The End...

The End...

Hey, everyone who follows this blog. I just wanted to thank the few of you who followed me consistently, threw some asks at me, and enjoyed my ramblings. I'm posting this to say that I got an internship writing reviews for a website called The Trendy Spoon. Because of that, my reviews and thought pieces here will probably be considerably less frequent, if not nonexistent. I won't take down the blog, just in case someone wanted to reread a review or something, but there probably won't be much new content. You are always welcome to continue asking me things and following me over at The Trendy Spoon. They're still my thoughts on things, just less rambly and formatted differently. Thanks again for your support. It was these articles that got me the job there in the first place!

Underappreciated Musical: "Lysistrata Jones"

Here's a musical that never really stood a chance. Even after seeing it and seeing how amazing it was, I knew that it was not meant to last long. If there's a definition of "Too Good To Last" in the dictionary, "Lysistrata Jones" is the picture next to that definition.

I wasn't really interested in seeing the show, as weren't most people. However, I got a discount that allowed me to see the show with three friends for $5 per ticket. I decided it was too good of a deal to pass up, so I went. I soon realized that the show would've been worth full price.

"Lysistrata Jones" follows the Athens University basketball team. They haven't won a game in the last 30 years, and they seem content enough to not even try to change that. In comes Lysistrata Jones, a peppy blonde who forms a cheerleading team in an attempt to get the basketball team to win. When they continue losing, Lyssie J. gets the idea (from the SparkNotes version of "Lysistrata") to get the girlfriends of the basketball players to withhold sex from them until they win a game. Great songs and a copious amount of hilarity ensues.

"Lysistrata Jones" takes the usual high school and college movie tropes and flips them around. Some of the opening couples end up together, while others don't. Every character (with the exception of two) grow past their usual stereotypes to become full and interesting characters. There's a reason that this show got nominated for the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical. It's as hilarious as it is heartfelt. You can tell that this was a pet project of the writers and that the actors really did enjoy themselves every second of the way. It has "little show that could" written all over it, and I wish more people could've seen that.

The score is an impressive mix of song styles. Most of the music is somewhat pop-ish, but there's traces of R&B and Latin in there, too. Pretty much every song is good and memorable, though the best two, by far, are "No More Giving It Up" and the amazing Act I finale "Where Am I Now". There was maybe one or two songs that dragged on a bit, but most became better as they went on, which can be hard to do.

The cast was incredible. Patti Murin was energetic and likable as Lyssie J. Lindsay Nicole Chambers was very funny offbeat as Lyssie's slam poem-spouting friend Robin. Arguably the best, however, was Liz Mikel as the narrator muse Hetaira. Her voice was amazing and her comic timing was perfect. She literally had the entire house on the floor with some of her line readings, particularly when she was a prostitute (it's a long story). The rest of the cast is talented and play their parts well. It also bears mentioning, considering that everyone gets almost naked at some point, that the entire cast is very attractive and all have amazing bodies.

This show had it all: a funny book, a great score, a talented cast, and fast-paced and impressive choreography. So, why didn't it last? Well, there's a few possible reasons. First off, there was no precedent for it. It wasn't an adaptation (well, technically it was, but not really), and it didn't have a big name attached. It was also a rather small show. Small shows can do well on Broadway (see "Avenue Q" and "25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee"), but it tends to be a rare occurrence. There's also the fact that it was very modern. While this isn't necessarily a detriment, the audience tends to be a bit older for Broadway shows. It also doesn't help that jokes about current events and iPhones won't be funny forever. The iPhone jokes were even used as plot points, so they couldn't even be written out. That means that it runs the risk of not having lasting appeal, which can hurt a show even in the short-run.

I think this show has the potential to continue to pull people in. Sometimes, the "little show that could" that made it to Broadway against all odds after a long time and many different locations and productions can build up an impressive fanbase even after closing. I think that the show is quirky and good enough that, despite it's short run, it will become a cult theater hit, like "Carrie: The Musical" and "[title of show]". I know that I will be firmly in that cult, and I'm so glad that it's getting a cast recording. I believe in your magnetic power, "Lysistrata Jones". Hold on, and don't give it up. 

Nicki Minaj's verse from "Monster". Nicki Minaj, I am not.

Hi. So. I know we've never really talked or anything but I wanted to tell you how much I enjoy reading all of your reviews. Keep doing what you're doing, man!

Thanks so much! That means a lot to me. I'm glad people are enjoying my ramblings. lol

Underappreciated Film: "Scott Pilgrim"

I absolutely adore this movie. It's basically exactly what I want from a video game movie. However, it's not actually based on a video game. It's based on a comic book series, which is itself underappreciated.

The story follows Scott Pilgrim as he tries to win the love of Ramona Flowers. In order to do so, he must defeat her seven evil exes. The world of "Scott Pilgrim" runs on video game logic, in which it is totally okay for people to have superpowers and in which people explode into coins when they die. I love both the movie and the comic series for different reasons. The movies is hilarious, and the special effects are top-notch. The performances are great, and the music is varied and memorable. The comic, on the other hand, is more thoughtful and focuses more on the characters and their development and growth. They are both exceptional in their own ways, but I think I like the comics just a bit more. They are both still very underappreciated though. I personally think that this had to do with an odd marketing campaign for the movie combined with its relatively small target market. The comic's performance and general obscurity can simply be chalked up to generally lackluster sales for comics in general in any demographic that's not nerds and geeks like myself. It doesn't help that, in order to get the most out of the movie and the comic, you also have to have a relatively deep knowledge of classic video games. This tightens the demographic even further. It's also not really meant for older audiences. For example, I went to see this movie with my mother and my younger brother and sister. While my siblings and I enjoyed it, my mother didn't quite understand the movie. The tinge of hipster and slacker mentality also slims down the target audience. At this point, the film and comics will appeal to young hipsters, slackers, and nerds who play video games and read comics. While the movie and comics obviously appeal to people outside of this demographic, it is still usually only liked by people who fall into at least one of those categories. That's enough to keep most people away. I'd say give them a try. I love "Scott Pilgrim", and I think more people should give it a look. Maybe you'll find something of yourself among the hipstery slacker nerds.

P.S. In case anyone is wondering, I also love "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game". It's a great throwback to old-fashioned beat-em-ups, and it's totally worth the price you pay to download it, especially if you can get a group of friends together to play with you.