Poll Bohemian Rhapsody - The Queen/Freddie Movie

[Pingfah]

Anyone going to see this? It's opening this week in the UK, and next week in the USA.

So far it looks really good. I am a huge Queen fan, a collector of their records since I was 8 years old in 1984, I got my first ever job at 15 years old working in a rare records shop and doing record fairs because I used to save my lunch money and go and buy Queen records from this Queen mad record dealer at the market after school on fridays, and he just offered me a job one day. Freddie died later that year sadly so I never got to see him, but he took me to see Brian May and Roger Taylor numerous times.

I think it looks very authentic. It's not entirely historically accurate in the timeline from what I can tell from the various trailers, but it looks very authentic in the general feel and capturing the essence of Freddie and Queen, which is more important to me. It looks like Rami Malek might have done something incredible here.

Also they have re-recorded a Smile (Brian May & Roger Taylor's pre Queen band) track for the soundtrack with a new vocal by the original singer Tim Staffell. I think they have put a huge effort into this.

I am going to see it tomorrow night.

Final Trailer (there's loads more on Youtube):

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[BillJ]

Anyone going to see this? It's opening this week in the UK, and next week in the USA.

Looks interesting, but not something I would go to the theater to see. Will definitely catch it when it becomes available for home viewing.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I'm only a casual Queen fan, knowing only the well-known hits (but absolutely love those few I know), but the film looks like it'll be a lot of fun and Rami Malek just disappears as Freddie based just on the trailers. A.V. Club slammed the film so that means it's probably pretty good.

 

[Captaindemotion]

I’ll go during the week. Although a big Queen fan, I wasn’t especially interested until the first trailer, at which point my jaw hit the floor at Malek’s astounding performance. The other actors as the band members look really like the real thing.

A friend who is an even bigger Queen fan than me has seen it. He said that it’s disappointingly sanitised (in terms of how it deals with Freddie’s sexuality and promiscuity), while it also takes factual liberties (e.g. when he got his AIDS diagnosis) but the former is to be expected when it’s produced by his band mates and the latter is fairly commonplace in biopics. Still, even so, I’m looking forward to it.

 

[auntiehill]

Doesn't start until Thursday here, but I'm pretty interested in seeing it.

 

[sttngfan1701d]

I want to see it and I will eventually, but not in theaters. Seeing movies in theaters with audiences grunting, coughing, talking, messing with their phones etc. is annoying enough. Imagine that combined with people stomping their feet to "We Will Rock You" or singing the operatic sequence of Bohemian Rhapsody like idiots.

Not something I want to pay $16 for. But I will see it in 3 months once it hits digital.

The PG-13 rating means it will probably be ridiculously neutered in how it depicts Freddie's lifestyle. The centerpiece of the film is supposed to be the Live Aid concert. The running time, however, seems short. 106 minutes when I last checked on Wikipedia. And cinema running times are often reported including credits, so how short is this film? An hour and a half?

 

[sttngfan1701d]

Just checked Wikipedia again, and the running time is now officially 134 minutes. Which means it's 2 hours and change minus credits. Feeling better about this now.

 

[Pingfah]

Well I saw it, and I was really pleased with it.

SPOILERS in everything that follows, however, it's a biopic so you probably won't mind them.

As a big Queen fan with an extensive knowledge of their history, I noticed many things that were wrong. His health before Live Aid for instance, he went on and performed one of the most strenuous concert tours ever conceived after Live Aid, but from the film you'd think he was at death's door. The timeline of the various songs etc is moved around. However, it was also clear that these things had been done for the purposes of making a dramatic, enjoyable film, which they did.

I don't know if the US cut is the same as the UK cut, but this film definitely does not gloss over his life, they don't show you much of the crazy partying side of it, but his sexuality is tackled quite frontally. It forms the main body of the movie in fact.

Malek is brilliant, it's a superb performance, and has by far the most screen time. But those familiar with the band will probably find that the performance of the guy playing Brian is a superbly studied one as well, even down to the sceptical way he turns his head in conversation.

All the scenes of their creative process are amazing, and just exactly how I always imagined the band to be in the studio. They really went to town with this film recreating in great detail the creation of some of their most famous material.

I did not find the film to be a very emotional experience though. I mean I am a total softy when it comes to Freddie Mercury, he was my idol when I was a child, I was expecting to be in tears, but it just didn't tug the heart strings like I expected. I guess because it doesn't dwell too much on his death, it's a very triumphant film.

 

[The Realist]

Funny poll! But yeah, I think Queen pretty much sucks. I mean, I acknowledge their technical skill, but most of their hits strike me as little more than goofy novelty songs, one step removed from Dr. Demento fare. "You're My Best Friend" is wonderful, "Killer Queen" is pretty good, and "Under Pressure" is great. But "Fat-Bottomed Girls" or that bicycle song? Please. And "We Are the Champions" has no listenability or value independent of sporting events.

 

[Pingfah]

Most of their hits are designed to be hits. They have 15 albums worth of great songs.

 

[The Realist]

Most of their hits are designed to be hits. They have 15 albums worth of great songs.

I actually thought as I was posting that it was possible their silly and annoying hits were not representative of their "deeper cuts," but the fact is the hits were so irritating and unappealing I never had any desire to explore further. I'll take you at your word, though, and I'm certainly glad you and others enjoy them.

 

[Pingfah]

Honestly, I am a huge Queen fan, but some of their big hits are so ubiquitous now, that I feel like skipping them when I listen to the albums as well. I can do without hearing We WIll Rock You for the zillionth time.

 

[Captaindemotion]

Honestly, I am a huge Queen fan, but some of their big hits are so ubiquitous now, that I feel like skipping them when I listen to the albums as well. I can do without hearing We WIll Rock You for the zillionth time.

Same here. I get much more excited hearing Brighton Rock, 39, Mustafa or the like than I do when I hear the hits (much as I love them too).

 

[Owain Taggart]

I actually thought as I was posting that it was possible their silly and annoying hits were not representative of their "deeper cuts,"

I think the same could be said of many other big bands. Certain hits are sometimes not indicative of body of work, but rather something produced to capture attention, often chasing current trends. The downside is that these can later stand out as oddities. I think that every band has at least one or two of theses.

With one of my favourite bands, one of their songs was chosen as a single to represent and market their then-current album, but I felt it wasn't very representative of their work and that some new fans coming in would get the wrong idea at what kind of music they played.

 

[Marc]

With one of my favourite bands, one of their songs was chosen as a single to represent and market their then-current album, but I felt it wasn't very representative of their work and that some new fans coming in would get the wrong idea at what kind of music they played.

Guess that's the problem when the music industry frequently promotes more on a single than the complete album and radio stations frequently only ever play the big "singles" from an album rather than other songs that are better and more indicative of the artist's work (on that album at least)

 

[Guy Gardener]

The djs are given a list of permitted songs, and how often they are allowed play each song, before the station has to payout more performance royalties.

 

[Marc]

The djs are given a list of permitted songs, and how often they are allowed play each song, before the station has to payout more performance royalties.

and that would only reinforce the problem (and explain why so many damn songs are played ad nauseum)

 

[Guy Gardener]

Obviously the label, offers discounts, and even freebies, to ensure overplay on some titles.

 

[Owain Taggart]

Guess that's the problem when the music industry frequently promotes more on a single than the complete album and radio stations frequently only ever play the big "singles" from an album rather than other songs that are better and more indicative of the artist's work (on that album at least)

Yeah, and I guess you could say it's gotten more and more emphasized as the industry pushed over to a digital format, where it's more likely to sell a single rather than the complete album. It's only made the issue worse over time.The adverse effect of this is that now singles are focused on in terms of presentation, and people will buy the single and not the rest of the albums. I tend to like concept albums where I know what I'll be getting based on what they're promoting as usually the whole album will fit a certain theme and style.

 

[Unicron]

I've tended to always favor buying a full album over just one or two singles, even if it turns out I wind up only liking those singles from that artist for a bit. I'd prefer having a selection.