Tag: Musical

All You Need is ♡ to be Whisked Away By Spirited Away: Live on Stage’s Magical Adventure

When a wide-shot was cut to, the thought of viewing Spirited Away: Live on Stage, from the best seats in the house crossed my mind.

Spirited Away: Live on StageRemaining showtimes: April 27 & May 2
Please check GKIDS official website for a theatre near you.

The next time Spirited Away: Live on Stage is offered for the authentic experience, I’m booking a trip! It played at Tokyo’s historic Imperial Theatre in 2022, and had a rotating cast. Kanna Hashimoto and Mone Kamishiraishi played the title role, and both performances were committed to tape in front of a live audience.

As part of GKIDS‘ annual commitment to celebrate the works of Studio Ghibli, the recorded show is making its USA debut this year. I was fortunate to time my trip to Seattle right so I can see it. Part of the reason for not being available in other countries may be due to licensing. A home video release is expected, but there’s no official announcement yet. I want to see both.

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In this Cinematic Adaptation of School of Magical Animals, It’s OK to Sing-A-long

School of Magical Animals shows that not every German-made fantasy is about the works from the Brothers Grimm.

School of Magical Animals Movie PosterBlue Fox Entertainment
Playing at select cinemas; please check local listings.

The live-action adaptation of Margit Auer‘s School of Magical Animals (Die Schule der magischen Tiere) has a few interesting changes, and the most prominent is the fact this presentation is also a musical. Unless this adaptation does really well in the box office, all that character development I found in this film requires more movies than one to fully realise. Unlike Rowling’s narrative concerning who are the bad guys, the mystery simply involves finding out who is pranking and stealing items from the school.

Aside from a few Easter egg style aesthetics taken from Harry Potter, I can’t help but wonder if Miss Cornfield (Nadja Uhl), a teacher in this institution, is intentionally made up to resemble Rita Skeeter. As for whether she’s a friend or foe to Ida (Emilia Maier), that’s a detail I won’t spoil. The friends she makes–Benni (Leonard Conrads) and Jo (Loris Sichrovsky)–at the school she’s admitted to is special, but not everyone knows it’s a unique institution which helps young ones hone their ability to interact with the supernatural.

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Look Out Harry Potter! There’s a School of Magical Animals Ready to Take Over.

Although Spring Break will be over, the movie version of Margit Auer’s School of Magical Animals will be sure to entertain.

School of Magical Animals Movie PosterMargit Auer‘s School of Magical Animals may well be the newest franchise to admire when the live-action movie adaptation plays in movie theatres come March 24. Blue Fox Entertainment will no doubt face a challange while promoting this import because viewers will no doubt see this work as combining the best in Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts into one.!

While it’s tough to rank where this magical fantasy and musical sits in the list of top works of young adult adventures, this IP has led the charts in Germany. It’s been translated to other languages for fans to enjoy world-wide. The books outnumber J.K. Rowling’s seven volume series (there’s 11 in all). And when producers Alexandra and Meike Kordes came across this pheneomon back in 2013, they knew it had to be turned into a movie.

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The Buzz About Lyle, Lyle Crocodile is Wonderful

Not everyone knows Lyle, Lyle Crocodile was a children’s book and it’s one of this year’s better adaptations to grace the movie screen.

Lyle, Lyle Crocodile
DVD/Blu-ray Available to pre-order on Amazon USA

Currently Available on Digital

Lyle, Lyle Crocodile is one of this year’s better comic strip/children’s storybook adaptations to grace the movie screen. After a different effort by another studio with a certain comic strip, Marmaduke did not sit. If people missed catching this flick because of the limited screenings, then they can thank Sony for the digital edition that’s now available.

Alternatively, the home video release is next week; the extras that come with it will certainly get me dancing and perhaps singing to Broadway too. I loved the musical presentation, and I’m eager to see music videos and featurettes to detail the production. On the list are:

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More Punk Than Just A Death of a Rockstar

Röckët Stähr’s Death of a Rockstar recalls everything that we love from 70s and 80s era Rock n Roll!

Death of a RockstarAvailable to view on Roku and Tubi
DVD, Bluray and Soundtrack can be purchased through the official eBay store.

Röckët Stähr’s Death of a Rockstar has redefined what a concept album can look like as an animated movie experience. There’s honestly not enough material in this specific subgenre for fans to enjoy (the other is Pink Floyd’s The Wall and Metalocalypse: The Doomstar Requiem), and I love them all! The throwback animation style may not be for everyone, and I find parts of it very nostalgic. It felt like watching a Fleischer Studios cartoon with classic rock and roll music added on top.

Here, we’re presented with a story about the fate of a four-armed frontman (Stähr) as his show comes to a finale. After this band delivers a rousing performance to a packed house, someone in the crowd fires a gun, and the title card is displayed–he’s presumably killed. As this dying musician vibes back to his rise, what’s shown shows his success didn’t come easy. Also, there are even some moments which remind me of Nelvana’s Rock n’ Rule, as this star sings his heart away. One detail I love is the lyrics rendering in real time like a karaoke video! Usually, this option is rarely offered until a work gets offered as a sing-along to an anniversary celebration.

What we hear are songs recounting his life. The flashbacks include his creation, which is almost straight out of Frankenstein. He’s created by a mad scientist, Creigh A. Tor whose goal is to spur a movement to free the world from C. Czar’s oppressive regime. Röcky’s birth is no different from any other creation myth, and he’s lucky to not live an existence in excess. In regard to what he learns and expresses via song deserves attention.
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Love Ryan Reynolds? You’ll Be “Spirited” Away With This Holiday Movie.

To say this movie is very Spirited is a very bad pun but it must be said.

Spirited Movie PosterApple TV Plus’ Spirited lives up to its name as a musical, and it’s a holiday movie which delivers a finale that I didn’t expect! The central idea behind this work is to believe anyone can change for the better. And as a film adds to Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol mythos, I loved the world that’s presented which expands upon why people of a certain nature gets haunted.

Even though I think it’s too early to have these types of films out, I was curious, and delayed posting after the American Thanksgiving weekend. That way, I can at least say this movie is worth watching to get into the coming Holiday spirit. The fact there haven’t been many adaptations of Dickens’ tale to the musical format, this was one movie I had to watch.

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