Has anyone seen Bohemian Rhapsody yet?

[LesBaker]

I haven't but I plan on it. I was born in 1961 so Queen was a part of my growing up and coming of age in my 20's. I've watched loads of interviews and clips and it looks like it's going to be one hell of a ride. There is a lot of Oscar talk about the film.

Oddly, while I am a fan of Queen's, that particular song isn't even close to my favorite and I have about 10 of their songs on my device. More than most of the artists I have. I've never understood how loved that song is because I don't think it's there best work at all.

Anyway if you saw it post your impressions.

IMO there are a very small number, maybe 5, frontmen in the history of modern music that you could build a case for being the best frontman of all time and Freddie Mercury is on that list. I'm curious what the overall list would be from everyone else.

Mine would be Prince, Freddie Mercury, Robert Plant, David Lee Roth.....................and I'm not sure whom else to put in with that group. Freddie would take first place, after that I can't rank them. Lots of people just don't have all the facets to get on the list.

 

[Mister Sin]

I gotta say, I may in the minority here, but I have zero interest. I love Queen and find Freddy’s voice to be one of, if not THE best of any front man of all time...but after reading all the inaccuracies throughout this film...leaves a lot to be desired. The reviews that I read were abysmal. Rami Malek shouldn’t have been casted for this role at all in my opinion. I refuse to believe that was the best they had.

I’m sure millions loved it. But I will never know. I just won’t bring myself to watch it. I do hope y’all enjoy it though. It just simply doesn’t appeal to me at all.

 

[LesBaker]

Rami Malek shouldn’t have been casted for this role at all in my opinion.

From what I have seen he was a perfect casting job.

 

[fearsomefour]

Historically very inaccurate movie.
Based on that it's a hard pass for me.

 

[SteezyEndo]

Snafu!!! I wanna check it out but hopefully its good.

 

[Rmfnlt]

Saw it and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Many of my friends have seen it and they loved it.

I've seen a few documentaries on Mercury and I think the movie was pretty accurate.

Brian May and Roger Taylor were consultants on the movie.

Sachs Baron Cohen was supposed to play Mercury but wanted to embellish his story.
May and Taylor refused and Cohen moved on.

Highly recommend this movie !

 

[LesBaker]

I wanted to find out a little more about the accuracy and found this site that compares movies to actual events.

http://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/bohemian-rhapsody/

As it turns out it's pretty accurate, with some things being changed for the storyline.

The article closes with this:

Brian May and Roger Taylor spent time on set, in addition to longtime manager Jim Beach and others. Greg Brooks, the band's official archivist, worked closely with the filmmakers to make the movie as accurate as possible. This included details like the type of socks that John Deacon was wearing.

 

[fearsomefour]

Saw it and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Many of my friends have seen it and they loved it.

I've seen a few documentaries on Mercury and I think the movie was pretty accurate.

Brian May and Roger Taylor were consultants on the movie.

Sachs Baron Cohen was supposed to play Mercury but wanted to embellish his story.
May and Taylor refused and Cohen moved on.

Highly recommend this movie !

The band was together when they played Live Aid, not in some broken up or partially broken up state. He also didn't know he had aids when they played that show.
Baron Cohen could have been great in that role.
I don't understand the need to play with facts when portraying someone who's life, character and brilliance stand strong on their own.
I may go check it out after all.

 

[RamFan503]

I want to see it so I will watch this thread to see reports from those who have seen it. I don't necessarily need dead on balls accuracy. I want to be entertained as with all movies I go to watch.

 

[Dieter the Brock]

I am gonna hold out for the Judas Priest biopic - who will play Halford????

 

[VegasRam]

I liked it, as in a solid 7.5. I've always liked Queen, even while not really knowing anything about the group's origins and history. (I did know Mercury died of aids, but so did everyone else on the planet).

The movie was a bit formulaic, and his relationship with his girlfriend was a bit hard to believe, but what the hey - different strokes.
One thing I did take away from it was you forget how many killer (pun intended) songs they had. Thought the music was great, even if the story line wasn't.

I was living in Holland in '75, when night at the Opera was released, (in my mid twenties), so that might contribute to my fondness for the group. I'd be interested to see takes from those who didn't "grow up" with Queen.

 

[T-REX]

I went to see it. Like others have stated, not entirely accurate. The casting was phenomenal and the acting was alright. The only negative thing for me personally was the fact that everyone knows Mercury died of AIDS and that he was gay but they seemed to force feed you that a little too much for my liking.

I saw it in IMAX and the sound was tremendous.
I'll give it a solid 8...no pun intended.

 

[LesBaker]

I'll give it a solid 8...no pun intended.

:eek:

I want to see it so I will watch this thread to see reports from those who have seen it. I don't necessarily need dead on balls accuracy. I want to be entertained as with all movies I go to watch.

I've seen a couple of really extraordinary documentaries and I expect accuracy there, but it's a movie so a little freedom has to be granted.

The movie was a bit formulaic, and his relationship with his girlfriend was a bit hard to believe, but what the hey - different strokes.

Very peculiar, but it was an odd freindship. I don't know how they portray it in the movie but in real life it was really, really unusual. If you like the band watch a couple of documentaries, they really tell a more in depth story since they aren't full length feature films.

 

[LesBaker]

I am gonna hold out for the Judas Priest biopic - who will play Halford????

You maybe?

 

[LesBaker]

Live Aid for those who have not seen it.

Some of us remember seeing it as it happened or "taped" it LOL.

 

[Rmfnlt]

The band was together when they played Live Aid, not in some broken up or partially broken up state. He also didn't know he had aids when they played that show.
Baron Cohen could have been great in that role.
I don't understand the need to play with facts when portraying someone who's life, character and brilliance stand strong on their own.
I may go check it out after all.

Seldom, if ever, are movies about a person or entity completely accurate.

Even documentaries aren't always 100% accurate... and this was not a documentary.

To me, based on what I've seen and read, it's close enough... maybe Cohen would have done well... but Malek was outstanding IMO. Worthy of Best Actor nomination.

 

[fearsomefour]

Seldom, if ever, are movies about a person or entity completely accurate.

Even documentaries aren't always 100% accurate... and this was not a documentary.

To me, based on what I've seen and read, it's close enough... maybe Cohen would have done well... but Malek was outstanding IMO. Worthy of Best Actor nomination.

Agree to disagree.
Of course, recalling of events in people's lives and you're are likely to get different versions....often vastly different versions....depending on who are talking to.
What bothers me about the Live Aid thing is the maker of movie feeling the need to create drama around an iconic performance.
They band didn't sound great because they were making some political statement behind their singer.....it's because they were a great band at the height of their power. Mercury wasn't great that day because he was motivated by his diagnosis, he was great because he was great.
Misrepresenting things like that rub me the wrong way.

 

[VegasRam]

Live Aid for those who have not seen it.

Some of us remember seeing it as it happened or "taped" it LOL.

Goddamn you Les!
...just a quick look...1/2 hour later...pretty damn cool. :rockon:

BTW, that Live Aid logo is about as good as it gets.

 

[RamFanInPC]

Agree to disagree.
Of course, recalling of events in people's lives and you're are likely to get different versions....often vastly different versions....depending on who are talking to.
What bothers me about the Live Aid thing is the maker of movie feeling the need to create drama around an iconic performance.
They band didn't sound great because they were making some political statement behind their singer.....it's because they were a great band at the height of their power. Mercury wasn't great that day because he was motivated by his diagnosis, he was great because he was great.
Misrepresenting things like that rub me the wrong way.

This!
They band didn't sound great because they were making some political statement behind their singer.....it's because they were a great band at the height of their power. Mercury wasn't great that day because he was motivated by his diagnosis, he was great because he was great.

 

[LesBaker]

Misrepresenting things like that rub me the wrong way.

That's understandable for any reasonable person. I can relate.

But because it was a movie not a documentary I give some leeway. I've seen a couple of docs as I said and that's a different thing. If you like the band you will really like the docs.

it's because they were a great band at the height of their power. Mercury wasn't great that day because he was motivated by his diagnosis, he was great because he was great.

They were great, and Mercury was great. But it was because they rehearsed the set, they prepared for that moment. But they were almost sort of apexing. This performance evidently gave them resurgence they otherwise may not have had.

A lot of others probably didn't prepare for this, including the concert organizer Bob Geldolf.

I remember watching them and he was sloppy, maybe even drunk. A friend of mine at the time was a fan of punk and liked them and when he rolled up one sleeve but not the other I remember him commenting about it. We watched it at his apartment with a few other guys and let me tell you a lot of weed got smoked!!!





What he did to put together the concert, as well as Band Aid, was incredibly admirable and helped millions of people in dire need, but The Boomtown Rats were nothing to brag about.