Thursday, June 07, 2007

"Hairspray" trailer

Admittedly, I don't know much about this musical other than the fact that when on Broadway, one of the lead female roles was often played by a man in drag. So I don't really know what to expect from this big-screen adaptation, but it has a couple of things going for it:
  • a big, pedigreed cast, including Michelle Pfeiffer (where has she been?), John Travolta (in drag), Queen Latifah (as a blond?), and Christopher Walken (always brilliant), among others
  • a PG-rating: when was the last time a big screen musical was PG? Annie? Not that a PG-rating necessarily means a movie will be good, it just tells me that it won't focus as heavily on some of the seedier elements like other recent musicals (Moulin Rouge, Chicago, Dreamgirls) have done. The industry seems to have the impression that musicals won't sell unless they are "edgy." I guess we're about to find out...
Then again, here are some of my reservations:
  • not since Mrs. Doubtfire has a woman in drag been funny (sorry, Norbit)
  • High School Musical heartthrob Zac Efron has a big role as...the naughty rocker? What's next, Elmo as Hannibal Lecter?
  • the movie opens up on July 20, one day before the final Harry Potter book is released. Honestly, who's going to be thinking about hairspray on a day like that?
Click here to watch the trailer, and then tell me on a scale of 1 to 10 how likely you are to see this movie. Right now, I'm a 6.

4 comments:

lacy lee said...

I gotta say, Hairspray is my least favorite Broadway musical I've seen. :( But I'm a sucker for movie adaptations!

Dana said...

I thought they already made a hairspray movie adaptation in the 80's with Rickie Lake. Am I making that up?

Justin said...

No, you're right. I think IMDB.com said it was 1988.

I don't think the movie made much of an impression, though, or I doubt it would be remade again so quickly...

shoeaddict said...

It was a John Waters movie. I used to LOVE it and I don't know why. But, I'm a 10 for seeing this one!