Sweeney Todd (spoilers, natch)

[Rob Helmerichs]

Now if THAT doesn't getcha into the holiday spirit, I don't know what will! :D

I have no familiarity with the play (I went for Tim Burton and Johnny Depp), and I wasn't expecting quite so much music, but I really enjoyed it. In a sick, twisted way.

I knew who the wife was the moment she appeared, however...was it supposed to be that obvious? A simple application of Ebert's Law of Conservation of Characters made it pretty clear.

[murgatroyd]

I don't think it is intended to be a big secret.

The audience has to guess before he does -- otherwise the scene where he finds out wouldn't have the same impact....

Jan

[jradosh]

Is this a TV show?

[Rob Helmerichs]

Well, I thought I put it in Happy Hour, so either some moderator didn't know better and moved it, or I'm an idiot.

I vote for the first one. :D

[firerose818]

Jeff and I saw this yesterday, and I thought it was fantastic. I grew up watching the stage production (with Angela Lansbury) and I couldn't wait to see this. At first, I thought Helena Bonham-Carter was too young for the role of Mrs. Lovett, but I thought she pulled it off well. And Alan Rickman was appropriately creepy in the role of Judge Turpin. Big :up: from me. :)

[murgatroyd]

Is this a TV show?

For those who don't know, it's Tim Burton's adaptation of the Broadway musical, written by Sondheim.

Fabulous show.

I really want to see the movie. Haven't had the chance yet.

Jan

[orome]

Highly recommended. And a friend wants Mrs Lovett's wardrobe. :D

[njdtivo]

Movie is very good.

How can you go wrong with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp?

[emandbri]

I knew who the wife was the moment she appeared, however...was it supposed to be that obvious?

My husband said he suspected near the end, I didn't until she said "don't I know you." I thought it was very good! My fav part was the dream sequence with them on the beach! Can't wait to see the extras on the DVD.

[dylking]

I saw the play on Broadway back in ummm. 78 or 79, with Angela Lansbury. I think the movie did a very decent job in translation from stage to screen, and didn't have me comparing the two presentations (probably because it's been so long) :)

I was also pleasently surprised with Depp's singing ability.

[busyba]

A lot of stuff was cut from the original show to make this movie. Some was stuff that I was happy to see go (like the bulk of the Anthony/Joanna snoozefest), but there were several things that I had hoped would have been included (like Turpin's self-flagellation number :)).

If you haven't seen the show, you really should go get the DVD of the 1982 production (http://www.amazon.com/Sweeney-Todd-Demon-Barber-Street/dp/B00005JL6V/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1199252362&sr=8-2) with Lansbury and George Hearn. Just fast-forward through any scenes that only have Anthony and Joanna in them (and also when you see the Beadle and Lovett sitting in the parlour playing the harpsichord :)).

[PJO1966]

I thought it was great, but really gruesome. I expected the blood, but I loved how they switched out the chair so the bodies fell head first. The first time it happened, I jumped. Nothing makes me jump in movies. That was just disturbing.

The voices were pretty good for the most part. Carter's voice was nothing but air, but she sold it with the performance. The Joanna duet between Anthony & Todd was amazing. Joanna, Anthony, and Toby all had amazing voices.

In the original stage production, didn't Mrs. Lovett kill Toby? I know in the recent remake, the whole thing took place inside Toby's head. He crazy.


We did a double feature yesterday seeing this and There Will Be Blood. It was a gruesome day.

[busyba]

I thought it was great, but really gruesome. I expected the blood, but I loved how they switched out the chair so the bodies fell head first. The first time it happened, I jumped. Nothing makes me jump in movies. That was just disturbing.
It was the "crunch" sound effect upon impact that really sold it. Kudos to the Foley guys. :)

In the original stage production, didn't Mrs. Lovett kill Toby?
Nope. That sequence happened pretty much just like it did in the movie. In the end, Toby lives, but he does seem to end up a little crazy for his ordeal.

[firerose818]

This is a spoiler thread, so I don't think we need the tags.

In the original stage production, Toby sort of "narrates" the story. He has to live so we the viewer know what happens. Does this make sense?

[busyba]

This is a spoiler thread, so I don't think we need the tags.
Well, technically this is a spoiler thread for the movie; I don't think it's unreasonable to tag things that would be a spoiler for the stage production, especially if it differs from the movie.

In the original stage production, Toby sort of "narrates" the story.
I don't recall that to be true at all.

If there's anyone/anything that serves as a narrator, it's the greek chorus that sings the various instances of "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" throughout the show, that chorus including 3rd person versions of Sweeney at the beginning ("What happens next, well that's the play, and he wouldn't want us to give it away... not Sweeney") and Sweeney and Lovett at the end ("To seek revenge leads straight to hell", "But everyone does it and seldom as well... as Sweeney")

[busyba]

In any case, dead narrators are not unheard of in theater. :)

[barbeedoll]

Saw both the original play in New York with Angela Landsbury and Len Cariou and the recent Johnny Depp movie. While the play in the old Uris Theatre was spectacular, the story is more easily followed in the movie.

Although the movie performances were stellar, I thought the voices were fine but not wonderful. Toby stole the show for me, and Joanna has a beautiful voice.

Casting Helena Bonham Carter was an age problem for me, but she acted it beautifully. The only problem was that she was a soprano. In Sondheim's score, Anthony is written as a tenor, Joanna as a soprano, Sweeney as a baritone, and Mrs. Lovett as an alto.

Obviously, then Sweeney/Lovett duets are suppose to be baritone and alto for those lower range rich voice blends and for giving them a common key. Similarly, Anthony and Joanna's duets are the soprano and tenor.

In the stage production, all four can be in different parts of the stage and all sing overlapping portions of the story line simultaneously...with a soprano, alto, tenor and baritone quartet.

But it won best picture for a Musical or Comedy, so you can't say they didn't do it well.

Barbeedoll

[busyba]

The only problem was that she was a soprano.
http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/5103/tonysopranobs0.jpg

[supasta]

Really enjoyed this movie!

[barbeedoll]

http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/5103/tonysopranobs0.jpg
Now THAT's funny.

Barbeedoll

[MikeMar]

Maggie and I saw this a week or so ago, thought it was great.

I've always loved this play :)

[JDHutt25]

Never saw the play, actually, didn't know it was a play before the movie came out. We watched it a couple of times last week and really enjoyed it.

[nirisahn]

Jeff and I saw this yesterday, and I thought it was fantastic. I grew up watching the stage production (with Angela Lansbury) and I couldn't wait to see this. At first, I thought Helena Bonham-Carter was too young for the role of Mrs. Lovett, but I thought she pulled it off well. And Alan Rickman was appropriately creepy in the role of Judge Turpin. Big :up: from me. :)

+1 on almost everything. I didn't think Helena Bonham-Carter was too young to play Mrs. Lovett. In fact, I was looking forward to see how she would portray the character seeing as how she's played appropriately creepy and off-the-wall characters before, and played them well.

I loved that the voices weren't all perfect. I've seen opera productions of this where the voices were fabulous, but lacking in character. This production put character ahead of vocal perfection, and I think that made for a better movie.

I also loved the way Burton filmed it, almost black and white with the blood really standing out as the only truly bright color in the film. And I'm glad the blood wasn't really blood color. Made it a little easier to watch. For fans of the macabre, a truly enjoyable movie.

[busyba]

When Sweeney plunged the razor into Snape's neck, was I the only one who shouted "Avada Kedavra!"? :D