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Rocketman (2019)

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41Forever Jun 02 2019 09:05 PM

Not a strict biopic like Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman is kind of all over the place. At some points it seems like a musical, with characters breaking out in song and dance. Sometimes it's a fantasy, like Elton and the audience levitating at the Troubadour. Somehow it works, a complicated way of telling the story of a complicated person. One big difference is Rhapsody builds up to a moment of triumph -- the Live Aid performance, even through the events leading up to it were rearranged or fabricated to enhance the drama. Rocketman doesn't have a moment like that. It also speeds through a bunch of big events. Doesn't gloss over some of the low points -- the disastrous, disco Victim of Love album even gets a scene. I've seen Elton three times. Most recently on the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, which was fantastic. I saw him twice on the Sleeping with the Past tour when we lived in Connecticut, in the late 1980s. The first show was great. The second show, Elton mumbled something about the label not supporting him and threatening to retire. My buddy swore he could see him doing coke on top of the piano. He stumbled off the stage about two-thirds of the way through, never to return and seeming to take the band by surprise. The movie spends a lot of time on that unpleasant Elton.

Edgy MD Jun 03 2019 04:45 PM Re: Rocketman (2019)

Doesn't gloss over some of the low points -- the disastrous, disco Victim of Love album even gets a scene. The weird thing is this barely qualified as an Elton John album. Apart from it's disco-ness, which certainly wasn't beneath Elton John, the album featured: [list] [*]No original Elton John compositions. [*]No Bernie Taupin lyrics. [*]No Elton John piano or keyboards. [*]No members of the Elton John Band. [*]No tour. [*]Only 36 minutes of music. [*]No performances of any of these songs on subsequent tours. [*]The Waters Family and Michael McDonald on vocals, L.A.'s most relentless session singers. [*]An eight-minute version of "Johnny B. Goode." [*]A title track that somehow reached #31 on the pop charts, despite it's complete forgettableness. [/list] It's like he had to settle a debt, and came in and added vocals in a day and then got out of there. Fun fact, EJ hit the singles top 40 chart in the US for 16 straight years, from 1970-1985, then took a year off in 1986 by peaking at #55 with "Heartache All Over the World," hit the top 40 for nine straight years after that from 1987-1995. All told, that's a man charting in 25 of 26 years, and many of those years featuring multiple charting singles. And he still had a few hits, including a #1, ahead of him. It seems to me, he lived his life with his finger to the wind.

Double Switch Jun 04 2019 11:26 AM Re: Rocketman (2019)

Having seen EJ in person back in the day and having known him since his very first album, I don't plan to see a biopic about him. His music was the background of my life for decades and I'm glad for him he's still standing.

Frayed Knot Jun 04 2019 02:50 PM Re: Rocketman (2019)

That it's not a straight-forward bio-pic -- and seems to be getting better than average reviews -- means I might check this one out, maybe while it's still in Thee-Ay-Ters or down the road via DVD/cable. Still have yet to see 'Bo-Rhap' for essentially the opposite reasons. And if the highlight of the film is a remake of the LIVE-AID performance then I can just check-out a video of the actual LIVE-AID performance.

Double Switch Jun 04 2019 05:09 PM Re: Rocketman (2019)

Frayed Knot wrote: That it's not a straight-forward bio-pic -- and seems to be getting better than average reviews -- means I might check this one out, maybe while it's still in Thee-Ay-Ters or down the road via DVD/cable. Still have yet to see 'Bo-Rhap' for essentially the opposite reasons. And if the highlight of the film is a remake of the LIVE-AID performance then I can just check-out a video of the actual LIVE-AID performance. That's the thing. You can get all sorts of genuine performances by the artist. That last thing I want to see is someone pretending to be Freddie Mercury. Or Elton John.

Edgy MD Jun 04 2019 05:45 PM Re: Rocketman (2019)

Yeah, but that's the Oscar-bait, because who knows if Shailene Woodley is really evoking Tami Oldham in Adrift. But we have a good idea about how well Jamie Foxx captured Ray Charles in Ray because we have have a long lifetime of Ray Charles footage to compare it to. So Rami Malek must be great, or something. What troubles me about biopics of rock stars remains that they've found one more way to milk enormous money out of the classic rock canon, but it's still nearly Herculean for a contemporary rock act to make two dimes from their original music. So, rock and roll is still big business, but only legacy rock and roll that's under glass, and owned by suits, septuagenarians, and heirs. And that's as culturally stale as it is economically unjust.

Frayed Knot Jun 04 2019 06:57 PM Re: Rocketman (2019)

Double Switch wrote: That's the thing. You can get all sorts of genuine performances by the artist. That last thing I want to see is someone pretending to be Freddie Mercury. Or Elton John. Well, I don't object to the concept of bio-pics in general (rock-star or otherwise) just the sort of paint-by-numbers kind. Is the movie telling a story or just trying to see if they can pull off a decent impression of the subject. If it's the former then the movie could be worth it. If it's the latter then, yeah, it's just somebody pretending to be someone famous. It's like SNL skits where they seem so pleased with themselves that they're pulling off a decent impression and totally unconcerned with whether or not an impression is part of anything worthwhile.

whippoorwill Jun 09 2019 05:55 AM Re: Rocketman (2019)

Good point. I'll bet every one of us has pretended to be Elton at some point in time. And I've also pretended to be Kiki Dee

MFS62 Jun 09 2019 10:47 AM Re: Rocketman (2019)

Good point. I'll bet every one of us has pretended to be Elton at some point in time. And I've also pretended to be Kiki Dee At my company's Holiday Party in December, I told them how fortunate I was to be alive after my surgery earlier in the year. Then I donned funny glasses and karaoke sang "I'm Still Standing". Later

Frayed Knot Jun 09 2019 12:31 PM Re: Rocketman (2019) Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jun 09 2019 05:24 PM

Good point. I'll bet every one of us has pretended to be Elton at some point in time. I never did, despite the similar wardrobes we both own. Besides, I was too busy pretending to be Cher at the time (Wait, did I just type that out loud?)

whippoorwill Jun 09 2019 04:40 PM Re: Rocketman (2019)

I want to see you in Cher's wardrobe

Vic Sage Jun 10 2019 08:01 AM Re: Rocketman (2019)

Edgy MD wrote: Yeah, but that's the Oscar-bait, because who knows if Shailene Woodley is really evoking Tami Oldham in Adrift. But we have a good idea about how well Jamie Foxx captured Ray Charles in Ray because we have have a long lifetime of Ray Charles footage to compare it to. So Rami Malek must be great, or something. What troubles me about biopics of rock stars remains that they've found one more way to milk enormous money out of the classic rock canon, but it's still nearly Herculean for a contemporary rock act to make two dimes from their original music. So, rock and roll is still big business, but only legacy rock and roll that's under glass, and owned by suits, septuagenarians, and heirs. And that's as culturally stale as it is economically unjust. They're monetizing nostalgia. In 20 years, they'll be milking this year's top acts for another bucket of money.

Edgy MD Jun 10 2019 08:17 AM Re: Rocketman (2019)

Yabbut, today's top acts suck. And even for contemporary biopics, they've found more dough in going back four decades (Elton, Queen, Bowie) than two (NWA? um...). Maybe Amy Winehouse will make a marketable movie subject, because like Selena, she dead. But so many contemporary acts are built to be disposable, that it's really hard to imagine a legacy that will conjure anything in 20 years. will.i.am? But what do I know? In 20 years, maybe we'll all be walking around watching movies on our goggles, or participating in them through sensory immersion hardware.

whippoorwill Jun 10 2019 08:39 AM Re: Rocketman (2019)

How about.... We all form a band? And in 20 years they can make a movie about us? FK already has a cool wardrobe

Vic Sage Jun 10 2019 12:26 PM Re: Rocketman (2019)

you can't imagine a Kanye biopic?

Willets Point Jun 10 2019 12:44 PM Re: Rocketman (2019)

Vic Sage wrote: you can't imagine a Kanye biopic? I think the Kanye biopic will star Kanye and is being filmed in real time.

Edgy MD Jun 10 2019 02:54 PM Re: Rocketman (2019)

I was thinking the same thing. The Kenye biopic would be called I, Branding.

Frayed Knot Jun 18 2019 07:47 PM Re: Rocketman (2019)

So I did get around to seeing this one recently - and it's not bad as bio-pics go. Like 41F said, it's a different kind of bio-pic with fantasy-type versions of his songs, some sung/acted by two different child actors playing different aged young Eltons (actually young Reggies) -- with no attempt, even by adult EJ actor Taron Egerton, to create a literal impression of Elton. Kudos for that in my book. Both kids are actually quite good in what couldn't have been easy roles and the movie, as written anyway, doesn't work if they don't pull off those roles. All that aside, while there's no specific climax to build to, it is kind of a conventional bio in that it traces his route to fame from his roots, to his discovery, his pairing with Taupin, the success, then the crash and burn years, before ultimately to his redemption followed by the seemingly standard updates at the end of how everyone is now living happily ever after. =whippoorwill post_id=12478 time=1560120054 user_id=79] I want to see you in Cher's wardrobe

Don't worry, I have the legs for it.

Edgy MD Jun 19 2019 05:33 AM Re: Rocketman (2019)

Frayed Knot wrote: All that aside, while there's no specific climax to build to ... If you were commissioned to write a biopic about Elton, what climax would you build to? Elton's Central Park concert? Elton's successfully exiting rehab? Elton's knighthood? Elton's Live Aid set? Elton's set at the Freddie Mercury tribute show? Elton's same-sex wedding with David Furnish? His initial embrace of his orientation? Elton's performance at Princess Diana's funeral? Elton's auctioning off of his most outrageous costumes and deciding to perform in merely fabulous clothes from that point onward, rather than leaning toward the outrageous? Elton's entering the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? Tony for Aida? Lifetime achievement awards? His recovery of his voice? His advocacy for LGBT rights in Putin's Russia? A lot of drama in the guy's life. Depending how your map the script, though, it's hard to choose any of it as broadly defining his story.

41Forever Jun 19 2019 10:12 AM Re: Rocketman (2019) Edited 2 time(s), most recently on Jun 19 2019 12:21 PM

Edgy MD wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: All that aside, while there's no specific climax to build to ... If you were commissioned to write a biopic about Elton, what climax would you build to? A lot of drama in the guy's life. Depending how your map the script, though, it's hard to choose any of it as broadly defining his story. I don't know if this quite gets you there. But the film completely omits Elton's relationship with Ryan White, and how it completely changed the singer's life. When I saw him in November, John spoke at length about how getting to know White was the inspiration for getting the rehab and changing his life. I get telling that story is not something to tie in a bow in 10 minutes, and you don't want to be seen as exploiting the teenager. But the young man very possibly saved Elton's life through that relationship. (And it was years after "I Still Standing," which plays a big role in the film as the statement of survival.). [url]https://ultimateclassicrock.com/elton-john-ryan-white/

Edgy MD Jun 19 2019 10:19 AM Re: Rocketman (2019)

No, I think that's a great angle. Ryan saved a lot of lives. Ryan and Reg. I'm greenlighting that at Crane Pool Studios.

Edgy MD Jun 19 2019 10:23 AM Re: Rocketman (2019)

Double Switch wrote: Having seen EJ in person back in the day and having known him since his very first album, I don't plan to see a biopic about him. His music was the background of my life for decades and I'm glad for him he's still standing. Wait a minute. Tell your story.

Double Switch Jun 19 2019 11:48 AM Re: Rocketman (2019)

What story? I was born the same year as EJ, started buying his albums beginning with "Elton John," saw him in concert every year until I stopped going to live concerts. I thought it was amazing when he adapted Candle in the Wind for Princess Diana's funeral and managed to get through it. I have no "story" beyond being an AOR geezer and admiring both his and Taupin's creations. My apologies if you inferred a personal relationship from my phrasing. That was not my intention.

Edgy MD Jun 19 2019 03:54 PM Re: Rocketman (2019)

I could have sworn one of his early hits went: Double Switch, Double Switch, Double Switch is back! Stone cold sober as a matter of fact Double Switch, Double Switch, he's much better than you! He moves like Bruce Lee, 'cuz he's the king of kung fu, OH-OO-OH!

Double Switch Jun 19 2019 04:39 PM Re: Rocketman (2019)

Wow! So I am famous (in a way). Comes as a shock but explains some of the funny looks I get. Getting a set of parody lyrics is more than I ever hoped for. Thanks! Stone cold sober part is mostly true. Bruce was beyond everyone with Jeet Kune Do. Be like water. If I change my avatar to Kurt Vonnegut Jr, will you write me a story?

Edgy MD Jun 19 2019 04:56 PM Re: Rocketman (2019)

Does it have to be in Vonnegut's style?

Double Switch Jun 19 2019 05:12 PM Re: Rocketman (2019)

I bet you could. But, if this is "challenge accepted," you can do whatever works best in your opinion as long as you don't include "and so it goes." That's too easy! Btw, no pressure! I'm heading out of town Thursday and will be maintaining radio silence until next Tuesday.

Johnny Lunchbucket Jul 01 2020 09:55 PM Re: Rocketman (2019)

Out of 4, 2.75? Nice visual spectacle, but bothered me that songs were matched out of sequence with his career. Didn't like that they included Pinball Wizard. Stunned they didn't include the the whole Someone Saved My Life story. Also I fell asleep at the end.