Elton John biopic "Rocketman"

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by Jason Manley, Feb 21, 2019.

  1. James Slattery

    James Slattery Forum Resident

    Location:
    Long Island
    By the way, what was the song of his they played over the closing credits? That's a good song and I've never heard it before. I actually like it more than 90% of his stuff that I know.
     
  2. Ken_McAlinden

    Ken_McAlinden MichiGort Staff

    Location:
    Livonia, MI
    It's a new Elton/Bernie song written for the movie called "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again". I honestly think Elton and Bernie have been on a late career hot streak through the 2000s to which audiences have been somewhat indifferent, but nobody has to agree with me. :laugh:
     
  3. Oatsdad

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

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    Face it: audiences are largely indifferent toward late career work from any "legacy artist".

    Doesn't matter if the material is good - it's gonna be tough for the songs/albums to get any traction! :sigh:
     
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  4. Chris DeVoe

    Chris DeVoe RIP Vickie Mapes Williams (aka Equipoise)

    Yep. Radio has decided that this artist or band is these songs and they have no interest in any additional songs.
     
  5. James Slattery

    James Slattery Forum Resident

    Location:
    Long Island
    Since I haven't listened to any radio station that played new songs in over 3 decades it wouldn't make a difference to me.
     
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  6. James Slattery

    James Slattery Forum Resident

    Location:
    Long Island
    1- How often is it the case where the material is good? One out of a thousand?
    2 - How many artists record original material in the same style they're known for?
     
  7. Oatsdad

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

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    1) "Good material" is in the ear of the beholder, but I think for legacy artists like Elton and McCartney and whoever, the material is good better than 1/1000 times.
    2) Most?
     
  8. mr. steak

    mr. steak Forum Resident

    Location:
    chandler az
    It was on my flight from the west to the east both ways this week. I could not get through more than 10 minutes of it either way. ****ty musical structure to songs being introduced out of context. I don't get the appeal.
     
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  9. elmoe

    elmoe Forum Resident

    Location:
    Phoenix, AZ
    I was pretty disappointed. Just another overall terrible movie about a great artist.
     
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  10. Beaneydave

    Beaneydave Forum Resident

    Got this on 4K yesterday waited to see it at home in my new home cinema set up rather than seeing it at the cinemas.
    I was very disappointed and couldn’t wait for it to end. I have no problem with it being a Highly stylised fantasy and , while I’m not keen on musicals where people just start singing in the middle of a normal scene for want of a better description , I could live with that.
    I did find it very jarring that songs were used out of chronology in non-fantasy scenes such as at Dick James’s office and the live show the troubadour and others.
    Most of the characters around Elton were very stereotypical and extremely clumsily written , in my view.
    Quite a letdown , I will rewatch at some point to see if my view softens but it is going to be awhile before I do.

    peace and love✌Dave
     
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  11. Bill

    Bill Senior Member

    Location:
    Eastern Shore
    How about Nigel and Dee? Hello?
     
  12. Beaneydave

    Beaneydave Forum Resident

    Indeed!
     
  13. Dhreview16

    Dhreview16 Forum Resident

    Location:
    London UK
    DVD/Blu-ray now out....
     
  14. onm3rcur7

    onm3rcur7 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Perth, Scotland
    Just ordered a second hand blu ray of this film that I havent watched yet.

    On a heavy elton john rotation- phase here. Is it really that bad a film? Hope the extras on the blu ray are worth the 10 pounds
     
    Last edited: Dec 8, 2019
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  15. NettleBed

    NettleBed Forum Transient

    Location:
    new york city
    IMO it's worth seeing once if you're a fan of EJ. That's about it, though.
     
  16. Lewisboogie

    Lewisboogie “Bob Robert”

    I’m a fan, and I regret the money spent on our two theater tickets. Such a disappointment.
     
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  17. crazywater

    crazywater Dangerous Dreamer...

    Location:
    Rolesville, NC
    First time I saw it I hated it. So many inaccuracies that are easily checked. I know the excuse is its a fantasy but it just bugged me to no end. Second time since I knew what to expect I started to enjoy it for what it was. The musical fantasy scenes are enjoyable, except for the "Rocket Man" scene at the bottom of the pool. Second half of the song gets better ending in the Dodger Stadium show which was pretty awesome. Third time I accepted it and enjoyed it even thought the timeline and historical issues still bug me. The closing scene of "I'm Still Standing" was terrific. Taron Egerton should win award for that scene alone.
     
  18. Mainline461

    Mainline461 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tamiami Trail
    IMO even a fan should avoid this film. If you're a fan you probably know all you want/need to know about EJ, without introducing this over dramatized mess to the equation.

    It was my disappointment of the year … as a whole. The shame is it could have been so much better. Hell they had the cast; from there, nothing.
     
  19. Veni Vidi Vici

    Veni Vidi Vici Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago, IL
    Wow, Hoffmanites are a tough crowd. Set aside the factual inaccuracies, which are minor, and Elton John himself doesn't seem to object at all. It's an effective piece of film-making.
     
  20. Chris DeVoe

    Chris DeVoe RIP Vickie Mapes Williams (aka Equipoise)

    Yeah, from what I understand, the whole concept was Elton's.
     
  21. Veni Vidi Vici

    Veni Vidi Vici Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago, IL
    My mind is reeling... can anything related to Elton John be "over dramatized" :) If anything, the movie holds back. There's plenty of rock'n'roll, some drugs, and really not much of the other one of the Big Three. I suppose it does pull the heartstrings pretty hard over his paternal rejections, but no more so than "Bohemian Rhapsody". And I don't get this complaint, which was also raised about that other movie, that given songs are feature ahistorically. Well, of course, they are chosen to support the narrative, which is often compressed and reordered for dramatic purposes. They do it to make the movie better. If you want accuracy, read the liner notes.
     
  22. Whizz Kid

    Whizz Kid Forum Resident

    Nope... still haven't seen it... and I think I can now safely say I've swerved it.
    It keeps turning up on airplanes... but luckily nobody next to me has insisted on watching it.

    The factual inaccuracies in the film are far from "minor"... as I posted before, it seems more like a very intentional skewing of history... particularly in regard to Elton's relationships with his mother and the original band members.

    As a fan, I just find that stuff very hard to overlook... it's too bad that's the way he decided to go... but it's done now.
     
  23. adm62

    adm62 Senior Member

    Location:
    Ottawa, Canada
    Superb film.
     
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  24. MadMelMon

    MadMelMon Forum Resident

    Since the factual inaccuracies keep coming up, I feel the need to point out that Elton wasn't trying to gloss over anything (if I recall correctly, he actually told the filmmakers to "make him ugly" if they needed to.) The whole thing is intended to be a myth, and everyone's been quite open about it. In fact...

    Elton first had the idea of making the film when he saw a film he had commissioned from filmmaker David LaChapelle. That film was LaChapelle's interpretation of "Someone Saved My Life Tonight," and...well...

    Elton: An actor was dressed as me in full 70s stage outfit sticking his head in a gas oven, homoerotic angels figure-skating with giant teddy bears and Amanda Lepore, naked, in an electric chair, with sparks flying out of her ( :yikes: ). (...) If you were going to make a film about me, that would be the way to do it.​

    While I sympathize with people put off by the inaccuracies, well, they're the point.

    Elton John: 'They wanted to tone down the sex and drugs. But I haven’t led a PG-13 life'
     
  25. It's not really intended to be a completely thorough and accurate biographical drama of his life. Rocketman clearly is meant to be taken as a screen celebration of his musical career and personality than exacting biographical drama.
     

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