Why Spielberg Should Make More Musicals
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- Опубліковано 9 чер 2024
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0:00 Intro
1:46 Why I'm Disappointed
3:04 Spielberg's Manifesto
3:43 John Williams
5:14 The Audience
7:40 The Musical Question Solved
10:29 Sondheim
12:11 The Next Generation
Before Jurassic Park, before Indiana Jones, before ET, Steven Spielberg told us who he was as a director with his manifesto, Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Let me explain.
Produced by Monica M. Lee
Additional Research by Annika Hoseth
Images by Pixabay and Pexels.
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#Spielberg #WestSideStory #MusicalTheatre - Фільми й анімація
This is basically Howard going:
"Steven Spielberg should direct more musicals. Change my mind."
LOL...I basically expanded on a Tweet saying that into an entire video. Sigh...a UA-camr must UA-cam!
I didn’t hear any “change my mind” challenge; I heard, “Steven Spielberg should direct more musicals. And here’s Why.”
@@StoryMing Well, if someone can change my mind, they are welcome to try. But the prospect of getting a new Spielberg musical is pretty hard to beat.
@@HowardHoMusic
Well, the only possible counter-argument I can think of might be- because he does not choose to, and does not want to. But I would most certainly welcome it if he did!
Spielberg doing literally *any* unadapted Sondheim would make me so incredibly happy... I just wonder if he feels he can't do it without Sondheim in that chair to his left. I sure hope not, but even if he does, I'd love to see him adapt any musical he loves. His affection for a work brings such quality and depth to what he crafts for audiences. Brilliant letter, sir. Here's hoping it reaches its intended destination.
I personally consider this West Side Story the new gold standard for musicals. It had profound and soul-stirring drama while preserving the timeless beauty of the music. It made me sad at the musical adaptations we've gotten so far, though some were good fun and quite charming. This was cinema at its finest and music at its most inspiring. Not to mention the performances. Well, I won't go on and on. But for all of us musical, theatre and movie lovers' sakes, I hope Spielberg does!
It was a flop.🤔
@@ggt47 So was Citizen Kane. True classics stand the test of time. I'm sure this one will, too.
@@ggt47 Musicals are known for not getting strong Box Office returns. They are mostly critically praised and that’s where the success of musicals come from. So in terms, West Side Story wasn’t a Critical Flop, it was a Financial Flop
As someone who loves movie musicals, I wasn't so into this one. The songs and the dialouge were too choppy and didn't flow into each other.
@@seppyq3672 I agree. I enjoyed it but the flow wasn’t as strong as with the original film and the ending felt oddly rushed to me.
We DO need more Sondheim film adaptations like
WHY ISN’T THERE A COMPANY MOVIE YET? WHY ISN’T THERE SUNDAY IN A PARK WITH GEORGE MOVIE WHILE WE GOT INTO THE WOODS MOVIE MADE BY DISNEY?
I think I read somewhere that Sondheim wanted to do a company movie but someone convinced him not too. Also I would say not all musicals can be translated to a movie format
There is the Raul esparza company proshot though
@@nom_dead i have read about it too and I agree but I really want a company movie cuz I wanna see actors acting a hell out of it with every great details with a big screen in the show that’s all about bobby’s psychology.
+ since it is set in a real world I think it’s easier to turn into a movie
@@emmaschwarz8601 Yup seen it and loved it
They should be directed by Speilberg of course.
Forever saddened that Disney beat Spielberg to the punch and adapted Into the Woods before he could
Not a fan of that one musical actually. Wouldn’t watch an adaptation.
Seeing WSS reminded me of back in early 2010s when all the movie musicals were tyring to find a gimmick. like les mis or la la land with its sound recorded live, ( i like la la land) or the crazy cats movie(which that is some hilariously entertaining stuff) and then spielberg shows up and is like, 'okay so heres how you make an amazing movie musical'
Nah but I think John Chu did a pretty phenomenal job last year too with in the heights!
Sorry but i think Lin Manuel Miranda's Tick Tick Boom is the most recent best example of how to make a movie musical.
@@seppyq3672 ah ok? I been telling my gf, "yo apparently there's a musical about the creator of rent with music by lin Manuel starring Andrew Garfield....why haven't we heard about it". Lol so anyway we're gonna check it out
@@Dullfang2 Actually, the music is written by Jonathan Larson who wrote rent. Lin directed. :) hope you enjoy!
@@seppyq3672 ohhh color me corrected. Even better
There have just been too many poorly directed movie musicals lately. WSS was such a breath of fresh air. Did I love every directing choice? No. Did it still take my breath away? Absolutely. Spielberg is a master.
And it is YOUR love, Howard--for music, for theater, for movies and for aesthetic experience itself--that makes this open letter so moving.
Actually, John Williams' melody for Close Encounters of the Third Kind is extremely similar to fragment of Promenade from Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition
Yeah, I can hear that. I will say thought that to distill a 5-note melody from the hundreds and thousands of possible variations is still quite an achievement.
That's true.
I think they used it in the "Home" soundtrack for the song "Feel the Light".
I can’t decide whether I want or don’t want a movie of great comet, but I think Spielberg is one of the only people who could maybe do it justice
OH for sure, I want!
Imagine if Speilberg had directed the Les Miserábles movie..
Ugh no kidding. Javert would have actually been stunning.
Yeah, that sounds spectacular too!
@@brennanmaynard4237 Russell Crowe is the main reason I don’t revisit that film. The version I would love to have seen was the original Japanese production, where the actors who played Valjean and Javert alternated roles!
There was a lot of good content here and wonderful praise of Spielberg, but I didn't hear you at any point asking _why_ Spielberg said that he wouldn't direct any more musicals. People have their reasons for doing what they choose, and extraordinary people are people too.
While that is true, it is also true that the truly exceptional still need to hear that they're good at what they do. Imposter Syndrome is a thing and it will run rampant if unchecked by the valid input of others. Egomania is problematic and imposter syndrome is just as problematic. I would not be surprised if he doesn't want to direct another musical because he doesn't think he can every do as good of a job as he did with WSS or that he doesn't believe he did as good of a job as others believe he did.
What I had understood is that it is a difficult genre to direct and that at his age, it was perhaps the last time he would have the energy to truly do it well. But also, he's still planning action movies like a Bullitt film, so I think he still has a lot of energy left in him. And I think part of that energy too was being familiar enough with the source music to feel he could do it justice, and he'd already been listening to WSS since he was a child. My hope is that I can inspire him to work past that fear and get him in touch with how much he loves music and musicals.
Hook was supposed to be a musical and they even had songs written. Spielberg has said that he would be favor of another director remaking Hook as a musical but not him.
My theory is that Spielberg is in his mid-70s and so he knows he only has a handful of movies left in him and he wants to be careful with his choices. I think this is 1 reason he backed out of Indy 5.
I agree, I was super sad when I saw that he said that. I didn't really grow up watching speilberg films nor grow up with wss, but this movie just blew me away. its hard to do movie musicals and this one was perfect. rlly hope he changes his mind lol
I envy you, because there's a whole bunch of Spielberg films you get to watch for the first time!
I was just sooo happy they didn't "Les Mis" any of the roles. The cast could f'ing sing!!! It might be sacrilege, but I think I like the songs better in the new version. And all the while you could see how it paid homage to the original movie and the stage version. Loved it.
Oh, I would LOVE to see a Spielberg-directed Assassins!!! That would be amazing.
IKR!?!!?!
I find it ridiculous that you find a way to make me cry in EVERY video. Love your passion Howard, great work as always
Appreciate you!
this is now my favorite video on one of my favorite channels - about one of my favorite movies by one of my favorite directors.
Holy cow. Congratulations!
Holy cow. Congratulations!
All the people questioning why certain musicals aren’t adapted to film seem to forget how niche most musicals are even among casual fans, never mind the general public.
Would honestly LOVE to see Stevie's take on Sunday in The Park with George.
RIGHT?!!? Take my money!
And have Jake Gyllenhaal reprise his role as the lead. 😍
@@sweetness371 That guy can really put a hat together.
So much same.
-choked up- This is a beautiful love letter. I grew up on Spielberg's early body of work and I felt that wonder again. Thank you.
RIGHT?! Never gets old to see those.
And all this time I believed he directed the Fiddler movie (John Williams was involved, thus my lazy assumption).
Also, my god the brass in West Side somehow sounded like the whole section was playing live in my living room. Astoundingly well recorded and produced.
If LMM watches your videos maybe he knows SS and could show this to him? Seriously need the code to movie musicals cracked, these stories are too great to not be told to wider audiences
Well, LMM did a great job with tick, tick… Boom!
@Y F so true! I hope he directs another movie musical too
Justice for the Sunday in the park with George adaptation!😭 Great vid Howard👍🏽
I would kill for a movie version of Assassins directed by Spielberg. (And yes, I know how that sounds)
Hahaha...pun intended!
After seeing tick tock boom, I want to see Speilberg’s take on Superbia. The music sounded so great, it needed to be seen.
OMG YOU WIN! This is a brilliant idea.
Agreed. His take on West Side Story was absolutely stunning.
This is the most passionate and sincere video I’ve ever seen on UA-cam. ❤️
I wish I could like this more than once. Beautiful letter. Well done.
If Spielberg directs a Sunday In The Park with George movie I would die happily
Howard, you have an incredible way of ending these videos. Yes, I'm crying again. I sincerely hope.. Spielberg watches this and is moved as I am.
I would love Pacific Overtures to be redone
I think Chloe Zhao would be a perfect choice to direct it
YES!
More and more I think you're my musical brother! I'd love to see him direct a Sondheim film musical. I've mentioned this in a previous video, but I think Sunday and Pacific Overtures are too inherently theatrical, but I'm all in if it comes around. Pacific Overtures is just so damn underrated. Assassins could make a compelling film, too. But it doesn't just have to be Spielberg either. Chu did such a good job with In The Heights, I'd love to see him do Follies maybe.
Side note, it's been on my mind lately, but is anyone clamoring for a film version of Candide? I'm thinking no, but I can't shake the thought either.
I forgot to thank you for highlighting Close Encounters, probably my favorite Spielberg film, and one that sees the potential of music to communicate (see also episode 2 of Star Trek Strange New Worlds)
I just became obsessed with assassins, I'd kill for a proshot or a crazy artsy movie
YES YES YES SAME!
This is such a beautiful video!
Beautifully said. I would LOVE to see Spielberg direct any and all of those Sondheim musicals.
We need to pitch an animated film of Cats to Spielberg quick!!!
Fun fact: There was an actual pitch for an animated version of Cats by Amblimation (animation studio under Amblin entertainment and founded by Spielberg) with concept art as their first draft. Unfortunately, this never came to be when Amblimation filed for bankruptcy in 1997.
@@marallenrondez2606 yee that was what I was referencing lol :3
@@sunset1326 To be fair, Cats would be much much better animated than live action CGI. I would love to see another newer pitch for Cats tho.
@@marallenrondez2606 yooooo exactly!!!!!
That’s what I be saying it would’ve worked way better if it was animated
OMG HAHAHA
OMG, I had tears running down my face during this entire video. Why wouldn't Spielberg listen to you??? More musical films directed by him: the world needs and he deserves it!!!
Let's hope he hears it!
beautifully rendered!
On directors directing musicals I would love to see Little Shop of Horrors directed by Sam Raimi 😭😭
OHHHH...good call.
Steven needs to remake "Paint Your Wagon"
with Ryan reynolds and Hugh jackman
I suggested it to both - did not hear from Ryan but Hugh said he loved idea and Keanu Reeves said on Hugh's facebook page that he loved idea too
Oh interesting. Even though I didn't want Spielberg to do a remake, maybe doing that one would be interesting.
Thanks so much for this open appreciation letter.
Hadestown directed by Steven Spielberg... imagine how that would look
LOVE IT
I can’t even imagine how amazing Assassins would be
That's what I'm saying!!!!!
the only sunday adaptation I would accept is one directed by Spielberg.
It would be amazing for sure.
Sunday in the Park with George, definitely
To add salt to the wound :Spielberg was set to direct a 2D animated Cats movie. in the 90s...
I've been saying he needs to be apart of the process of the musical adaptation of "The Color Purple". When I saw West Side Story this year my mind exploded and wanted more. I love movie musicals but somthing was missing and he Steven found it. Barbra Streisand is another one. Where Are They??????
Thanks Howard. Thanks for saying what needed to be said.
This video is amazingly done.
Thank you!
I just want Stephen Spielberg to make a Man Of La Mancha remake. That musical deserves way better than the train wreck that was the 72 movie adaptation.
There are a bunch of movie musicals that actually do deserve to be remade. I can see Man of La Mancha thriving with the Spielberg touch.
I'd love to see a Spielberg's version of COMPANY !
i loved this, you're amazing
YESSSS! HE NEEDS TO DO ANOTHER MUSICAL!
Steven Spielberg is the G.O.A.T. at directing. Nuff said.
Dude! You got Gedde Watanabe in there. Cool!
Gotta show love to my peeps!
I'm just commenting to help the algorithm send this to Spielberg.
Good work!
this is absolutely amazing
Spielberg should direct a film adaptation of "Miss Saigon".
I would *love* for Kushner and Spielberg’s Follies!
Oh yes! Salivating over the thought...
Steven Spielberg's adaptation of "The Frogs," coming to a theater near you! 😆
You know what, I'll take it!
Why did i cry at the end of this
Can you imagine Spielberg doing Sunday in the Park with George and Jake Gyllenhaal reprising his role as George. That would be amazing!
I need this to happen!
I would have loved to hear more about how you think Spielberg "solved" musicals, since what seems to me to be the central point is only addressed for about 2 minutes in the sixth section. I came away with the impression that many scenes that weren't bombastic and fast-paced didn't have the sort of justification you're talking about.
Especially since his "solution" according to this video was to... just let it be a musical? So just like Dear Evan Hansen, Everybody's Talking About Jamie, The Prom, La La Land, The Greatest Showman, Les Miserables, Anna and the Apocalypse, God Help The Girl, The Last Five Years, and a dozen other movies did in the past decade alone? This felt like naming the film musicals that used some sort of conceit to justify the singing while ignoring every other example just to prove a point.
To clarify, my point was not that he's the only person who let a musical but a musical. My point was that he has the greatest skillset for doing this. He "solved them" in essence by creating a relationship with the audience is that is unparalleled by most other directors. Do you believe the film adaptations you mentioned were directed on par with Spielberg's direction? But sure, other directors can definitely direct musicals well and I even mentioned a few in the video. Jon M. Chu is also amazing as well, and I can't wait for the Wicked film(s) to come out.
@@HowardHoMusic Of course not all of those movies are directed on par with West Side Story, some of those are actively terrible. But that only translates to "He solved musicals by being a great director." I still don't get your point at all how Spielberg "solved" musicals, yet Damien Chazelle or Michael Gracey apparently didn't, because by using the term "solved" you imply that Spielberg did something no one else has done. If your point is "Spielberg is a better director than most directors out there", well, yeah, of course. But I feel I got tricked into watching this video.
@@HowardHoMusic I think that Rocketman was one of the best recent musicals to come out of Hollywood, and it too didn’t use any framing or explaining device for the musical numbers, other than the stage performance ones.
@@fabianhebestreit3240 What I took from the video was that the way Spielberg "solved" it was by 1) having an awareness of the audience as partners as well as viewers that other directors lack, 2) the intensity of focus and clarity of his vision, and by extension, the shots he makes (in particular giving the end of each shot a particular focus, and possibly 3) giving the audience surrogates in the film, negating the need for a framing device (though I may be wrong on that last point).
I'm not him, so I may be off, but that's what I thought he meant. Hopefully I made some kind of sense.
I saw Temple of Doom on the day it premiered. That opening has ALWAYS stuck with me and I've wondered ever since why, with a sequence that was so...TRANSPORTING...why Spielberg hasn't been a musical director. West Side Story is brilliant, but heartbreaking at the same time. I desperately miss what might have been.
OrionOlamPiksie
0 seconds ago
Id love to hear your take on two things
Okay- macy gray’s song ‘I try’ is the antithesis of Corinne Bailey Rae’s song ‘put your records on’! Chords and vocals are similar but the lyrics are a deeper chord, minor chords vs major chords.
Second-
Is I just saw the new Dr Strange film, and I wanted to get your take on the soundtrack.
Not sure what you mean by antithesis, but the two songs you mentioned do have some similarity. I would say what you're responding to is the difference between the minor 2 chord in I Try versus the Major 2 chord (technically the V/V) in Put Your Records On.
The new Dr. Strange has a really interesting musical fight sequence. The score doesn't bring back Michael Giacchino though (instead uses Danny Elfman), so it doesn't have as much thematic connection to the first Dr. Strange movie.
I would LUV to see "Follies" onscreen!!!
YES!
I've been thinking this for a long time. I'd love to see it with Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel! :)
i'm gonna write a rhetorical analysis on this video
This is totally a love letter to Spielberg ❤❤❤ I thought you were going to be more demanding... but love beats everything once again haha
I sincerely hope that Spielberg sees this. ❤️
I hope he sees this 💗
Fingers crossed!
Can't do that right now. STILL have to get a copy of close encounters, speaking of which, which version should I get? Dan aka ryan
There is a "special" version of Close Encounters that shows the inside of the alien ship which Spielberg regrets shooting since he wanted the ship's interior to be left to our imaginations. So I believe he prefers the 1998 Collector's Edition that takes out the ship's inside and adds some other stuff.
@@HowardHoMusic thanks VERY VERY VERY much dude!!! Dan aka ryan
@@HowardHoMusic I remember seeing the Special Edition in the theater and feeling so ripped off. lol
I'll be very unapologetically selfish here : i want Spielberg to adapt Company.
You know what, I can definitely support that! Company is one of my favorites for sure, and if Spielberg chose Company, I would not complain at all.
My son and I have written a story that reinvents the musical. JOEY O balances music and dance and comedy and tragedy. This is a project that Mr. Spielberg should help bring into production. Howard, are you interested in reading this story, this reimagining of what a MUSICAL is and can be?
Yes! A Spielberg/Kushner Pacific Overtures! The beauty. Or would that be more for Wes Anderson! Or neither! What’s your director/Sondheim musical fantasy.
I always thought David Lynch directing Follies, because yes I am a Lynch fan, but I don’t care about the symbolism or meaning in every shot. His movies make me feel things, some pleasant, most not. That’s Follies. It could be eerie, heartbreaking, and beautiful.
As far as Spielberg goes, I’d die to watch Spielberg’s ‘Carousel.’
Lynch doing Follies is a bonkers idea, but I love it!
Wow. Just wow. Holy fuck. NOW I have no excuse not get my ass to a store to get a copy of close encounters and just watch the damn thing from my wheelchair!!! Perfect, kind sir. Dan aka ryan
Enjoy!
Hoping so much that he at least actually watches this, and gives it his consideration..
Fingers crossed!
I don't understand why the West Side Story-related weariness had to be part of this. Clickbait? Look, it has the greatest score and the greatest choreography ever put into a musical; that's enough reason to consistently revive it. In those areas - not in others, but in those areas - nothing has matched it since, including the genius of Sondheim's work. It represents a particular type and level of craft that has been largely abandoned in musical theater, and I think it needed to be put back in the public eye, on a large and modern scale.
Sure, the politics needed an update and the characters needed fleshing out, but to a great extent, Kushner and Spielberg accomplished all that. Outside of those elements, West Side Story doesn't get old. It's too good. Like Shakespeare, it's flawed but timeless, and deserves consistent reimagining by great artists. Spielberg has already elucidated this point in interviews.
I'd also love Spielberg to direct a Sondheim musical; I'd be first in line for it. It's a beautiful, wonderful idea, and I'm glad you put it out there. But I am getting so tired of people poo-pooing this West Side Story as a misguided project. It's arguably the greatest movie musical of all time - certainly the best-made - born of one of humanity's greatest theatrical works. What more do you need?
Well, I don't think West Side Story was misguided necessarily. I just think Spielberg has a lot more to give. So many of his greatest films were original and not sequels or remakes. Yes, I know he said it's timeless and should be made for the current generation, but I could make that same argument for many many other musicals, especially the ones of Sondheim. And in terms of musical craft, Sondheim is right up there with Bernstein.
But could Speilberg do a worthy Company?
His Another Hundred People would be one of the ages.
Ouch. If I understand it its pretty much anybody can make Westside Story great, it's low hanging fruit, but we should expect more from you.
I wouldn't say it's "low hanging fruit" in general as most musicals including West Side Story are incredibly difficult to direct, but yeah I think for Spielberg it was perhaps easier since he'd been familiar with it from childhood and maybe even directed it in his head for many years before actually doing it.
I felt that Spielberg's WSS was a beautiful failure. In analyzing the positive reviews of the film, commentary came mostly from cineastes who are far more interested in the visual aspects of filmmaking, without any real knowledge or love of the musical genre. The pacing was deadly, with Kushner's screenplay overstuffed with words and ideas, but not delivering the punch of Arthur Laurents' sixty year old book. I am a Justin Peck fan, but in no way is his choreography equal to Jerome Robbins' original work. And the vaunted new orchestrations, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel no less, sounded thin and distant in the theater.
The whole film also seemed over-populated with look-alike gang members and their girlfriends, and too invested in "updating" nineteen fifties attitudes. For example, putting the Jet girls in the rape scene, but letting them off the hook by having them beg the guys to leave Anita alone. Or turning the vulnerable young teen tomboy Anybody's into an angry adult trans man way too old to be hanging around with boy gangs. And recasting the crass, racist Lieutenant Schrank as a sympathetic sophisticate who obviously understood every word spoken in Spanish.
There were elements of the film that I really liked, notably the performances of Ariana DeBose and Mike Faist (and Anita's spectacular yellow dress, by Paul Tazewell, the costume designer of In the Heights and Hamilton.) But, as in many stage productions of the show, Tony and Maria were kind of dull. As much as I love Rita Moreno, her character was totally unnecessary.
I wanted to love Spielberg's West Side Story - the original changed the entire arc of my life. But if he does film another musical, I think that Spielberg should direct an original piece, conceived for film from the beginning.
Giving Somewhere to one of the adult characters was the thing I was most irritated about. It's West Side Story. The songs are for the teenagers, not for the adults.
Yes, I know exactly what you mean, and I think it was the same impulse I had to make this video. Some of Spielberg's choices make sense more as responses to the original musical and/or film, which is why I'd prefer him to direct a musical without that weight hanging over it. However, I don't know if he has the stomach and stamina now to do something wholly original, so that's why I suggested he adapt Sondheim's work which would still connect him to his own heroes and sense of artistic heritage.
I hope you respond here in the comments, please, Mr Spielberg.
That's a nice fantasy but unfortunately I don't see it happening.
Well, it was worth a try.
There is something self serving about this, and I appreciate that. However, I feel your real brilliance lies in your analysis of music itself. The creator is going to follow their passion. If their passion is to satisfy the receiver, you have more power than you know. However, if the viewer's passion is to know more than they know about what they like, this is a power that you already certainly wield. Let the form follow function. Spielberg is one of the greats but the best part of the video was when you highlighted the Spielberg "why can't we have both themes"? moment.
Don't take for granted that the knowledge you share is publicly available. Continue to show the door, as you have with my young children, of how brilliant music composition is realized.
Yes, I am still all about music analysis, but sometimes I need a break to talk about other topics, still related to music and musicals but where I can show my appreciation for other aspects of the form. But trust me, music analysis holds a very special place for me and will not go away.
I remain baffled by all the youtubers who say that modern audiences aren't willing to accept characters bursting into song as though it's a truism. Is this all just because Howard Ashman said it while promoting animation as the ideal way of presenting musicals? Seriously, when people buy tickets to musicals they want and expect music. If someone buys tickets for a musical and then whines about the fact that there is music in it, they are being stupid and don't deserve to be pandered to. Why is the musical genre expected to apologize for what it is and pander to people who don't like the genre? You don't see Marvel movies apologizing for having superheroes
Well, sometimes studios go even so far as to conceal the fact that the movie is a musical in the advertisements. So I can understand someone seeing the movie based on the ads and not knowing it's a musical. But in general, I think even audiences that like musicals can still be influenced by modern trends of realism. To use your example, look at comic book movies. So many of them failed in the 80s and 90s. Howard the Duck was a huge flop even though it was backed by Lucas! But I think one reason comic book adaptations got really popular in the last 15 years is that the technology got good enough that superheroes can look relatively realistic now.
@@HowardHoMusic No matter the special effects, superheroes still do things that are physically impossible in real life whereas bursting into song is something that most people could do if they chose. I don't think technology is why superhero movies got more popular anyway. The Spiderman and Dark Knight movies demonstrated that the genre could be more than silly kid stuff, that it could have serious acting and theme-heavy scripts. That's what set off the trend. It's interesting that you mention Lucas, because Star Wars is just as reliant on special effects as any superhero movie, and technological limitations didn't seem to hamper its popularity.
Anyway, this still doesn't explain where the idea that modern audiences won't like regular movie musicals came from. La La Land, Hairspray, Moulin Rouge, Mama Mia, and even Les Miserables were commercial successes. If the music of Chicago was in a "parallel cabaret universe," how would that be more realistic than characters just singing? In fact most of the music happens in Roxie's head (except Mr. Cellophane I guess), and that's a smart choice that really pulls together the musical, but people don't really think like that, so if audiences were really sticklers for realism it wouldn't fly. The framing device of In the Heights has singing and dancing in it, so I'm not convinced it's there to excuse including music.
So, where are these movie musicals that are more successful for being more realistic? Where are the movie musicals that flopped because people couldn't handle the characters bursting into song? Audiences are lapping up fantasy and science fiction these days, so why is a bit of singing such a stretch?
Dang, I sure hope he sees this.
Me too!
West Side Story 2021 didn't need to be made. This video convinces me more than ever. With so many great musicals crying out for movie treatment, (or for better than what they got) why redo perfection?
I'm still baffled.
H. Ham ….. H. Ho
😁
Color purple is just a bit of a musical even the original. E.g. he's amazing but he didn't solve the musical they were solved he just returned us to a progression of the golden age rather than trying to impress the mtv video generation
Totally, that's another way of putting it.
Hear me out, spieoberg be more chill movie
OH WAIT...I think you're onto something!!
ok ok ok ok but what about.....
Newsies.
It would be a new adaptation because the stage and movie versions are very different. I love the movie don't get me wrong, but the singing in it is AWFUL. The stage version gives us many more songs and so many more characters, most importantly, Katherine. Also, West Side Story and Newsies give me the same vibes idk lol. West Side Story had a lot of old newsies actors too, (for example, Mike Faist and Ben Cook) I feel like if anyone would pull off a good Newsies (Broadway) Film, it would be Spielberg.
LOL...Spielberg would definitely do an amazing Newsies.
Spelbierg needs to work on the new stuff. Not the old problematic ones.
Spielberg is a great legend, but I very much disliked his version of West Side Story. And I'm especially disappointed in the way that the film knocked In The Heights out of even being considered.
Something that felt to me like a beautiful glimpse into the future of musical theater in the way it was arranged, choreographed, storied and performed got pushed by the wayside. Shut out of the limelight in favor of a remake that, though clearly made with passion, felt like a misstep at best and tone deaf at worst (with the way it attempted then gave up on discussing the ways in which poor whites and immigrants are pitted against one another for nothing but the country's scraps).
That's without even touching the way In The Heights not having enough darker-skinned Latines, definitely a problem, apparently made it ineligible for consideration by the Academy while WSS having a lead accused of s*xual assault was fine as long as they didn't talk about it.
All the wonder and magic that he put into his classic films, felt oddly lacking in this one imo. The music seemed duller, more grey than the original and so did the backgrounds. The leads' chemistry felt nonexistent. The performances were great overall when they were just speaking, but often felt dated and shaky when singing. I'm sorry to say I'm glad this will be Spielberg's only musical. I'd much rather see more new directors get chances to move things forward. Not just Lin-Manuel Miranda, mind you. It'd be great if Hollywood would let there be more than a handful of talented BIPOC and LGBTQ directors and performers get big names at once.
In the Heights did have a really messy script though. I was kinda dissapointed by the adaption.
Believe me, I'm near the top of the list of people who feel upset that In the Heights didn't get more awards love. I've made many videos about ITH which I think prove how much I love not just the musical but also the movie. I wouldn't say I disliked WSS, but I definitely loved ITH more, and I believe ITH will only grow with love and importance as time goes on. And meanwhile, with Spielberg, I sort of imply that WSS was less challenging for him to direct given his relationship with the material, and that may account for what you're talking about. However, if he directed a Sondheim musical that hasn't been done before, I think maybe that old classic Spielberg might come alive as well.
Oof.
I've watched this movie twice, and watched your video more times than that...I have no idea what you're talking about. What exactly is the problem here and why should we care? I love all your other videos, so I want to believe you didn't make a 15 minute nothingburger.
He should create a musical movie of heathers, it would be incredible. The existing movie is ok, but not brilliant, as where as the current musical is fantastic !
OMG!
Where can I see Heathers?
mate you absolutely milked this video. you said a lot but said nothing
LOL...or did I?
Musicals are dead. Half hearted music videos have taken their place.
That makes me sad.
Frankly, wokester Spielberg shot himself in the foot and limited his audience with the language thing. There was so little Spanish, understanding was never an issue . The film was good but hardly better than the Robbins-Wise.