TWIGGY is a STAR | Ken Russell's THE BOY FRIEND (Greatest Musicals You've Never Seen)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ต.ค. 2024
- It's 1971. International supermodel Twiggy is looking to exit out of modelling. Her then boyfriend and manager thinks she should do a musical with their friend Ken Russell. Ken Russell is a flamboyant director who has made splashes with Women in Love, and will release one of the most controversial films of all time, The Devils, this year. Twiggy will be playing the part originated by Julie freaking Andrews. It's a recipe for one of the worst flops of all time, right?
...Maybe?????????????
The Boy Friend is an exercise in excess. A dream within a musical within a film. A send up of Busby Berkeley and the traditional MGM musical. Super sweet and earnest, yet with a corrosive eye of self-awareness and self-castigation that is present in any regional stock theater.
It's the movie that Smash wants to be and that The Muppets is (according to Rachel Schukert [Rachel Schukert did NOT say this, please don't tell her.])
It's a love letter to the lifecycle of a theater performer, from wide eyed novice to craggly old pro, and how they're all similarly the fool.
And I actually kinda love it, tbh.
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(All views expressed are from a first, mostly blind, viewing. If you feel the need to come for me, please don't)
A pleasure to watch you enjoy THE BOY FRIEND just as I did at the cinema in '72, and in 70mm to boot. You get this movie. I have found a lot of others do not. Thankyou very much.
That's amazing to hear, thank you!
SO GLAD a youtube movie reviewer is giving this the attention it deserves!
Oh my god, this film looks beyond amazing and Twiggy totally surprised me as a great lead actress. It's so garish and over-the-top but obviously had SO much work put into it. Now I need to get this on DVD... Thanks for the laughs!
Yeah! It's very maximal and purposefully off-putting, but that's its charm! I think critics back in the day may have been more focused on the styles that it was spoofing and missed innovations that Bob Fosse and Christopher Guest would employ later on.
This movie is SO good and SO overlooked!
Hey ... here I am a 68 year old geezer remembering how obsessed I was with this movie on release when I saw it first in 70mm at local cinema! Who could've known I would be able ro project in 4K at home! from excellent Warner Bros Archive Blu ray Your enthusiasm is infectious! Many thanks! Kind regards Keith
So nice to see someone appreciating what is probably the cleverest, campest, most honest of musical movies ever made. The songs are great, the performances are great, the camera work and editing are great; the whole idea - playing with all those Hollywood musical cliches juxtaposed with the down at heel British setting (when the real Hollywood musicals provided genuine escapism from a humdrum UK) is truly a masterpiece but because it doesn't take itself seriously, will never be fully appreciated. You correctly identified that only true aficionados of musical comedy will 'get' this multi-faceted gem. I really enjoyed revisiting it with you, thanks for posting
A brilliant movie,,,one of my faves.
My favourite movie of all time!! So colourful, romantic and great fun! So glad you enjoyed it
The role of Rita, the lead actress who breaks her foot, was intended as a cameo for Julie Andrews, but she had a schedule conflict. But Glenda Jackson really knocks it out of the park, so I'm not too upset that she chose other work over this.
Anyone who likes The Boy Friend is a friend of mine, you just won a follower ;)
Largely filmed at the Theatre Royal in my home town of Portsmouth on the south coast of the UK.
Well, not only Ken Russell and his wonderful troupe of actors, buT the amazing Shirley Russell costumes AND Tony Walton (MISTER Julie andrews) set and production design --- and the guy ALSO did the unbelievable finale of All that Jazz........ The movie is right up there, with anything Kubrick, Fellini, Fosse did in production design and looks and camera work (and out of all of them proaably with the smallest budget too).. And not enugh praise for Peter Maxwells Davies 's stunning reinterpretation / work on the Sandy Wilson score and numbers.
And no mention of the genius of Busby Berkeley who did inspire a good deal of the staging and shots?
The Boy Friend wasn’t actually poorly received! For some reason Russell’s films just haven’t been preserved that well. I think it’s partially because the British don’t want to have him remembered as one of their prominent directors. Although Women in Love was a critical darling and many of his other films were popular, in later years he came to be seen as an embarrassment. I see him ridiculed in certain circles to this day.
You mention Ken Russell’s Women in Love in your description, but didn’t call out that movie’s best actress Oscar winner this same year: Glenda Jackson who makes a cameo as the injured star Rita.
Give Twiggy another dozen years & by 1983, she’s a bonafide Tony nominated Broadway musical star with Tommy Tune directing, choreographing & co-starring with her in My One And Only which borrows heavily the design from this movie too, down to her lounging on a sofa shaped like a crescent moon like at 40:00
It was after I saw that musical I sought this film. Love this film as it always connects me to their stage performances! Ironically, it’s set in the 20’s like the original musical, but references Busby Berkeley style of the 30’s musicals as the 20’s was still in the silent era…. so it also has time-traveling too - lol
Haha yeah, if Ken Russell isn't afraid of one thing, it's anachronism. It sounds like such a treat to have seen My One and Only onstage. I think I've only seen dance segments online. What joy!
As for Jackson, I'm not the most familiar with her work so I didn't want to misrepresent my knowledge. I do hope to give somewhat of a middle ground in my videos between a layman approach to these films and a full on academic lost in their own jargon. It doesn't always work haha
@@pillboxmovies Russell's movies are so whacked and I love them! Skip Barry Lyndon and review Women in Love. It's NUTS and fabulous!
I love this film!!!
A masterpiece by Russel
the movie looks fantastic, i'd be sure to check it out
I adore this overlooked movie! As you said, there's way more going on here than the surface! Thanks for reviewing!
BTW, Emma Stone did a LOT of theatre in Arizona, before coming to "Hollywood"! Probably in theatres much like in this film! 🤣
I first saw this, age 15, on tv in 1975. I was already familiar with Ken Russell thru TOMMY. I always liked this film a lot. Now, as result of your reaction I LOVE this film.
p.s. Verisimilitude happens to be tied with tintinnabulation as my favorite word.
P.S. Russell was a big Powell & Pressburger fan! Do you have reviews of The Red Shoes or other P&P films? Would love to see those!
Love hearing about the connections between Powell and Pressburger and other filmmakers/admirers. The Red Shoes is one of my favorite films, but having already seen it, I don't feel appropriate doing a movie reaction video to it at this time. There are a number of less well known Powell films that I haven't seen, I hope to get them on the channel eventually if I can find the space. Thanks for all your comments!
@@pillboxmovies Oh, yes please do those! I first saw The Red Shoes as a kid, then Black Narcissus and then became a bit obsessed with them! They have some weird, odd films you'd love! Have you ever seen A Matter of Life and Death? That's a good one to review if you haven't!
I've seen the big ones from their collaboration, except for Colonel Blimp. Hoping to eventually whittle my way down their more obscure titles.
@@pillboxmovies Oh, you'll love Colonel Blimp! That's the film that pissed off Churchill, so you know they pushed it. Lol. A Canterbury Tale and Gone to Earth are two of their very odd, "lesser" movies that I love.
A PERFECT REVIEW. BRAVO.
Thank you very much!
@@pillboxmovies your welcome.
Can you review 1 of my favorite movies of all time "Funny Girl" starring Barbara Streisand. When I was a kid I signed this movie out from the library so many times they gave it to me for free😂
I think I've already seen it unfortunately but I'll be sure to check
Dude, all due deference, but you keep sticking your face in front of the best scenes. The idea is watching you react to what both you and we are watching together.