Last weekend was a fairly ordinary one apart from the fact that I bought some tickets to see the new Wicked movie.
Having seen the theatrical production twice in London, I have always been a fan of the musical and was very keen to check out the film version.
This Jon M Chu directed film is taking cinemas by storm and rightly so.
Wickedly Wonderful
When I first heard the casting of Ariana Grande as ‘Glinda’ I knew that she would pull off the high register required for her songs.
Cynthia Erivo, however, I had never heard of and so I was concerned that they had chosen a relatively unknown actress for the powerhouse role of Elphaba.
I needn’t have worried. Cynthia was brilliant!
In fact, I feel that overall the casting was spot-on!
Having gone for a peak at the Wicked set myself two years ago, I was impressed by the scale of the backdrops. Watching how the skilful creative team merged those sets with special effects to conjure up a realistic Munchkinland and Oz was jaw-dropping.
I feel as though I have so much to say about this epic film.
It was well paced, cleverly written and expertly directed.
And Finally…
Without giving out any spoilers, a couple of ‘old friends’ popped up with cameos during one of the musical numbers.
The film took my breath away and brought me to tears.
Next week I plan to go and watch Wicked again in my local IMax. After that I will review the movie in detail.
After thirty six years, it was a surprise to read that Tim Burton had decided to revisit Beetlejuice. That movie sticks in my memory as a quirky dark comedy with a particularly weird rendition of the song, ‘Day- O’.
Although I had forgotten some of the finer details, I did remember that in order for Beetlejuice to appear, a character must say his name three times.
A 2024 sequel sounded intriguing and was made more exciting because Winona Ryder had agreed to return alongside Michael Keaton. Let’s face it – nobody else could play Beetlejuice as well as him.
In Brief
Catherine O’Hara returned too, as Delia, the step mother of Winona’s character, Lydia. Lydia herself now has a daughter, played by ‘Wednesday’ star, Jenna Ortega.
What a great cast!
Mix in the weirdness that only Tim Burton can splurge on the screen and this production is epic.
His use of colour, animatronics (a throwback to the eighties no doubt) and great tunes is a tribute to his cleverness.
Without spoiling it, Lydia’s father died and they are clearing his home (the original Beetlejuice house) ready for sale.
A reawakening of Beetlejuice starts a series of chaotic events which will have you laughing and snorting.
When one character tries to enter the underworld to find and return a dead person, madness accelerates. This crazy, rapidly unfolding story is entertaining, hysterical and visually stunning.
In A Nutshell
I loved the original Beetlejuice and thought it may be hard to follow. This sequel seemed to come far too late to make sense.
Boy, I was wrong! It was brilliant.
I don’t want to give out spoilers but hope to convey my enthusiasm for this incredible movie.
Make sure you check out ‘Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice’ as you will be laughing all the way home.
After a week off from work, I should feel refreshed but I feel unusually worn out. Home renovations take a lot of energy. However, I am pleased to have made time to watch some TV, listen to a few podcasts and do some reading.
If you missed last month’s recommendations, check them out below:
Now here are my thoughts on a great book, satisfying TV show and informative podcast.
Read – The Fell by Sarah Moss
I may have mentioned this book before, back when I first bought it. It intrigued me because it focused on Covid times when lockdowns were happening.
The lead character wanted to explore the hilly countryside around her home but she stayed later than the curfew and her teenage son realised she was missing.
Despite being a practised hill walker, Kate was caught up in a blizzard and injured herself. Matt was worried and emergency services were called in.
Including viewpoints from an elderly neighbour and a rescue worker, this narrative is well told.
With short chapters and great storytelling techniques, this book is thought-provoking and satisfying to read.
Watch – The Idea Of You (Prime Video)
OK this isn’t a TV show but it is a movie available on Amazon Prime and not in cinemas, so it still counts.
Lately, the streaming platform has been coming up trumps with both brilliant TV series and self-made films.
‘The Idea Of You’ sees a 40 year old mother fall in love with a 24 year old lead singer of a band called Austin Moon.
Yes this is a Cougar film but I feel women are given a hard time for dating younger men while men date younger women all the time.
Anyway, it follows the development of a love affair which ends in lots of media criticism for Anne Hathaway’s character, Solene. Meanwhile the English singer, Hayes (played by Nicholas Galitzine) is teased by bandmates about his interest in a mother figure.
I was charmed but this production and can see why it got to Number 1 on the Prime Video chart.
Listen to Making The Cut Podcast
After six months away from the microphones, Davina McCall and her partner Michael Douglas are back with another fantastic run. This podcast has always been my favourite because it reviews so many useful things honestly.
For those of you unfamiliar with Davina, she presented Big Brother for eleven years, was originally an MTV host and now reunites long lost family members as well as judging the UK version of The Masked Singer.
Michael was her hair stylist for years and has a successful salon business as well as TV presence on leading shows such as This Morning on ITV.
The banter between these two is funny and captivating. I feel as though I am sat around a kitchen table with them, having a cup of tea and a natter.
And Finally…
Maybe one of my recommendations has grabbed your interest and you will try one of them out. I try my best to take a good example of a TV show (or movie), a book and a podcast (or soundtrack) each month for your consideration.
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