I was just about the post the same thing!

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"More than 22 years after it premiered film students in coffee houses around the world still ask the question "How could this happen?""

Coffee houses? Around the world? REALLY??

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I don't think the critics of Mama Mia ever suggested that no other bad movies have ever been made.

Most film students around the world are blissfully unaware of much of cinema before advent of Quentin Tarantino. Those of us who have seen ISHTAR know that it is really bad, but not nearly as bad as all that.

And it is worth remembering that Roger Ebert acclaimed MILLION DOLLAR BABY a masterpiece, and thought that BEOWULF was intended to be a comedy.

And at least in ISHTAR the musical numbers are supposed to be dreadful.

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Updated On: 7/24/08 at 12:51 PM

'What the hell are you talking about??"

Next time I'll use sock puppets.

Updated On: 7/24/08 at 01:17 PM

I'm sort of confused as well.

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I believe that Eagle is attempting to remind us that far worse films than MAMMA MIA have been made, and suggests ISHTAR as an example of worse films than MAMMA MIA.

I'm a little confused as to what exactly is meant by MAMMA MIA's place in film history, which will, I'm sure, be negligible.

Dear Eagle. Are you Cruel Sandwich in disguise?

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Updated On: 7/24/08 at 02:26 PM

"Cruel Sandwhich"?

Never heard of the name.

Two points and then I'm done:

"Mamma Mia!" has already carved a noteworthy mark in film history by dropping "Hairspray" from the #1 spot in terms of opening box office revenues. It more than likely will break a few other records along the way. Will it be "Citizen Cane"? No. But it will establish a few noteworthy records before it's relegated to the sale bins at Blockbuster.

I could have just as easily restated the obvious: the film is not nearly the disaster many have suggested it is and there has been far worse singing in movies by actors than that of Pierce's.

My second point: I admit I should not have used my own experiences in a hyperbolic manner to talk about discussions of "Ishtar" in cafe's around the world (although as someone who flies for an airline, there have been a lot o such conversations I instigated in such places).

I would be willing to concede that I can speak with no more authority on the scope of "Ishtar"'s fascination among film-buffs globally than the authority of the guy who used hyperbole to make an over-the-top statement about Brosnan's singing being similar to the utterances the actor would make when being given a DRE.

I'm assuming the guy is not an M.D., nor has he witnesed enough such exams to
speculate how anyone, much less Brosnan, would respond to one vocally.

I only point this out to state the obvious: most of of us employ embellishment to make a point and the embellishments are considered as such and regarded benignly
as poetic license.

If one wants to really examine the issue (no pun intended) I think I could make a more compelling case that I have participated in (and overheard more) discussions about "Ishtar" abroad (particularly in 1987 after the film's release) than this guy has
had concerning a-list actors getting prostate exams.

Updated On: 7/24/08 at 03:14 PM

Get a life...please!

Did you really type "Citizen Cane"?

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So..it WASN'T as bad as SOME People say? OK got that. What in the world does that have to do with Ishtar or film history or the price of Beets in Venezuela?

Eagle man, who cares what other people think of the film- obviously you love it. Leave it at that. You hear some blowhard in a cafe in Botswana comparing it to Ishtar say "Really? I loved it! May I buy you a Bobotie? I hear they too are exquisite here."

Updated On: 7/24/08 at 03:26 PM

Please keep it going, Eagleman! This thread is a hoot!

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