My Favorite Musicals

This is a list of my favorite movie/musicals (in order). I bought Disney's Into the Woods last week and pretty much haven't stopped listening to it. That made me think of all of the other musicals that I love. Plus, I was in theater in High School so it brings up a lot of memories.

1. Phantom of the Opera(2004):

This has to be my favorite musical ever! I have always loved this movie and really wish that I could see it in person. I have watched the Broadway version on Netflix, I think it's still there if you want to check it out. I love the music the most out of any of the musicals on this list which is why it is number 1. I can't get over how beautiful and haunting some of them are. 

2. Into the Woods(1991 & 2015):


Into the Woods comes in at a very close second on this list for two reasons. This was one of the musicals that we put on in High School and it was by far everyone's favorite. We based our production off of the original Broadway version. This used to be on Netflix but sadly they took it off. When Disney announced that they were doing a movie, I was super excited. They changed some parts and deleted a song, but overall it followed the story pretty closely. I love the Grimm Fairy tales just as much as the Disney versions, but the dark undertones are much more interesting.

3. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street(2007):


This musical I love more for the acting and the story than the actual songs. Johnny Depp and Helena Botham Carter are perfect together, as usual. Anything Tim Burton automatically intrigues me. There were so many famous people in this movie that you wouldn't really expect. The blood is a little much and pretty fake looking but it kind of gives it a sort of demonic charm. You know it's fake and kind of gross, but you can't look away.

4. Rent(2005):


RENT is one of the musicals where I haven't watched it in years yet I remember all of the songs. My friends and I watched this one all the time back in high school. We just couldn't get enough of it. I actually did see this one live. The original Broadway performance is much different, it's raunchier and a little dirty.


5. Chicago(2002):


This one is pretty awesome in a few different ways. The songs are great, some of the more memorable for me. I also live near Chicago, so to have something set where I live was pretty cool. I have also seen the books about the real women on death row. I have yet to read it but the fact that there is some truth to this musical makes it a little bit cooler.

6. Wicked(2003):


This is another musical that  I actually saw in person. I was blown away by the set design and the music. I don't think I saw the version with Idina Menzel or Kristin Chenowith though, I would have to dig out my play bill from somewhere in my room. I went and saw this in High School with my theater class and it was great. I think it was our first year with the new teacher so it was great to see a real production before we got started with our own.


7. The Producers(2005):


I just recently saw this movie within the past year or so, thanks Netflix! This may be the funniest musical that I have ever seen. The actors are fantastic, Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick are perfect together. They really play off of each others' acting abilities so well. The songs are hilarious and the other actors are wonderful. The story is pretty controversial being about Hitler and all but it's Mel Brooks so he knows how to play that line of being offensive or not.

8. The Lion King(1997):


This was the first musical that I ever saw live. Disney has a way of making everything they do spectacular and engaging. You feel a part of the world going on around you and you don't even feel like you are in the theater anymore. The set pieces and costumes where like nothing I had ever seen before. The soundtrack has always been amazing, but to hear it live was just special.

9. Cry-Baby(1990):


This really isn't the greatest music ever but I still love it. Johnny Depp is one of my favorite actors, so I try to watch a lot of his stuff. That's why he is a major player in three movies on this list! His singing voice isn't actually that bad in this movie. It does get better once he's in Sweeney Todd and Into the Woods though. This is just one of those obscure movies that not a lot of people have seen but I really love.

10. The Music Man(1962):


This was the first music that I ever was a part of in High School. It was the first with our new teacher and it was much better than anything that we had done before. None of us had ever heard of the musical before so we all watched the movie. I don't remember the movie all that well but a lot of the songs were pretty catchy.After this performance our high school got a lot more respect in the theater department, with the public and the school.

So there you go, a list of my favorite movie/musicals. I have included pretty much all of the performances that I have seen live. I think the only one I missed was Monty Python's Spamalot, which I remember liking at the time but can't recall any of it now. I wish that I had more time to see musicals and plays in Chicago. There are always things that I want to see. In Chicago alone there are at least 3 that I would love to see. My goal is to see Phantom of the Opera some day. I will always love the theater and that whole world, hopefully I'm able to go back soon!

Mission Impossible 5

Today, the new MI5 trailer was debuted. Along with the title: Rouge Nation. I love these movies so much! The first 3 were great but the 4th was better due to additional characters and better technology. I really love Tom Cruise and how he does all of his own stunts. He may be a little crazy in his personal life but he is a fantastic actor.

Check out the awesome trailer above! I can not wait to see this movie in theatres, it's going to be great!

Walking Dead Spinoff

I am a huge fan of the Walking Dead.  It is a terrific show.  If you haven't seen it yet, what are you waiting for?  The comic is also pretty great too.  I am still working on compendium #2.
This isn't the first time I have heard news about a Walking Dead spinoff.  It was confirmed a while ago.  Here is what we know so far:
- It will take place in LA
-Will debut at the end of the summer.
-Cliff Curtis who has previously been on tv shows Trauma, and Gang Related will play a character named Sean Cabrera
-So will Frank Dillane who is famous for playing young Tom Riddle in Harry Potter and Half Blood Prince. His characters name is Nick
-Alycia Debnam-Carey from The 100 is also tapped to star in the upcoming series as Ashley
-Kim Dickens who was previously in Sons of Anarchy and Friday Night Lights as well as in the film adaptation of Gone Girl will also star. Her characters name is supposedly Miranda.

Not much other info is available as to plot, timeline (before or during or even after the original), or other characters.
We do know however that AMC has high hopes for this sequel.  It was announced that the show has already been picked up for not one season but TWO seasons.  All before its debut later this year.  I hope its good to  AMC

10 Movies I Am Excited to See in 2015

Furious 7-April 3

I have been waiting for this movie to come out for what feels like forever.   This is one of my favorite movie franchises despite the cheesy lines.  It is all about the cars...and Paul Walker and Vin Diesel.  I know I am probably going to cry half of the movie (RIP Paul Walker).  The action scenes look ridiculously amazing.  

Avengers: Age of Ultron - May 1

I have been waiting for Avengers sequel to come out ever since Cecelia and I saw the original in theaters.  I do not know what else to say about this film other than it looks AMAZING.  

Pitch Perfect 2 - May 15

I am realizing now as I am typing this that most of these films are sequels.  Pitch Perfect is one of my favorite new comedies.  It is great to watch with my best friends after a night drinking...or perhaps while drinking.  Either way this film looks just a funny as the original and it brings back the original actors.  

Entourage - June 5

I was a fan of the show when it was on TV.  I was surprised to hear they were making a film and a little confused but I am okay with it.  I saw the previews not very long ago and I was convinced this would be a good film.  It seems like the same show that captivated fans on TV. 

Jurassic World - June 12

I will admit, I never saw Jurassic Park until college.  I was not a huge fan of the third film so when I heard they were making another one without writer Michael Crichton I as a little concerned.  Now that I have seen previews and am officially a Chris Pratt fan I have to say I am very excited about this movie.  

Inside Out - June 19

This is the only film on my list that is animated.  Being a psychology nerd I have always been interested in this film since first hearing about it a while ago.  Now that I have seen previews I am still highly interesting.  It looks adorable and well done like any Pixar film. 

Ant-Man - July 17

Do I have any idea whom Ant-Man is?  I'll admit it, Nope!  Do I love Paul Rudd?  Totally!  This movie is from Marvel so it has to be good.  I just hope there is more comedy in it.  The preview did not make it look comical but it stars Paul Rudd so it has to be right?  Fingers crossed. 

Mission Impossible 5 - July 31

The only MI film I have seen is Ghost Protocol.  Man, was it fantastic.  I am excited to go see this film in July.  Jeremy Renner and Tom Cruise, add in some action.  I am excited and cannot wait to see the trailer. 

Vacation - October 9

National Lampoons Vacation is one of my all time favorite movies.  Now they are rebooting it with none other that Ed Helms as Rusty Griswold.  I am sold.  I love Ed Helms and the orginal so I am willing to give this film a shot.  Chevy Chase and Beverley D'Angelo will be reprising their roles as Clark and Ellen Griswold.  To make things even better Chris Hemsworth, Charlie Day, and Leslie Mann are set to star.   I am excited for a trailer for this film as well. 

Crimson Peak - October 16

Not going to lie, I am confused as to what exactly this movie is about.  All I know is that it stars Tom Hiddleston and is supposed to be suspenseful.  The trailer although confusing looked great.  I am anxious to see more. 

Newest Spiderman News

Earlier Cecelia posted that Spider-man was officially coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.   Fanboys rejoiced and then began to wonder who would write and direct. Now that has been answered.
Recent reports say that Drew Goddard has been tapped to both write and direct the new Spider-man series.  Goddard is known for writing World War Z, Cloverfield and has also written episodes for the Netflix Original: Daredevil coming out this year.  He has directed...nothing other than the Cabin in the Woods.
Not being a huge Spidey fan to begin with the fact that he was coming to the MCU wasn't a big deal for me personally.  Now seeing who the director/writer is I still question this whole thing.  I will not write it off completely though.   I can still hope that Spider-man will be recast.  Fingers crossed on that.
What does everyone else think about this news.  Happy, excited, or like me questioning the choice of director?  Let me know in the comments.

The Imitation Game Review

*** SPOILERS AHEAD***

    I finally went and saw this movie this week. It's the only one in the Oscar race that I actually was interested in seeing. Yes, I admit, I really wanted to see it because of Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley. They are two of my favorite actors so I was immediately drawn to the movie. After having seen it, I am so glad that I did. The movie was heroic and tragic at the same time. The things that these people did for our country was extraordinary and no one even knew about it at the time. 

    The character of Alan Turing reminds me a lot of Sherlock. He is usually the smartest person in the room, he has a hard time socializing and he doesn't express emotion very well. He gets better during the movie but it takes about half of it for him to begin to be friends with his team. He knows that his idea of the machine is the best/only way to crack the Enigma code. Of course, he turns out to be right but not with out some trouble along the way. 

     The movie goes through 3 different time periods throughout, which at times got a tad bit confusing. There is the present time period, in which Alan Turing is called in for questioning about his sexual orientation, the past in terms of his work with the military and the Enigma code and then the even further past which is his time in boarding school. The boarding school time period is where you see why/how he became they way he was in the Enigma work period. It is a wonderful insight into his personality and why he has a hard time getting close to people. It also begins to explain why he is so obsessed with his code-breaking machine, Christopher. 

     Alan Turing is really quite an inspiring character. He is extremely determined to make sure that his machine works. He was willing to do anything necessary to keep his project and his team afloat. It is unfortunate that he had to keep his sexuality a secret. After all of his work with Enigma was complete, he was found out and arrested. He could either sit in jail for 2 years or take a 2 year regimen of a hormone treatment. He chose the hormones and a year later he committed suicide. I have read though, that death could have been ruled as cyanide poisoning but whether or not it was self administered is another question.

    I absolutely loved this movie! There wasn't much that I could find fault in it, the acting was outstanding and the plot was well thought out. I really am glad that it is up for so many Oscars. I don't think that Benedict Cumberbatch will win though, he hasn't been around long enough for the Academy to give him the award. I could be wrong but I've seen that trend in recent years. Everyone involved with this movie is well deserving of their nominations. 

    This movie is still in theaters so  please go check it out before it's gone. It is truly and inspirational story and hopefully such major press will make people want to learn about Alan Turing. He is a man that should be celebrated due to his accomplishments. 

     

Spider-Man Comes to the MCU

    Huge news in the Marvel universe was announced yesterday. Sony and Marvel have made a deal to bring Spider-Man back into the Marvel Universe and into their new movies.

     What this deal means is that all future Spider-Man movies will be co-produced by Marvel and Sony. The first movie will be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Then, Sony will release a  movie on July 28, 2017.

That film will be produced by both Kevin Feige (Marvel) and Amy Pascal (Sony).

      There are still a lot of questions regarding this partnership and all future movies. We are not yet sure how this affects the Sinister Six movie, Venom or The Amazing Spider-Man 3. Most likely ASM3 will be scrapped all together. Sinister Six was supposed to come out next year, so that means it is either scrapped or will just bet set back a few years. Not much was ever released on the Venom movie so the future of that is unknown as well. 

      Perhaps the biggest rumor and question is who will play Spider-Man? Some websites are saying that Andrew Garfield is completely out and others say that he is still in. Right now, no one really knows except for Marvel/Sony. Personally, I would be happy to see someone else play Spider-Man. Andrew Garfield was the reason why I hated the first Amazing Spider-Man. The second movie was better but for me, that was because of Electro.  

      As much as I think that it is wonderful that Spider-Man is partially home with Marvel, it is a little bit of a cause for concern. There will be two different companies working on the same movie. That means, two different teams of creative minds and opinions. The movie will show how well that they all worked together. If the planning/producing process doesn't go to well, the audience will be able to tell once the movie is released. It's a big risk but hopefully this partnership produces a much greater reward. 

New Fantastic 4 Trailer

The newly re-booted version of The Fantastic 4 released it's trailer today.

    I have only seen the first Fantastic 4 movie and I wasn't that impressed. It wasn't as terrible as I expected it to be. I really liked the Dr. Doom character in that version. There is no mention of him in the new trailer though. There are some very inconsistent things with this new version of the movie. Most noticeably and the elephant in the room, the different races of the Storm siblings. Not that I really care but aren't they supposed to be twins?
    I have read that The Thing will be able to control his "power" and make himself look normal. They don't mention that in the trailer so who knows how true that is. I think that by doing that, you lose a lot of character development for him. I really hope that this new movie does a good job with Dr. Doom. I really did like him in the original movie but thought he needed more screen time to be effective.
    The trailer shows promise for this movie, but more trailers are needed for me to get completely on board with the reboot.

2015 Oscar Nominations

Award show season is my favorite season!! Today, the Academy Award nominees were announced.   Below is the list of all of the categories. I think that the most notable snubs was Angelina Jolie's movie, Unbroken . I still think that there are way to many movies in the Best Picture category, it's a lot to keep track of. Even though I haven't seen any of the big movies, I am very excited for this years' ceremony!

Best Actor

• Steve Carell, "Foxcatcher"
• Bradley Cooper, "American Sniper"
• Benedict Cumberbatch, "The Imitation Game"
• Michael Keaton, "Birdman"
• Eddie Redmayne, "The Theory of Everything"

Best Actress

• Marion Cotillard, "Two Days, One Night"
• Felicity Jones, "The Theory of Everything"
• Julianne Moore, "Still Alice"
• Rosamund Pike, "Gone Girl"
• Reese Witherspoon, "Wild"

Best Supporting Actor

• Robert Duvall, "The Judge"
• Ethan Hawke, "Boyhood"
• Edward Norton, "Birdman"
• Mark Ruffalo, "Foxcatcher"
• J.K. Simmons, "Whiplash"

Best Supporting Actress

• Patricia Arquette, "Boyhood"
• Laura Dern, "Wild"
• Keira Knightley, "The Imitation Game"
• Emma Stone, "Birdman"
• Meryl Streep, "Into the Woods"

Cinematography

• "Birdman"
• "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
• "Ida"
• "Mr. Turner"
• "Unbroken"

Costume Design

• "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
• "Inherent Vice"
• "Into the Woods"
• "Maleficent"
• "Mr. Turner"

Directing

• Alejandro González Iñárritu, "Birdman"
• Richard Linklater, "Boyhood"
• Bennett Miller, "Foxcatcher"
• Wes Anderson, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
• Morten Tyldum, "The Imitation Game"

Foreign Language Film

• "Ida," Poland
• "Leviathan," Russia
• "Tangerines," Estonia
• "Timbuktu," Mauritania
• "Wild Tales," Argentina

Makeup and Hairstyling

• "Foxcatcher"
• "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
• "Guardians of the Galaxy"

Original Score

• "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
• "The Imitation Game"
• "Interstellar"
• "Mr. Turner"
• "The Theory of Everything"

Adapted Screenplay

• "American Sniper"
• "The Imitation Game"
• "Inherent Vice"
• "The Theory of Everything"
• "Whiplash"

Original Screenplay

• "Birdman"
• "Boyhood"
• "Foxcatcher"
• "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
• "Nightcrawler"

Best Picture

• "American Sniper"
• "Birdman"
• "Boyhood"
• "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
• "The Imitation Game"
• "Selma"
• "The Theory of Everything"
• "Whiplash"

Animated Feature Film

• "Big Hero 6"
• "The Boxtrolls"
• "How to Train Your Dragon 2"
• "Song of the Sea"
• "The Tale of the Princess Kaguya"

Documentary Feature

• "Citizenfour"
• "Finding Vivian Maier"
• "Last Days in Vietnam"
• "The Salt of the Earth"
• "Virunga"

Documentary Short Subject

• "Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1"
• "Joanna"
• "Our Curse"
• "The Reaper (La Parka)"
• "White Earth"

Film Editing

• "American Sniper"
• "Boyhood"
• "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
• "The Imitation Game"
• "Whiplash"

Original Song

• "Everything Is Awesome," "The Lego Movie"
• "Glory," "Selma"
• "Grateful, "Beyond the Lights"
• "I"m Not Gonna Miss You," "Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me"
• "Lost Stars," "Begin Again"

Production Design

• "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
• "The Imitation Game"
• "Interstellar"
• "Into the Woods"
• "Mr. Turner"

Animated Short Film

• "The Bigger Picture"
• "The Dam Keeper"
• "Feast"
• "Me and My Moulton"
• "A Single Life"

Live Action Short Film

• "Aya"
• "Boogaloo and Graham"
• "Butter Lamp"
• "Parvaneh"
• "The Phone Call"

Sound Editing

• "American Sniper"
• "Birdman"
• "The Hobbitt: The Battle of the Five Armies"
• "Interstellar"

Sound Mixing

• "American Sniper"
• "Birdman"
• "Interstellar"
• "Unbroken"
• "Whiplash"

Visual Effects

• "Captain America: The Winter Soldier"
• "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes"
• "Guardians of the Galaxy"
• "Interstellar"
• "X-Men: Days of Future Past"