Rami Malek is Freddie Mercury in "Bohemian Rhapsody"*

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by AKA, Sep 5, 2017.

  1. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    I think he does per arrangement with May and Taylor. He’s like a silent shareholder in essence.
     
    Strat-Mangler and Deuce66 like this.
  2. Mirrorblade.1

    Mirrorblade.1 Forum Resident

    It's ashame, Marc, didn't go or perform but he's touring across the world sold out seats..
    it says something.
     
  3. Strat-Mangler

    Strat-Mangler Personal Survival Daily Record-Breaker

    Location:
    Toronto
    This is as good as it gets, IMHO. Plus, he's the very best whistler I've ever heard. The guy is supremely talented!

     
    Ghostworld likes this.
  4. Rhett

    Rhett Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cool City
    Have you seen Marc do Pavarotti and Mercury back to back as if they were doing a duet together?!? Really great!
    It's called The Mercurotti - it's on youtube.
     
  5. rontoon

    rontoon Animaniac

    Location:
    Highland Park, USA
    keyXVII, bartels76 and Giant Hogweed like this.
  6. Giant Hogweed

    Giant Hogweed Senior Member

    Location:
    Exeter, Devon, UK
    Good article, yes a lot of people hate Queen but they have always been popular. This film gives those people an excuse to hate Queen all over again.

    One of the worst reviews I have ever read was the review of the 'Made in Heaven' album in 1995 by either the Melody Maker or the NME here in the UK. From what I remember it was just a big moan about Queen in general and Freddie - it barely mentioned the music.

    I also remember reading a lot of general criticism of Freddie for not being vocal and open about his AIDS diagnosis and his sexuality in general - I thought this was bad form, no one has to be a spokesperson for anything if they don't want to be. I don't think Freddie felt he had to spell everything out for everyone - it's pretty clear!
     
  7. Osato

    Osato Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    While that's certainly true, and it was his decision, by hiding it and not stating the obvious (it was clear he was very ill by the BRIT Awards in 1990) it added a certain shame to it. He wasn't going to change the way everyone thought, but it would have made a difference if he had come out earlier about it.
     
    ralphb, andrewskyDE and rontoon like this.
  8. The late 80s early 90 was a very different time in the Aids story ....
     
  9. Osato

    Osato Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Right, and most people already knew he had it, and the news reported it as how he died. Confirming it a few years earlier would have just ended the speculation and showed solidarity with others who also had it.

    It is what it is of course, and it was his decision.
     
    ralphb likes this.
  10. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    Definitely. I suspect the Magic Johnson situation made it a little easier for celebs to address/confront it - there was a major celeb who got it in his prime and addressed it at that time, which I think had to open doors for others to be more proactive...
     
    Michael Rose and Mazzy like this.
  11. Chazro

    Chazro Forum Resident

    Location:
    West Palm Bch, Fl.
    Finally saw the movie last night, WOW! Much better than I expected, I actually got goosebumps and misty-eyed. Here's the thing, I own 1000's upon 1000's of recordings and have NEVER owned a Queen record! I left Popular music behind decades ago, 'Arena Rock' in particular leaves me especially cold. Tellyawhat, this movie smoked A Star Is Born! I found myself thinking about a marvelous money-maker released this week, about whether it contained a single scene/moment that would make me feel what I felt during 'We Are The Champions'! Nah, I didn't think So!;)
     
  12. ralphb

    ralphb "First they came for..."

    Location:
    Brooklyn, New York
    Johnson made his diagnosis public around 1991.
    Rock Hudson's publicist announced his AIDS diagnosis in 1985, shortly before Hudson's death. Hudson also released a statement about his diagnosis around that time for one of the first AIDS benefits put on by Elizabeth Taylor and Shirley McLaine. Elizabeth Taylor and others then started AMFAR around that time in reaction to the governments inaction on AIDS since the start and part of the seed money came from Hudson in the amount of $250,000. This is when the tide started turning as far as how people were reacting to/fighting AIDS.
    Which is not to minimize Johnson's contribution, it was very brave at the time, and certainly helped change minds in the sports community. It also helped that he was a jock, so straight people could think if it happened to Magic it could happen to anyone.
    As far as Freddie goes, I personally think his coming out about his diagnosis at the time would have helped enormously, but it was his decision to make.
     
    Last edited: Mar 10, 2019
    LarryP and Jack Lord like this.
  13. DonnyMe

    DonnyMe Forum Resident

    Location:
    SC
    I watched this movie today. Wow! In 3 words...they nailed it! I was never a Queen fan. I like a lot of their songs, but I never owned a single album by them. I recall the first time I heard Keep Yourself Alive though, it stopped me in my tracks. Still my favorite song by them.
    This movie not only pulled me in, I was totally immersed in it. The acting was excellent. The story was fantastic. The casting, spot on. Very well done. I'd highly recommend it to anyone.
     
    MichaelH likes this.
  14. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    Thanks for the clarification - I didn't remember the details of Hudson's illness and the press around it. I remember it happened, of course - I was mid-late teens at the time - but the Magic Johnson diagnosis/announcement stood out more.

    That's not because he was straight and an athlete - it's because Magic was a current mega-star in 1991, whereas Hudson was an older actor whose successful days were far behind him.

    For those of us in the States, Magic's diagnosis was a bigger deal than Freddie's would've been if he'd admitted it earlier. Simply a totally different level of fame in the US...
     
    ralphb likes this.
  15. jupiter8

    jupiter8 Forum Resident

    Location:
    NJ, USA
    MichaelH likes this.
  16. rontoon

    rontoon Animaniac

    Location:
    Highland Park, USA
    brownie61 likes this.
  17. eddiel

    eddiel Senior Member

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    I saw the movie on Saturday night.

    Is it a great movie? Not really, but it is a very enjoyable movie. The casting, especially Rami (I thought Gwilym Lee did a pretty good take on Brian May as well) and of course the music really make the movie IMO.
     
    Chris DeVoe likes this.
  18. cgw

    cgw Forum Resident

    Location:
    Upstate NY
    I saw the Elton John preview last night (at theater for another movie).
    The movie should be very comparable to BR so it will be (academically for me) interesting to see how it stacks up in both reviews and attendance.
    My prediction - it will do less well. I think Queen and the BR song in particular had an iconic value among the younger set than EJ enjoys.
    But I would never have predicted the success of BR, so if you are a betting man, you probably want to go opposite.
     
  19. Spencer R

    Spencer R Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oxford, MS
    They achieved a huge success with Bohemian Rhapsody, but I think they’re pushing their luck if they expect a sequel to perform anywhere near as well. For one thing, post-Live Aid, there are simply no big hits for a U.S. audience to identify with - no Bohemian Rhapsody or We Will Rock You, and not even a Radio Ga Ga. And how much more mileage can they wring out of the “Freddie knows he’s dying” angle? They already touched on it in the run-up to the triumphant Live Aid finale of the first movie.
     
    Michael Rose and rontoon like this.
  20. Spencer R

    Spencer R Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oxford, MS
    I don’t know. Everyone I’ve ever met, young or old, seems to sing along with Rocket Man, Tiny Dancer, and Elton’s other iconic hits when they come on the radio in a public place. I’d say Elton is more well known in the U.S. than Queen.
     
    vegafleet, Michael Rose and jupiter8 like this.
  21. Chazro

    Chazro Forum Resident

    Location:
    West Palm Bch, Fl.
    So as I mentioned upthread, I've never been a fan of the man or the band, not my thing, but I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. Not being a fan, I had no idea about his 4-octave vocal range (impressive!), hell, I wasn't even aware of his overbite! The movie piqued my interest to do some digging on YT. I found out:
    - The band wasn't made aware of his illness (Aids) until AFTER Live-Aid.
    - That the band was touring and playing extensively PRIOR to Live-Aid

    The noble 'lets get the band together for a final heroic farewell to the dying star' story in the movie was exactly that, a story conjured up for drama. That said, it was a helluva good flick!;)

    BTW, the only pt. II anyone should be interested in can be easily accessed on YT!
     
    MichaelH likes this.
  22. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    I’d say you’re right about Elton being more popular here in the US.
     
    MichaelH likes this.
  23. jupiter8

    jupiter8 Forum Resident

    Location:
    NJ, USA
    I would image the floodgates will open on similar rock bios...any bets on a Bowie or George Michael movie in the next 5 years?
     
  24. Jack White

    Jack White Senior Member

    Location:
    Canada
    Was the Paul character based upon a real person?
     
  25. Jack White

    Jack White Senior Member

    Location:
    Canada
    I guess it was Paul Prenter. How accurate was that characterization?
     

Share This Page

molar-endocrine