The Sound of "Our" Music

It's the month of the Mardi Gras in Sydney and it's time for some ol' gay time, and what better way to celebrate in the myriad of events than a sing-a-long session of my favourite movie "The Sound of Music".

People who know me are usually startled that I list "The Sound of Music" as my No. 1 fave of all time. The choice is totally sentimental because there are things that you do when you are a child that you end up loving or being scarred for life. This experience turned out positively for me. I remember when I was young and my mother, who is Chinese educated, would usually bring us along to the Chinese romantic movies in the cinema, because she couldn't understand enough English to enjoy the Hollywood movies. She would have to rely heavily on the Chinese subtitles, which would somehow mar the experience of escapism for her. So, if she had a choice, musicals would be her favourite. My father, who was English educated, on the other hand, would treat us to the other spectrum of movies, and since he abhorred romantic movies, the ones that we would watch would be the mainstream disaster movies that were so popular in the late 70s - 80s.

One unanimous choice between them though was "The Sound of Music". I remember being cramped in the crowds at Odeon cinema at Bras Brasah (which is now owned by MacDonalds), waiting to enter the cinema to watch this movie that would affect me forever. Watching it yesterday again for the umpteenth time (at least 20 or more), I realised that the love affair is an enduring one, not only for me, but for many people around the world. As a child and an adult, I find myself attracted to different roles in the movie and there is a bit of something for everyone ... love, music, suspense, fun ... you name it, it's right there. There is rarely a movie that is so loved and condemned at the same time, which manages to delight people for all ages. 10 or more years ago, I read a newspaper article that a woman in her 60s holds the record for watching "The Sound of Music" 94 times in the cinema. Today, when we can easily obtain most popular releases on DVD, there is no need for them to re-release them in the cinema but the cinematic experience is not replicable on the small screen which was why the rights were not sold to TV networks till the 90s. I also don't think there is any other movie that has enjoyed successful revivals in the cinemas in the 70s and 80s.

When we realised that Sydney was bringing "Sing-a-long Sound of Music" back to the State Theatre, I knew we had to be there. What I didn't realise was that about 2000 or so people thought so too. It was packed and there was so much positive buzz. The movie allowed the inner child of everyone to emerge for 3 hours where we all sang along in mass Karaoke style along to all the tunes in the movie. Before it commenced, there was an emcee who would guide everyone on what to do when we see certain characters in the movie. For example, we would raise our hands and cheer when we see Maria, wolf whistle and cheer when we see Captain Von-Trapp (one member in the audience would time it perfectly with his camp long drawl of "Ohhh ... he's so gorrrgggeeeooouuussss" to rapturous laughter from everyone in the cinema), bark when we see Ralf, boo when we see the Nazis, hiss when we see the Baroness (with the occasional catty snarl) and sigh when we see Gretel.



We were also given gift bags (photos will be uploaded later) where we could wave our small sprig of edelweiss in the air when the Captain sings the beautiful theme, pop the party popper when the Captain and Maria kisses for the first time, an invitation to the ball which we would all wave when they suggest it and then again to the waltz, and a piece of curtain fabric which we will all scream "Behind you, Maria. The curtains behind you" when she is fretting about not having any play clothes for the children, which would make her look pretty silly because she thought she was the first to think of that idea! There was also a fashion show, yes, you are right ... they are mad, but it's so nice to see everyone not give a cat's ass about what others think.

There were many children in the audience who were dressed up as the children in sailor clothes, white dresses with blue satin sashes, bread and jam or Gretel. The adults were more innovative, starting with a big group of nuns, real and fake. The winners of the nun group were a group who wore S&M style habits and when they lifted up their skirts in front held with chains, it showed a sign that said "Anal Warts". Not child fanfare but fun nonetheless. Then we had a team who had each had a sign that said "Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Tea-Do", so that when they all stand together they form the alphabet of music. There were also masses of goatherds, Baronesses, Marias and brown paper packages etc. The winners which was split into 2 groups because of the size was a group of lonely goatherd and two interesting women. One of them wore an Austrian dress, and said "I was just coming home from work and decided to pop in" to explosive laughter from everyone in the audience. No one would wear that dress anywhere let alone to work! Ha! Ha! The other one was a Maria wannabe from the start. Dressed in exactly the same "most awful clothes" when Maria first left the abbey with a suitcase and guitar, she was totally in character, and while she was making her way to her seat on the front row, she skipped up and down the aisle to the delight of everyone, especially yours truly. She also performed it once again on stage to gather audience support for her. It really marked the beginning of something special.

There were only a few people in the audience who had never watched it before (they are probably from Mars - yes ... Men!) and were teased lightly. The rest of us had watched it so many times we could practically memorise most lines. Still, it was very refreshing because for once, there was mass audience participation, and only this once, you wouldn't mind. It was hilarious and put the movie in a totally different light, updated for the noughties!!! The sparkling moments include:

(1) When Maria walked out the abbey, the woman who was dressed in identical fashion stood up and did her dance routine. Encouraged by loud laughter and applause, she walked onto the stage in the dark and skipped along with Maria. She was tactical enough not to block anyone and she even throw her hat at the point when Maria and Captain kissed in the dark. An usher moved to the front in an attempt to get off the stage but the audience booed at him and he left! Priceless.

(2) When Maria walks into the mansion for the first time startled and walks around wide eyed, a man in the audience shouted "Now, don't touch anything." "Break it and you buy it."

(3) When Ralf and Liesel meet each other, two potentially idiotic audience members used their red-light pointers (like those sniper lights) to focus on their groins and breasts. It's terribly funny because it turned a romantic and innocent scene into something totally erotic.

(4) When Liesel replies "How else can we get Daddy's attention?" when Maria says she can't imagine them beautiful kids doing anything nasty, someone (probably the same guy) shouted "Get pregnant!"
(5) After the Captain and Maria kiss and all the poppers have been popped by the audience, a guy shouted "Give her your whistle."

(6) The priceless climatic scene where the Mother Superior swears on screen, upgrading this film from a G or PG rating to M. She says to Maria when she comes back to the Abbey after she realises she has fallen in love, "What is it you can't face?". Now, it's not funny but try putting a comma in the sentence between you and can't and you will get the joke.

(7) When the lady who wins the third prize in the singing contest could stop bowing to the audience, everyone in the audience is encouraged to stand up and bow together with her in all directions.

(8) When the torch lights start screening where the Von Trapps were hiding behind the tombstones, the ushers flashed their torches in the auditorium as well to add onto the suspense.

There are many more but these are the main ones that I remember. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun watching a movie with so many people. Usually, movie watching are silent affairs but this is an experience that is both camp and hilarious! You might think that it was catered for the gay and lesbian audience but I would say 80% of the crowd is heterosexual with ages ranging from 4 to 90 and I think it would have gotten more filthy if it was an "adults only" audience.

According to this site, ["Sing-A-Long Sound of Music" first emerged at the 1988 London Gay and Lesbian Film festival after an event organizer heard that staff at a retirement home in the Scottish town of Inverness had distributed song sheets during a video showing of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) for sing-along participation. The film was screened at the festival as a sing-along and proved wildly successful.]

It is strongly recommended because it is pure delightful escapism. For more than 2000 people last night at the State Theatre, we were all transformed into children once again, all hearts touched once again by the simple sounds of music.

Non-Fiction Ecstasy

All I can say about most of current Oscar nominees is: Wow! What a great selection!!

Every once in a few years, Hollywood puts aside their crap and produces some of the most stunning films. 2005/2006 will go down as one of the best years in movie history. Even though I have yet to watch "Capote", "Transamerica", "North Country" or "Syriana", the ones that I have devoured lately have left me truly spellbound.

Apart from the amazing "Good Night and Good Luck" and "Brokeback Mountain", I have just completed a series of equally mesmerising movies recently, like "Crash", "The Constant Gardener", "Munich" and "Walk The Line". All the movies mentioned above are on my definite "must see list" because they are real, not ridiculous stories that could never happen. They are also mostly socially conscious films that are so important to our everyday life, especially in today's circumstances. today, I shall review the latter four films that I have watched.

"Crash"



Even though it premiered in 2004, my interest was increased by its recent wins at the SAG Awards and its 6 Oscar nominations, and I caught it recently on DVD. Depicting the importance of racial harmony, it portrays the lives of 8 couples (some intertwining) post 9/11. It is highly provocative drama with a tight script and real performances. Made up of ensemble performances from Sandra Bullock (in a very unlikely role), Matt Dillion (first Oscar nomination), Don Cheadle, Terence Howard (Best Actor Oscar nominee for "Hustle and Flow"), Ryan Phillippe, they trace racial conflicts and the increased insecurities since the terrorist attacks, and is even more poignant today.

The film does not offer any quick fix answers but it makes you think of your own life experiences. Living in Australia, a multi-racial country, there has never been any overt problems of racial conflicts except the recent attacks in Sydney. It has made Australia more "racist" in the minds of the world, but I think it is always dangerous to generalise because there are always bad peas in a pod. For me, I don't like to jump to conclusions because firstly, I think that everyone is entitled to a "bad day", and secondly, it's all in the mind ... we are the ones that assign meanings to others' actions.

If we jump to conclusions that they must be racist because we feel unfriendly attitudes, then we might be making a mistake here and that is where racial conflicts may breed. This movie shows us how rage and uncertainty can make us feel so insecure that we are willing to go to such impossible lengths to protect our own sanity and pride, and sometimes they may result negatively. In a world today where leaders are not working hard enough together to keep the peace but rather focus on fear and insecurity education, it is not surprising to see more conflicts. It is thus within ourselves and our communities that we need to keep this balance, because only with love, respect and empathy for our fellow humans, regardless of the differences, will we be able to move out of this dark age ...



"The Constant Gardener"



This was not a movie that we had planned to watch earlier, but we were so so happy that we did. Written by John Le Carre, it is a high order thriller from start to finish and though it is not based on any living person, it must take its inspirations from real life events. It is based on a premise of true love but the captivating point are the horrors that multinationals have implemented on impoverished countries like Africa and the corrupt officials in the world that keep them disadvantaged.

Ralph Fiennes stars as a British diplomat, Justin Quayle, whose favourite pastime involves spending most of his time taking care of his garden, while his wife, Tessa, a fiery and ambitious lawyer for social causes, is trying to investigate and expose a pharmaceutical multinational which is testing a tuberculosis remedy with unfortunately fatal side effects. The Africans who die in the process are written off as non-existent because there are so many of them there, and no one will notice. She compiles a damaging report but is then found naked, raped, and dead on a mysterious visit to remote Lake Turkana in Kenya. Her companion, an attractive African man is also missing. In an investigation to find out the true cause of Tessa's death, Quayle embarks on a global mission that takes him to London, Germany, Saskatchewan and Kenya, where he finds out the darker side of his work and develops an understanding of the importance of Tessa's work.

In a myriad of plotless thrillers that are churned out by Hollywood, "The Constant Gardener" and "Munich" (the next movie) are rare gems not to be missed. Ralph Fiennes gives what is possibly his finest performance to date, underplaying the character while Rachel Wiesz, truly deserves her Best Supporting Actress nomination because she is absolutely radiant. Even though she only appears in approximately half the movie, her performance permeates throughout the entire movie and you feel her presence and her inspiration. Nominated for 10 BAFTAs and 2 Oscars, "The Constant Gardener" is a highly compelling roller-coaster ride from start to end.

There is also a message at the beginning of the movie with the real Rachel Wiesz promoting the work of the United Nations in Africa and the importance of the support for such programs there. It brings to mind a lesson I once took in university about how Nestle encouraged African mothers to stop breast-feeding, but instead use their instant formula powder mix. They offered samples and marketed it everywhere with billboards and advertisements. What they had "forgotten" is that Africa does not have clean flowing water like most countries do, and thus, most African mothers were making milk with contaminated water, resulting in many sick and dead babies in the progress.

I am certain these sad scenes are still playing in impoverished countries right now. What we need are more courageous individuals to stand out and expose them. In the absence of them, we can only work on our own conscience, and if we get to make a decision that can affect the disadvantaged, we can make that difference.



"Munich"



Another first rate thriller, "Munich" is inspired by the infamous 1972 Munich Olympic Games, “Black September”, where 11 Israeli were taken hostage and eventually murdered by Palestinian terrorists. Eric Bana plays the leader of a group of Mossad agents, recruited by the Israeli government, to execute those responsible for the attacks.

With no prior terrorist training, Bana and his eclectic group work hard to establish connections to track down their enemies and improvise their unique methods of demolition. As they become more successful and confident, Bana and his group find themselves becoming more cold blooded towards these murders and it is only when they discover that the tables has been turned on them that they re-evaluate what they have done.

It is a state of unrest and discomfort for Bana because he is after all, just another pawn on the chessboard. Just like any other terrorist, they are enraged by what has happened to their fellow men and want revenge but the ultimate message of this movie is that “Blood begets blood” . There is no peace through violence and retaliation. There is only uncertainty, loneliness and death.

In an attempt for objectivity, Steven Spielberg directs his second masterpiece since “Schindler’s List” with an empathetic view for both sides of the story. This courageous act has sparked brilliance but has resulted in negativity on both sides, especially since he is a Jew.

Steven Spielberg is a masterful storyteller and the movie feels like an action packed “Mission Impossible”, but the difference between these thrillers and those mindless Summer movies is the character development. We move and grow with the characters in these movies. We feel their emotions and we ultimately care what happens to them. Eric Bana is wonderful, and if not for the controversial subject and the quality of the Best Actor nominees this year, would have garnered a nomination for Best Actor definitely. Still "Munich" garnered 5 Oscar nominations including Best Picture and Director.

Empathy does not make what terrorists do a right thing but it helps us to understand why they are willing to do what they do. It is only when we are able to reflect on our own actions, and find the love and empathy within, are we able to recreate the peace within this world.

"Walk The Line"



When American legendary singing couple, Johnny Cash and June Carter, was approached to make a movie about their lives, they picked Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon to play them. What a great insight that was.

“Walk The Line” is a biopic about the musical life of Johnny Cash and though it draws parallels to last year’s “Ray”, it stars not only one, but two great performances with the charismatic leads singing the hits with their own vocals.

Unlike “Ray”, 5 time Oscar nominated “Walk The Line” is essentially a great love story between Johnny and June and does not follow them through their entire life journey, and this is one of the major reasons why I like this movie more. Joaquin Phoenix is amazing as Johnny Cash and you don’t have to know Johnny Cash to feel the emotions in what he writes and delivers. We found ourselves tapping away as we are mesmerized by him and his performance. They had many obstacles between them because both were married to other people, but Johnny persisted and won in the end.

Like Jamie Foxx as Ray, Joaquim Phoenix was Johnny Cash. Reese Witherspoon startles with a deeper side of her unexplored in her previous film roles and I keep getting surprised by how well she sang. There is also intense chemistry and we fall in love with both of them as the movie progresses. On this page of trivia, it is revealed that they both received 6 months of vocal training. Joaquin Phoenix learnt to play the guitar and performed without being dubbed, and Reese also learnt to play the auto-harp.

Two Oscar worthy performances in a love story where you feel and care for the characters, even at their lowest points of their lives. Though less socially conscious than the recent crop of films, it is high value entertainment and surely, Johnny Cash and June Carter would have been very proud of this movie. Unfortunately, they were not around to see the end result. In true love fashion, June Carter Cash died in June 2003 before production started and Johnny Cash died 4 months …



So, I have taken a long breath and churned out 4 reviews at once, all outstanding movies that would endure repeat screenings. A rare wonderful year at the movies, these non-fiction ecstasies …

Rating:

9.5/10 for each of the above movies.

Grammy Awards 2006

It was a night of multiple winners with no particular singer dominating the 2006 Grammy Awards. The biggest winner was U2, who picked up 5 Grammys including 2 major ones for Best Album (How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb) and Best Song.

Madonna opened the show with her hit "Hung Up" with Gorillaz, and Mariah sang a "We Belong Together/Fly Like a Bird" medley with a gospel choir.





If you watch the program, you might walk away thinking that Kelly Clarkson who picked up 2 Grammys was one of the big winners but John Legend, Kanye West and yes, Mariah Carey who were all nominated for 8 Grammys took back 3 gold statuettes each.

So, Mariah's the queen of the Grammys though she never did collect her Grammys personally because they were all presented in the pre-award show. She won Best R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B song for "We Belong Together" and Best R&B Album for "The Emancipation of Mimi", wiping her disappointment in 1996 when she walked away empty handed ...


Full list of winners here

New Drama for Akina!!!

No, not the scandalous sort of drama that one might expect, but really exciting news that she will be starring in a new Japanese drama after a 7 year absence.

The last time Akina starred in a drama was "ボーダー 犯罪心理捜査ファイル" (Border) where she played a police investigator who was able to solve mystery crimes through psychic powers. Apparently, since she was abducted when she was a little girl by a serial killer and after she was able to escape, she acquired these strange powers that allowed her to get under the skin of the mystery. I didn't finish watching the drama and I don't know if the ending was told because Akina had to pull out of the drama midway because of osteoporosis.

It was really bad publicity for her because it added on to her recording contract woes at that time, where she was reportedly "sacked" from her company (but she actually resigned), and the scandal where she owed fans money for pulling out of a concert in July. It was a really low point in Akina's career and life and I think many people wrote her off as "unemployable" (especially for filming) after that.

Hence the utter surprise and astonishment that she will be starring in a new drama, which is every Akina fans' dream, to see her again on TV. She will be starring with talented actress 黒木瞳, whom I first saw in the movie "Dark Waters" and then the huge drama hit "白い巨塔" (and she was the best thing in the drama - such a refreshing character and strong performance).

Akina will be starring as a prima ballerina and 黒木瞳 as a mother who has to return to her ballet days to help support her family because of the tough financial times. This is the excerpt of the news article:

中森明菜＆黒木瞳　熟女バレリーナ 日テレ４月スタート
「バレエやりたい！」

女優の黒木瞳（４５）が、４月スタートの日テレ系連続ドラマ「バレエやりたい！（仮題）」（水曜・後１０時）に主演することが１日、分かった。黒木演じる４０歳を過ぎた子持ちの主婦が、幼いころに習っていたバレエに再び挑戦し、生きがいを見い出すという異色の熟年青春ストーリー。連続ドラマは約７年ぶりとなる歌手の中森明菜（４０）が元世界的プリマバレリーナ役で共演する。

「バレエやりたい！」は、夫と子供に囲まれ、平凡に暮らしてきた主婦がバレエに出会い、新たな生きがいを見いだしていくというストーリー。同局の西憲彦プロデューサーは「元気で明るい主婦たちの青春物語を描きたい」と企画意図を説明する。

黒木が演じるのは、子供のころに経済的な事情で断念したバレエに再び出会い、バレエ教室の主婦仲間たちと新たな生きがいを見いだしていく主婦。西氏は「常に生き生きと輝き、新しいことに挑戦している黒木さんは元気を与えてくれる存在。黒木さんだから成立したドラマですが、新たな一面も出せれば」と語る。宝塚歌劇団時代以来のバレエに挑戦する黒木は「自分の生き方を探せる主婦が、作品として新しいと思う。頑張ります！」と意気込んでいる。

一方、１９９９年１月の日テレ系ドラマ「ボーダー」以来７年ぶりの連ドラ出演となる明菜が演じるのは、黒木演じる主婦の幼なじみの元世界的プリマ。「７年ぶりのドラマ出演にとてもワクワクしています。私が楽しむことで、その結果みなさんにも楽しんでもらえたら幸いです」と抱負を語っている。西氏は「明菜さんは黒木さんに対抗して存在感を出せる別のオーラを持った人。明菜さんの明るい一面も引き出したい」と話す。

現在、バレエは主婦の間でもひそかなブームになっており「このドラマでバレエ人口を増やしたい。主婦の方たちが何かを始めるきっかけになれば」と西氏。黒木、明菜の異色の初共演も話題を集めそうだが、西氏も「２人の共演も見どころの１つ。それぞれが刺激し合う存在として描いていきます」と手応えをつかんでいるようだ。

Akina has expressed her joy to be starring in a drama and hopes that everyone will enjoy it. They look forward to increasing the "housewife" ballet membership through this drama and the collboration and difference between Hitomi and Akina is bound to be a talking point.

I wrote on VAMP that it seems to mirror her first drama "素顔のままで" (which is a Japanese version of the Better Midler-Barbara Hershey weepie "Beaches") and also the 1977 movie about ballerinas "The Turning Point", starring Anne Bancroft and Shirley Maclaine. "The Turning Point" is the story about how two young competitive ballerinas took on separate lives but came back together after several years to recollect. There is a famous catfight scene in the movie because both of them were envious/jealous of each other but it garnered them both Best Actress Oscar nominations in 1977. "The Turning Point" is also infamously known as the first movie in Oscar history to be nominated for 11 Oscars but walk home empty handed. It was eventually matched by "The Color Purple"

So, this is the project "G" that Akina has been secretly planning for 2 years! This is really exciting news for Akina and her fans and I am now praying that she will sing the theme song to this serial because it will be the greatest boost to her career. What a way to start off her 25th Anniversary!