-copied from www.Folkworks.org ,March/April 05-I’m sure Steve won’t mind some free advertising
There is “The Gold Ring”- Dr. Lillis O’Laoire ( LMU English dept- alumni plug), Richard Gee on Vocals; Frank Simpson on whistle ( whom I think you know), Cait Reed (who we all know), ans Steve Forman. They will do sean-nos singing, as well as others- Interesting artice in the news letter; O’Laoire taught at Limerick-all taking place at the CTMS center in Encino.
Then there’s the session at the auld dubliner at the Pike- the normal suspects inhabit that
If you are in town check that out-I’m thinking of going as well- send an email if you’re down
Looks like I won’t have a car while I’m in the OC, so I may head down to the San Diego session instead of LA…much closer to the train station. That sounds like an amazing concert, though, sorry to miss it. I’ll let you know if I decide to make the trek to LA after all…
Since the movie is about relationships more than about the music, the lack of focus on the music is understandable. Don’t go thinking you will see a lot of great ceili performances. It was like reliving many a pipeband trip to competitions, or any group of youths on the pull while away from Mum’s apron strings. It is a standing joke here about one band that gets stopped at the border every time because of suspicion of certain substances. You could pick out where the musicians were in the audience because they laughed at completely different places than the rest of the crowd.
I enjoyed it as an inside look at musicians and our innate competitiveness, among other things.
I saw this film earlier this year on DVD. I rented it at my local Hollywood Video store. Odd that it is coming to theatres.
I thought it was very entertaining and the music soundtrack was very well done. That said, Andrea should have been cast as a whistle player, which is what she is, not a fiddler. In all the scenes where she plays the fiddle, her fingers never move on the neck of the fiddle. Quite odd looking, but I doubt the general audience even noticed.
I saw the Corrs live last year and I have to say that they are polished and very competent musicians. The most amazing sound mix I have heard at a live concert as well. Beautiful to listen to and to look at.
Sorry Justine, but I think Andrea is not only gorgeous, but a very talented singer and whistle player. Give her a good listen sometime.
So…when’s the next get together at your place anyway?
Maybe the distributors realized that the movie wouldn’t ‘fly’ in Ireland. I’m with feadogin…the movie wasn’t worth the time I spent watching it. I dont’ remember if any tune is played all the way through. I kept wondering why she/they couldn’t fake their playing better. Or if there could be any other stereotypes shoe=horned in. Or whether they were going to try to use vomit for a laugh again. . .eh.
A lot of tampering has been done with the original script, even that awful name is there because they thought the yanks wouldn’t be able to understand any of the original intention. Who’d go to the great Ceili Wars afterall?
I am sure the fillum will fly here, but only for the jokes left in it and the music, not for the Corr woman (for the truth on her look up the first of the RTE program the Unbelievable Truth ).
I thought it was disappointing for a lot of reasons but mostly because it had potential to be really good. The core of the plot was ignored for predictable toilet humor and melodrama. It annoys me no end when Hollywood studio execs misjudge the audience’s intelligence and ignore the integrity of good writing in order to pander to focus groups and marketing. What’s worse is our politicians do the same thing…
stopping before this gets moved to the “politic/controversial” forum.
All things aside, I thought the movie was pretty entertaining. And I love how they used The Rolling Waves, or The Humours of Trim in the beginning, and one time again near the end with the 3 brothers playing together. I love that tune. I thought it was pretty hilarious over all, and got a good laugh off it. If every movie was strict, and “real,” they would most likely be boring. Which, would defeat the purpose of making movies, and that is to entertain. But, with everything in life, there’s always those perfectionists who have to pick at everything and tear it apart. I think this movie was meant to be fun and enjoyable, not an accurate historical documentary, cause I think it’s safe to say it’s not.
As for andrea corr, I wish I was only about 10 years older… Haha…
When ‘Waking Ned Devine’ was playing in the movie houses here, I recall some folks asking about the title, and wondering if it had something to do with a guy named Ned who was always asleep.
A valiant attempt at paddywhackery aimed at cracking the American market - The directing was terrible, the plot was a thinly veiled, unconvincing love story, Andrea Corr is no actress and has but one grimace, the majority of the humor was based on either leprechaun cliche’s or un-natural profanity and the dialect coach for Bernard Hill needs a royal kick in the arse-hole!!
SOME good music, but for humour, it is not at the same quantum as Waking Ned Devine
A music-themed movie that I did enjoy, however, is called “Brassed Off”.
It’s set in the northern part of England, back in the mid 1980s’ or so, when the mines were being shut down. The town’s competition brass band decides to go ahead with their performances, in spite of the local economic turmoil.
Come to think of it, I wonder if the plot in ‘Boys & Girl..’ wasn’t inspired (or lifted?) from ‘Brassed Off’. They’ve got fairly similar plot lines in them.
I saw the movie over St. Patrick’s Day weekend as part of an Irish film festival. It was OK, but not more than that, I’m afraid…at least in my opinion. More “Sunday Afternoon Movie” fare than anything else. Of course, it suffered by comparison with “Come West Along the Road”…an RTE production featuring archived footage of some of IrTrad’s greatest…which came right before it!
Unconvincing?? Both the two kids are cute enough that I don’t see what’s unrealistic about anyone falling for either of 'em.
Also, I’ll say it again: the movie is 10 times as funny when you realize the old fiddle players are King Theoden and Chief O’Brien of the Starship Enterprise.
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