Musical Soundalike of the Day, 4/29/2024
Something I’m trying since I’ve been having trouble keeping up in this blog, first a piece of music that sounds like a cross between previously-written pieces.
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Let me know if the videos don’t work.
live-action cinema
Ben-Hur (1959)
A color remake of the 1925 silent film, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s iconic version released in 1959, like its precursor based on Lew Wallace’s epic historical novel, stars the late Charlton Heston as the eponymous Judah Ben-Hur, a wealthy Jewish prince and merchant living in Jerusalem, twenty-five years after the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, with both cities under the jurisdiction of the Roman Empire in the Judaea province. As in the book, Ben-Hur is condemned to galley slavery when loose roof tiles from a building from which he witnesses an imperial procession nearly kill the new governor.
Three years later, Ben-Hur is a rower for the flagship of Roman Consul Quintus Arrius, who adopts him as his son after a naval battle leaves the two stranded, and the former spends time in Rome, training as a charioteer. The former returns to Judaea, meeting the Magi Balthasar and Arab Sheik Ilderim, who want him to participate in a chariot race before the new Judean governor, Pontius Pilate, although Ben-Hur initially refuses. However, after learning the fates of his sister and mother, he changes his mind, seeking revenge against Messala in the film’s iconic chariot race recreated from the silent film version and loosely done so twoscore later in the podrace of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.
The rest of the film has Ben-Hur returning to Judaea to find his mother and sister, also witnessing the trial and crucifixion of Jesus. Overall, this film easily qualifies as a classic, yet deviates from Wallace’s novel in many ways, like what happens with Messala, the post-chariot race portions involving Judah’s mother and sister, and the absence of the scenes at the beginning of the Three Magi meeting and what happens with the Hurs after Christ’s execution and beyond. Regardless, it stands well by itself and is a significant part of cinematic history that warrants viewership by any cinema buff.
The Marvels
The latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe follows the events of Ms. Marvel, also being a sequel to Captain Marvel, with the titular characters banding to battle the alien Kree, afterward another nemesis named Dar-Benn. Every time they use their powers, the Marvels swap places, like Freaky Friday in a superheroine setting. I thought it was a typical MCU film that attempts to fuse action with lightheartedness. While the cast performances were solid, with Samuel L. Jackson, as always, doing an excellent job as Nick Fury, along with a surprise after the ending credits, I honestly think that the superhero movie market has somewhat become oversaturated, and ultimately hope that the Marvel Cinematic Universe finds a satisfactory grand finale as it continues the next few years.
Ms. Marvel
This Marvel Cinematic Universe miniseries follows Kamala Khan, a 16-year-old Pakistani-American high schooler who loves the Avengers, specifically Captain Marvel, but has trouble fitting in with society until she discovers her inherent abilities and becomes the eponymous superheroine, with the show ultimately tying in with the MCU film The Marvels. It starts a bit human-interest-centric but gives some decent insight into Islamic society in sync with Disney’s contemporary DEI approach and intensifies in the last few episodes. In brief, I didn’t think it was an excellent series, but I don’t regret watching it and will gladly see The Marvels as my next weekly film.
Barbie (film)
The first live-action film based on Mattel’s iconic toy line, Barbie stars Margot Robbie as the eponymous doll who lives an idealized life in Barbieland but has an existential crisis and travels to the real world alongside her boyfriend Ken, played by Ryan Gosling, in a fish-out-of-water comedic setting. Mattel’s CEO, played by Will Ferrell, is alerted to their presence, thus seeking to recapture them. Ken further discovers the concept of patriarchy and returns to Barbieland to lead a male revolution, culminating in reconciliation between them and the ruling Barbies. Overall, this was one of the few films whose concept seemed terrible, given the source material, but ended up surprisingly enjoyable, with sound social commentary, and is worth a watch.
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
The first Home Alone sequel, and the only one to feature a majority of the cast from the original film, starts similarly to its predecessor, with the McAllisters preparing for a Christmas trip to Florida, preceded by a school performance that goes wrong thanks again to Kevin’s older brother Buzz. This time, Kevin joins his family on the trip to the airport. However, circumstances divert him to a flight to New York City, where he stays at the Plaza Hotel, briefly meeting a future U.S. President and an adversarial concierge and bellhop portrayed by Tim Curry and Rob Schneider. Afterward, he again faces the fugitive Wet Bandits by boobytrapping his uncle’s residence-in-renovation. It’s structurally identical to the first film but decent in its way and likely better than its myriad sequels.
Home Alone
The first installment of the Home Alone film series, directed by Chris Columbus, stars Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, part of a sizeable family planning to spend Christmas in Paris, although a scuffle with his older brother Buzz and consequential cleanup leads his father to throw away his ticket and passport accidentally. Coupled with a power outage in the middle of the night and a miscount of heads the following morning, Kevin is left stranded at home, which he must defend from a pair of thieves known as the Wet Bandits, portrayed by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern. It rightfully stands as a holiday classic, with great music by John Williams, and has aged well.
A Christmas Carol (1984)
Charles Dickens’s classic novella A Christmas Carol likely sets the record for having the most film and television adaptations, among them the 1984 live-action made-for-TV version directed by Clive Donner, starring the late George Campbell Scott as the misanthropic Ebenezer Scrooge, who considers his payment of taxes to the British government his main contribution to society, being a thrifty businessman and not a people-person. Scrooge displays apathy towards the Christmas season at his nephew Fred Hollywell, son of his deceased older sister Fanny, and his current business partner Bob Cratchit, who replaced the long-dead Jacob Marley.
On Christmas Eve, the earthbound specter of Marley visits Scrooge and admonishes him that he will meet a similar fate if he doesn’t change his ways, warning that three spirits will come after midnight. First is the Ghost of Christmas Past, which shows Scrooge in his youth, beginning with his abandonment by his father at a boarding school after his mother died in childbirth. The Ghost of Christmas Present shows him the Cratchit family’s celebration of the holidays, with the disabled Tiny Tim vulnerable to early death, and his married nephew’s festivities. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come shows Scrooge that nobody misses him after his demise, some even purloining his possessions, which makes him change his ways.
Overall, I believe this to be the definitive adaptation of Dickens’s story, which is one of few pieces of literature I would term a masterpiece, given that despite being written in the mid-nineteenth century, it’s still readable by contemporary standards (more so than the author’s other works), and has a timeless message that the well-to-do should be more compassionate towards the lesser-privileged and of high character. I have a minor issue with Fred not mourning or bequeathing his uncle’s property in the alternate future where Scrooge dies. However, the central theme, “God Bless Us, Everyone,” is one of the most beautiful pieces of seasonal music ever composed and had me cry happy tears. Very highly recommended.
Listen to the main theme yourself:
Fiddler on the Roof (film)
The 1971 film adaptation of the stage musical focuses on the poor Jewish milkman Tevye, portrayed by the late Chaim Topol, living in the Ukrainian village of Anatevka and facing the challenge of marrying off his five daughters amidst the growing tension in his community and Imperial Russia at large in 1905. The prospective husbands include Perchik, a radical Marxist from Kiev (now Kyiv); Lazar Wolf (which most characters pronounce “laser wolf”), a wealthy widowed butcher; and the poor tailor Motel Kamzoil. Following one of the daughter’s weddings, the local constable leads a pogrom against Anatevka, with the second half of the film focusing on the aftermath months later that culminates in the dispersement of the town population following a government decree.
As a musical, there are, of course, several notable tunes such as “Tradition,” “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” “Miracle of Miracles,” and “Sunrise, Sunset,” the last two being my personal favorites. A few seem padded with nonsensical words like “If I Were a Rich Man” (though it could be Yiddish or Hebrew). Regardless, most of the numbers are well-performed and certainly would not have sounded awkward even in the place and period where and when the movie occurs, given the soundtrack’s Semitic feel. The film also deals with themes like Jewish tradition, with insight into their customs and relationships back in 1905. While the film is not without its flaws and has a forthcoming remake, I think the 1971 adaptation is good enough as it is.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
There are some good secrets and backstory regarding Albus Dumbledore and his family, and the film’s visual direction is gorgeous like in its predecessors, but the change of actor for Gellert Grindelwald is sort of jarring and doesn’t have any in-universe explanation. Regardless, I am somewhat disappointed the Fantastic Beasts films are probably over for the time since it flopped financially.
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