The Fantasticks Movie (2000) — Page 2

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#26

re: The Fantasticks Movie (2000)

Posted: 10/21/06 at 12:30am

If you had to make a movie of "The Fantasticks", this is probably the best you could do. It was just such a bad idea...I loved Jean Louisa Kelly and both of the fathers (who did some inspired vaudeville schtick) and I didn't think McIntyre was that bad (it's such an intentionally vapid role anyhow). And I think I'm the only person on earth who prefers the rewritten "Abduction Song" to the original "Rape" number. The music (taken from the "Rape Ballet" is much more playful and dashing (almost like early Sondheim) and the tongue-twisting lyrics are a delight.

I ask in all honesty/What would life be?/Without a song and a dance, what are we?/So I say "Thank you for the music/For giving it to me."

#27

re: The Fantasticks Movie (2000)

Posted: 10/21/06 at 12:54am

Every scene Joel Grey was in were very entertaining but otherwise it sucked. I had to force myself to sit through it.

"I'm tellin' you, the only times I really feel the presence of God are when I'm having sex and during a great Broadway musical." - Nathan Lane - Jeffrey

#28

re: The Fantasticks Movie (2000)

Posted: 10/21/06 at 1:50am

Painful to watch and listen to. Painful. Painful. Painful.
(By the way it was Francis Ford Coppola who edited it, not Scorsese.)

PEACE.

#29

Coppola

Posted: 10/22/06 at 3:13pm

You're right. Neither of them are usually associated with musicals, but I recently saw "New York, New York" and got Scorsese stuck in my head. I must have done a replace all italians associated with musicals in my memory banks.

#30

Coppola

Posted: 10/22/06 at 3:35pm

And let's not forget that Coppola is responsible for the wretched film version of Finian's Rainbow...speaking of painful.

PEACE.

#31

re: The Fantasticks Movie (2000)

Posted: 10/22/06 at 3:48pm

Although, it's certainly no masterpiece, I don't hate this movie. It is beautifully shot and Tunick's orchestrations are wonderful.

Ironically, this is closer to the author's original vision for the show. Jones & Schmidt intended to write a huge musical with a huge chorus of indians and circus people. The sweet, brilliant original off-Broadway production was staged as such simply due to budget. Thank god.

And just to clarify, the lyric changes were made by Jones, and not the studio...

"It's not so much do what you like, as it is that you like what you do." SS

"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana." GMarx

#32

re: The Fantasticks Movie (2000)

Posted: 10/22/06 at 4:04pm

Try Netflix. I satisfied my curiosity with Oh Calcutta, A Chorus Line, Phantom of the Opera, Rent and the Fantasticks without having to pay a lot to buy them. Nearly every classic movie musical is available, as well.

Oh, Calcutta! and Phantom weren't as bad as I thought, though I would have enjoyed Phantom better if I had seen it on a big screen - so many details in the scenery were lost on the small screen. Oh, Calcutta? Wow - despite it being from a rare videotape that was probably broadcast on Wometco Home Theater in the 70s, I could see everything! LOL
The Fantasticks available at Netflix

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