Monday Movie Mania (A Day Late) - Wicked Part 1

Like I said on Friday, last week was pretty tough for various reasons. It culminated with finding out about  the death of the husband of one of my readers on Sunday. The afterglow from Wicked Part 1 got me through the rest of the weekend, and I did get a lot more words done on my holiday story.

As for Wicked itself, well, I managed not to belt out the lyrics in the middle of the very crowded local theater. Our cineplex has been nearly empty since it reopened after the pandemic lock-down orders were lifted. This was the  biggest crowd in a movie I attended since Avengers: Endgame was released five years ago.

I'm not going to give my usual SPOILERS warning since the novel was released 29 years ago and the musical debuted 21 years ago. If you don't know the story by now, well, that's on you.

I don't have one CON for this film. Not one. And my PROS have more to do with individual actors and crew.

1) Jon M. Chu made up for the shitstorm of JEM (2015). (Good Goddess, has it been nine years already?) He and the screenplay writers stuck to the original Broadway book. Trust me, there would have been a riot if they hadn't. Any changes to the original script were to expand on certain scenes or to fill in certain insinuations from the original musical.

2) Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande-Butera. Those two could out-sing angels.

3) Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth's cameos during "One Short Day" are absolutely hysterical as they play singers in a diva feud. Plus, you can tell they were having a blast with their roles!

4) Michelle Yeoh did a perfect job as Mrs. Morrible. That's not to discount Carol Kane's efforts the first time I saw the musical. The difference is Michelle did a much more subtle job, so when the twist comes, the movie audience who hadn't seem the musical were appropriately shocked.

5) Jeff Goldblum has the chops to be totally evil and still sympathetic. He doesn't get enough credit for his singing.

6) The movie ends with the showstopper "Defying Gravity" (my personal favorite), which also concludes the first act of the musical. Wicked 2 will be the second act.

 

Overall, Wicked Part 1 is the perfect vehicle for the whole family to see over the holidays. Just be prepared for the kids to be singing in the backseat on the way home and demanding the soundtrack for their holiday present.

I give Wicked Part 1 100 out of 10 stars!

Bad Mattel! How Could You? (Or Why Proofreading Matters)

Last Saturday, I had to pick up the Grandpuppy's allergy meds. The prescription has to be filled at a Big box store, whose name I won't mention because (1) I don't want to admit I shop there, and (2) ironically, they are totally innocent in the following matter.

The pharmacy department didn't have the medication ready because (1) it's super expensive and (2) I pay cash. The techs always freak out about filling it until I come in and confirm that yes, I want the fucking meds!

(Seriously, the Grandpuppy loses all his fur and he develops sores all over his body when he's not taking this drug.)

But this isn't about the drug, the Grandpuppy, or the big box store. I wandered through the aisles to kill time while the pharm techs filled the prescription. Lo and behold, the cheaper versions of the Wicked dolls were in stock.

Now, I'm one of those weird doll collectors. I'll buy the expensive collectible version to display. Then, I buy the cheap version to play with.

Play with you say? Yes. As we've grown older, DH isn't as. . .enthusiastic at being my model for any fight or love-making scenes. So, I use dolls. The Made-To-Move Barbie doll bodies are especially awesome for working out character moves.

Anyway, I bought Elphaba in the full witch ensemble with a broom. She is currently sitting next to me as I write this. But she was in her box on Monday night when DH and I were watching The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, our end-of-the-weekday ritual.

The opening teaser was a story about Mattel accidentally printed the URL for an *ahem* adult website instead of the proper URL for the upcoming movie. Supposedly, Mattel was now recalling all the dolls. WHOOPS!

At the next commercial break, DH gets up and reads the box. Sure enough, the wrong website is printed on my box.

Am I taking my Elphaba back? Oh, hell, no! I think the typo is hilarious. But it goes to show why a good proofreader is necessary in everyone's arsenal, not just writers.

I Love Musicals!

Then there's the story from the antagonist's point-of-view.

Songs I've Been Listening to a Lot Lately

I indie-publish 'cause I'm Defying Gravity.