Oh, JC, you're so crazy!

[c9]

I'm watching Jesus Christ Superstar, the film version from 1973, for the first time. It's ungodly mired in the seventies. I can hardly stand it. It amuses me that I've recognized about one third of the songs so far. But holy cow, the songs are *bad*.

I've never been really one for musicals -- I'm pretty non-stereotypical in that regard -- but I have an urge to go find some Andrew Lloyd Webber (sorry Joel) or something, just for the better singing.

"Hosanna hey-zanna zanna zanna hoe
zanna hey zanna hoe zanna!
Hey JC, won't you die for me?!"

(shakes head)

UPDATE: In its own way, it's just as bloody as The Passion Of The Christ. All the tight pants, loose shirts, and hair... oh god... the hair... it's everywhere...

Comments

[thespos]

My friend Jill (xtingu) appeared in a stage production of this musical a few years back. She was phenomenal as Mary.

[disasternat.livejournal.com]

I also jsut finsihed watching this movie and I LOVE - I watched it even though I have it in VHS on my bookshelf

[whobunkyboo.livejournal.com]

I played Mary at fifteen.

Our Judas was hot, and our Jesus, who was an amazingly gift little butterball, was great.

"Could We Start Again Please?" is actually one of my favorite songs, although it's only in the movie version.

[miket61.livejournal.com]

I thought Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote Jesus Christ Superstar.

If you want good singing, find some Sondheim. Into the Woods or Sunday in the Park with George (from which we get the gay anthem "Send in the Clowns."

Then there's Chess, written by Tim Rice (Andrew Lloyd Webber's lyricist) and Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, formerly of ABBA. Best known for "One Night In Bangkok."

[c9.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes, he did do the original musical. I think maybe it's Norman Jewison's approach to the songs, it would probably be fine if done differently.

*shrug*

[iambic-cub.livejournal.com]

There is one good Andrew Lloyd Webber musical about an opera singer's cat who is a Hollywood recluse hoping for a comeback. Rather than having one really good musical, Webber foolishly watered it down and did it as a dozen separate musicals. Originally, the Phantom was supposed to sing "Memories", but Webber decided that the cool little organ riff from Phantom was enough to structure an entire musical around, and spun off "Memories" as the musical Cats. If you buy a Webber greatest hits collection, you can kind of piece together that one good musical.

[cap-hill-latte.livejournal.com]

I'm fond of 'What's That Buzz?' and the song that King Herod (I think) sings where he asks Jesus to walk across his swimming pool.

(Though, when it comes to cheesy musicals about The Lord, I prefer Godspell over JCSS any day.)

[sisyphus238.livejournal.com]

Try sitting through Easy Rider. That's one movie that I thought was great at the time. In its way it was rather innovative but it hasn't aged well.

[miket61.livejournal.com]

I had forgotten that Norman Jewison did the movie. I saw him in Chicago over Christmas 2003 - he was being interviewed in the restaurant of the Four Seasons about a movie that he did with Tilda Swinton.