Comments (9)

By kilax, March 23, 2008 9:47 am

Originally, I thought liking musicals films was an all or nothing thing – you either liked them or you didn’t.

So I thought I was in the “like” category – I really like Moulin Rouge (for obvious reasons, SJ), Rent, and classics like The Sound of Music, Grease and White Christmas. But then I saw Hairspray… and despised it so much I wanted to stab a pen into my ears and eyes to stop the horror. I put myself in the “dislike” category and figured new musical films just aren’t for me.

Before seeing being tortured by that movie, my older brother told me he really wanted to see Across the Universe, the Beatles-based musical film set in the 1960s, when he came to Chicago in the fall. I was all gung-ho and excited to see it, but then he had to cancel.

He and I both never saw the movie, and it left theaters. Then, after seeing Hairspray and feeling just a bit pessimistic, I though, “It’s a good thing I didn’t see that movie. It probably sucked and would have been a waste of time.”

I never told anyone about my new found dislike, and still bought a copy of the DVD for my brother for his birthday, fully expecting him to hate it, but kind of short on gift ideas (I’m such a great sister, right?).

When he called me to thank me for the gift, and I asked him how the movie was, I was completely surprised to hear how much he liked it. At that point, SJ had already raved about it, but I was so put off by the suckiness of Hairspray and afraid of what the movie might do to my beloved Beatles music.

My brother bought the movie with him last weekend during his visit.

Of course – I loved it.

I loved the talented singing. I loved the new take on the songs.

I loved the acting.

I loved the costumes.

I loved the stories.

I loved that it was a very artistic movie but still had a plot you could follow.

So… I guess I was wrong about musical films. They are just give-or-take.