Media Update 11/10/2016

Galavant

I had seen ads for this show when I first got into Once Upon a Time and since they were both on ABC I mistakenly thought they were connected further. I never watched it while it was on television and that seems to have been a trend because it was canceled after two seasons. What attracted me to it when I saw it show up on Netflix is Timothy Odmundson of Psych and Supernatural fame. While he may not be a big star to you, he is an actor that I am always glad to see. The show is a musical adventure following a knight down on his luck and trying to regain his former glory and take out the king who stole his lady love away. Every episode is a mini-musical with plenty of comedy and the lyrics kind of stray into the adult territory. The show definitely does not take itself seriously and while it seems dumb a lot of the time, it is very charming. Legendary composer Alan Menken does all of the music and Tangled lyricist Glenn Slater does all of the lyrics. The songs are all great and the choreography is often simple but really fun. The strength of the show is Omundson as weak-willed King Richard but we also get a brilliant Mallory Jansen as Madalena, Galavant’s now ex-girlfriend. The rest of the cast is absolutely on point and we actually get a great performance out of Vinnie Jones and a guest spot from Weird Al. I definitely recommend this and so do the critics since both seasons got 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do the Time Warp Again

I know that this movie was walking on some sacred ground for a lot of people. While I was not part of the initial craze (I was too young), I definitely picked this movie up later in life. I own the movie on DVD but it is obviously not the same experience as seeing it in theaters. There is no way that this movie could ever live up to the original experience of seeing the original movie with its iconic performances and otherworldly weirdness. Frankly, these days we have become much more accepting of LGBTQ issues and there is no way this movie could shock and delight like the original. Of course, this was created as a television event to pay tribute to the original and that was so clear while watching this. For instance, they added a framing device of the movie being shown at a theater in the style of the famous midnight showings. There are so many little winks and nods to the original series that I could not help but smile a bit at the homage. I really liked the new performances at least from a vocal performance point of view. Beyond the singing, the performances are more like a high school performance of Rocky Horror but whatever. Of course, most people praise Laverne Cox’ performance and rightfully so. She is absolutely electric. Overall, it is a little too sanitized and too slick but I still found it fun. The only thing they improved from the original is that the cast is more diverse. I recommend it for those looking for a fun little movie but are alright with a little remake.

Footloose

This is one of those movies that I had not seen but I feel like I knew what it was about. The widely known premise seemed strange to me. A town that outlaws dancing sounds more like a fairytale than a famous movie from the 1980s. I have been curious to actually watch it since it was mentioned heavily in Guardians of the Galaxy. I had only seen the one big famous solo Kevin Bacon scene. The movie is weird because immediately the town that Kevin Bacon has moved is full of assholes. I hesitated to use that word but that is what they are. The adults are all very pissy about music and anything rebellious or different being shunned. The kids are very brazen about indulging in everything that their parents have banned. They make a big deal of comparing Kevin Bacon to David Bowie and I have to admit he has the hair and the build down if not the spectacular voice. Of course, the highlight of the movie is the music. There are some great eighties standards but there was surprisingly a little bit of metal. None of the characters except for Kevin Bacon and Chris Penn are likable. John Lithgow is not supposed to be likable and he is a very welcome break from the teen drama.  I would not recommend it and you should just listen to the soundtrack.

Music of the Week:
Die Antwoord – Banana Brains

Kurtis Blow – America

Korn – A Different World

Kehlani – CRZY

Garth Brooks and George Jones – Beer Run

Weekly Update:
– This week’s theme is “The Power of Music”
– I started watching Lucifer Season 2
– I started watching Ash vs. Evil Dead Season 2
– I continued watching Once Upon a Time Season 6
– I started Dark Matter Season 2
– I continued watching The Get Down