Here We Come A Caroling: Anna and the Apocalypse (with The Creature)

 

Moviefan12:  Horror musicals are an interesting beast. There are plenty of popular ones like Sweeney Todd but finding a balance between telling a horror story and using songs to advance the story is a tricky feat to balance. Even more when you have a zombie musical.  When it comes to zombie musicals, they can go one of two ways, They can either be about the zombies or feature the zombies and show what the characters facing off against the zombies are going through.  This is something that was seen in the 2017 British film, Anna and the Apocalypse. This movie is a Christmas horror musical and while on the surface that may seem to be an odd combination, it works.  now just because I described it as Christmas do not mistake that for thinking the songs are Christmas heavy but rather that film taps into one of the most important emotions of the holiday season.  That being hope, hope for a better future, and hope that things will be better. 

Moviefan12: In many regards, that seems rather appropriate for the year that we've had in that we have to face down a lot of craziness but holding onto hope is one of the most important elements that I took from this movie.  Admittedly, my original curiosity was because the idea of a zombie Christmas musical was so absurd that I had to see how this worked.  And it really does work.  Now, I will not be looking at this film alone as I've invited fellow Expressionist and lover of Horror movies to come along on this ride of zombie decapitation during The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. Please welcome here to help cover this wonderful musical, The Creature.  

The Creature: Ah yes, a Horror Musical. A lot of people love throwing in a musical number in the midst of blood-soaked chaos like Sweeney Todd or Repo! The Genetic Opera that end up fairing over pretty well for the most part. While there are many different films of this variety out there, this was one I admittedly had never heard of prior to this moment. Given that it's not only a Horror Musical but also a Holiday Horror movie set during the Christmas season with zombies made it all the more curious for me to take a look at it.

Moviefan12: My interest was admittedly two-fold as I like holiday musicals and when I first learned of this film, I was taking a college course on zombies and one of the assignments was to do a paper on a zombie movie. This was one of the films that I considered but in the end, I decided to go with Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island. I didn't end up seeing this film until a plane ride to California.  I'm glad that I saw this movie as it's become a favorite and will become one that I watch every Holiday season from here on. With that out of the way, Creature are you ready to behead some zombies as we hang up the tinsel. 

The Creature: I suppose I could break out some nutcrackers and bash them over the head of the undead. Let's have a go at this film.

The Plot

Moviefan12: The plot is admittedly simple at first, Anna and her friends live in Scotland and she is about to finish school.  What's most interesting is that the film for quite a while plays a teenage drama as we get to know and meet the characters long before the zombies invade. Take Anna for example as she is hoping to take a year off before heading to college and go to Australia. Her father disapproves of this idea. Then there's John, who has a crush on Anna but is too afraid to do anything about it.  This'll come up later but he has one of the most important lines in one of the earliest songs in the movie, Hollywood Ending. 

I'm starting to realize
Sometimes the nice guys
Don't always get the girl

Those lines while seemingly are heartbreaking do speak to the truth of the movie, this movie will not give our characters the happy ending they have dreamed of.  There's also Steph, who I know is a transfer student, I think from the States and I also believe the movie is implying that she may be bisexual as she does have an offscreen girlfriend but she also seemingly has feelings for another member of their friend group, Chris who already has a girlfriend.  Steph is one of the best characters as she is a social activist and does put words into action. And she, in the beginning, does have the most opposition with Vice Principal Savage, one guess as to who the villain is.  Now Chris and Lisa are actually sweet as they have a sickly sweet relationship that they'll promise to never leave one another's side. This'll become very tragic as the movie goes on. Creature any thoughts on these characters before we move into the meat of the story. 

The Creature: The characters in the film seem like some characters that have become quite common to see in recent High School films and Television. Anna wants more out of life who has a difficult relationship with her father, Chris and Lisa are the over-the-top couple who are constantly with each other, John is the "obviously in love with Best Friend" guy and Steph does come off as possibly bisexual who has a bit of bad luck at the beginning of the film. The film also has Anna's ex-boyfriend who seems like he's trying to impress her and win her back even though she's not having any of it. While they may seem like stereotyping certain tropes, their performances make them stand out amongst them...and yeah, Vice Principal Savage is so obviously the villain in the film. He's not even trying to hide it. You might as well have a shirt reading "Antagonist" on him at all times.

Moviefan12: My colleague here is correct in his summation of the characters. Now, one of the important things that need to be understood is how the film sets up the zombies.  As the audience learns of the existence of the zombies before the characters as half the characters are taking part at a school Christmas show and this moment gives us a bit of a breather with things such as the absurdly funny Fish Wrap while Anna and John are working at the bowling alley. This also has one of my favorite bits of the movie where Anna and John are trying to remember the names of Santa's reindeer. 

Anna Shepherd: On Dasher, on Dancer on... the other ones?

John: Firebolt? No... that's Harry Potter's broom.

Anna Shepherd: Oh no. We can't hang out anymore. You're too sad. You've hit like, peak sad.

John: They were a very popular series of books.

The big reason that a moment such as this works is that it sells the chemistry of these two and you buy that they've been friends for years. It's dorky cute and real all at the same time.  So, the next morning we get an ironic moment where John and Anna go through their morning unaware of the zombies as they are listening to a song about turning their life around. That is until we get our zombie attack and it is of a zombie in a snowman costume. That is freaky and funny at the same time.

 

This is also where we see that movie is not afraid to get gory as Anna decapitates Frosty here with a teeter-totter. Creature, your thoughts on the gore and kills and how they work in the musical format. 

The Creature: Given that it's a zombie movie, it comes as no surprise that it would be graphic. Granted it's not going to be a blood-bath like "Braindead", but it has enough gore that would satisfy most horror fans. A large portion of it is covered during the musical numbers as they fight off zombies while trying to reunite with their friends back at the school like when Anna's ex and his lackeys boast about surviving this nightmare while violently killing zombies (which feels like watching the Gaston song from "Beauty and the Beast" with a zombie twist). It's appropriate for a musical in the Horror genre that is quite the sight given that some of the zombies are being killed off with Anna sporting a giant candy cane for her weapon of choice.

....and yeah, the Fish Wrap was easily my favorite song in the film.

Moviefan12: While that is not my favorite song in the film, it is a nice breather song before the tension revs up. However, I believe that just as how we get to see the attacks during the musical numbers, they also help us to know the characters. And I believe that is the best way to know the characters. 

So, with that out of the way, let's dive into the music.

Music

Christmas Means Nothing Without You

Moviefan12: As I stated at the top, a lot of these songs aren't overly Christmassy. At best, you have three actual Christmas songs in the film. This one, which is played over the opening, one Lisa sings before everything goes to smithereens, and one that plays over the closing credits.  As for this song itself, it's interesting because while listening to it, I get Mariah Carey vibes. As it sounds so much like All I Want For Christmas is You.  Perhaps that was intentional and I wouldn't put it past the filmmakers do something such as that.  It's not a bad song and does help set the Christmassy mood before the zombies come in.

The Creature: The song does let you know right off the bat that this is during the holiday season which would make it quite the contrast in tone given it soon will be overrun by zombies. Given the fact that it sounds like that Mariah Carey song, this song got annoying to me (mostly due to mass exposure to it in my retail years) so it doesn't really end up being a favorite of mine.

Break Away 

Moviefan12: One of the most important types of songs in any musical is the "I Want" song as it lets us into the minds of the characters and knows what their dreams and hopes are.  This song here goes back to what I brought up earlier in how the beginning of this movie plays like a teenage drama as we hear the kids just want more than well this provincial life. This song helps to set up how they either want to be noticed or want to know why people don't care.  It's quite an interesting idea as I believe that this song speaks to one of the biggest feelings that we go through as teenagers, being ignored and feeling as though people don't care and thus why should we care. Anna has one of the best lyrics in this regard.

If I still had some faith, I'd pray

The Creature: Ah yes, the "I Want" song for the musical. As you've stated, it's pretty much the song in which the teens express their desire to seek more out of life outside of school than what they've been given so far in regards to how they've been treated over the years. It is very similar to a lot of things that I've seen in other teen movies (and a few Disney songs as well) so it will come across as a bit of familiar territory for the audience.

Hollywood Ending

Moviefan12: I find this song quite interesting and even more so considering that it comes after Break Away.  That song was the characters' I Want moment whereas this song is the realization song.  What do I mean by this? Well on its own outside of the context of the film, this song seems like a nice piece of bubblegum music.  However, knowing what is to come and what is going to happen to the characters, this song serves as a bit of tragic foreshadowing.  This ties back into the idea of holding onto hope while also understanding that this film is not going to give our characters what they want.  As the song puts it, there's no such thing as a Hollywood Ending. And the sooner you understand that, the better.

The Creature: It is a bit ironic hearing this song in the film considering they're about to come across the zombie apocalypse the very next day so it does come off as tragic foreshadowing for them.

The Fish Wrap 

Moviefan12: My colleague noted that is his favorite song in the movie. I cannot say the same.  This is not a bad song as it's funny but in the grand scheme of things, it's relatively unimportant to the story as these two characters are extremely minor and it doesn't advance the story like the other songs or like Lisa's number after this show off one of the more important characters. It is a nice breather song though and you do need those every once in a while but it's not what I return to. 

The Creature: I'll admit that it's not really the best song out of all the ones in the film, but I ended up getting some enjoyment out of it. It was a pretty ridiculous moment that got some laughs out of me and is one of the parts of the movie that sticks out the most for me.

Turning My Life Around 

Moviefan12:  The fun of this number comes from how Anna and John are so blissfully unaware of the carnage happening around them. It's a great juxtaposition between this upbeat number and the horror that is about to hit our characters like a semi-truck tumbling down the highway.

The Creature: Seeing all the chaos unfold around them as they sing their way back to school is a pretty funny sight which brings in some humor to the film. It's a bit reminiscent of Shaun getting food while hungover with zombies walking about in Shaun of the Dead.

Human Voice 

Moviefan12: Ah, the anthem of 2020.  We can't be with the ones that we love and instead have to reach out to them via screens and that is kinda what this song is touching upon. Our characters are separated from their loved ones and they have no idea if they are okay or not. This number speaks to the larger point of not being able to know if the ones you care about are okay.

The Creature: Yeah, it reflects this year pretty well. As you mentioned, we're all separated from the people most important to us and have no idea if they're okay or not. It fits in with our zombie story fairly well given we live in the digital era.

Solider at War 

Moviefan12: As my colleague pointed out, Nick and his number give off a Gaston vibe. However, there is a point to that as everything Nick is doing is over-the-top and for show. He thinks that he has put on this bravado and Anna actually calls him out on it and asks him if he'd ever done anything that wasn't for him. I don't want to give it away but when you find out the answer, it's heartbreaking and puts his character in a new light.

The Creature: It's definitely a song to show off how great he is in front of Anna and her friends as he kills some zombies. While this does seem ego-boasting, it does soon provide a change of perspective for him soon after.

Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now 

Moviefan12: Savage gets two great villain numbers showing how truly unhinged he is. This one kicks it off and it is just so deliciously twisted in how much it makes you hate this man. This goes back to the idea of if someone thinks they have things under control when zombies break loose, they really don't. 

The Creature: He definitely was having a lot of fun during this number. Throughout the film, it becomes a bit obvious he starts to lose his sanity and he's finally lost it by this point and lets the zombies chase the rest of the cast around the school while singing. It's definitely one of the more fun songs out of the bunch.

Give Them A Show 

Moviefan12: Hero/Villian duets are so fun and we need more of them.  This is the moment that the movie has been building towards as Anna slays down zombies with her candy cane that is now bloodied. And we see that Savage has lost it as he released the zombies inside the school.  He thinks his plan will work and wants to obliterate the earth.  Which not exactly cool, man. Still, this number is so rousing and you can't help but love it.

The Creature: I'll admit this is one of the very few Hero/Villain duets I've heard in any musical and I do think there should be more of them in musicals. Anna and Savage have a stand-off in the gym as he has her father held hostage in a room full of zombies and she has to fight through them and Savage to save them. It's quite the sight to see in the film.

I Will Beleive 

Moviefan12: This song ties into what I've been mentioning throughout, the idea of hope.  Our characters have been put through the wringer and may have lost so much of what they cared about, they still have hope. Yeah, this is a bit of a sad song but at the same time, Anna acknowledges that so long as she still has hope, she can march on.

The Creature: Being full of hope in the face of despair...is this connected to Danganronpa by chance?

Anyway, it is definitely a song about remaining positive in spite of the worst happening to them throughout the film.

What A Time To Be Alive 

Moviefan12: We end with something of a jokey song over the credits. It's cute and the tongue is clearly planted in its cheek.  Still, a bit jarring to jump from the last song of despair to this jokey number. It's not bad but not one I'd see myself coming back to.

The Creature:...there was a song in the credits?
*goes back to watch them*
So the song is definitely jarring given the last song we just had in the film, though it is a bit on the nose with the humor in the film.

Our Final Thoughts

Moviefan12:  This movie has only been out for three years globally and two stateside but I do truly believe that this movie could garner a cult following a la Rocky Horror.  It's that good if in twenty-thirty years, there are Midnight Screenings of Anna and the Apocalypse, I wouldn't be surprised.  People love alternative Christmas movies.  How often do people say Die Hard is their favorite Christmas movie? All the time and well, this is something similar to that except I think it uses the themes of the holiday a bit more than the Bruce Willis classic.  

The Creature: It was a pretty unique film given it's a Christmas musical set in the middle of the zombie uprising that also went down the comedic path instead of aiming for a serious note like most zombies material does. It gets serious when it needs to without it feeling jarring and it faired over as being pretty entertaining. I'm not sure it'll go the midnight screening and cult following route, but I could see it hitting the stage eventually.

Moviefan12: I'd once again like to thank The Creature for joining me.  

 

Holidays at The Loud House: 11 Louds a Leapin'

Back in October, I looked at Tricked, the first Halloween special from The Loud House. I mentioned that I had an interest in looking at a rather special episode for myself. You see, this episode is the first episode that I saw of this show all the way through. You see season one had this gimmick where it never showed the parents' faces and for some reason that idea bugged me.  This episode, the first episode of season two was the first to reveal the face of Lynn Sr. and Rita Loud. But that's not what this episode is about. 

The Plot

There quite a few subplots happening all throughout that are pretty funny such as Luan, trying to get to 12 Puns of Christmas, Lola trying undo 12 months of naughtiness in one day to get on Santa's Nice list while Lisa is actively being the annoying genius in saying that there isn't a Santa. Leni turning all the decorations into fashionable dresses and Luna trying to come up wit the perfect Christmas song. These are relateively minor when compared to the main plot.  It starts off with Lincoln taking his sled out for some winter fun and goes into the yard of negihbor, Mr. Grouse and well, he's not the nicest person. Lincoln devises a plan to get it back and it doesn't go as planned as he's caught and Grouse wants to call his parents but everyone is cuaght up their Holiday celebrations. Mr. Grouse catches Lincoln and has him clean up the mess that he made sneaking into Mr. Grouse's house.

Lincoln notices that his neighbor also has a big family and is sad that Mr. Grouse doesn't have anyone to spend Christmas with. So, he gets his family and firends together to give him a perfect Christmas. It's very sweet and is what made me fall in with the show in the first place.

This shot is easily one of my favortie shots of the show as it truly does invoke the feeling of Christmas in me.  This gets to Grouse to open up and be a nicer guy. Including a beautiful song.

Music

Christmas Song

Yeah, I don't think this song was ever given an actual title.  Still, it's really great and very sweet.  It truly taps into the Holiday spirit

Characters

Lincoln voiced by Collin Dean 

I really enjoyed Lincoln in this episode as I usally do as this show that while he is a kid and that he messes up from time, he's a good kid that wants to make things right for people.

Mr. Grouse voiced by John DiMaggio 

Mr. Grouse is the typical old crumudgeon that just needs someone to show him that they care about him and share the Christmas spirit with him but it works and I'm a sucker for that kind of stuff.  I'm a sap.  It's sweet and it works.

My Final Thoughts

This year, we got two Christmas epsidoes from The Loud House and one from it's spinoff, The Cassagrandes. We were also supposed to get a live action Christmas movie that was announced in Febuarary and yeah...

The Loud House: A Very Loud Christmas, will premiere in late 2020. The film will depict Lincoln and Clyde working to preserve the Christmas traditions when the Loud sisters plan to have their Christmas plans elsewhere.

Yeah...I'm kinda glad that didn't come out.  Still, I'm glad that I got to catch this one again as this episode means a lot ot me considering it's what brought me into this show and The Loud House has now become one of my favorite animated series. It's always a pleasure to watch and just makes me happy especially this Christmas episode. 

 

Here We Come A Carolling: Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey

Christmas musicals are easily the best type of Christmas movies as musicals can capture the Holiday spirit perfectly in a way that I don't think most other holiday movies can.  This brings us to Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey which comes to us from David E. Talbert who not only directed this film but wrote the screenplay.  This Christmas musical coming out right now is more important than one might think.

Talbert first had the idea for this musical in 1998 and originally wanted to pitch it as a stage musical, which is very much felt in the design and presentation of the film but that is not what makes the film special. As Talbert is quoted as saying here.

I told him about the holidays and how much they mean to my family. But when we sit down every year, there’s nothing we can watch with anybody that looks like us. If we’re feeling this way as a family, imagine how many families around the world are feeling the same way?

This idea that so many of us may take for granted when we think of movies around or in general because, for the longest time, holiday movies were predominately White and I do not mean the snow.  Consider that it wasn't until recently The Hallmark Channel makes enough Christmas movies to start airing them in July actually had a few with Black leads.  

If we look at this through the lens of musical history, it's all the more shocking and saddening when you consider that the Black community has so often been at the forefront of innovation and change in this artform.  In many regards, there wouldn't be musical theater if it weren't for the efforts of Black creatives.  

 Speaking of that, this movie brings in quite a few big names from Forest Whittaker playing one of the leads, Keegan-Micael Key as the villain. John Legend helping with the music.  Phylicia Rashad as the film's narrator.  

As you can see this film is quite stacked.  So, how is it?  Good, really good.  If you have Netflix, watch this movie before I continue.  

With that out of the way, let's start the review. 

The Plot

One of the strengths of this movie is that it doesn't fall into the typical Christmas cliches of Santa or religion.  Instead, it focuses on family. We follow a genius toymaker,  Jeronicus Jangle that is ready to debut his newest toy, a sentient matador toy named Don Juan Diego.  This toy is the true villain of the piece as he is upset to learn that he will soon be mass-produced and convinces the toymaker's apprentice, Gustafson to betray Jeronicus which he does as he has stolen his mentor's notebook of toys and for thirty years has been named toymaker of the year.

Jeronicus is now in disarray as his toyshop Jangle and Things is now a struggling pawnbroking shop. And has to until Christmas to pay back the money the bank has loaned or come up with a radical new invention. We learn here that his granddaughter Journey shares his passion for inventing and has been sent by his daughter, Jessica to spend the holidays with him. 

Gustafson meanwhile has become a successful toy inventor and always debuts the most waned toy of the year. In one of the coolest sequences.

I can't confirm it, but the costuming in this number gave off powerful Emerald City vibes.  I wouldn't be surprised to learn that part of Oz-inspired this number.  The Magic Man G as it were is about to debut his newest toy, the Twirly Whirly but it still has some kinks to iron out and this is the only invention that he didn't steal.  The movie passes our villain off as not being a great inventor. However, I look at it as he doesn't have confidence in himself and lets Don Juan walk all over him because of that.

Meanwhile, Jeronicus is working on this cute little robot that was first invented by his daughter, Jessica

 

And of course, our villain wants to steal Buddy for his own.  Buddy does come to life and this is where the movie takes on a bit of an Amblin tone with Buddy as he is the friendly robot that the kids have to recuse from the villain.  That is the main meat and potatoes of the movie, yes but it is also about an old man that has lost his lust for life reconnecting with his family through his granddaughter.  As for our villain well...

...he conducts a failed unveiling of Buddy. Gustafson orders Buddy destroyed, though Journey and Edison are able to retrieve it before it can happen. After realizing Journey and Edison have gone missing, Jeronicus goes to the factory. With help from Jeronicus and Buddy, Journey and Edison are able to escape the factory.

Interestingly, it takes on this Amblin feel when Buddy is introduced but it makes sense as this movie from the get-go had always had a bit of a classic family film feel to it.  Which greatly works in the film's favor as that helps make it more memorable.  

We find out later that Journey forged the letter inviting her to Jangles and Things as she wanted to meet her grandfather. Can't exactly blame her, if I'm honest. She also wrote to Jessica on his behalf and Jessica comes and confronts her father and this is where we learn that he never stopped loving his daughter but didn't think he could be the father his daughter needed but wishes to amend that now and wants to be in Journey's life as well. He kept every letter that he tried to write to his daughter and honestly, it's just heartbreaking. 

As the film comes to a close, Gustafson and Diego confront Jeronicous and his family with the police claiming that they stole Buddy from him but Journey proves the truth as she marked the blueprints for Buddy.  Jeronicous removes the part from Don Juan that made him sentiment and later goes into mass production.  Jeroinoucs hives his former apprentice the piece that was needed for his twirly whirly and he prefects it while in jail.  Jangles and Things reopens and becomes the success that it once was.   

Folks, this movie is good and I cannot suggest it enough.  Please watch it.  As I said at the beginning of this review, this art form that I love dearly wouldn't exist without the contributions of Black Creatives and that is something that is felt throughout this movie. It celebrates the contributions of those that came before and those that are still working in the industry today. It may not have the deepest story but it doesn't need that as it is just a fun family film that is sure to become a Christmas classic.

Narrator

Grandma Journey played Phylicia Rashad 

Yeah, the story is told by an older Journey, which is a bit easy to figure out if you pay attention to the movie but it's cute and Phylicia Rashad is good and brings a lot of warmth to her role as narrator and made the audience feel as though they were also sitting by the fireplace as she read the story to her young grandchildren.

Characters

Journey played by Madalen Mills 

The most important aspect of this movie is the main character of Journey and the relationship that she has with her grandfather. If the audience isn't invested in Journey, well they won't want to go on the journey that this character goes through.  I joked with my mom and said that this is a STEM movie as well as a musical but no, it actually is.  And that is an element that is so important and having a young girl be interested in the field of STEM is great as for the longest time, the field of STEM has been male-dominated.  

Women make up only 28% of the workforce in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and men vastly outnumber women majoring in most STEM fields in college.

This is something that one doesn't even think about until after watching the movie because it uses math and science in a fantastical way that isn't boring. It makes the idea of math and science seem exciting and fun. This is something that so class programs fail to get kids interested.  Taking this further and looking at this 2016 piece about girls of color and STEM also provides an interesting angle. 

Research shows girls can excel in STEM subjects when they feel confident in their math and science skills. And African American girls actually begin showing an inclination toward these fields even earlier than their peers.

The latter part of Africam American girls showing an earlier inclination in the field of STEM perfectly applies to Journey as she's maybe ten but is already showing how smart she is and that if you challenge with her a problem, she can give you a solution even if you think it's impossible. 

 Jeronicous played by Forest Whitaker 

Whitaker as Jeronicous makes you care about him. Yes, his arc is one that we've seen before as a man that has lost everything he had and learning to open himself back up again. What sells it though is Whitaker's acting as he makes you root for him to shed his exterior. That is why Journey is so important to his arc as she is the one that is able to crack his shell and so him in getting back in the world.

Supporting Characters

Miss Johnston played by Lisa Davina Phillip 

This character is alright if a bit much.  Honestly, the only thing there is to her character is that she has a crush on Jeronicus and constantly calls him Jerry much to his annoyance. She's not bad but I do think that she kinda overstays her welcome. 

Edison played by Kieron L. Dyer 

I liked this kid even if he didn't add much other than being a friend for Journey and being Jeronicus's apprentice.  Really didn't get to know him how that well but still a good kid all around. 

Jessica played by Anika Nani Rose 

Jessica's role in the movie is rather small but nonetheless important as she is the final piece in getting the Jangle family back together and to be the family they once were before the Jangle family had lost everything.

Music

I'm just going to link you to a playlist as it's just easier.

This Day

The first number is a great starter as it really gets the audience hyped for the movie and really makes the audience excited for what is about to come. This is one of the greatest opening numbers I've heard in a long time.  It's just so fun and hopeful.  As soon as I heard this number, I was hooked.  

Borrow Indefinitely

This song is okay but there is a much better villain song later in the movie. This one isn't bad but it doesn't leave much of an impression on me.

Miles and Miles 

I may not like Ms. Johnston but she does have a great song that really taps into the fun spirit of her character and you can't help but tap along as you listen to it.

Not The Only One 

This is a great introductory song to Journey.  Sure, this could come across as not being like other girls but I think it's strong to stand on its own.  And I believe that it ties back to what I was talking about when looking at the strength of STEM and how important it is to show girls that it is okay to be interested in that kind of stuff. 

Magic Man G 

This is one of my favorite songs in the whole movie. It's just so fun.  This is sure to become a classic villain song because it makes you fall in love with Keegan-Michael Key's villain and you kinda want to buy what he's selling. This song is just so much of a blast and one I'll immediately add to my playlist for next year. 

Square Root of Possible 

I think this might be the icon song of the movie.  It continues on with the STEM theme that is so important to the movie but beyond that, it also speaks to how Journey will never give up and do whatever it takes to make things right.  It's a beautiful song and one that really makes me feel for the young girl as she strikes out on her own.

Over and Over 

Every musical has to have a heartbreaking number where everything seems lost and that is the case here with this song. It's hauntingly beautiful as Jeronicus looks back on what he had and what he has lost. It is a beautiful song that will stay with you and you can hear the tears forming as you watch this number. 

Grandpa Me Nie (Jingle Jangle Remix)

This number is a bit more lighthearted and fun and that works as it accompanies a snowball fight between grandfather and granddaughter.  This is perhaps the only song that doesn't advance the story or give insight into the characters but I'm willing to overlook that because it comes at such a crucial moment as Jeronicus starts shedding his hardened layer. 

Make It Work 

This song has a double meaning as Jeronicous is singing of fixing Buddy while Jessica is singing of fixing her relationship with her father. I love songs like that.  Anika Nani Rose is the true star of this number as her vocals steal the show. It is just so mindblowing how good she is.  Just wow, this song is a masterclass in letting your voice be the star.  

This Day (Reprise)

And we come full circle and end on a reprise of This Day.  Which works (heh) as it shows that the Jangle family is whole again. I like that. It's rather sweet and while it's not as bombastic as the first version, the understated nature is quite good in selling how far the family has come. 

Villains

Gustafson played by Keegan-Micahel Key

Keegan-Michael Key as Gustafson is a blast and while he is clearly evil, there is still a part of you that wants root for him because of how fun he is. Your heart breaks all the more at the end when you find out that Jeronicus would've given him the part that he needed for his twirly whirly.  It's the idea of people aren't born evil but rather influenced that way as seen here with how he willingly followed Don Juan.

Don Juan Diego voiced by Ricky Martin 

Yeah, I don't like this character. For a movie that is doing so much for progressiveness.  This character feels like a bad stereotype that is very outdated. I love this movie, I really do but the way that this character acts and presents himself feels at odds with the rest of the movie. It is just so jarring to have this character that doesn't really work with the rest of the movie. 

My Final Thoughts

For the most part, I enjoy this movie as I watched it twice before working on this review but there are just some hiccups that don't work like the character of Don Juan.  Even with that said, I cannot suggest this movie enough. Please watch it as it is just so good.  Peace! 

Halloween Special Review: Tricked (The Loud House Halloween Special)

 

I've been wanting to do this review for a couple of years now but I could never work it into my schedule.  I admittedly had to wedge it in and rework the schedule a couple of times but I'm glad that I was able to. This is a nice and simple Halloween special that isn't scary but still celebrates the season. In many ways, the atmosphere of this special calls to mind something like It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

I'll be honest and say that it took me a while to become a fan of The Loud House and it truly wasn't until their Christmas special that I became hooked and now it's one of my favorite cartoons.

And now it's one of my favorite cartoons.  With that out the way, let's take a look at the plot.

The Plot

The plot is admittedly simple as it's Halloween time and we see how the Louds celebrate and we get to see some fun moments such as pumpkin carving. 

We learn that this is Lucy's favorite holiday whereas their father hates Halloween as he's afraid of everything. It's cute but does eventually get played out and there are moments where we see how the kids plan to get as much candy as possible. The twins Lola and Lana have multiple costumes whereas younger sister Lisa is using Baby Lily because people love babies.

It's cute and it does work as she ends up with 85 pieces of candy whereas our main character, Lincoln, and his best friend Clyde have found a location that gives out full-sized candy bars and decide to trick-or-treat there.  First, they have to stave off obnoxious bullies.  So, they send them to their neighborhood and as happenstance has it, they have British doppelgangers that are going back to the UK in this area, so they pretend to be them and then rip off those suits hiding their Halloween costumes. While they may have had a great Halloween, everyone else did not as well, those two bullies wrecked the neighborhood. 

After hearing his sisters explain details of these bullies, Lincoln decides that he needs to get back at the bullies after hearing they have stolen everyone's candy. And well I don't want to get into just yet but the way that it works is brilliant.

Lincoln and Clyde lure the bullies to a haunted corn maze that was set up by Lucy and well...

Music

You Got Tricked

Yeah, this musical number is just all kinds of awesome as the Loud Family gets back at the bullies and scares the tar out of them. It's just so fun as it really gets the audience into the Halloween spirit as I have mentioned before. It's all just so much fun and is a blast.

Yeah, I mixed it up a bit, and while all the characters are great. I only want to focus on Lincoln and Clyde.

Characters

Lincoln and Clyde voiced by Collen Dean & Caleel Harris

While some of the other characters had fun moments, the episode really focused on these two as they snuck off to get the candy they wanted and then tried to right the wrongs of what they did. It was sweet and fun in how they go about getting revenge on the bullies.

My Final Thoughts

Like I said this is a fun episode and one that I suggest checking out and The Loud House isn't a show where you need to have watched any other episode to understand what's going on as each episode is pretty standalone. Even with that said, this is still a really great Halloween episode that I strongly reccomendy. 

The Pain in Next to Normal

Lately, I've been thinking about the musical Next to Normal.  I had the honor of seeing it in February at The Kennedy Center before the world went to shit. It was a Christmas/birthday present from my mom.  The show deals with bipolar disorder and PTSD.

The story centers on a mother who struggles with worsening bipolar disorder and the effects that managing her illness has on her family.

Rowdy just released a video of The Simpsons episode, Moaning Lisa to address how it's okay to be angry during these hard times.  There are two songs in this show that break me as they go together and speak to how I feel sometimes during a really bad time.





The first song, You Don't Know, Diana is angry in this scene as she has stopped taking meds that were helping her but she stopped after being convinced by the hallucination of her dead son to do so. This song is one that gets me as everything Diana says is a perfect summation of how people dealing with mental illness.  The biggest line that gets me is this one.

Do you know, do you know, what it's like to die alive?

As that is what my seizures often feel like but on a broader scale, this is an honest assessment of what it likes to think that you are being judged for everything that you are doing and one misstep will be the end of you.  This reminds me of a piece of MLP fan art where a class was mocking Derpy by calling her that in a bullying fashion.  While what Diana goes through is much severe, there is a point of believing that you aren't good enough.    Something else to understand about Diana is that the emotions that she is expressing here are the first true emotions that she is expressing as the meds that she was were suppressing who she truly is. While lashing out may be intense, this speaks to the core message of Rowdy's video,  you are going to be sad or angry and people have to accept that. 

Things will not always be easy and this is where her husband Dan comes in, with his song, he is trying to be for his wife no matter how much the hallucination of their dad leads her astray.  I believe that the opening lines for his song are the most important.

Can you tell me what it is you're afraid of?
Can you tell me why I'm afraid it's me?

He doesn't know how to help his wife but he wants to and this is the biggest point to make as people may not always take to the help that you want to offer. And that's okay, you have to let them work things out on their own accord sometimes.  You can't force people to get better, it takes time and if you force people to get better, you could end up making them worse than they were when they wanted to lash out and let out all those angry emotions.  While I'm a generally happy person,  I've had my bad days and both these songs reflect that.  And right now if someone wants to be angry/sad, you have to let them. 

Here We Come a Carolling: Here's Love (Secret Santa for Les)

Miracle on 34th Street is often cited as one of the greatest Christmas movies ever made.  If nothing else, it has the best Santa Claus. 

Last year, when I introduced Here We Come a Carolling, I opened with a look at Christmas songs from musicals that weren't exactly about Christmas. However Les inspired me as he mentioned that the song, It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas came from the musical, Here's Love.  Well, I decided to check this out for myself and found that this show was an adaption of a Christmas great.


Therefore,  I figured I would tap into a well that we are both fans of, musical theater.  I knew that this would be the most fun for me to do.  I'll admit that I opened did this on the Superman ABC musical but I couldn't get through ten minutes of that.  And this has more of the holiday spirit anyways.  With that outta the way, let's begin. 


Here's a playlist of the songs as they're easier to find that way. With that outta the way, let's get started. 



The Big Clown Balloons


This opening number is a bit simple but it sets up the parade rather well and also does a great job of tying into the film's intro and the warm feeling that comes when watching this movie.


Arm in Arm

This is a cute number that expresses the love that Doris and Susan have for one another.  Now, from what I've read one change that was made regarding this adaption is that it was moved from the '40s to '60s.  Which while single parenting is even more common now than it was during that era, I think the forties setting made it stand out a bit more.  I think it's one of those things where a movie that came out in the past retroactively becomes a period piece.  Still,  cute and very endearing to the audience. 


You Don't Know 


This number is such a heartbreaking piece from Doris.  Sadly, the synopsis for this isn't that great but I imagine this being sung to Susan about how hard the real world can be and how it'll break your heart sometimes.


The Bugle


This is perhaps one of my favorite songs from this show.  It encapsulates what I think is one of the most important of Miracle.  

Kris showing that he can under this little Dutch girl by singing a song with her in her language speaks to the magic that is found in this season and the goodness of people like Kris that want to help others.  And this song captures that,  in both versions,  Kris wants to make sure every child has a wonderful Christmas no matter the barrier and well if that isn't tear-inducing, I don't know what is. 



Here's Love


The title song is just okay.  It sounds more like a jingle than an actual song and perhaps that is what they were going for but it doesn't completely work for me.  Something about it just falls flat about it.  It's not bad as there isn't a bad song in the bunch (of those that were on YouTube.)  But it's there and that's all I can say about it.


My Wish


Mr. Gailey suffers the most in this adaption. This song with Susan is nice and sentimental and feels li the most like who Gailey was in the movie. Because sure, he was a bit brash and different from Doris but just as much as Kris, he helped the Walkers to believe.  The Gailey in this musical doesn't come off that way.  We will discuss that with his next set of songs but something about them just hasn't aged well. 


Pine Cones and Holly Berries 


This is another sweet song that includes traces of an iconic Christmas song (oddly the OBC version of that song is not YouTube).  This is perhaps the first Christmassy song of the bunch but it works really well as it's just so warm and comforting like any good Christmas song should be.


Look Little Girl/Look Little Girl (Reprise)


Like I was saying, Gailey suffered a lot in this adaption.  I get that this debuted in a different time but frankly, Gailey, as presented in the musical, comes off a bit gross.  I wouldn't go so far as to say sexist but I dunno,  it feels like the original Gailey had more respect for women than what I've heard in this musical.   The reprise as sung by Doris is nice and feels more genuine than Gailey's original song.  Still, not the strongest piece but rather good. 


Expect Things to Happen

Another great Christmas number that has a warm and fuzzy feeling that more than makes up for the last song just rubbing me the wrong way.  I could see adding this and The Bugle to my Christmas Broadway playlist next year as they are some of the best Christmas songs I've never heard before.


She Hadda Go Back


Again, this is just another song that hasn't aged well.  It's not as bad as Look Little Girl but it's just irritating and feels a little dudebro-ish.  It doesn't take me out as much as Gailey's previous song but I can't say I care for it.


That Man Over There


I love this number and strangely, it reminds me of a song from The Flintstones Family Christmas where Fred sings about seeing a Santa on every corner of Bedrock.  Though, I think this song is a bit better than that number.  Again,  another I think I would love to add to Christmas rotation.


My State

This is a decent number that is very enjoyable but not as strong as previous entries.  Good but not great and that's all I really have to say about it.


Finale

The finale is a reprise of That Man Over There and I think that's a good way to close out this show.


My Final Thoughts

The original movie is infinitely better but this isn't a bad adaption.  It's at best a mixed bag that has some really good numbers but others that just don't hold up in today's society.  In all, I'm glad that I was able to discover these songs from a musical based on a Christmas classic.  And I would love to see this onstage some time in the future.   Les, I hope that you enjoyed this and well, here's a Superman holiday image.

The Brokenness of Dear Evan Hansen Pt. 5: The Absence of The Fathers

In the last entry in this series, we looked at the hardships of the mothers and how Heidi and Cynthia are the most heartbreaking characters. Today, however, we are looking at the two characters in this musical that I can't stand, the fathers.  Now, this is interesting in that one of these characters is an off-stage character and is never seen but his presence is felt throughout the whole show.  Let's start with the father that is onstage, Larry Murphy.


You'll notice that this entry is titled the Absence of the Fathers and here's the thing, a person does not have to be physically absent from one's life to be absent and that is the impression that I got from both of these fathers.  Let's look at how Larry addresses his son during the opening number, Anybody Have a Map.  

He doesn't listen.  Look at him, he's probably high.  

Hmm, I get the disdain as Connor was never the easiest kid to live with but this gives the impression that Larry would rather shrug his son's problems because he can't connect to him.  Consider a quote I used from Mike Faist in Connor's entry.

I believe Connor is someone that is filled with a lot of emotions but doesn't know how to express them.

I understand that not all parents may not be able to understand how to reach out if someone in need of help is keeping their emotions bottled up but if we don't make the attempt, things could get worse. And I'm sorry but Larry seems to have shrugged it off and placed the blame of Connor's suicide onto his son.   According to the first paragraph on the entry for Larry's character in Through The Window, this is stated.

The cold, stern, stoic-to-a-fault patriarch in Dear Evan Hansen deals with his son's suicide by burying his grief beneath an armor of anger and resentment. 

Okay, that is one-hundred percent fair but as the story continues, things with him really get irksome. Let's take a look at what is perhaps the most important song for the Murphy's as a whole, Requiem and like the last two times, we will be focusing on what Larry's set of lines have to say.

I gave you the world, you threw it awa/yLeaving these broken pieces behind you/Everything wasted, nothing to say/So I can sing no requiem

I understand that Larry is going through a lot and I understand that people deal with loss in varying ways but this almost reads like victim-blaming. That may not be the case but I find it hard not to view it that way.  It's actually a little annoying.   I try to see everything the point-of-view of all the characters in this show but with this character, I find it extremely difficult.  The one thing that sells the pain of Larry in this number is the distraught that is heard in Michael Park's voice as he sings these lyrics.  I truly feel that without someone of Park's caliber,  Larry would come across as uncaring towards his son.

Now, that's not to say that I can't feel for him during the second act when Connor's suicide note is uploaded online.   And I'm sorry but I find these words to buy from Larry.

I did the best I could, I tried to help him the only way I knew how and if that's not good enough... And he was failing.   

Again, this is just.....

I'll be quite honest and say that Larry's song, To Break in a Glove was the only number that I had not listened to before writing one of these articles.  However, I changed that, right before I went to write this entry.  And well, I can see what this song is trying to do.





This is the one song that helps to show the human side to Larry as he's relating to Evan in a way that it appears that he never got to do with his own son.   I look at these lines specifically and see that.

 Or you're miles from some goal/Or you're just trying to do what's best/For a kid who's lost control

Consider the last line there for a moment as that is where Connor was at as he had lost control but it feels as though, Larry didn't take the time to notice that. Well okay, that's Connor's dad.  What about Evan's? Well...


Evan's dad does not have a physical presence in the show but there is a strong sense that he's moved on.  Let's look at an attempt for interaction that Evan makes with dad in the Novel for a moment.

I used to mail him postcards, hoping we'd become pen pals but the one I received a response it was in Theresa's handwriting. He enjoys hiking, so I suggested we walk the Appalachian Trail together. He seemed to like the idea, but when I reminded him about it this summer, he up with an excuse about how he's already flying east for my graduation in the spring, and now with the baby coming, he can't afford to come twice. 

A bit wordy but it does get across the idea that Evan constantly feels let down by his father because while all these may be legitimate excuses, that is all Evan hears from his father.  And looking at how, when Evan tried to reach out with a postcard, he got a response in return from his father's second wife is just heartbreaking.  Though, I think a lot of the heartbreak that Evan's father has put him through can be traced back to when Evan was a little kid.






Going to do this a little differently as I have two sets of lyrics to look at there.  Firstly, there's the opening.

It was a February day/When your dad came by, before going away/A U-Haul truck in the driveway/The day it was suddenly real

Starting here is simple as we hear how this man (I apologize I could not remember his name) stepped out on Heidi and Evan.  We don't really get to know Evan's dad but if we take how Heidi feels about him and what we can observe from that quote from the Novel, we have a picture of a man that has moved on and has no interest in being a part of his son's life.   In many regards,  Evan's father leaving when he was so young did a lot to harm him.  And not just in the "he didn't have a good male role model" sense but it seemed to have caused some abandonment issues within Evan.  Look at what Little Evan asks of his mom in this song.

That night, I tucked you into bed/I will never forget how you sat up and said"Is there another truck coming to our driveway?/A truck that will take mommy away"

Now, I am not putting the blame completely on Evan's father as Evan did a bad thing later in life but the kid was a bit unstable and to see a young boy have this thought is just heartbreaking.  Even more so, when it is shown that Evan's father doesn't want to take the time to get to know the man that his son has become.


This was the hardest entry to write because like I said, I try to be fair and view what the characters are going through but for these two, that was rather hard.  This is our final entry looking at the characters from Dear Evan Hansen and I'm sorry that it had to end on a dour note but I wanted to get this one as next month, I'll be seeing this show at the Kennedy Center.

I might give you a Musical Musings on my thoughts on the show after I see it but that might not be for a while as I think after that, I think I may want to take a break from this show. Peace!