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Author Topic: CHICAGO Dan Lyons Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 698 From: Seal Beach, CA Registered: Sep 2002 posted 01-02-2003 02:13 AM                     Attendance : AMC 30, Block @ Orange, ORange Calif. 12-27-02, and 12-31-02. tech info. Flat, 6 reels ,SDDS sound played<according to advert>, and about 6 trailers in front! yuk!! Sound was a bit low, this needs to be played LOUD in order to simulate being at a broadway show. I saw this for the second time last night. This picture is definately the best thing I've seen in a year. Much better than Moulin Rouge, I put this on the top of my list up near Cabaret. Great singing, smashing choreography, great costumes <you can't go wrong with chorus lines of ladies in stockings and garters>. I know I'll see it again. Anyone know when this will get a wide release? Danny  |  IP: Logged John Scott Master Film Handler Posts: 252 From: Oakdale, MN, USA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 01-02-2003 02:59 AM                     I enjoyed Chicago as well, but the choreography pales in comparison to Ann Reinking's choreography (Rob Marshall did his own choreography according to the film credits even though IMDB says otherwise) in the Fosse style of the 1996 broadway revival of Chicago. Moves are much crisper and had much better depth. The movie I think is going to be a great way to get people out to see the stage version of this show. Only thing in the film that bothered me was the intercutting of the song and dance numbers. It totally undercut the numbers which I don't think anyone can argue are the highlight. Best number of the film: Roxie -- Gorgeous cinematography and composition. The use of the mirrors was wonderful.  |  IP: Logged Claude S. Ayakawa Film God Posts: 2738 From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 01-02-2003 01:50 PM                        "CHICAGO" opens in Honolulu tomorrow in only one theatre, the Ward 16. It will play at other theatre in a few weeks when the movie goes into wide release but I am very happy to have the opportunity to see it at Hawaii's best cinema complex this weekend. I am hoping it will play in one of the four large auditoriums with large 60 foot screens and a Waikiki Twins type HPS sound system. By the way this will be the 4th movie I will see in a theatre in a week. -Claude  |  IP: Logged Mark Lensenmayer Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1605 From: Upper Arlington, OH Registered: Sep 1999 posted 01-03-2003 09:36 PM                     I must state, for the record, that I LOVE musicals. SINGIN' IN THE RAIN is my favorite film, I think MOULIN ROUGE will be recognized as one of the greatest pictures of this era, and I own DVD's of almost every major musical. I was very skeptical when I heard CHICAGO was being filmed. I have seen the current NY production, with Bebe Neuwirth and Karen Ziemba, and I just couldn't imagine it becoming a film. Well, I saw the film today, and, I must admit, it really works. It works because they have transformed the piece from one where dancers act and sing to one where actors sing and dance. The songs are really not vocally challenging...limited ranges fit for non-trained voices. So, it does not take a classically trained singer to make this show work. The film is in two styles...realistic for the "real-life" action and theatrical for the "imagined" music. Theatrical style lighting is used for the musical numbers. The 3 major actors are all wonderful. Renee Zellwegger looks like a glamour girl from the twenties. Richard Gere looks like the "Arrow Shirt" man. Catherine Zeta-Jones just looks good...period. Special note should be made of Queen Latifah, who is wonderful as Momma, and John C. Reilly as Amos, doing a wonderful version of "Mr. Cellophane". Highlights are the puppet-like "We Reached for the Gun", the politician's theme-song "Razzle-Dazzle" and an almost show-stopping rendition of the "Cell Block Tango" (Pop, six, squish, uh-uh, Cicero, Lipschitz) It was so good, I was ready to stay and see it again. I will see it again very soon. This is just one GREAT movie.  |  IP: Logged Mitchell Cope Master Film Handler Posts: 256 From: Overland Park, KS, United States Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-03-2003 10:31 PM                     Finally, a great movie to see during the Christmas season. I liked it much better than "Moulin Rouge", though the songs are not completely memorable for humming. Yes, the three leads are great. The choreography is great and the camera work and editing superb. Surprised this movie was not in SCOPE. Because of this, I would not want to necessarily see this on a small screen.  |  IP: Logged Dan Lyons Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 698 From: Seal Beach, CA Registered: Sep 2002 posted 01-06-2003 01:29 AM                     I was also disapointed to see that this wasn't in SCOPE. Does it cost more to make a Scope film? I don't see why it would, just different lenses on the cameras.. right?  |  IP: Logged Charles Everett Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1470 From: New Jersey Registered: May 2001 posted 01-06-2003 04:26 PM                     Dan: Chicago doesn't go wide until 1/24 -- the weekend of the Super Bowl. The AMC Hamilton opened Chicago day-and-date with the Ziegfeld in NYC. Miami, Philadelphia and Portland OR opened Chicago day-and-date with NYC/LA. Last weekend Miramax expanded Chicago to Scranton PA, Rochester NY, New Haven CT and Albany NY. Scranton is uber-mainstream and the other 3 cities are secondary markets for Oscar Bait. Guess what? Scranton and Albany got shut down by a major snowstorm.  |  IP: Logged Mitchell Cope Master Film Handler Posts: 256 From: Overland Park, KS, United States Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-06-2003 05:28 PM                     Dan said, quote: Does it cost more to make a Scope film? I don't see why it would, just different lenses on the cameras.. right? Oliver Stone said on making "Born On The Fourth of July", his first SCOPE picture, that you have to account for having more set space and extras (paid actors) to fill the screen. Setting up the camera is also a little more complex than going with just a straight lens. Time equates to additional production costs, etc. In the end, I wonder if "Chicago" was just aiming to be a nice to have DVD as opposed to being a great Hollywood musical screen classic. Don't get me wrong, I liked "Chicago" in the areas of dance and camera work, but IMHO, it did not surpass "Grease". I have not seen the stage production, but I have to wonder why the film is solidly under 2 hours?  |  IP: Logged Mathew Molloy Master Film Handler Posts: 357 From: The Santa Cruz Mountains Registered: Nov 2000 posted 01-06-2003 06:24 PM                     From what I understand, shooting flat gives the director a wider choice of lenses. That's why many directors are shooting Super35. I've recently learned that although Super35 gives you more lens choices, there is a step-down process involved (usually involving another lens, but I suppose it could be done on a computer) with making the anamorphic prints and grain is enhanced. Correct me if I'm wrong but I understand as far as Super35 is concerned the neg for the release prints is actually a dupe. Well I rambled off on that one.  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 01-07-2003 07:26 AM                        An article on Super-35: http://www.cameraguild.com/technology/formats.htm  |  IP: Logged Christian Sinclair Film Handler Posts: 6 From: Bracknell, UK Registered: Jan 2003 posted 01-18-2003 05:34 PM                     Hello Strange to see that "Chicago" opened so late over there. Usually films made in the U.S. (although I think this one was made in Canada??) open later in the U.K. "Chicago" has been playing in London since 26th December and opened nationwide on the 17th January. Weird!?? Anyone enlighten me on that mystery?? Anyway, GREAT film, shame about all the stuff they missed out - some great songs. Still prefer the stage musical though. Must be heard in Dolby Digital though. We're running it in SR and it really doesn't do it justice. Apparently there aren't any DTS discs available in the U.K. even though it has a DTS timecode?? Bit odd that.  |  IP: Logged Daryl C. W. O'Shea Film God Posts: 3977 From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from) Registered: Jun 2002 posted 01-18-2003 06:32 PM                        Chicago opened in Hamilton, ON at the Westdale Theatre (single screen art house) on December 27.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 01-18-2003 07:23 PM                     Please keep all replies in this forum movie reviews and not bookings. About half of the posts in this thread have nothing to do with reviewing the movie. Feel free to open a thread in the Yak forum for non-review discusssions.  |  IP: Logged Robb Johnston Expert Film Handler Posts: 147 From: St. Louis Suburbs Registered: Nov 1999 posted 01-18-2003 08:14 PM                        I just saw Chicago today at the Wehrenberg Des Peres 14 outside of St. Louis, house 8. I agree with just about everything positive that has been stated before. One particular highlight for me was during the newsreel section. I assume the theatre was equiped with some sort of EX surround, which played the sound of a loud projector, including jump sounds when the newsreel had a few frames spliced out. The film was intact, just a simulation. I do have to disagree with the idea that the intercutting of the reality and the imagined undercut the power of the songs. I too am a fan of Movie Musicals, but I also understand that Many viewers today are put off by people spontaneously bursting into song. Marshall's technique gives an explanation of where the songs come from. Every number comes from (at least partially) from Roxie's POV. The only number that is not entirely witnessed by Roxie is Mr. Cellophane, which begins in her view, even if it does not end there. Perhaps this is why the number "Class" between Mama and Velma was cut. With the exception of the opening and final numbers, every number taskes place in the mind of Mrs. Hart. My only concern not with the film, but the presentation. The film was shown out of frame about 12-18 inches low. When I commented that some of the title cards were partially cut off at the bottom of the screen to a manager, he stated that it was because the film was scope and they couldn't project the whole width in that house. When I pointed out that it was cut off low, as well that it was flat, not scope, he assumed that it was an eccentric issue, and that it was overshooting the screen. I did explain that other than the slight shadow, the aperture plate was mostly properly aligned and or cut properly, but it was just out of frame. To give you an idea, had the screen been top movable masking, the center point of the projected titles in flat was where I would have expected them to be in a scope presentation with the top masking lowered. Apparently, according to this manager anyway, if it was wrong it had to be a mechanical error, and not an operator error.  |  IP: Logged Mark Lensenmayer Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1605 From: Upper Arlington, OH Registered: Sep 1999 posted 01-18-2003 08:22 PM                     The soundtrack CD of CHICAGO came out this week, and I have been listening to it in the car. It includes an absolutely awful "rap" version of "CELL BLOCK TANGO". I think they were trying to duplicate the success of "LADY MARMALADE" from MOULIN ROUGE. That arrangement works...the CELL BLOCK TANGO is just AWFUL. I'm very glad they left it off of the film. It would have ruined the integrity of the score. I would especially call your attention to the drums in CELL BLOCK TANGO. The drummer really drives that song. Excellent work in general from the scoring musicians.  |  IP: Logged

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