Rocketman

[StevieG]

...burning up his fuse up here alone...

I thoroughly enjoyed it! Elton John has incredible talent - it was good to see the collaboration between his music and Bernie Taupin's lyrics.

I also wasn't aware of his ability to play be ear so easily.

[wayfriend]

This is on my short list.

How does it compare to Bohemian Rhapsody? I found that to be good but not awesome.

[StevieG]

It's quite different in style to Bohemian Rhapsody. It's told in a semi-musical, semi-surreal manner in parts. I suspect that if Dexter Fletcher directed Bohemian Rhapsody from the beginning, these two movies might have a similar feel. It highlights Elton's struggles with his upbringing and the over-compensating nature of his stage persona quite well, as well as his personal struggles, which were extreme.

The critics liked it more, which obviously doesn't mean a damn thing. Gotta go now, but will hopefully return with more info.

[wayfriend]

ok, cool. Thanks.

[Menolly]

From interviews I've seen, it's more a musical based on Elton's life and career, using his songs to tell the story. The songs do not appear in chronological order, and artistic license has been taken with the facts.

Regardless, I do plan on seeing it, though. I love musicals, and the subject matter, as well.

[Savor Dam]

...artistic license has been taken with the facts.

Not unlike his quasi-biographical album Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy.

Yes, we three need to see this...certainly before the EJ concert this fall.

[StevieG]

Lucky you - seeing Elton before his apparent retirement! I'd personally see him if it wasn't inconvenient, ie. I didn't have to fly anywhere. Queen though, I'd fly to see

I don't have a problem with artistic licence of facts. The facts are there, and presented in a way the filmmakers obviously thought best. There are lots of time-based inconsistencies, and event-based stuff that I won't go into here, because it would spoil the whole show. Interesting that they (the critics) harped on the artistic licence of Bohemian Rhapsody and slammed it accordingly, but haven't done so for this movie, which has easily as many inconsistencies. Both these movies tell a real-life story, highlighting what happened, is what counts to me. If they rearrange for dramatic effect that's fine with me.

[Menolly]

Interesting that they (the critics) harped on the artistic licence of Bohemian Rhapsody and slammed it accordingly, but haven't done so for this movie, which has easily as many inconsistencies. Both these movies tell a real-life story, highlighting what happened, is what counts to me. If they rearrange for dramatic effect that's fine with me.

Speaking of Bohemian Rhapsody. My hold on the DVD is in at the library. I need to try and get it on Saturday to watch at some point over the weekend.

[wayfriend]

I've seen Elton in concert twice, but it was a loooong time ago. But I still fondly remember him disliking something about his electric keyboard and so tipping it over and striding off the stage while the other musicians stretched out the intro as long as they could. I hope that's in the movie. It's sooo Elton.

[Menolly]

SD, Dam-sel and I saw Rocketman in the theater on Saturday, and Bohemian Rhapsody via dvd from the library Sunday. I honestly preferred Rocketman. It could easily be adapted in to a fantastic stage show. But, not only do I prefer the musical story approach over the straight biography approach, albeit with literary license, while I like Queen and admit Freddy was a once in a lifetime vocalist, I like Elton's music far more.

I'm not saying Queen's musicianship isn't stellar; it definitely is. And what they did with overdubbing rather than synthesizers was amazing. They definitely have songs I love. But overall, Elton's music speaks to me more.

...even though Brian May 's '39 is hard to beat. I adore that song.

The lip synching and instrument playing acting in Bohemian Rhapsody was well done and choreographed to a T. But, it was Queen's performances we heard. Taron Egerton and the rest of the cast of Rocketman told a story via the music with their own performances of the music.

Just my preference, though.

[Cagliostro]

But, it was Queen's performances we heard.

Actually, they blended Freddie, a Freddie sound-alike and Rami together into what it was. But yeah, probably very little Rami, and he wasn't the king of the lipsynchers, so I found it distracting. I liked that it felt like I was hearing possible alternate versions of the recordings throughout the movie.

I don't know if I'm going to see Rocketman as there have been precious few Elton John songs I like, and several that just annoy me (Saturday Is Alright For Fighting, Crocodile Rock to name two).

Oh, and I used to adore '39 as well until I found out that it was some sci-fi space thing. For some reason that has blunted my appreciation of the song. I'm not sure why.

[Menolly]

Oh, and I used to adore '39 as well until I found out that it was some sci-fi space thing. For some reason that has blunted my appreciation of the song. I'm not sure why.

I can see that affecting ones enjoyment. It's the astrophysicist May putting a human spin on the theory of time dilation. How would one feel upon returning after a 100 year mission in space, only to find due to time dilation a thousand years have passed and everyone you have known has passed on?
Write your letters in the sand for the day I take your hand
In the land that our grandchildren knew

[peter]

Dexter Fletcher's biopic of Elton John's early years and rise to stardom charts a familiar tale of precocious talent, discovery and subsequent implosion the has an odd symmetry with the story of Freddy Mercury and Queen as shown in Bohemian Rhapsody last year.

Starring Tarron Eggerton as the bespectacled impresario and Jamie Bell as his loyal songwriter, we treated to a fistful of Sir Elton's greatest songs as we navigate the turbulent twists and turns of a life less ordinary. Beginning at the end (or at least at the beginning of the second beginning) the story is told in flashback as the star undergoes therapy for an addiction gamut that runs all the way from alcohol, through drugs, sex and every other form of vice, to finish up at shopping. As I note, the story is a familiar one - and one that got me to thinking that shown in it's baldness this way, the rockstar experience doesn't actually look like much fun at all. All of that excess never seems to result in so much of the slightest happiness on the part of the indulger and I wonder why they actually do it. It seems to me that it is the industry itself that is shaped that way, and sufficient are the parallels between all these stories, that it is the successful performers who are the victims, getting sucked into a whirlpool and who (as in Elton's case) eventually struggle out or as in so many, succumb. The mirriads of peripheral players, managers and producers and the like, for whom this hedonism actually seems to be the theatre in which they thrive, just seem to carry on, moving limpet like from one bright star to the next, to the next.

But back to the film, this is a good couple of hours viewing, and if accurate in the portrayal of his background, provides much for which the star deserves sympathy, no less than the final hug earned in the twilight of a career spent giving selflessly to millions alongside the incondign simultanious spending of himself.

[StevieG]

Is my Rocketman thread not good enough for ya?

[Savor Dam]

Perhaps dAN or Sarge can use their awesome modly powers to merge the threads?

[Avatar]

Since neither of them are around at the moment, I shall use my adminly ones instead.

--A

[StevieG]

That's the way Av Thanks!

[peter]

Is my Rocketman thread not good enough for ya?

Apologies guys! (especially StevieG).