It's a Phantom Christmas, Charlie Brown
Dec. 25th, 2004 11:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
zebralittle52It's so strange, walking around Houston singing "White Christmas" and meaning it. At least it's set to warm up come Monday.
Had a good Christmas. B came over for a couple hours worth of Sharpe and Hikaru no Go. (Thanks to him I was able to replace my old, dead DVD player with one that'll play AVI files, so now all my *cough* alternately-procured anime will play on the TV.) He liked the Griffin figurine I'd found for him, and I found a Chan Chu in my stocking. (It's the figurine of a three-legged frog holding a coin in its mouth sitting on a pile of money. Supposed to bring good fortune and wealth.) ladydouji had given me a GO set this year, so we tried a couple games. Not an easy game, but really fun.
Dad sent a couple books which'll be going to Half Price Books come Monday. He tries, I know he does, but the man just... Well, he tries.
I only now got back from seeing The Phantom of the Opera, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it yet.
It really should be seen without any prior expectations. I'd seen the show the first time it came to Houston, and have the cd's memorized, so each little change felt rather jarring, but I have the same problem when they turn books into movies, so that's not unexpected.
I think my biggest problem with the movie comes down to the fact that Emmy Rossum and Patrick Wilson can't emote their way out of a wet paper sack. As they played Christine and Raoul, the leads, it was really quite frustrating. (I felt the same way about Wilson as Travis in The Alamo, though there it wasn't near as jarring.) There's a barrier between the audience and the movie screen that just isn't there when actors are on stage, so wouldn't it make sense that there should be something more added to convey emotion during a song than just, oh, standing there looking stoned? Apparently Joel Schumacher doesn't think so. And for gods sake, if you're doing something physical like running up and down stairs, there should be some inflection of tone at least!
Of course there were changes, there always are, but so many of them felt unnecessary. Why did they keep flashing back to the black and white Old Raoul? It pulled the audience out of the story, made the transitions jarring. And switching where in the story the chandelier fell just messed with my mind. But worst of all, it didn't feel like there was a reason except because they could.
That said, I gotta tell you that Gerard Butler as The Phantom melted my butter. Sure, he's no Michael Crawford, but who is? The man made me feel his songs. But then, I always rooted for Eric in the original story... 'cause I'm weird that way. ^_~
The sets were incredible, the costumes and art direction stunning, but I can't imagine they releasing the story any other way. Minnie Driver as Carlotta was a hoot, and Jennifer Ellison as Meg was so lovely she could have been painted by Degas.
I wonder if Sunset Boulevard might be next.
Had a good Christmas. B came over for a couple hours worth of Sharpe and Hikaru no Go. (Thanks to him I was able to replace my old, dead DVD player with one that'll play AVI files, so now all my *cough* alternately-procured anime will play on the TV.) He liked the Griffin figurine I'd found for him, and I found a Chan Chu in my stocking. (It's the figurine of a three-legged frog holding a coin in its mouth sitting on a pile of money. Supposed to bring good fortune and wealth.) ladydouji had given me a GO set this year, so we tried a couple games. Not an easy game, but really fun.
Dad sent a couple books which'll be going to Half Price Books come Monday. He tries, I know he does, but the man just... Well, he tries.
I only now got back from seeing The Phantom of the Opera, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it yet.
It really should be seen without any prior expectations. I'd seen the show the first time it came to Houston, and have the cd's memorized, so each little change felt rather jarring, but I have the same problem when they turn books into movies, so that's not unexpected.
I think my biggest problem with the movie comes down to the fact that Emmy Rossum and Patrick Wilson can't emote their way out of a wet paper sack. As they played Christine and Raoul, the leads, it was really quite frustrating. (I felt the same way about Wilson as Travis in The Alamo, though there it wasn't near as jarring.) There's a barrier between the audience and the movie screen that just isn't there when actors are on stage, so wouldn't it make sense that there should be something more added to convey emotion during a song than just, oh, standing there looking stoned? Apparently Joel Schumacher doesn't think so. And for gods sake, if you're doing something physical like running up and down stairs, there should be some inflection of tone at least!
Of course there were changes, there always are, but so many of them felt unnecessary. Why did they keep flashing back to the black and white Old Raoul? It pulled the audience out of the story, made the transitions jarring. And switching where in the story the chandelier fell just messed with my mind. But worst of all, it didn't feel like there was a reason except because they could.
That said, I gotta tell you that Gerard Butler as The Phantom melted my butter. Sure, he's no Michael Crawford, but who is? The man made me feel his songs. But then, I always rooted for Eric in the original story... 'cause I'm weird that way. ^_~
The sets were incredible, the costumes and art direction stunning, but I can't imagine they releasing the story any other way. Minnie Driver as Carlotta was a hoot, and Jennifer Ellison as Meg was so lovely she could have been painted by Degas.
I wonder if Sunset Boulevard might be next.
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no subject
Date: 2004-12-26 08:55 pm (UTC)It's kinda funny, living in central IL and envying Houston and New Orleans because those places got a white Christmas. ^.^
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Date: 2004-12-27 12:19 am (UTC)Interesting place, central IL. I was born down in Carbondale and spent a good amount of time around Downers Grove (outside Chicago). Probably one reason I don't miss the white stuff. ^_~
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Date: 2004-12-27 01:38 am (UTC)Hawt icon, btw. =3
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Date: 2004-12-27 02:04 am (UTC)As for DG, I lived up that way till around '80 and them moved back for my Junior year of HS in '89. (Did a lot of work for the Downers Grove North HS theater that year, probably still have the newspaper clippings somewhere...) If I ever get a chance to go back and visit, we'll have to somehow arrange something and meet up!
no subject
Date: 2004-12-27 08:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-27 12:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-30 12:41 am (UTC)Course, I hated Raoul even before I read that book. Hmm.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-30 05:24 am (UTC)Speaking of, have you heard of/read The Club Dumas by Artura Perez-Reverte? I picked it up a couple days ago and so far it really looks interesting, kind'a like a murder mystery with different pieces of literature as the clues.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-30 05:47 am (UTC)*Phantom* connects a variety of local legends to trace the life of Erik-the Phantom of the Opera-from birth to death. Very dark and brooding, with a droolworthy Erik characterization. Mmm. Yum.