"The Greatest Showman" has some of the best bad reviews of the year

It's sad that Hugh Jackman is now entering his physical decline but he only got to show his musical talent in two movies.

But...but...our live “Christmas Story” commercial was so great!

thanks R2 never seen that ad for the film...that is truly crap...to think of all the money that was spent to make this, so sad...and I know some will dispute this but Jackman is a big MO i do not get a straight vibe from him at all.

Shame on those kids at R2 trying to cover up the fact that they can’t dance by doing backflips! Tsk tsk.

Is it about Liberace? Cause Jackson sure as he'll looks like him.

Saw the trailer and it was cringeworthy. I felt bad for Hugh.

The live trailer song sounded like something that would play at a Disneyland stage show.

Zac Efron is box office poison

This movie really should have just been a 15 minute sex scene between Zac and Hugh. Would've sold WAY better

It’s nice to see a big budget Hwood movie in 2017 that isn’t super heroes or animation or a sequel but Hugh Jackman sucks and musicals are very tough to get right. Maybe it’ll be big in countries that don’t speak English.

[quote]t’s nice to see a big budget Hwood movie in 2017 that isn’t super heroes

But they filmed him like a superhero...the 'Greatest Showman'

The trailer made him almost look like he had supernatural skills

Hugh Jackman has zero charisma and is a terrible actor. It's the reason why he succeeded in the Wolverine role

Hugh Jackman should do the movie-musical version of La Cage Aux Folles as Zaza. (Come to think of it -- why has no one done it?)

Hopefully this will signal the departure of Zendaya.

Shendaya

I can’t wait for the porno version The Gayest Showman.

Maybe they should have done more "Barnum!" the musical and less "Baz Luhrmann" the musical.

Was everyone singing FLAT in that commercial? And wasn't PT Barnum - fat? Maybe not so much.

[quote]he only got to show his musical talent in two movies

Can you please point me towards those two movies? I've yet to see either of them.

[quote]There is a number in which, if you pay close attention, you will see Jackman and Efron drink 24 shots of whiskey apiece, yet somehow never kiss.

[Quote] Hopefully this will signal the departure of Zendaya.

Why? What's wrong with her?

She reeks of marijuana and patchouli!

That had 'box office bomb' written all over it.

R21 LOL she could be worse, Giuliana!

Will this be the new gay camp classic?

I just realized that I’ve only seen one Hugh Jackman movie: the time travel romance he did with Meg Ryan.

From the trailer, I don’t feel like I’m missing out on much.

Is his prolapse complete? Will Hugh be forced to leak a sex tape now?

R25 I forgot Kate & Leopold existed.

You know Hugh and Zac fucked

Maybe they sucked, R28. It's pretty well known that a majority of gay Jewish men do not like anal sex. Zac is Jewish.

Let's be honest. This is the movie where Hugh got access to fucking Zac. That's all there is to it so it was a win for Hugh no matter how the movie ended up.

[quote]It's pretty well known that a majority of gay Jewish men do not like anal sex.

First time I'm hearing about this and I'm sure it's not true. It's nuts to think ethnicity in any way informs one's preferences when it comes to sexual positions. And no one in the world perceives Effron as Jewish apart from the American Jews who keep meticulous track of people's bloodlines for some reason. He's the quintessential American guy next door, nothing more.

I don't get that Zac Efron still gets parts in big movies...When will Hollywood learn that he'll never be a star no matter how much they try ?

When they stop wanting to fuck him, R32.

Eh, sometimes critics are wrong. Sometimes audiences are wrong. Sometimes both.

I agree a sex scene between Huge and Zac would've driven up the ratings. Who wants to see Zac kiss yet another female? Yawn...

This movie is going to flop. Kids will see Star Wars and adults will see The Post. Nobody asked for a Hugh Jackman musical.

The sidewalks look too clean.

This looks like shit

R18, dear, I guess 'Les Miz' is more of an opera than a musical.

But it was a noble effort

Um, whatever tickles your nonenclaturative fancy, R38: it did win BEST MUSICAL both on Broadway and in the West End, and won the Golden Globe for Best Picture, Comedy or MUSICAL - and it certainly wasn't a comedy.

[QUOTE]it did win BEST MUSICAL both on Broadway and in the West End

Just Broadway.

Deadline's Pete Hammond likes it, a lot. And so do apparently the commenters.

I smell a craptacular double feature:

The Greatest Showman

Showgirls

From the trailers it does look truly crap! It’s like watching a promotional video for Disney World. I was expecting to see a child patting a dolphin and a happy family on a studio tour pointing at explosions!

Why have people in old fashioned costumes singing 2010s style auto tuned songs??

When will they stop trying to make Zendaya a star? She's supposedly a nightmare to work with. Her record label dropped her before she even released an album because she was such an impossible bitch.

R44 They have to hire people that because half of America will be compiling Hugh and Zach make this movie too WHITE.

How many Oscar nods is Lynn Stairmaster predicting?

The singing in the 3-minute clip was ATROCIOUS.

Zendaya is the most interesting thing to happen to the red carpet in a while. Dont think I've seen her act but I like her bold fashion choices.

Nope, R48, that would be Miss Janelle Monae.

R22, it will be far from a box office bomb. It will make a fair amount of money, particularly overseas.

It looks like a morgue a campy version of Moulin Rouge

Even from the trailers you never get any sense of this being set in the 19th century. Which I believe is the time period .

Well the blacks sure ain't gonna go see it

The Greatest Showman!

Now playing at the Cinerama Dome!!

in V I B R A T O V I S I O N ! ! !

Well, people seem to like the film. It just got an A at CinemaScore.

I hate modern songs in period pieces.

Like a virgin!!

I have zero desire to see this, but two different co-workers saw it and loved it. I pretty much know that if anything co-worker 1 likes I'll hate, but I was surprised at the rave from co-worker 2--our tastes usually align. Still, I don't think I can sit through it. Maybe if Zac was greased up and sitting on Hugh's didgeridoo, but if not, hard pass.

Yeah, I noticed it received 80% approval from audiences, and appears to be a decent film according to IMDB ratings. o Call me a romantic idealist, but I'm still hoping for Zac to make it. I always pull for the underdog, anyway, and he's a particularly cute puppy.

I've been listening to the songs online. A lot of them are really good, but I'll never understand why autotune is used in musicals. Just find some better singers!

[Quote] When will they stop trying to make Zendaya a star? She's supposedly a nightmare to work with. Her record label dropped her before she even released an album because she was such an impossible bitch.

I thought she had released at least 1 album?

[Quote] Nope, [R48], that would be Miss Janelle Monae.

There's room for both.

I saw it tonight and it was very good. Hugh Jackman is excellent in it. I'm still humming along to the songs they ingrained into our brains a million times. I'm going to have to buy the soundtrack. Ugh.

Video review by Alonso Duralde, Christy Lemire and Matt Atchity.

They savage the movie with such glee that I think I'll probably enjoy hate-watching it.

Hmm, seems to be a rather polarizing movie.

Went yesterday (matinee) and was ready to hate it based oo this thread. I liked it and was quite emotional for about 2/3's of it. Who knew, I have a heart?! I can seen how one could mock it however.

I saw the trailer for this before Star Wars. Only thing that stuck out to me was that somehow the Room had a better CGI rooftop than this film did.

I love musicals so I will see it happily. It'll be better the usual end of the year snoozefests like Lady Bird, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri or The Florida Project that critics splooge all over and bore the shit out of everyone else.

I have MoviePass, so basically after one movie, all movies are free. Free is good. That means no matter how bad it might be, it won’t be that bad.

[quote] Hopefully this will signal the departure of Zendaya.

Are you really that bothered by a 21 yr old biracial girl? She still has a hit show on the Disney Channel. Which has given her a huge following among preteens and teens, particularly girls. Which is probably one of the reasons that she was cast.

[quote] When will they stop trying to make Zendaya a star? She's supposedly a nightmare to work with. Her record label dropped her before she even released an album because she was such an impossible bitch.

This is her 2nd co starring role in a feature film. Compare that to Efron's dozen or so flops.

She released 1 album (Hollywood Records) and is working on a 2nd (Republic Records).

[quote] They have to hire people that because half of America will be compiling Hugh and Zach make this movie too WHITE. —Of course, I have NO idea what a "Zendaya" is.

Shes plays a fair skinned black woman who passes for white. So who exactly do you believe should have been cast? They cast a bi-racial woman to play a bi-racial woman and you have a problem with that.

You folks are so transparent.

[quote]She released 1 album (Hollywood Records) and is working on a 2nd (Republic Records).

Republic Records dropped her because she was impossible to work with.

Why do we get this instead of movie versions of [italic]The Boy from Oz[/italic] and [italic]Barnum[/italic]? Hugh's aging out of the former, and the latter would be great if Disney got the rights to, especially if they could get Jim Dale to do a cameo.

Hugh would make the perfect "Zaza" in the movie-musical version of La Cage Aux Folles. It's about time it was done as a movie musical! It's got great music.

How exactly is Efron an underdog? He keeps getting cast in big film after big film, despite most of them being flops and his star power limited to taking off his shirt.

Zenwhosya and Gomez ugly ugly ugly wetbacks.

[quote] Hugh would make the perfect "Zaza" in the movie-musical version of La Cage Aux Folles. It's about time it was done as a movie musical! It's got great music.

Someone put Bill Condon and Jerry Herman in the same room and don't let them leave until they make a deal for this. And shoot it in Alexa 65.

I'd be afraid to review this campy mess if I were a reviewer since anytime anything remotely negative about that Zendaya is said, there's a media frenzy over "racism". I'm not sure how she got that kind of clout, but you can't point out what a bad actor or even singer she is because of that. She's acting's version of Tig Nataro on Datalounge.

Zendaya is horrible. I never want to see her in any form of media I consume.

[quote] I'd be afraid to review this campy mess if I were a reviewer since anytime anything remotely negative about that Zendaya is said, there's a media frenzy over "racism". I'm not sure how she got that kind of clout, but you can't point out what a bad actor or even singer she is because of that. She's acting's version of Tig Nataro on Datalounge

Sweetheart I realize that you, like all deplorables, need to be the victim, but you're full of shit. Many dataloungers are unable to talk about nonwhites without making the conversation overtly or covertly about race. Then you play victim when called out.

[quote] Zendaya is horrible. I never want to see her in any form of media I consume.

So why not just change the channel. The Disney Channel is for children, not 60 yr old deplorables.

Zendaya is not even the star of the movie. She's a costar and I imagine that her role is pretty small. Why are we still talking about her?

The Disney Channel will turn your children into 60 year old deplorables. Don't forget they had Growing fucking Pains in reruns for years because all the actually good sitcoms of that era, even that charming little show whose name escapes me at the moment about those four old ladies in Fkorida who welcomed all walks of life into their living room, were on other cable networks.

Florida, I mean.

Per R62 - Wait, Michelle Williams is starring in this??

Michelle Williams got out of promoting this movie completely. How did she swing that?

R75 sounds like a deplorable and a professional victim. Waaah!!!!! People are calling me racist, even though I am!!!!

R82 is a crybully.

Calling R75 a deplorable sort of proves his/her point, doesn't it?

And I haven't seen anything Zendaya's been in to have an opinion of her. She sounds fine on the soundtrack to this though.

[quote]Why do we get this instead of movie versions of The Boy from Oz and Barnum?

BARNUM sucks. It hasn't been revived in almost 40 years for a reason.

R77 should be put on ignore. Always bitchy and snotty.

R68, you’re wrong. Did you see the movie? Zendaya’s character is not a black character passing for white. It’s clear she’s black in society as is her brother whose skin tone is a lot darker.

Michelle Williams is a dull actress.

^ that actress looks like a chipmunk.

(I dimly remember there were two chipmunk-faced females in that 'Dawson's Creek' TV show. One was blonde and the other dark. And I can't be bothered learning which was which as I stick to my prejudice that a TV star is equal to a B-grade movie star)

R75, I love you — agree with you about Zendaya 100%!

Saw the movie. It was good. Zendaya was good but not a highlight. It's worth seeing for the music alone.

Currently has a 7.9 on IMDb. Looks like the critics got this one wrong.

Why do they think people would care about fidelity to the source material when they are watching a musical?

Rex Reed savaged it in The New York Observer, but gave Hugh a tongue bath.

Rex was fired from the Observer months ago, so how is it he's still reviewing for it?

It would have sold more tickets if Jackman and the pretty boy had just fucked.

r92 is a moron. IMDB allows people to vote on movies whether they have see them or not and for as many dummy accounts you can make. They are as reliable as Netflix rankings. Furthermore, it is stan central where idiots will give a movie 9s and 10s. Or the reverse. Even if you liked this movie, no one with any taste or sense is giving it a 9 or 10 ranking it up with Singing in the Rain.

Fuck "source material" R92

Its called The Greatest SHOWMAN

There was no fidelity to the MAN

The man bought and sold people like live-stock - so deserving of a saccharine, congratulatory blockbuster. What next - Joseph Mengele as 'The Greatest Medical Scientist'?

LOVE THIS GUY!^R97

But that Jackman would allow this mans story to be told this way ends up telling us a lot more about JACKMAN than he probably wanted

I knew it would be bad when I saw Zendaya was featured

Had a lot of friends who worked on the reshoots and the live commercial (they asked me, but I was on another job). For the live commercial, they spent at least $950,000 just for the hair and makeup artists, so I'm calculating $4-6 million total for the promo.

They really REALLY want this movie to succeed.

Is Zendaya human? Is she related to that hideous Gomez?

I had the same reaction when I saw the trailer r97.

On a shallow note, I'm trying to figure out what's going on with Jackman's face. He's looked quite grizzled in a few of his latest roles, not unattractive but appropriate to his age. In the trailer for this film, his face looks odd. Shorter, wider, and yes, less wrinkled. Weight gain? Fillers?

I knew I would like the music just based on the trailer. The soundtrack is what made me want to see the movie. Currently listening to this on repeat.

How many Negroes did they manage to cram into this shitfest?

r91 = Pasek

R103 = Paul

Please tell me thats a joke R103.

Oh wait--Thanks R105----KNEW it!

GREAT SET UP.

And R100, any info on the personalities behind camera?

R68 = Zendaya

They should have pushed Logan I thought it was Oscar worthy.

[quote]Rex Reed savaged it in The New York Observer,

But then again he had wandered in expecting to screen “Downsizing” and didn’t realize until an hour in that this might be a different film.

The word of mouth for this is really good so it won’t be the box office catastroohe that it’s expected to be.

Rotten Tomatoes says it is bad.

Says WHO R110-????

--because I'M hearing its BEYOND bad and NO ONE I know wants to see it

R95 IMDb's ratings system is far from perfect but to say it's a sham is inaccurate. Ratings are skewed for political films, of which this film is definitely not. It's a film that is meant to have a broad appeal. Also, the highest rated films on IMDb tend to be the same ones that are ranked high on critics and year end lists. It's just that general audiences tend to favor more blockbusters or genre fare. However, you can still reasonably trust IMDb scores with thousands of votes.

I heard Zendaya has enlisted the help of her tween army to spam good reviews.

Hugh Jackman is as flaming as Liberace was. How anybody could think he's straight is beyond me.

If you want to gauge the audience reaction, the better metric would be the Cinemascore and the audience score on RottenTomatoes, which is at 88% currently (4.4/5). However, bear in mind that Baywatch has a higher audience score than The Last Jedi, so I still trust the critics' scores more.

[quote]Rex Reed savaged it in The New York Observer, but gave Hugh a tongue bath.

Well then we can all assume he won't be stealing the soundtrack album anytime soon, will he?

Bullshit. r113 is still trying to give some validity to IMDB on new movies. It is riddled with fanboys. Why was the mediocre Dark Knight Rises top ten for a while? Blind fanboys and plants. Those movies you refer to have been around for years, like the Godfather or The Shawshank Redemption. Sure, Showman is on the same category. IMDB ratings are amusing to look at, but are ridiculous to use as to gauge of quality for a new movie, especially if you want to use them to justify why you like a movie.

R116 Baywatch has a 5.6, which is still too high, but not exactly a great score on IMDb. Last Jedi has been extremely polarizing for the same reasons fanboys oppose reboots and sequels no matter how good they are. They are heavily invested in the lore and don't want to see anything different. Force Awakens stuck too closely to the original formula. Regardless, Star Wars will always have the problem in that there will still be a relatively big audience who won't like it for being too much like the original trilogy or not enough.

The Greatest Showman, however, shouldn't be as polarizing since previous depictions of PT Barnum on film have not exactly set the world on fire. People will most likely see The Greatest Showman because it looks like a decent musical or they are fans of the actors, or are fans of musicals in general. They expect escapism, not something with exact attention to detail. It's like going to see 1776 and expecting 100% accuracy, which would be impossible to even attempt given how long ago the events took place.

Greatest Showman mostly succeeds in all the areas which count. It has good songs, good choreography, good performances, and appealing actors.

It looked way to clean for the time period and for a circus. I mean, trying to keep animals in modern day zoos and sanctuaries clean is a 24/7 struggle, can you imagine it then? This is the circus version of Mamma Mia. Same people thought that was outstanding singing and dancing. Same with La La Land. So the bar is set very low.

Even my Mom thought [italic]Mamma Mia[/italic] was a bad movie.

r119 To clarify, I was comparing the RottenTomatoes audience scores for Baywatch and The Last Jedi. I've no idea what rating they have on IMDb as I haven't visited the site since they shut the boards down. But there's less score trolling and brigading on RT than on IMDb which is why I brought it up in the first place.

It's flopping at the box-office. My friend saw it yesterday and said the theater was half-empty.

Zac Efron has now been branded as box-office poison.

Not a good year for circuses, is it?

Does Zac take his shirt off in this movie?

I was curious about Barnum and it turns out he was a racist monster. He got his start in show biz by purchasing this poor 80 year old black woman, and saying that she was 126. He wrote about how one night he got her drunk and pulled out her teeth to make her look older. He bought other blacks and treated them cruelly too.

Darling R127 you need to realise the world was different before your lovely parents brought you into the world.

The world was not so lovey-dovey. They had poor people and ugly people who couldn't afford braces and plastic surgery.

It's far from perfect now, but at least we don't tolerate behavior like that anymore.

I heard the musical numbers are great but the rest of the story is terrible.

This is better than that shitfest known as The Last Jedi.

R124, yesterday was Christmas Eve. Many, many people do not go to the movies on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. It’s not like it’s the 4th of July or something.

[quote]This is better than that shitfest known as The Last Jedi. —George Lucas

The prequels were on your watch, Georgie Boy, not mine.

Christmas is actually a popular movie day r132.

My family quite enjoyed it. I was less impressed but thought it was good enough, fun music and kept me entertained. Sure it is laughably sanitized but it is meant to be family friendly fluff.

All I could think about was Efron and Jackman fucking during their meeting/musical number.

Michelle Williams probably got out of promoting this because of the All the Money in the World mess. She was needed for reshoots of that for the last few months because of replacing Spacey with Plummer. She could hardly be at two places at once.

I know it is cool to say you don’t like La La Land but don’t speak of it in the same breath as Mamma Mia. La La Land won major Oscars and yes it should have won Best Picture. Mamma Mia won nothing.

La La Land sucked.

Word of mouth will cause this to do much better at the box office over the next month.

r136, Crash and Out of Africa won big Oscars. What a dumbass to think that because something wins an Oscar it is good and timeless. In no way, shape or form will La La Land ever be included with the likes of Singing in the Rain, Sound of Music or My Fair Lady as a great musical. Shit, even Disney/Pixar movies have more memorable songs. These songs are so generic and sound like they were written from chinese fortune cookies or daily horoscopes.

The movie is flopping. Christmas is one of the biggest movie going days on the calendar, especially with this long weekend and it opening last Wednesday. For all the endless marketing, it should be doing much better. Movies don't suddenly do better in later weeks. Sad that even more shitty Pitch Perfect is beating it.

Puts down his apple and cries

THOUGHTS?

At least the Pitch Perfect movies have songs people have actually heard of.

r140 What was Erivo doing there? Ugh.

its ALL a bit of an "ugh"

Question for the musical theater fans. Aren't there better voices out there that could have been cast in this movie? Hugh's style grates on my nerves but at least he hit the notes and has some power. Keala is pretty good. Everyone else on the soundtrack needed help in the studio to get their performances right. I guess it's a sign of the times that you don't have to be a great singer anymore to be cast in a musical.

The songs are great but it would have been nice to hear some real singers singing them.

The song I heard at R140 sounded like a cheesy Christian pageant hymn. Compare that to this song. Which is a better song in and of itself, and which is more appropriate for the subject matter and setting?

Pasek and Paul write a lot "anthems": the one at r140, the one posted in the current theatre gossip thread, "You Will Be Found" from Dear Evan Hansen, and so on. After a while, they all start to sound the same. You could take any one of them and reuse them in any other one of their shows. I agree with r140. "Join the Circus" is an anthem that doesn't sound like one.

TGS posted a 125% increase yesterday over Christmas Eve. Word of mouth is building. This one will be far from a flop when all is said and done.

Of course it did, r147, because as stated above, it is Christmas day which is a hugh movie day. It still remains that this movie has only made $22 million WW in week on a $85 million budget. It needs about $200 million.

[quote]it is Christmas day which is a hugh movie day.

But is it a Zac or Zendaya movie day?

A CW superhero show did a more accurate take on Barnum that this movie, they actually portrayed him as the degenerate bastard he was.

R149, every day is a Zendaya movie day.

If America loves Hamilton then I wont be surprised if it love Showman.

America is a scary place as far as taste goes,

But from Bway in the last 10 years, we knew that already.

If those are the best musicals of the 21st century then bring on time travel so I can figure out what went wrong and when and put a stop to it.

love you ^ R153

I'm there!

R140 sounds like constant shrieking and wailing as though they're straining to empty their bowels.

This kind of shrieking "Blues" sounds belongs in the cotton field.

I prefer music which can express yearning with melody without reminding me of bowel sounds

I'm not trying to be negative for its own sake, it's just that so many modern musicals sound so bland and generic. Even in the 1970s and 1980s there were still traces of genuine charm and inventive melody here and there, but as music distribution is more spread out, paradoxically somehow everything seems more homogenized in terms of composition.

Does it matter? As with most movies, it will be on Blu-ray/DVD with all the extras in 90 days and cost less than a movie theater ticket.

I agree R157.

I used to go the movies every week in my 20s but now I go around once every 4 months.

I know, R157, and that makes me less inclined to want to see new movies in theaters. That's why they never seem to register: even the hits never seem to play long. When I was a kid and home video was relatively new, even a flop had at least a six month window between theatrical release and home video.

get Movie Pass. $10/month

[quote]This one will be far from a flop when all is said and done.

Pul-leeze, it flopped. It managed to make Box Office Mojo's chart of worst opening weekends

The pic in OP’s post is gay for days...

this seems right R156-great post

"but as music distribution is more spread out, paradoxically somehow everything seems more homogenized in terms of composition. "

Yes [R156] is a great post. And I'm cutting it and pasting it into my college essay.

Occasionally there some very INTELLIGENT and ERUDITE posts here on DL.

A little small bag of MMs were 5 bucks.

What sticks out to me most about this debacle, is how much better reviewed and successful this movie could have been if they just used a fictional character rather than calling him PT Barnum.

and actually used talented creatives

I actually liked the soundtrack r167.

Looks like liberace in the OP

I saw it today and loved it. Musical numbers and songs were great. I was blown away by the "Never enough" number and amazing vocals.

I loved EVERY SONG too!!!

Each one was better than the next.

Great feel good movie, loved it, whole cast was great.

r2 holy shit. holy...shit

The word of mouth on this is GREAT. And it will make a big difference. It opened in the UK yesterday and is doing excellent business and that’s even before Jackman and Efron’s Graham Norton appearance will be airing.

[quote] R22, it will be far from a box office bomb. It will make a fair amount of money, particularly overseas.

[quote] The word of mouth for this is really good so it won’t be the box office catastroohe that it’s expected to be.

[quote] Word of mouth will cause this to do much better at the box office over the next month.

[quote] TGS posted a 125% increase yesterday over Christmas Eve. Word of mouth is building. This one will be far from a flop when all is said and done.

[quote] The word of mouth on this is GREAT. And it will make a big difference. It opened in the UK yesterday and is doing excellent business and that’s even before Jackman and Efron’s Graham Norton appearance will be airing.

R174 How many times are you going to repeat this bullshit?

I mean the poster is correct that WOM is better than the critics reception who panned it, but the fact is the opening for this movie in the biggest market (America) was awful. You can't really recover from that, it is not a box office success.

and when youre lying about yourSELF (Hugh) how are you going to create works of art without doing the same?

Some CAN.

YOU have NOT!

This has fake written all over it. And so do you.

But youre sweet and harmless.

Even as the Wolf.

It only made $14 million in its 4-day opening. That's tragic.

Well what WOULD have been tragic is if it had made more, no?

Why can't you armchair critics just go and enjoy a movie without ripping it apart. The movie is harmless fun fluff, just what we need.

So if I don't enjoy a movie and explain my reasons for not enjoying it, that makes me wrong somehow?

NO, you should just keep your mouth shut, nobody cares what you think

What a ridiculous thing to say on an anonymous message board.

I usually roll my eyes at posters accusing others (and me) of being shills as I create a lot of threads about upcoming movies and TV shows simply because I enjoy discussing them. But some of the defensive posts on this thread do sound pretty shilly to me. Is there a Zendaya or Hugh Jackman uberfan among us?

This movie just killed any hopes of "Barnum" being made into a film musical.

Amazon is out of the soundtrack CD.. "Temporarily out of stock. Order now and we'll deliver when available".

Taylor Swift is also a top selling musical artist.

[quote]This movie just killed any hopes of "Barnum" being made into a film musical. —Jim Dale

My doing it for TV along with that Burt Lancaster thing didn't make it easier.

" The movie is harmless fun fluff, just what we need. "

R180-Speak for yourself.

I need something dangerous,daring,elevating in my "entertainment"

Or at least ONE out of the three.

" There’s nothing fresh, original or dynamic about anything in this movie – it’s the most generic treatment of the subject possible even amid the audacity of its historical revisionism, so there’s nothing to distract from the cognitive dissonance of seeing this obvious story of scheming and exploitation presented as a jolly life-affirming endeavor.

And you would not recommend it?

Not one bit. I was hoping to run out 2017 without any further disasters, but The Greatest Showman is one last dump of garbage for the fire.

R188, what fucking drival

like your movie, hun

sounds like a musical/drama cluster fuck of bullshit.

speaking of which......

I loved the music and the movie was entertaining. Um....Is Zac Efron wearing padded panties or is that his bubble butt? DAMN!

The Efron butt

Wow. I thought he had a butt double but that is big.

God , how I'd love to rim that

(from the other thread)

The Greatest Showman has Call Me By My Name written all over it!

Hugh sings a love song to Zac--why hasnt anybody talked about this?

as he temps the young to "taste the other side"

WTF--this is not even subtle. God bless Hollywood's hidden messages!!!

The Greatest Showman has Zac and Hugh doing a duet that COMPLETELY gives them away.

You must see it to see the sexual tension in what was SUPPOSED to be a song about BUSINESS.

No man looks at another man proposing a deal in the way these two do.

UNLESS that proposition is for sex....

(SEX that has already happened)

tempts^

Does this movie have Siamese twins, Bearded Ladies and other freaks?

before i really read this ....The Greatest Showman has Call Me By My Name written all over it! ..... i saw

"Call me Bwana,,,,,"

It's pretty great r197, Hugh spots Efron from across the room and is immediately like "who is that?".

Then he goes and gets him drunk and tries to sweet talk him into coming over to the other side.

I know R201---i cant believe theyre getting away with this.

Sucker born every minute

or maybe,two!

Went to lunch the other day with some friends of my partner’s - nice straight couple - and the woman - who can be a bit frau-ish in her taste - was sooooo excited about seeing this in a day or so...

I, of course, immediately chipped in I’d read (on here) it had poor reviews and reception - and she looked perplexed and said she’d heard it was great. There’s a disconnect somewhere!

Will it be a hit amomg Frauen? The modern equivalent of their grandmothers going to see Liberace back on the day?

Liberace was more convincing as a straight man than Hugh and Zac will EVER be as merely business partners

Good for Owen Gleiberman for doubling down on his love for TGS.

And he confirms that word of mouth IS making a difference in terms of box office.

Hugh and Zac are on Graham Norton now in the UK. Good God. They should just declare their undying love for each other although I’m sure that kid from The Kingsman might stake his claim on Hugh in due time.

I just watched it for a second time last night. It was better the second time around.

I do think r205's point that a lot of people have trouble accepting movies that are full heart, free of irony and cynicism, is true.

Too many bitches in this world, tis true.

I saw the movie. It's a traditional musical with modern songs, most of which are catchy anthems that don't propel the plot much.

I wish it had gone full Moulin Rouge. Unfortunately it was too grounded to be interesting enough. Jackson is great. He seems to feel at home most in musicals. Sadly Efron doesn't have as much magnetism or even that great a voice. He's handsome but big dea.

210 just answered my question I was wondering if this movie was Moulon Rouge good. Is Michelle Williams playing the Nicole Kidman role? Or Zendwhatever i? I NEED Nicole Kidman to be in this movie.

[quote] Who in God’s name goes to a kaleidoscopic musical about P.T. Barnum looking for a chronicle of the complex historical figure he really was? As someone who has often argued for greater reality in movies, I might feel differently if the film were some epic dramatic P.T. Barnum biopic. But it’s not. It has roughly the same relation to the P.T. Barnum story — glancing, affectionate, fanciful — as “Singin’ in the Rain” does to the history of the waning days of silent film.

My favorite section of the article by far.

[quote] Sadly Efron doesn't have as much magnetism or even that great a voice. He's handsome but big dea.

I may be in the minority but I actually prefer Zac's vocals to Hugh. He's also would have been a perfect fit physically as he looks a lot closer to Michelle William's age than Hugh Jackman, which is especially important given the fact that both characters met as children.

I was quite impressed with Efron's vocals, and yes hearing them side by side on their duet I prefer his vocals to Hugh.

[quote] For a movie that started slow out of the gate, it enjoyed a surprisingly robust second weekend — a 73% jump in sales (from $8.8 to $15.2 million), which amounts to a record hold for a movie playing in over 3,000 theaters. That’s an indication that the word of mouth is creating some major ripples.

A lot better than expected. It's definitely a perfect fit for the season.

It’s gathering steam in the box office. SUCK IT, HATERS!

When I first heard the soundtrack I was certain that it’s Efron who sings that bit in “The Greatest Show” which sounds like “Despacito”-“Everything you ever want, everything you ever need...” But it’s Jackman.

[quote]he looks a lot closer to Michelle William's age than Hugh Jackman, which is especially important given the fact that both characters met as children.

This made me laugh. Of course Hollywood has an actress 20 years younger playing his love interest when they were supposed to grow up together and be the same age.

Some movies every scene seems perfect and real--Here every one seems fake.

But I lost interest after the first few. Must give it a second chance of Owen Gleiberman says so.

But seriously, even though the songs are pure SHITE, you guys have inspired me to try again,

The mostly frau crowd in my matinee thevother day were hooting and hollering after every song

Did you like it yourself R219--and are you a guy and how old? Is it for kiddies?

R219 here - i hated it.

R221-Did you see Call me By Your Name?

Amazon sold out the soundtrack CD... Temporarily out of stock. Order now and we'll deliver when available.

The Greatest Showman's box office take this weekend was up 73% from last weekend. Pretty impressive.

Yep. And Jackman will win the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy/Musical and “This is Me” will win Best Song. The momentum continues.

I saw this movie and it was lots of fun. I think we should support a film with two openly gay stars. Especially such handsome ones! :)

[quote]Jackman will win the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy/Musical

Nope

[quote] And Jackman will win the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy/Musical

Yeah right.

Given this is the Globes, so crazy shit can happen. But that is James Franco's award. If not him, likely to be Kaluuya.

I hate Jackman as an actor and as a singer

Oh, please, R227/228. The Hollywood Foreign Press adores Jackman and NOT Franco. Jackman will win this.

hated it

Does this count towards 2017 bombs or 2018?

Why this shit is nominated for Golden Globes?

People like it. It's not always about YOU.

It's so smarmy and plastic.

The Golden Globes has an entire musical/comedy category. Of course it got nominated.

Is r231 Blaine or 'Toine?

It was "cute" - but the entire time I was in the theater I thought to myself is that Showman would have made a better Cirque musical than that $25 million piece of meh Paramour.

The boys from La La Land have their second Oscar for best song in this movie.

OR this from CMBYN

okay--just saw this

First 2 songs and 15 minutes: promising

next 10 songs and 90minutes;

laughably shallow, and empty

And as big a con as the leads public persona

Life is like a circus,

They underpay and overwork us.

Resisted it based on reviews. Some friends saw it and all liked it or loved it. Saw it and liked it a lot for what it was. Hugh’s lost some of his looks but still handsome.

I always liked Michelle Williams but never thought she was pretty. In some of her scenes she looked absolutely beautiful.

I, too, hoped Hugh and Zac fucked on set.

It has an 8.0 on IMDB yet a 52% on Rotten Tomatoes. Explain that.

It has an 8.0 on IMDB yet a 52% on Rotten Tomatoes. Explain that.

People are easy filled

Gay men, not so much

More People than gay men liked this film, you can bet on it!

Gay men are smarter

[quote]The boys from La La Land have their second Oscar for best song in this movie.

I hope it's not for the sappy This is Me.

That is "the" song from the movie they are pushing.

Which would be your pick r245?

From Now On.

We all have our opinions, but I don't find myself listening to that one that often compared to some of the rest of the soundtrack. ("Rewrite the Stars" and "A Million Reasons" get the most replays from me)

But I get why they picked "This is Me", it is the feel good anthem that sums up the message of the movie.

Also can we talk about the voice dubbing?

They used Ziv Zaifman's voice with another actor lip syncing to it, and Loren Allred's voice with Rebecca Ferguson lip synching to it.

It is always odd to me to cast actors in singing roles of musicals but getting someone else to sing for them.

Do you think Zac enjoyed servicing Hugh?

If that's an anthem, then start the revolution without me.

R249 Yeah, there's no excuse for that these days, what with so much talent around. It's kinda gross, actually.

Hugh is a bossy bottom, zack likley looked like a Chihuahua humping a poodle while fucking miss hugh.

R253, you will refer to gay men by male pronouns. Is that clear?

This thread is getting very weird. Back to the film, guys.

R254 I am a gay man dumbass, I will refer to closet case miss jackman however I please.

I'm the dumbass? You're the one who needs to learn how to place commas, not to mention how to capitalize proper names. He's not e.e. cummings.

[quote]It has an 8.0 on IMDB yet a 52% on Rotten Tomatoes. Explain that.

Saw Phantom Thread on Sat during it's NY Oscar qualifying run. It has a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes and people were coming out saying "What the fuck was that?" People were actually stopping each other coming out to talk about how they hated it. Zero applause.

LOVED IT!!!

This is Me is the obvious showstopper. From Now On is also great and epic, but Keala's lead vocals are much more impressive than Jackman. Rewrite the Stars is a great pop tune that probably could have gotten radio play if they knew how to market it.

From Now On is musically more adventurous than This is Me and doesn't suffer from the overdone "love me the way I am" theme.

R258 Phantom Thread looks like a film that appeals to an extremely narrow audience. Even the trailer left me bored.

The Academy will nominate both “This is Me” and “From Now On.” They realize the value of having Jackman perform at the ceremony.

Do all the songs have bland generic three-word names that mean nothing?

Y

E

S

!

The deplorables are watching it

Colty has been trying to promote the movie as much as possible

[quote]So happy "The Greatest Showman" is doin so well now! It only took me paying almost 1k for tickets to convince my friends to see it & now I'm the new unofficial publicist for the movie. For inquiries pls tweet me if you need me to host screenings. 🤗😇😂. Also get the soundtrack!

The Album is #1 on the Billboard Top 200!

The budget for this seems crazy high. 85 million?

La La Land had a budget of 30 million. I mean how successful do you expect a musical to be at the box office.

LaLa Land had a whopping cast of two with a few day players.

Excuse you R269. Zac's ass does not come cheap

Why does Colton Haynes care so much about this film? He is not in it.

Only an 11% drop at the box office this weekend. That’s pretty remarkable. It should hit 100 million in a few weeks. Tonight’s GGs should give it a nice boost.

“This is Me” wins the GG for Best Song.

SUCK IT HATERS!

Hugh Jackman WILL win Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy tonight.

Haha, what was that now r274?

Of course James Franco won. As everyone on earth except you knew would happen.

He deserved it, it was an easy pick.

This movie was written by and for children

Is our "Hugh Jackman will win the Golden Globe" poster okay? Are you still with us dear?

I'm with you r58. I've never understood the hatred here toward Zac.

He's nice to look at and I have like most of his performances. Talent wise he is at least equal to most out there his age. What's the problem?

They all wanna do Zac and onviously never gobba halpen

Is English your fourth language r279?

HA!^

Zac is mediocre as a musical performer-as evidenced by (SPOILER ALERT) his dance moves during the takeover of the circus in the end-

yet gave some good acting performances when he was younger and not trying so hard to morph from child star to male star.

He's stuck still in-between and its uncomfortable to watch. I feel sorry for him to a slight degree. But he's sweet. Just not yet male. May he make the transition.

JEnny Lind was supposed to be the greatest singer in the world but in the movie she was like someone slightly above average you might see on MTV.

SO TRUE!!!^

The album’s #1 on the Billboard charts. Facts are facts.

While definitely not a flop, we can't quite call it a hit yet. We'll see if it can maintain it's position for the next month which is possible given the lack of competition.

[quote] The album’s #1 on the Billboard charts. Facts are facts.

Album sales can easily be manipulated.

Don't album sales include streaming now?

If they can use computers to manipulate an election, what makes you think they won't use all sorts of means to puff up the real-world popularity of an album? When they banned Payola, it didn't go away, it just became covert.

Gee, R l286/288, don’t you think it’s #1 because a lot of people actually like it?

I’m one of the few who still admit to liking La la Land but I’m getting sick of those guys winning for music.

Facts are facts and the fact is mass popularity is just that.

Here's the thread from another site:

Generic songs that propelled the soundtrack, over Ed Sheerhan and Taylor Swift, to #1 in multiple countries."

Yeah, and? That's what people like. Crap generic pop songs. We live in a culture of awfulness.

Saw it tonight. Absolutely hated it. Generic, anachronistic pop songs with the most hackneyed lyrics I've heard in a while. And if you actually bother to googleP.T. Barnum, you'll find the plot is nothing but an unfunny joke."

Generic songs that propelled the soundtrack, over Ed Sheerhan and Taylor Swift, to #1 in multiple countries."

Why are you obsessed with rubbing it in peoples' faces that this movie is commercially doing well? Considering the cast and the family-like topic, it's not surprising how well it's doing, regardless of its poor quality. People can state their distaste for the material without you having to constantly remind everyone how well it's selling. Commercial appeal doesn't necessarily equate strong quality, something we've seen time and again for years.

^I'll say!, these are some of the most generic songs written for any kind of dramatic musical narrative I have ever heard in my entire life. But as with Evan Hansen, I believe Pasek and Paul find commerical success by wilfully ignoring everything specific or troubling about their subject matter, e.g. ignoring their jobs as musical dramatists. They know how to do blandly accessible.

Anyone who has not in fact seen this film should be forbidden to post on this thread. Just about everyone who has seen this film loves it.

^ AGREED.

Revisionist history of Barnum aside, R292 is absolutely correct.

I went to see this film last week with very low expectations because of the bad reviews but I absolutely really enjoyed it especially most of the really catchy songs. It wasn't as polished or enchanting as La La Land and didn't flow perfectly but it was pretty decent and not in line with what I thought was going to be unleashed!!

Cannot understand its poor reviews .

Wrong R292 r293--Saw it not once but TWICE because i thought I must have judged too harshly .

It COULDNT have been so bad. And guess what??

it WASNT!!! The first 20 minutes, though generic, had some nice moments. But thats easy when you set up a story full of "a miilion dreams"

But then it becomes utterly laughable with its generic characters and glossed over love affairs.

Zac and Zandya (whatever)--do we give a fuck about that relationship? I sure didnt!

Or Hugh's with Jenny or even his wife?

Are real people with depth and songs about them- that dont veer off into cartoons -so hard to write???

OBVIOUSLY.

But a great cartoon for children who like clowns.

I left early not because I thought it was bad but I felt guilty for not paying. I never known Michelle to be a singer from what what I saw she only did a few lines in a song. Is that all she did.

I thought WTF when Hugh introduced Jenny as Swedish but the actress who played her is half.

R296 The movie had a great message. We seek the adulation of many while ignoring our personal relationships. That message could not be more true especially in the modern era. Their relationship was depicted with its ups and downs, and their eventual reconciliation was very sweet.

Zac and Zendaya's relationship was about how two idealistic people who triumph over societal expectations. It's exactly what it needed to be.

As far as it being generic, I have to disagree again. It's a traditional Hollywood musical in some respects, but its also novel in its approach by using contemporary songs. It was a good blend of old and new.

"The movie had a great message. We seek the adulation of many while ignoring our personal relationships. That message could not be more true especially in the modern era. "

Moulon Rouge! Selma and Shreck.

Gee R291 you sound like such a pill. Bet you saw it by yourself.

R301, R291 was a compilation of many viewers

And love R300---to a t !

[quote] Cannot understand its poor reviews .

Why?

Its not uncommon for critics and audiences to disagree.

I saw it last night. Some of the audience applauded at the end but I thought it was a bit bland with lackluster songs, all very similar power ballads. And they used a Barnum quote at the end, something about making people smile, but not about never going broke by underestimating the taste of the American public, or that there's a sucker born every minute.

[quote] but not about never going broke by underestimating the taste of the American public

Intelligence, not taste, and that was H.L. Mencken.

What was the last movie musical set in the past that even came close to getting the period right?

Chicago

And even that was a flawed film, R307.

There is no perfect film, Dear.

[quote] There is no perfect film, Dear.

Some just have fewer imperfections than others.

r306 "Rent"

[quote] "Rent"

You mean the "RENT" musical based in lower Manhattan but shot in San Francesco and looked or felt nothing like New York?

Hello Dolly!!

Just kidding.

Rent did shoot exteriors for a bit in NYC, though, about two weeks.

What turned off to the movie one character named Jesus was pronounced the traditional way.

[quote] Rent did shoot exteriors for a bit in NYC, though, about two weeks.

But failed miserably to achieve any sense of New York.

The challenge was about the PERIOD, not the LOCALE.

R32 When he loses his pretty face and is no longer marketable.

What's with all the hostility towards Zac and towards Hugh? I am starting to think some people are just jealous of good looking dudes.

Got it in one, R319.

Can’t wait to go to the Sing-a-long screening!

R319--Why is criticism seen as hostility?

Do YOU believe these are great actors??? Or singers??? Or dancers??? Or great contributors to the dialogue of being human?

Any ONE of those would be enough for me.

Instead I see great great mediocrity.

Yet I'm glad they exist.

Just not as stars in my movies. :)

We don’t get many musicals. If the script and story was better it would be a good movie instead of a bad movie with some good moments.

Soundtrack is #1 in the UK now. It’s beaten Ed Sheeran!

Showman isn’t even playing in my town anymore.

Oops. Yes it is. If it wasn’t for the blizzard I would go see it.

Ir is worth going through a blizzard to see it, r326. Where are you, btw?

I live in a small town in Kentucky and go to movies in Indiana. Please pity me.

No, it sounds exotic R328!!

Kentucky’s a shithole.

"Are you fixin' to cornhole me?"

Looks like the film has become a sleeper hit. It will finish the weekend in the top 5 despite all the new releases and is still scoring exceptionally high with audiences.

Where is that movie BO know-it-all/expert when you need him?

I think two songs will get Best Song nominations-“This Is Me” and “From Now On.” Both move the story along further than that derivative piece of shit “Evermore” from Beauty and the Beast.

After a terrible opening weekend, the legs for this movie have been great. Kudos to them, their audience found it and liked it.

However I wouldn't bust out the champagne. It still is starting in the hole looks like it will lose money from its box office run.

Take THIS, haters. Hahahahahaha. The people have indeed spoken. They LOVE this movie. And your opinion of it is definitely a minority one.

to be in the minority in a world of mediocrity?

I'LL TAKE IT

PS--I love movie musicals

thats why this was so disheartening

[quote]Looks like the film has become a sleeper hit.

Something that was so heavily promoted cannot be considered a "sleeper."

I saw it yesterday. The movie is mindless fun, and the audience loved it.

R338, yes, it is. Get a clue. The advance buzz was bad and the critics demolished it. It was expected to be a flop. And it ISN’T.

It's nearing $200 million at the box office worldwide.

All of you who said this one would bomb are morons.

Really r342?

You being the silly queen who kept posting over and over Hugh Jackman would win the Golden Globe (he didn't, no thought he would), are trying to call other posters morons? Maybe you should take it down a notch.

Why are so many posters on this board so unstable?

With a Golden Globe win for song and having officially earned $10 million more at the box office than it cost to make (as of 1/14), the film can be classified a hit -- proving once again, it doesn't really matter what the critics think.

I wish that were true.

Beauty & the Beast has made well over $1 billion.

R346 But it didn't have gay love songs like this:

The biggest box office surprise is not TGS, but Insidious: Last Key, which is on track to beat the second and third films in the franchise by next week.

It opened against "Star Wars"....STAR WARS! and it's still alive. Good for them.

I don’t give a fuck what you think of my “mental stability,” R343/douchewipe. Yeah, I though Jackman could win the GG. He probably lost by a few votes. The HFPA love Jackman. I was wrong. He lost. Big fucking deal. What I’m RIGHT about (and have been all along) is that The Greatest Showman would find an audience despite assholes like you and critics screaming it sucked and would be a flop. Feels so good to be right, loser.

P.S. R343, you obviously know zilch about how well The Greatest Showman has done overseas so far. It has most likely gone into profit mode already.

[quote][R346] But it didn't have gay love songs like this:

No, just songs actually written by a gay man, such as this one:

For those of you who have been curious about the film, please go see it. You will have a wonderful time. Have you had a chance to see it yet, r328?

It's a bit dull and kind of bland; the anthem-like songs all sound alike and they really white-washed the main character, turning him into Saint Barnum.

But the audience I was with seemed to enjoy it, and it got a light round of applause at the end.

R353 I sneaked in after watching another movie. Before I watched the movie a clip of Jackman and the director thanking the audience for watching it on the big screen. I felt guilty so I vowed to watch some of it and buy a ticket later. I will later.

I felt dirty after watching this

It’s likely to pass $100m in the US this coming weekend. It’s already at $198m global.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA.

Some FLOP.

I just wish that there was a scene with Jackman and Efron talking over their business deals in a sweaty sauna.

People are singing along already

Greatest Showman has now entered the green domestically after this weekend. $98 million+ domestically and that's not counting the $100 million+ it's raked in overseas.

A huge hit!

This is fabulous.

Amazon still out of stock on the soundtrack

No one mentioning that out of control audience in the sing a long?

Given the mauling from the critics it's not surprising it got off to a slow start but it's a fantastic musical, so glad it's now proving the critics wrong. I don't know anyone who has seen it and not loved it.

I knew the critics were on some bullshit when they came for the soundtrack "forgettable songs" . So forgettable I bet no one bothered to buy the soundtrack album...

Which would YOU prefer win the Oscar;

This is Me?

or this-

“This Is Me,” obviously.

I feel bad if CMBYN doesn’t and those LaLa Land boys annoy me gotta go with This Is Me.

The Greatest Showman just passed $200 million worldwide at the box office.

And Trump's still president

And your point is, R369? Oh wait. There is no point. Carry on, everybody.

After a slow start, this is about to pass $100 million!

R362 who buys CD's nowadays? ever heard of streaming?

It was just okay. Not fantastical enough for me.

One anthem after another gets old quickly.

Hugh Jackman surprised a bunch of Parisians by showing up for a screening last night. He’s adorbs.

Here’s Ramin Karimloo performing one of the film’s anthems.

Is Ramin auditioning for the inevitable Broadway version?

He has too many tattoos. Shame.

R375 Who is that?

R378, a hot piece of Canadian-Iranian ass who’s also a pretty good singer.

R365 please forgive me I finally FINALLy saw Call Me By Your Name and hearing it in the movie blew me away. I would without question vote for it. I downloaded it in the parking lot but played it constantly today.

Yes R380--Its heads and tails above the crap of Showman in every way. And the music-unlike Showshit-is subtle and magical!

Welcome to the greatest show of 2018

How has a thread about one of the best movie musicals in decades turned into a discussion about CMBYN?

(which is overhyped and really not very good outside of Chalamet's performance)

and who the hell wants to watch a Hollywood musical with "subtle" music? Ethel Merman would be spinning in her grave at the very thought.

The best song in Call me by Your Name was Love My Way by the Psychedelic Furs. I couldn't remember the rest. It was just background music.

if they had only changed this

with this!!

Loved Coco but any of the songs in TGS beat “Remember Me” which is sweet but very slight and derivative.

Can't believe Amazon is still sold out of CD's.

probably bought them all up like PT Barnum or Weinstein would have done

Uhhh...no, R388. It’s because people love the songs.

The Greatest Showman surpassed $230 million at the box office worldwide this weekend. That's a lot more than I expected. I think by the end of its theatrical run it'll hit $300 million.

This film should never have been underestimated.

It's a Hollywood music made like Hollywood musicals used to be made. It just shows the magic that can be created on screen when directors stop trying to be cool to please the critics. Everything we have been told was wrong with the old school musical, miming to pre recorded backing track, big songs, brilliant dancing, simple story, simple characters, lack of realism - TGS wears as a badge of pride. That's why it works. It's a musical that doesn't apologise for being a musical.

And Hugh Jackman’s irresistable as a musical star. His joy is palpable.

R393 He really is, his passion alone lifts the whole film. Compare him in the TGS to Ryan Gosling cringing his way through the song and dance routines in La La Land. If the lead actors can't cut loose and give in to the music, how are the audience meant to?

Ryan Gosling had no idea what he was doing and was self-conscious about embarrassing himself.

Why you cast a lead for a sing and dancer picture who can't sing or dance is beyond me.

Ryan Gosling is too much the pretentious serious "actor" and far too concerned with looking cool.

Maybe if he had taken some of the time he spent learning to play Jazz on the piano (3 hours a day for 3 months don't you know, he's so dedicated to his craft!) and invested it in singing lessons and dance lessons then he might have actually been able to sell the musical numbers in his musical.

I didnt care about Jackman or his wife-or Effron and Zandya or the bearded lady-or anyone and especially those "songs" that were worse than Hamilton.

But youre right; simple songs, simple story, simple characters. Simply awful.

But I'm joyous that an original musical is such a hit!! and now maybe the next one wont be so simple and actually be daring enough and trust an adult audience enough to actually have some complexity and just a bit of "realism"

[quote]Why you cast a lead for a sing and dancer picture who can't sing or dance is beyond me.

HEY!

Michelle Williams looked like a younger Marin Mazzie in the movie.

Ramin is spectacular

At least Ramin has sex

Jackman is forced and stiff in both his singing and dancing.

As afraid to let go as he is to let anybody know who he really is.

Its all a show.

And youre buying.

But thats show biz folks!

R397 Funnily enough the cinema in my showing was packed with adults who all applauded the film at the end. You really think very highly of yourself don't you? I am not at all surprised or concerned you couldn't appreciate it.

Actually I think very highly of humans PERIOD.

Enough to want them to have better movies and better leaders .

This Is Me???

WTF are we fuckin 10??

Just joking somewhat. I really am glad audiences are enjoying a new musical. But sad for both them AND musicals that this is it!

[quote]As afraid to let go as he is to let anybody know who he really is.

Dude, he sang live while crying and snot running in "Les Miz". He lets go plenty.

well, there's that.

My audience seemed to like it (some applause at the end) but I found the story dull and the songs bland.

A little grit or hokum in a story about P.T. Barnum would gave been welcome...

Omg, scores of AMC theaters are doing sing-alongs if this movie.

Ugh.

R407, I kinda want to go to see what kind of people do this.

You should go, r408! It's a super fun movie. Why is so much pressure is being placed on this one particular film to be the great hope of the movie musical? This is a very strange period in all the arts so perhaps that accounts for a lot of the grousing.

I’m just loving gloating over all those idiots on here who were certain this film would be a flop. It’s so satisfying.

[quote]I kinda want to go to see what kind of people do this.

Here watch these videos....

I wonder if Keala Settle will have a beard on Oscar night.

R410 it IS a flop

Just because Trump got elected by almost half of America doesnt mean he's a hit any more than this movie.

Maybe you should ask yourSELF why you love "gloating over idiots"

THAT kind of personality would love THIS kind of movie I guess.

Have AT it!

Hey, asshole/R413, read the stats, honey. You’re WRONG.

the whole point was that I could care less about "stats" because the buying public is no indication of what has value. Quite the contrary as in Trump.

A sucker born every minute.

Its a flop--as in floppy.

And I dont need to read the stats. I saw with my eyes.

Take care now.

Greatest didnt do so great at Oscars

1 nomination for song.

No actors, no writing, no best pic,no costumes,make up, production design...............................

That’s no surprise, R416. Audiences love it which is the main thing. It’s making a lot of money for Fox so they must be thrilled with it.

AND R417 as much as it was a nothing for me, even I am thrilled -as with another nothing for me: Hamilton, -

that musicals seem to really matter to the population again.

I just wish they were good and IMO these are not!

and may I add more importantly are their creators gret thinkers or visionaries--they just add a new take on false stories.

BOTH Greatest and Hamilton: I dont admire the creators as thinkers but DEFINITELY as doers!

You go! Bring musicals to the masses.

They need SOMETHING collective to sing about!

that was NEITHER are their creators great thinkers or visionaries. And to that i would add not great composers.

R418 the high esteem in which you hold your own opinion on what does or doesn't constitute a good musical is breathtaking. But yours is not the only valid opinion.

Millions love this movie. Many are seeing it multiple times. A sing-a-long version will be a staple in several cities for months, if not years, to come. Enough with crapping on it. It’s just your opinion, anyway. Millions disagree.

Did you work on this film r422/etc?

Your utter obsession with "trying to prove the haters wrong" is bizarre.

Also I still find it funny how after you constantly harping that Jackman winning the Golden Globe to us "fucking idiots" you got real quiet about that.

Anyway, you think you being a nice vanguard for this movie but I don't think you realize how annoying and insufferable you come across. You aren't helping your cause.

Hey, R423/asshole, the truth hurts, huh? Especially when it doesn’t support your own opinion? Heh heh. I’m loving this.

Sigh, you really don't hear what I am saying at all. Pity.

R421--what part of IMO dont you understand??

Here's my quote R421- Caps for your benefit.

DO be precise in your attacks on posters if attack you must . Or lets continue a nice give and take without calling names (R424)

And remember IMO means IN MY OPINION.

Good post R423

"as much as it was a nothing FOR ME even I am thrilled that musicals seem to really matter to the population again.

I just wish they were good and IMO these are not!

".

[quote]Fans who feel the desire to sing and dance during musicals may want to seek out the sing-a-long showings for The Greatest Showman. You'll be among friends.

OMG, people are going to be standing up and dancing during the movie blocking my view of the screen? Check out the video at R411 of all the awkward white people dancing.

That was during the credits. You probably haven't experienced it in your life so I'll explain in simple terms, that is what people enjoying themselves having a good time look like..

oh god, that song SUCKS!

R246 I understand what you said perfectly well and the tone of what you said (patronising) equally well.

R430--If only you understood what IMO means as well!

Then you wouldnt continue the confusion along with referencing posts that havent been written yet like "R246".

They took control of your keyboard.

Take it as a sign and move on.

[quote]oh god, that song SUCKS!

That's... oh god, that future Academy Award winning song SUCKS to you!

Yes it will win. And it will still

S

U

C

K

It’s now on track to pass the 2017 Transformers film’s box office gross. Pretty damn impressive, wouldn’t you say? On Twitter quite a few people are claiming they’ve already seen it five times or more. This is something of a phenomenon.

Those people have no taste. It's the same shit happening as with La La Land - people who've never seen a musical in their life being transfixed when they see a (mediocre) musical for the first time. News at 11.

Like it or not, the best thing that has happened is it brought back the Hollywood musical and I'm all in favor. Loved the Greatest Showman!

R435---YES! YES! YES! But let the children enjoy their little mindless circus show. Glitz and glamour and nice,small, easy to digest crumbs.

Bet Sondheim is getting more inspiration for his new musical watching this!

"The Greatest Showman" is Rodgers and Hammerstein compared to "LaLa Land."

Yes, that might be true. But La La had some nice music at the end and Greatest has some nice moments in the beginning with that Million wishes song. After that, it becomes a joke. But you cant fight its success. And who wants to?? We need greenlit movie musicals and this silly work ironically is helping in that regard!! So more power to the mediocre!

You'll never go broke, etc., etc...

UNTIL YOU CHOKE!

Its success really is astounding.

the movie was The Greatest NOTHING for me but thats an impressive article.

This country is getting gayer by the day!

Good for them.

Jackman kept his sexuality under control to make this illusion of a show real!

Suck on THIS, idiot haters.

Just to help you out R444, we can dislike a movie but be glad its helping get more musicals made.

Pipe down.

Its a win win.

R445, I am calm but thanks for your concern. I’m just loving that this film is a HUGE HIT after quite a few posters here were all too sure it would be a flop based only on the advance buzz. They WANTED it to be a flop and it hasn’t been. I love it that their schadenfreude has been shattered into teensy pieces.

just be glad a movie YOU like got made, not that a movie they DIDNT did. I think that might be the best way to celebrate the glory of musicals and their joy.

People can hate on this as much as they want, as is their wont, but it's undeniably a success.

More original movie musicals with incredibly popular scores is only a good thing.

I hope they get Schwartz, Lloyd Webber and/or Sondheim to do one.

(Actually Sondheim has a complete script/score for SINGING OUT LOUD ready to go... and, the songs/concept is brilliant; rewrite it a bit and do it, I say)

The latest article on the phenomenon that is The Greatest Showman:

[quote]Is 'The Greatest Showman' Going to Broadway

Oh my God heads would explode over at ATC. They hate this movie because no one ever wanted to make a movie out of "Barnum" a grade C musical that hasn't been revived in 30 years.

Heh heh, R450. Those poor deluded souls.

Showman BELONGS on Broadway:

right next to Hamilton and Sponge Bob

I agree with someone else on this thread. It's about time "La Cage Aux Folles," the MOVIE musical version was filmed. Great score. Hugh Jackman would be prefect as Zaza. (Second choice: Patrick Wilson.)

Maybe someone can start a "LA Cage Aux Follows" MOVIE musical thread? TIIA.

Hugh Jackman’s much better suited for Georges than Albin.

My theater just started showing it in IMAX.

LOL I really thought that was Rebecca Ferguson singing.

My favorite parts of this were the facial expressions Hugh was making while watching Jenny Lind sing. It was as if the director told him to imagine looking at Zac Efron's butthole.

I watched about 35 min. of this at the cinema the other day when I arrived early to see The Post. So I saw from when Barnum was a homeless street urchin corresponding with the young Jenny to when Zac Efron first meets Zendaya.

My takeaways: I wished I’d stayed and watched the rest of this than left to watch the indistinct porridge that is The Post. Hugh Jackman is a consummate musical showman and along with the rest of the company delivers impressive musical performances. And Zac Efron seems very, very gay to me.

I’ll probably go back and see the whole thing.

LOL, R458. I love The Greatest Showman but have to admit those shots of Jackman in the wings really are cringemaking. I have a feeling he regrets them, too.

R459 you saw the best of the movie. Its all downhill from there,trust me.

Unless youre a child.

Then its GREAT entertainment.

[quote]Barnum was a homeless street urchin corresponding with the young Jenny

He wasn't writing to Jenny, he was writing to his future wife, Charity (Michelle Williams.)

r456 How can they do that if it wasn't filmed in IMAX?

[quote]How can they do that if it wasn't filmed in IMAX?

Almost all films today in IMAX are just 35MM blow ups. A few are shot in IMAX like "Dunkirk" and some movies film selective actions scenes like Bale Batmans.

Most films aren't shot in 3D either, they run it thru a computer that converts it.

Whatever, R462. Hardly matters.

The movie is total deplorable bait. It made me shart.

Well, R466, the film itself sharting gold. It’s likely to end up as one of the highest grossing musical films or all time.

Yes. And Trump will get re-elected too if the masses who love this movie have anything to say about it!

It's still showing 4-5x a day/theater 1.5 months after it was released at the four theaters near me. If no one was seeing it, it would've been pulled weeks ago. A ton of smaller movies have come and gone since then. It's a hit.

The grosses will go up today as all the queens escape SuperBowl Sunday.

Hah, haters! This one just keeps going and going...

It's may be attracting an audience but it's still pablum...

It’s pablum to YOU, R472, but it’s now beloved by millions. Deal.

I don't have to deal with it, because it doesn't mean anything to me. I'm just posting a comment on an anonymous Internet board.

Apparently a Broadway production is in the offing, with Hugh (for a limited time) and Jeremy Jordan.

HAHAHAHA, get ready to hear “This Is Me” and other TGS songs during the Winter Olympics on NBC, bitches!

Here’s the first...

This movie was so good it turned me gay.

Amazingly and also rather unusually The Greatest Showman has was the most popular film at UK cinemas last week taking the number one spot unexpectedly six weeks after release!

this is so inspiring for anyone who REALLY is talented as a writer,composer, performer

SO INSPIRING to know that the stakes are so low.

The world is wide open!

STFU, R480. Pasek and Paul ARE talented.

Ho hum

2 months into release, the picture is now showing in IMAX

I'm not about to scroll through almost 500 comments here, so I don't know if anyone's posted this. Apparently audiences love it although critics don't. It's a sleeper hit.

Troll

R481 ask around Broadway.

That's debatable.

Theyre talented like MacDonald's is good.

But over a billion fooled.

I meant, sold!

Pasek and Paul are crying all the way to the bank.

[quote]That's... oh god, that future Academy Award winning song SUCKS to you!

"You Light Up My fucking Life" also won a goddamn Oscar.

[quote]'m not about to scroll through almost 500 comments here, so I don't know if anyone's posted this. Apparently audiences love it although critics don't. It's a sleeper hit.

We hadn't heard.

LOL, R489.

Soundtrack went gold!

It’s a classic.

The NY Times has an article up about it now, asking people to write in to say why they love the film. Sorry, I wasn’t able to post a link to it.

It’s #1 at the UK box office in its SIXTH week which is unheard of.

It opens in Japan next week and you know all those schoolgirls are going to go insane for it.

A friend of mine at ABC told me Keala Settle is being pursued for the next edition of Dancing With The Stars.

r495 We can be assured that she and her partner will not be penalized for doing any lifts.

“This Is Me” will be featured in the finale of the Olympic Figure Skating Exhibition tonight on NBC.

Suck it, haters!

Still not even a video release date yet. Oscar movies are coming out next month.

Holy shit, this is pretty great. And she's doing it on the Oscars. At least something to look forward to since we know all the winners already.

They’re delaying the DVD release because it’s still so strong in theaters. The sing-along version is a big hit worldwide.

Digital version is available March 20th and DVD Blu-Ray on April 12th. And it will get monster sales around the world.

Golden Derby is predicting that boring dirge from "Coco" will win best song. Like last year that forgettable La La song that no one remembers lost out to the world wide #1 song from Justin Timberlake that people loved.

THATS SAD^ TOTALLY MEDIOCRE SONG

MYSTERY OF LOVE IS THE BEST SONG THIS YEAR

Here’s the best article yet which explains why this film has silenced all you bitches who screamed “FLOP! FLOP!” before it opened.

“This Is Me” will win Best Song.

My faith in The Academy has been restored.

Keala sounded like ass. Just screaming

This is an excellent deep dive into the phenomenon which is The Greatest Showman:

Aberration, phenomenon :: tomayto, tomahto

Whatever the case may be, let's just bury this horse now. Jackman's fully ready to move on so you ought to as well.

Hahahahaha, R508. Never! You’ll never escape the phenomenon which is The Greatest Showman. It’s on digital release on the 20th and on Blu Ray next month. And it will be on HBO and many other TV channels for the rest of your natural life. Deal with it.

R507 that was a superficial and poorly written article

Smell YOU, R510. Doesn’t change the fact TGS is one of the all time biggest box office hits.

As much as I hated this movie, I love your passion R511.

You are what keeps movie musicals alive.

How old are you?

I assume you're male.

R175, I’m using this snow day to take a moment to gloat over how right I was to repeatedly claim that TGS would be a hit. You were quite wrong, weren’t yoi? TGS was a monster hit. It was still #2 in the UK box office last week and that was mostly from the sing-a-long screenings. There’s no doubt that starting this week the digital download numbers here in the US will be huge. And the Blu-Ray will probably be one of the biggest sellers of all time worldwide. How very wrong you were, R175,

R513 singing about Greatest---Isnt it great to love a movie musical?

and not this

The Greatest Showman's box office take is over $400 million worldwide. I don't think anyone predicted that.

And audiences worldwide still don't have the first clue about the real PT Barnum

EXACTLY R517--

which is exactly what the masses want.

Whether its politics or religion.

Or sexuality.

BRING ON THE BREAD AND CIRCUSES!

Yeah after bombing big opening weekend it is crazy that it went on to gross 175mil in the US.

and as much as I hated it--or rather was flabbergasted by its suck-cess ;) I'm THRILLED movie musicals are BACK!!

[quote]Yeah after bombing big opening weekend it is crazy that it went on to gross 175mil in the US.

It opened 5 days after "Star Wars", nothing would have made money that week. When the hoopla died down people came to this.

I was at the theater today and was surprised they rolled out a "sing-along" version of TGS in quite a lot of theaters this weekend. What was that about?

on Blu-ray Tuesday and still in theatres.

Honest Trailers takes on "The Greatest Showman"

I'm late to the party. I've been practically living under a rock the past few months. Work and personal stuff. Ugh. Anyhoo, I recently watched THE GREATEST SHOWMAN and thoroughly enjoyed it. Flawed, but entertaining and just what I needed. So I came to see if y'all talked about it when it came out and found this thread. Very entertaining to say the least. Initially, I was saddened to read that it had flopped, because I really enjoyed it. Plus, I always wish the best for Jackman, Efron, and Williams, because they take risks with their films/roles. So imagine my surprise (and glee) as I read along and the film actually was a hit. Strange. I only wish I had experienced it while it was happening. At any ate, I'm glad this film did very well after all.

P.S. Is it me, or was Zac Efron extremely handsome in this? Or maybe he's matured to my tastes? Never cared for the twinks. haha

I own it now!

R524 that team really captured the flaws in the movie

The film's success doesn't give me hope about future, original movie musicals. It's really too bad that Disney acquired Fox. Disney doesn't take risks, and Fox took a huge gamble with this movie.

Simply awful.

Last week it was #7 in the UK box office Top Ten-it’s been in there for 17 weeks in a row. And the soundtrack has outsold Adele’s last album there.

Three of my friends are now planning Greatest Showman theme parties for their wee ones.

[quote]was Zac Efron extremely handsome in this?

Yes he was - he wore the idealized period clothes well. I did notice his pants were also tailored to show him off a bit. While this was no masterpiece it was nice to see him do something other than the low brow comedies he has been doing. He does have talent for musicals and while he might not he the greatest thespian, he also not a piece of wood and does have some charisma and presence. You can see why he has gone a little further than the average Disney teen idol.

I just picked up the movie from the library and watched it this weekend. In some ways it was fluff - like cotton candy - songs hum-able but all a bit too the same and manufactured, but I enjoyed it. It was nice to see something that was not the typical hero block buster do well.

[quote]Is it me, or was Zac Efron extremely handsome in this?

He's purdy.

Can’t wait to hear “Never Enough” sung by Kelly Clarkson.

Hahahaha. SUCK IT, you morons who thought this would be a flop.

I just got chills seeing this setlist with these performers (Mary!)... but, c'mon, Panic! At The Disco doing "The Greatest Show" and Kelly Clarkson doing "Never Enough"? I couldn't ask for anything better than that. I'm so fucking pumped! And the movie is perfect popcorn fun... the ideal antidote to this horrible world. Haters can hate, but I'm glad it exists... I love it.

So do I, H&ZCS. So do I.

Went to see a panto today in London (Aladdin) and there were two songs from The Greatest Showman in it-“Come Alive” and “This is Me.” A bit of “A Million Dreams” is also being used as a jingle for Dreams bedding stores. I bet Pasek/Paul are raking it in.

I finally got around to watching the movie. Even though I love/hate this song, I wish they would've pushed more for awards for it. Loren's season of The Voice was the last one I watched, and she kills it live.

I haven't seen the movie, but wow, Loren Allred is fantastic.

Her voice is amazingly versatile. Her "Broadway" voice in the movie version reminds me of Judy Kuhn, and her live performance above reminds me a bit of Whitney.