Rocketman (2019)

[Robert Lynch]

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[BetterButter]

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A musical fantasy about the uncensored human story of Elton John's breakthrough years.

[Browncoat]

I'm actually really looking forward to this one.

[ruby24]

Me too. And Taron Egerton is really singing, not lip-syncing!

[festivus]

Oh, I'm definitely going to see this one. I had a huge crush on Elton when I was a kid. I'm all the time watching his videos on YouTube.

[Morrigan2575]

This looks good.

[Shannon L.]

Watch ‘Rocketman’s’ Taron Egerton Perform ‘Tiny Dancer’ With Elton John At Oscars Party

[Danny Franks]

For some reason, I feel like Elton John's music lends itself far more readily to a biopic than Queen's does. I have no idea why I think that. But I'm sure this movie will be better than Bohemian Rhapsody.

[Fukui San]

3 hours ago, Danny Franks said:

For some reason, I feel like Elton John's music lends itself far more readily to a biopic than Queen's does. I have no idea why I think that. But I'm sure this movie will be better than Bohemian Rhapsody.

Maybe the advantage is that John's biopic won't be controlled by three guys who wanted the movie to be about how swell they, the unheralded family men with high moral fiber, were compared to the flamboyant frontman.

[methodwriter85]

If I'm being honest, I would put peak Elton John past Queen, as fun as their music is. "Daniel", "Your Song", and "Tiny Dancer" are amazing songs. Too bad we won't get "I'm Still Standing" and "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" because they're 80's Elton John.

[Danny Franks]

41 minutes ago, methodwriter85 said:

If I'm being honest, I would put peak Elton John past Queen, as fun as their music is. "Daniel", "Your Song", and "Tiny Dancer" are amazing songs. Too bad we won't get "I'm Still Standing" and "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" because they're 80's Elton John.

I also really like "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" and "Crocodile Rock" too. And, of course, "Rocketman".

I think you're right about the quality of Elton John's music, now I think about it.

[Bruinsfan]

"Bennie and the Jets" and "Saturday Night's All Right for Fighting" are classics from that era too. Though "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding," which I don't think was nearly as popular, is one of my all-time favorites.

Man, when you look back through Elton John's catalog it's amazing how many iconic songs he recorded.

[Robert Lynch]

3 hours ago, Bruinsfan said:

"Bennie and the Jets" and "Saturday Night's All Right for Fighting" are classics from that era too. Though "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding," which I don't think was nearly as popular, is one of my all-time favorites.

Man, when you look back through Elton John's catalog it's amazing how many iconic songs he recorded.

What do you think would be covered in his biopic? His first marriage to Renate, collaboration with Bernie Taupin, drug addiction, sexuality, etc..

[Danny Franks]

33 minutes ago, Robert Lynch said:

What do you think would be covered in his biopic? His first marriage to Renate, collaboration with Bernie Taupin, drug addiction, sexuality, etc..

I hope they focus part of the movie on the time he spent in the US, in 1970, where he starting getting comparisons to Bob Dylan, and then his apparent rebellion against that image as the decade went on.

The big publicity shots I've seen are all from the 70s, and that image of him behind the piano in a stadium gig is from 1975. So I'm thinking we might cover the 70s, his retirement and then the climax of the movie would be his reunion with Bernie Taupin, on Too Low for Zero -  "I'm Still Standing" is a hell of a song to finish on.

Edited February 27, 2019 by Danny Franks

[Morrigan2575]

Candle in the Wind is from '73 although, i don't think it became a big hit until he sang to for Ryan White.

If we're talking all of the 70s, I'd love it if they included Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. We're definitely getting the Duet with Kiki Dee, I saw it in the trailer, at least I think it did.

Are we sure we're not getting anything from the 80s? I love I'm Still Standing and That's Why They Call it The Blues. I swear there's a brief clip in the trailer of Elton opening a door to sunlight and, he looks like he's wearing the outfit from the I'm still standing video.

ETA: I just remembered that Taron Egerton sang I'm Still Standing as Johnny in Sing

Edited February 27, 2019 by Morrigan2575

[Robert Lynch]

14 hours ago, Danny Franks said:

I hope they focus part of the movie on the time he spent in the US, in 1970, where he starting getting comparisons to Bob Dylan, and then his apparent rebellion against that image as the decade went on.

The big publicity shots I've seen are all from the 70s, and that image of him behind the piano in a stadium gig is from 1975. So I'm thinking we might cover the 70s, his retirement and then the climax of the movie would be his reunion with Bernie Taupin, on Too Low for Zero -  "I'm Still Standing" is a hell of a song to finish on.

That would be interesting to do. Any idea how long this movie will be?

[blackwing]

Taron Egerton is great.  I think he could contend for Best Actor at next year's Oscars, although I know there is a lot of stiff competition (Pacino and De Niro in "The Irishman", Leonardo DeCaprio, etc.)

[festivus]

On 2/25/2019 at 2:38 PM, Shannon L. said:

Watch ‘Rocketman’s’ Taron Egerton Perform ‘Tiny Dancer’ With Elton John At Oscars Party

I just watched this. Taron is no Elton but his *phrasing is pretty good but the singing is different. It's more modern sounding or something, but he is a decent singer. Ah, I'm having a hard time getting out what I'm trying to say but I think he'll be great in this. I already like him a lot from the Kingsmen movies.

*One of the reasons I love Elton so much is the way he sings the words in his songs. I guess it comes from him being a piano player, I don't know, I'm not a musician. I just know I love it and I love to sing his songs more than anyone else's. 

[Robert Lynch]

4 hours ago, festivus said:

I just watched this. Taron is no Elton but his *phrasing is pretty good but the singing is different. It's more modern sounding or something, but he is a decent singer. Ah, I'm having a hard time getting out what I'm trying to say but I think he'll be great in this. I already like him a lot from the Kingsmen movies.

*One of the reasons I love Elton so much is the way he sings the words in his songs. I guess it comes from him being a piano player, I don't know, I'm not a musician. I just know I love it and I love to sing his songs more than anyone else's. 

Not to mention Elton John made an appearance in one of the Kingsman films.

[Wollstonecraft]

On 2/25/2019 at 5:30 PM, Danny Franks said:

For some reason, I feel like Elton John's music lends itself far more readily to a biopic than Queen's does. I have no idea why I think that. But I'm sure this movie will be better than Bohemian Rhapsody.

If your feeling is correct, then Rocketman will epic as I adored Bohemian Rhapsody I do enjoy a really good movie.

[Silver Raven]

Having seen the second trailer, I am wondering if they're going to short change Bernie Taupin.  With young Elton singing "Your Song" to his mother, are they trying to make us think he wrote the lyrics without Bernie?

[WendyCR72]

16 minutes ago, Silver Raven said:

Having seen the second trailer, I am wondering if they're going to short change Bernie Taupin.  With young Elton singing "Your Song" to his mother, are they trying to make us think he wrote the lyrics without Bernie?

Saw that, too. Still, I have yet to see a biopic (Bohemian Rhapsody being another recent example!) that doesn't take dramatic license. Looks like Rocketman may be playing a bit fast and loose with some details, too.

[Shannon L.]

Apparently, Paramount wants to cut the sex scene so they can make Rocketman PG-13.  Some people seem to think it's because they can't deal with a gay sex scene, but personally, I think they just want to see if they can match what Bohemian Rhapsody did in viewers and money.

[Morrigan2575]

1 hour ago, Shannon L. said:

personally, I think they just want to see if they can match what Bohemian Rhapsody did in viewers and money.

Yeah, Studios always want PG-13 movies to reach a wider audience and make more money

[ruby24]

So, this 40-second scene is the only thing in it that would cause an R rating? 

That in itself is ridiculous. I bet whatever this scene is wouldn't be the sole cause of an R rating if it was a man and a woman.

[Enigma X]

Interestingly, to me amyway, when I was very young (like 3) my sister said I had deemed Queen as my favorite band. I don't remember that (obviously) but like them. I am a guitar rock person, but I notice that I turn the dial over more when a Queen song comes on (even ones I like) but listen more to Elton John's songs no matter how often they are played. This is especially true for the songs before my time (early 70s).

[Straycat80]

As superfan of Elton John’s I’m really looking forward to this movie. I just wish it was autobiographical instead of a fantasy. Some fans are upset Taron Egerton is singing all the songs instead of Elton but I’m ok with that. Taron is a good singer and he sang an Elton song in the movie ‘Sing’ and did a good job. 

[StatisticalOutlier]

There's a scene in one of the trailers where he's in the wings fixing to go onstage, wearing the baseball outfit.  They're putting the hat on his head and the bat in his hands, and he looks really tired and awful, but a second later as he strides onto the stage, he's 100% performance.  It made me so sad, and if the whole movie is even 1/10 as good as that one little bit (asking a lot, I know), it will be fabulous.

[stonehaven]

If they include even a snippet of Take Me To the Pilot, I will love it!

[Robert Lynch]

After this movie, the next biopic should be about George Michael. He lead quite a bumpy life. 

[Straycat80]

On 5/8/2019 at 8:06 AM, Robert Lynch said:

After this movie, the next biopic should be about George Michael. He lead quite a bumpy life. 

Or David Bowie, that would be interesting too. 

[Shannon L.]

I saw another preview this evening. Looks like Elton won-it's got an R rating.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

The costume designer for Rocketman was the guest judge on this week's episode of Project Runway (S17.E9: The Stitch is Back). The designers had to make a performance costume for 70s/80s Elton John.

[chitowngirl]

Just saw it-👍🏻👍🏻

[MsJamieDornan]

Just saw it also.

[dcinmb]

Loved it. Thought Jamie Bell was particularly strong (as always).

[Yokosmom]

Saw it Saturday.  I think that it is a very inventive film and takes more risks than Bohemian Rhapsody (to which it is invariably going to be compared).  That said, I don't see it being the blockbuster that BR became.  Acting was great and enjoyed all the EJ numbers.  Not knowing anything re Elton John, I have no idea re accuracy. (With biopics that is often a good thing!) And the outfits!  OMG the outfits!

When it was done, I thought to myself, well this was enjoyable, but I don't really need to see again.  But I've been thinking about it all weekend, and already have the urge to watch a second time.

[chitowngirl]

I adored the scene where we see how “Your Song” came to be. From what I’ve read over the years, that’s exactly how it happened.

[Hybridcookie]

I saw it tonight and I loved it. Taron was so good.

I was really excited for Richard Madden and he was great.... apart from his singing     

Edited May 23, 2019 by Hybridcookie

[Bruinsfan]

On a scale of Christine Baranski to Pierce Brosnan, how bad is he?

[Hybridcookie]

2 hours ago, Bruinsfan said:

On a scale of Christine Baranski to Pierce Brosnan, how bad is he?

He's not bad, he just sounded very auto-tuned, especially compared to Taron - and I say with this affection because I love him

[festivus]

Mmm... Richard Madden. I don't care if he croaks like a frog. How are people seeing this already, I thought it wasn't out until next week. Or is that just for USA?

[MsJamieDornan]

On May 18, many theaters had a pre-screening.

[Hybridcookie]

It came out today in the UK, and we had advance previews Wednesday and Thursday

[TiffanyNichelle]

Saw it tonight. I really enjoyed it. I wish I was at a sing-a-long because I really wanted to, well, sing along. I like the way they used the songs throughout the movie but

Spoiler

I kept waiting for Still Standing and it wasn't until it was the end that I realized why they left it until then. I laughed out loud when I realized the last bit was a reenactment of the video which I did not know I remembered so well.

Taron has got to get a Golden Globe nom for this.

[truthaboutluv]

I haven't seen the film yet but I love Elton and I've liked Taron and Jamie Bell (doesn't seem like many are remembering he's in this film since I see more mentions of Richard Madden) in most of the films/shows I've seen them in. And I discovered Richard from Bodyguard, so also looking forward to seeing him. 

Here's what I'm not looking forward to - the constant comparisons to Bohemian Rhapsody and more importantly, putting down that film to prop Rocketman. Because we saw how the slamming of Bohemian Rhapsody went - to the tune of a billion dollars worldwide and four Academy Awards. My point, this will actually likely not go so well for Rocketman if people persist on going down that road. Because all it's going to do is engender negative feelings and there's no need for that.

I'm already seeing people coming for Rami in favor of Taron's performance because "Taron sang", even though they haven't even seen the film and by that token Taron's performance.

And there was Rami at the movie's premiere, happily supporting Dexter Fletcher (who completed the direction on Bohemian Rhapsody) and the cast. And you know what's happened, Rami's fans going in and pretty much saying, "screw their film".

Same with the Bohemian Rhapsody stans (yes those exist. People who loved the cast, love the film, love Queen, etc.) It's just not necessary. 

I get that comparisons will be inevitable because they are both biopics of legendary artists. But turning it into, "this one is so much more superior and let's crap on the other again" is not necessary. 

Edited May 31, 2019 by truthaboutluv

[Robert Lynch]

Damn. I still want to see it. 

[WendyCR72]

10 hours ago, truthaboutluv said:

Here's what I'm not looking forward to - the constant comparisons to Bohemian Rhapsody and more importantly, putting down that film to prop Rocketman. Because we saw how the slamming of Bohemian Rhapsody went - to the tune of a billion dollars worldwide and four Academy Awards. My point, this will actually likely not go so well for Rocketman if people persist on going down that road. Because all it's going to do is engender negative feelings and there's no need for that.

Sadly, a Washington Post article did exactly that. The comments to such a comparison did not go well. I like music as a whole, so I hope this does well. As an aside, I wish my mother was here to see this movie (she loved early Elton John). But I see no reason this movie cannot succeed without the inevitable comparisons.

And "Rocketman" has been said not to be a true biopic, so it makes the competition even more useless, IMO.

[methodwriter85]

I enjoyed it, too. It's not going to make BR money, but I think this will stay with me more, like the way that Moulin Rouge did.

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I adored the scene where we see how “Your Song” came to be. From what I’ve read over the years, that’s exactly how it happened.

That was fantastic, and I loved the implication that Elton wrote it for Bernie. Taron and Jamie were definitely playing it that way. It's sweet to think that it was based on a platonic love.

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Or David Bowie, that would be interesting too

I wouldn't hold your breath for a proper one. David Bowie was very protective of his story (he forced changes in the script for Velvet Goldmine because it resembled his life too much) and his son already nixed a bio called Stardust from having any Bowie music.

Apparently there is one about Boy George and Culture Club coming.

Edited June 1, 2019 by methodwriter85

[Hybridcookie]

On ‎5‎/‎23‎/‎2019 at 8:14 PM, Hybridcookie said:

He's not bad, he just sounded very auto-tuned, especially compared to Taron - and I say with this affection because I love him

So I watched it again and he wasn't as bad as I originally thought, and I've had Honky Cat stuck in my head all day.

I hope Taron and Richard play a couple in something else in the future because I thought they had great chemistry.