Rick McGinnis writes about it on his Movieblog, jumping off from Renee Graham’s Boston Globe article, article,“Casting aspersions on the future of movie musicals.”
Something’s coming, but is it something good? Since Chicago, it’s been Code Orange for movie musicals, I guess, and no one quite knows what the appropriate response is. The speculation (remake West Side Story with J-Lo and Ben) can barely keep up with reality (Vin Diesel’s up for the “hard edge” remake of Guys and Dolls) for shock and awe. [Note about G&D: Vin Diesel putting himself up for Marlon Brando’s role sounds like brand management to me. Vin’s attempt to be “taken seriously” by adding “Brando” attributes to his own thing (or thick, in this case) offering. He doesn’t want to sing, any more than he wants to gain 200 pounds and take eight Tahitian maid/wives. He wants people to mention “Diesel” and “Brando” in the same sentence. Looks like he’s got a way to go, too.]
Today, McGinnis suggests, 8 Mile is a better model for musicals to follow than (played out) Broadway. He envisions musicals “based realistically on the sort of talents that have been cultivated since movie actors stopped taking voice and movement classes and started going to the gym.” Someone can’t sing? Dub’em like WSS. Can’t dance? Edit the hell out of them. Hm. Vin Diesel may have a chance after all.
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the making of, by greg allen