Re: Less honourable throats

1

In an interview for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Depp's response to the question of whether he'd sing in the film was along the lines of "oh hell no." I'm curious.


Posted by: Cala | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 12:33 PM
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I did not enjoy his singing style in the trailer.

I would have liked to see the Michael Cerveris performance, which was supposed to be pretty spectacular, but after the reviews came out, there wasn't a seat in the house under $250. Fucking ridiculous.

I've never seen ST, I'm ashamed to say. I like Sondheim, and really love singing Sondheim, but I'm not a completist.


Posted by: A White Bear | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 12:36 PM
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While looking up to see what else Cerveris has done, I found out they're making a MOVIE of Brief Interviews with Hideous Men....?!!!? WTF?


Posted by: A White Bear | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 12:39 PM
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I saw Terfel open one season at Met in Don Giovanni. The operatic education of my ears is meager at best, but that guy will sing your motherfucking house down.


Posted by: Flippanter | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 12:42 PM
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But in the trailer Depp's actually out on the street apprehending people who both ignore him and are clean-shaven anyway

Movies of Broadway shows always have the problem of willing suspension of disbelief. The movie always looks too "real". Opening scene of "West Side Story", when the street gang starts dancing ballet on the actual streets? weird. Depp's star power will pull this off, no problem. Is is not as if Jonathan Pryce is an opera star.


Posted by: Tassled Loafered Leech | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 12:48 PM
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6

The movie's not the only version of sweeney todd?


Posted by: Michael | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 12:50 PM
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Terfel? I'm envious. Sweeney Todd is one of the few shows I've seen on Broadway (with the second cast in the original production, so I was a young pup at the time), but I'd trade that for Terfel, I'd think.


Posted by: Jesus McQueen | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 12:51 PM
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8

Pipes, schmipes. It's Johnny Depp! [insert girlish squealing here]


Posted by: Jackmormon | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 12:55 PM
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9

by the way, Wolfperson, can I get one of those CDs you're making?


Posted by: Michael | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 12:57 PM
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10

When did Alan Rickman play a wigger?


Posted by: JRoth | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 1:18 PM
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The subject matter of this post made me think that Tia was posting again, though the language (esp. "you know the one") should have tipped me off.

I saw and really enjoyed the Cerveris Sweeney Todd, Tia and some other guy who doesn't comment anymore didn't.


Posted by: washerdreyer | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 1:27 PM
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10: Ali G


Posted by: Cryptic Ned | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 1:31 PM
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3: That is super wacky, AWB. And it's directed and co-written by Jim from the Office!!!


Posted by: oudemia | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 1:31 PM
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I am of the Jackmormon School of Girlish Squealing Responses when it comes to Johnny Depp. Rah wasn't impressed with the audio clip he heard on NPR the other day but I don't care. They could just run the movie without sound if he doesn't sing that great and I'd watch and enjoy anyway.


Posted by: Robust McManlyPants | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 1:40 PM
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13: I KNOW. It is insane. Of all of the books I own (making a swift survey), that is the one I would say is the least likely to be filmable, or interesting as a film.


Posted by: A White Bear | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 1:41 PM
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From Wikipedia

Sweeney Todd can be interpreted in several respects. Stephen Sondheim believes it to be a story of revenge and how it consumes a vengeful person, while Prince believed it to be an allegory of capitalism and its selfish qualities.

If Prince adapted the music for the film, I'm definitely there.


Posted by: Cryptic Ned | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 1:42 PM
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12: Fuck. Is it that day again?


Posted by: JRoth | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 1:50 PM
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18

Was that a joke?

Rickman's character isn't an Irishman pretending to be Italian.


Posted by: Cryptic Ned | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 1:53 PM
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Of all of the books I own (making a swift survey), that is the one I would say is the least likely to be filmable, or interesting as a film.

That's something that's worth asking the Mineshaft about, dream adaptations included.


Posted by: Flippanter | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 1:54 PM
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19: That's easy. George Bernard Shaw's "Everybody's Political What's What".


Posted by: Cryptic Ned | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 1:56 PM
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21

You can say "wigger" on Unfogged?


Posted by: Anderson | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 2:00 PM
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22

So far it seems to be possible.


Posted by: | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 2:01 PM
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19: The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd ed. Though I'd love to see it attempted.


Posted by: Jesus McQueen | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 2:04 PM
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Ooh, maybe Eisenstein's The Printing Press as an Agent of Change, which would actually make for a really bitching film if it could be done in a format shorter than eight hours.


Posted by: A White Bear | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 2:06 PM
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Rene Char's Leaves of Hypnos and France-of-the-Caverns, directed by Terence Malick, with a coda showing Heidegger's visits to Char's home in the Vaucluse.

Don't judge me.


Posted by: Flippanter | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 2:10 PM
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Rickman's character isn't an Irishman pretending to be Italian.

A. I didn't know that. I don't actually know much about Sweeney Todd.

B. Even had I known that, the idea that Alan Rickman is best known for being a Jew playing a wigger is funny enough (to me, anyway) to make the joke.

I also wondered about "wigger," but there it is.


Posted by: JRoth | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 2:26 PM
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I laughed, JRoth.


Posted by: A White Bear | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 2:30 PM
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Flava framalama boy you won't figure
I don't wanna be called yo wigga


Posted by: apostropher | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 2:37 PM
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Ooh, maybe Eisenstein's The Printing Press as an Agent of Change, which would actually make for a really bitching film if it could be done in a format shorter than eight hours.

You could get Eisenstein to direct it (well, you couldn't really, but bear with me), but then it would definitely last at least eight hours.


Posted by: teofilo | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 2:42 PM
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Thanks, AWB.


Posted by: JRoth | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 2:43 PM
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A quick search of the archives suggests that this is the fourth use of "wigger" on unfogged.com. The phrase "droppin' plates on yo' ass" has never been used.


Posted by: Cryptic Ned | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 2:43 PM
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"droppin' plates on yo' ass"

I love you, Ned.


Posted by: apostropher | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 2:48 PM
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33

Word is bond, homeslice.


Posted by: Cryptic Ned | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 2:49 PM
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For some reason -- I can't say why, really -- I am reminded of the episode of Beavis and Butt-Head in which a video of some '90s snowboarding wankers inspired Beavis to yell, "Get me some more marshmallows, beeyatch!"


Posted by: Flippanter | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 3:31 PM
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Beavis said "droppin' plates on yo' ass, beeyatch" at one point. I loved when he would try to talk gangsta.

"Yeah, me and Snoop, used to go to the Compton swap meet every week."
"Yeah Beavis, you're a straight G. G for Gonad."


Posted by: Cryptic Ned | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 3:33 PM
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I usually have suspicions of the Tim Burton œuvre because he is so beloved by pretentious adolescent girls and therefore I expect that he will pander to them more and more, if only because that's what his instincts tell him to do anyway. Adding Depp makes that even more likely. But still I want to see this.


Posted by: Cryptic Ned | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 3:36 PM
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Beavis said "droppin' plates on yo' ass, beeyatch" at one point.

That must be what tickled my Beavisian memories.


Posted by: Flippanter | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 3:48 PM
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38

Johnny Depp! [pretentious teenaged girl squealing]


Posted by: Jackmormon | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 6:20 PM
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39

The scene in question looks to me as if it's something other than a direct representation of Todd's actual behavior -- it's shot in a different style than the other scenes we see in the preview, and the passers-by seem not to notice his presence. As TLL says, movie versions of stage musicals are always at least a little dicey, but otherwise, it seems fine to me.


Posted by: redfoxtailshrub | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 7:09 PM
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The Times ran a set of articles on the 16th quizzing Sondheim about the movie versus the play. Annoyingly they broke it up into a bunch of sidebars. Here's the intro item and it has links to the others.


Posted by: md 20/400 | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 7:39 PM
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OK, here.


Posted by: md 20/400 | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 7:40 PM
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Johnny Depp! [pretentious teenaged girl squealing]

I watched the third Pirates of the Caribbean movie recently, and the entire time found myself squinting at the screen, asking myself: Do you really like this guy, alot? Yes, I do! See how he moves! See how amused, how smart he is! See how sardonic!

But really, now, I asked, aren't you just reacting to (mumble, mumble, something) sex appeal? There's a scene in which he's half-clad, and the guy is my age, this is true.

Well, so fuckit, yes. Good work.

(/reverie)


Posted by: parsimon | Link to this comment | 12-19-07 7:54 PM
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So much do I admire what Burton's accomplished here, and so much do I love every stray note of the original musical, that I've been reluctant to state the obvious, which is that Sweeney Todd would have been a truly fantastic movie if any of its name actors could sing worth a damn.

Posted by: washerdreyer | Link to this comment | 12-20-07 3:27 PM
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