So THIS is the Latest Trend Now?

[D'Snowth]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sound_of_Music_Live!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Pan_Live!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wiz_Live!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grease:_Live

So, can I just ask: what did we do to deserve this? I thought the musical hype was finally dying down now that GLEE was finally canceled (for like the second or third time) . . . but, PETER PAN aside (since that used to be an annual telecast waaay back when), these other titles are supposed to be like defining examples of cinema history, aren't they? Isn't doing TV remakes of them disrespectful, or even sacrelegious? I mean Carly Rae Jepsen in GREASE? Really?

Banking on nostalgia is really getting out of hand. Big time.

 

[Colbynfriends]

I think there's an audience for them. They have seemed to sensationalize them a bit but that's how tv seems to be going now a days.
I kind of hope we get to see Rocky Horror Picture Show, LIVE! and even Little Shop of Horrors, LIVE! at some point.

 

[Drtooth]

Grease is the only one not being made by NBC. I wouldn't say it's a trend necessarily, so much that NBC had a ratings hit somehow with Sound of Music Live and it became a yearly thing with them.

Musicals have always been around, I don't see why some show even the fanbase liked for one season making it a trend. Especially since Smash proved that Glee was a fluke. I'd venture to say Glee's fanbase were either HSM fans or those who felt HSM vapid.

Anyway, I'll take Galavant's finale over an inferior stage play version of an already overrated musical.

I kind of hope we get to see Rocky Horror Picture Show, LIVE! and even Little Shop of Horrors, LIVE! at some point.

There's a film revival of Rocky Horror. I don't know how to feel about it. Tim Curry is going to get the prerequisite "It's the guy from the old one" spot as the narrator. It's good to see he's recovered from that stroke he had a couple years back, and also that he's embracing something he once was horrified (I forget the details exactly) to be associated with. Personally, I'd rather see him come back to Transformers Rescue Bots as Dr. Thaddeus Morocco, but that's just me.

Personally, though, I just want them to rerelease the sort of but not quite but not quite not sequel, Shock Therapy somehow.

 

[mr3urious]

There's a film revival of Rocky Horror. I don't know how to feel about it. Tim Curry is going to get the prerequisite "It's the guy from the old one" spot as the narrator. It's good to see he's recovered from that stroke he had a couple years back, and also that he's embracing something he once was horrified (I forget the details exactly) to be associated with. Personally, I'd rather see him come back to Transformers Rescue Bots as Dr. Thaddeus Morocco, but that's just me.

And it's from the same director as HSM, so I'm not feeling thrilled by this, either.

 

[Colbynfriends]

Guys guys guys.....
imagine it.
"Labyrinth, LIVE!"

 

[Drtooth]

And it's from the same director as HSM, so I'm not feeling thrilled by this, either.

Like I said in the Labyrinth thread, they're trying to revive a movie that's only popular because it became a cult thing after being a failure. Trying to recreate that sort of thing is elusive. You can certainly make films with the intent of being cult, and you can even have success in making them cult as soon as they get released.

While I don't think that the original film is the end all be all, despite being iconic and irreplacable, I think RHPS certainly deserves a revival. Just not a theatrical one. Maybe a series of off Broadway plays where they can be more experimental, but certainly not a movie remake.

Though, Tim Curry coming back to something he once had bad jubies from is pretty heartwarming. Not to mention that he's recovered well from his ill health. It would have been a shame to lose him.

 

[mr3urious]

Like I said in the Labyrinth thread, they're trying to revive a movie that's only popular because it became a cult thing after being a failure. Trying to recreate that sort of thing is elusive. You can certainly make films with the intent of being cult, and you can even have success in making them cult as soon as they get released.

Plus, I don't think this remake is going to stop the original Rocky Horror from getting midnight screenings in indie theaters across the world.

 

[Oscarfan]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sound_of_Music_Live!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Pan_Live!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wiz_Live!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grease:_Live

So, can I just ask: what did we do to deserve this? I thought the musical hype was finally dying down now that GLEE was finally canceled (for like the second or third time) . . . but, PETER PAN aside (since that used to be an annual telecast waaay back when), these other titles are supposed to be like defining examples of cinema history, aren't they? Isn't doing TV remakes of them disrespectful, or even sacrelegious? I mean Carly Rae Jepsen in GREASE? Really?

Banking on nostalgia is really getting out of hand. Big time.

They've done musicals on TV before, aside from TV movies (like Once Upon a Matress was done like twice before it was a TV movie in the mid-00s).

They're interesting from a TV production stand-point; there's a lot going on. I haven't really seen any of the LIVE! musicals except about 75% of The Wiz (which was pretty good). I don't see how remaking things is "sacrilegious"; musicals are revived all the time. Musicals are goofy and cheesy and not meant to be taken super seriously (well, MOST of them).

 

[Drtooth]

Not only do I agree with that, but musicals are the one thing essentially made to remake, revamp, and restage. Be it a big national television live program or a local high school play and everything in between.

I only caught a few snippets of the Wiz, myself. It seemed pretty good. I was never a huge fan of it. The Peter Pan one was just...off. I know there's an air of them supposed to be a little campy, but that one was unintentionally goofy. I think they just made the whole thing around Christopher Walken being Hook. They clearly used him for the star name when it's obvious they should have used someone like Alfred Molina. And if you think I'm going to watch Sound of Music anything, you're woefully mistaken. I just...ugh...I'm more of a Mary Poppins fan myself. Then again, there aren't many musicals I like. I'd love to see someone try and pull off a live Little Shop of Horrors, though.

 

[D'Snowth]

To clarify, again, my point was ever since the success of GLEE, and ensuing copy-cat shows and movies (SMASH, PITCH PERFECT, etc.), it seems like musicals, in general, are a lot more in-your-face to the point that they feel like another gimmick trend right now, much like 3D was for a while, or sequels now. Not to mention with remakes being big business for Hollywood right now, to remake older musicals doesn't seem to help that stigma much either.