(no subject)

[petzipellepingo]

‘West Side Story’ review: Steven Spielberg has crafted a ‘West Side Story’ better than the ‘61 movie, a real Hollywood musical

By MICHAEL PHILLIPS
CHICAGO TRIBUNE |

Purists can relax, and put their smelling salts away. The vibrant new “West Side Story” hasn’t been updated, or relocated.

It’s still a resident of Upper West Side Manhattan in the late 1950s, in the vicinity of what used to be called Lincoln Square and San Juan Hill. But director Steven Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner have made sharp, often arresting sense of original librettist Arthur Laurents’ material, born on Broadway in 1957. Jerome Robbins’ dances helped make the Broadway musical a prestige success; the score by Leonard Bernstein and a newcomer named Stephen Sondheim didn’t hurt, either. The 1961 movie, dutiful, square and pretty dull as cinema though full of performance felicities, took care of the smash-hit part of the show’s reputation.
( Read more... )

(no subject)

[petzipellepingo]

Steven Spielberg’s finger-snapping magic doesn’t fail him with West Side Story remake

By Peter Howell
Movie Critic

(3.5 stars out of 4)

Starring Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Rita Moreno, Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Corey Stoll, Brian D’Arcy James, Josh Andrés Rivera and Iris Menas. Written by Tony Kushner, based on original stage and screen sources. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Opens Friday in theatres everywhere. 156 mins. PG

They don’t give out an award for “Most Audacious Film” at the Oscars. If they did, though, Steven Spielberg’s remake of “West Side Story” would surely qualify.
( Read more... )

(no subject)

[petzipellepingo]

Why ‘West Side Story’ May Be the Most Critical Release of the COVID Era
"Spider-Man: No Way Home" will likely outshine the Steven Spielberg remake by millions, but the future of non-franchise theatrical releases is more important.

Tom Brueggemann

If you are interested in the future of non-franchise, non-comic book films at the movie theater, you’ve got an assignment this weekend: make it a priority to see “West Side Story” (Disney). Still, the film’s post-Thanksgiving, pre-Christmas dead-zone release date will make it riskier than normal to determine whether it is a success, at least initially. The stakes are high indeed for this $100 million feature, and they go beyond just its profitability, so a lot of context should be considered.
( Read more... )

(no subject)

[petzipellepingo]

All the biggest changes in Steven Spielberg's 'West Side Story' - including Rita Moreno's new role

Brian Truitt
USA TODAY


Picture this: a 10-year-old Steven Spielberg belting out “Gee, Officer Krupke” at the dinner table.

His parents had bought the cast album of the original 1957 Broadway musical “West Side Story,” but it was young Spielberg who became obsessed with it – enough that, while not exactly a juvenile delinquent like members of Jets, he did get into a spot of trouble.
( Read more... )

(no subject)

[petzipellepingo]

If You're Hoping to Stream West Side Story, You'll Be Waiting a While

by HEDY PHILLIPS

Steven Spielberg's remake of West Side Story is heading to theaters on Dec. 10, bringing the classic love story musical back to life. Starring Ansel Elgort as Tony and Rachel Zegler as Maria, the movie is a tale as old as time: Tony and Maria come from different backgrounds and are associated with rival gangs (the Jets and the Sharks), but nothing can put a damper on their love for each other. But what might put a damper on your ability to watch West Side Story is the fact that it won't be streaming for a while.
( Read more... )

(no subject)

[petzipellepingo]

Watch on YouTube