Across The Universe - Blu-Ray

[mattB2]

I loved this movie and the new arrangements applied to the Beatles' songs. For the majority of the movie I wasn't really conscious of much musical activity in the rears but the mix suddenly opens up for the latter part of the end titles for a terrific surround version of "Flying" by Secret Machines. The "full" versions of a lot of the songs in the "extras" section are also worth checking out as they sound great in Dolby TrueHD (although I would have preferred music-only mixes).

The commentary and featurette by Director Julie Taymor and Composer Elliot Goldenthal provide an interesting insight into de-constructing and re-arranging music that is so embedded in our culture.

The visuals are also quite stunning on Blu-Ray.

Well worth checking out if you are happy to hear new arrangements of the old classics. :banana::banana::banana:

 

[PossumPete]

I was really worried that this would devolve into a "Sgt. Peppers" fiasco but I was pleasantly surprised. I usually hate musicals and a lot of the story is here just to make the songs fit. The two lead characters hold the whole thing together. The making of featurette was very insightful. I thought for sure that the vocals were dubbed but it was really the actors singing. Evan Rachel Wood is amazing! Beautiful and talented with a great voice.

 

[JonUrban]

I have been avoiding this Blu-Ray and had no intention of ever seeing the movie. I can't bring myself to seeing/listening to Beatles covers. It may indeed be the "Sgt. Pepper" Movie fiasco, but I tend to dislike remakes of any songs.

So, you think that I should give it a shot? Is the movie good on it's own. I seem to recall it was just a bunch of Beatles songs looped together to form a story.

 

[mattB2]

If you like your Beatles music straight then these versions are best avoided: the arrangements are intended to be different to fit the movie and avoid just being the product of a tribute band.

The main thing that surprises me is just how well the actors cope with the vocals. The new arrangements also work very well for the most part although there are a couple of bits that make me reach for the "skip" button (the "Mr. Kite" sequence is over the top in every possible way and Bono, as usual, is better heard and not seen). Joe Cocker provides an excellent "Come Together".

Overall the movie helped increase my appreciation for the originals (if that were possible) as great songs and some songs such as "Dear Prudence" and "I Want You" have taken on a new life when coupled with the visuals. I was genuinely amazed at how the general feeling of the "nothing's gonna change my world" refrain from "Across The Universe" changes dramatically when it's sung by men in suits during the protest segment.

Overall, on a sliding scale of Beatle interpretations from "Love" at one end and "Sgt. Pepper" at the other, "Across The Universe" is more towards the "Love" side.

 

[PossumPete]

Good call, Matt. The Joe Cocker segment was very good and Bono was very bad. I wanted to turn it off when "the boys" were prancing all around college but ERW kept bringing me back.

 

[jeffty]

So, you think that I should give it a shot?

Recommending anything to folks these days is a dicey prospect so let me say this about "Across the Universe". I am a 56 year old working musician who cut his teeth on all the original Capitol LPs (mono and stereo); there's the Beatles and then there's everyone else. That being said I adored this movie. This is by no means akin to the Sgt. Pepper fiasco - this is a great and highly imaginative vision brought to fruition by some very talented actors and musicians with this one caveat; If you were a teen during the mid-to-late 60's this film and its music will resonate with you much more than if you are of a different generation. Even if you just watch it for the music the arrangements are excellent and tasteful without ever falling into mimicry or bar-band morass. I found many of the arrangements to be excellent reworkings of these classic tunes. The reworking of "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" into a whole new meaning told me early on that this was something really special and like all good things it won't appeal to everyone in the same way. If you can drop your preconceptions and give into this movie I suspect it will take any music lover with a penchant for Beatles music to some wonderous places. It did for me like no other adaptations of the sacred Beatles texts ever did before.

Just one aging musicman's opinion - your mileage may vary, void where prohibited, some settling may occur during handling...

 

[timbre4]

Thanks for that perspective! Another musician hitting 50 next week myself...