View Full Version : "Mama Mia!"
WB2WIK
07-21-2008, 02:35 AM
Meryl Streep was incredible.
I'm proud to call her a fellow New Jerseyan. She graduated two years ahead of me from the same school system, although I didn't know her.
The movie was just average, but Streep's performance, due to terrific editing, just got better and better until it became truly spectacular. For a 59 year-old she still has it.
Great voice, not dubbed in any way.
Who can argue that ABBA's hits from the 70's weren't amazing? They have passed the test of time. My kids, who had no idea who ABBA really was, now know all the words.
I've been cheated by you and I think you know when
So I made up my mind, it must come to an end
Look at me now, will I ever learn?
I don't know how but I suddenly lose control
There's a fire within my soul
Just one look and I can hear a bell ring
One more look and I forget everything, o-o-o-oh
Mamma mia, here I go again
My my, how can I resist you?
Mamma mia, does it show again?
My my, just how much I've missed you
Yes, I've been brokenhearted
Blue since the day we parted
Why, why did I ever let you go?
Mamma mia, now I really know,
My my, I could never let you go.
I've been angry and sad about the things that you do
I can't count all the times that I've cried over you
And when you go, when you slam the door
I think you know that you won't be away too long
You know that I'm not that strong.
Just one look and I can hear a bell ring
One more look and I forget everything, o-o-o-oh
Mamma mia, here I go again
My my, how can I resist you?
Mamma mia, does it show again?
My my, just how much I've missed you
Yes, I've been brokenhearted
Blue since the day we parted
Why, why did I ever let you go?
Mamma mia, even if I say
Bye bye, leave me now or never
mamma mia, it's a game we play
Bye bye doesn't mean forever
Mamma mia, here I go again
My my, how can I resist you?
Mamma mia, does it show again?
My my, just how much I've missed you
Yes, I've been brokenhearted
Blue since the day we parted
Why, why did I ever let you go
Mamma mia, now I really know
My my, I could not have let you go
Anna, Bjorn, Benny and Agnetha (ABBA) were one of the most amazing groups of all time, who did the typical "Swedish" thing and simply went out on top. Must be a Swedish thing, because Bjorn Borg, the tennis star, #1 ranked from 1977-1982 with 77 titles, pretty much did the same thing. He quit the game while he was still on top.
I read an interview with Benny Andersson, who is an executive producer of "Mama Mia," where he responded to the question, "Why didn't ABBA ever come back?" and his response was about that: They wanted to quit at the top of their game and want people to remember exactly how they were, not how they might be today.
What class.
WB2WIK/6
As an aside, he was offered $1 billion (yes, with a "b") to reunite Abba for a tour and he shrugged it off saying that they can never be now what they were then, so why bother?
I remember seeing Abba for the first time on the Mike Douglas Show and they sang "Knowing Me, Knowing You" in perfect English. However when the spoke with Mike they needed a translator since they didn't understand a word of English.
Not bad from a musician who couldn't write music, either--the tunes all had to be transcribed by someone else.
At one point, they were the second highest grossing "company" in Sweden; they beat out by Volvo (or Saab--see next comment).
Count me as an Abba fan--I have all of their albums and have been listening to since Day 1.
WB2WIK
07-21-2008, 02:48 AM
As an aside, he was offered $1 billion (yes, with a "b") to reunite Abba for a tour and he shrugged it off saying that they can never be now what they were then, so why bother?
I remember seeing Abba for the first time on the Mike Douglas Show (yeah, that's me) and they sang "Knowing Me, Knowing You" in perfect English. However when the spoke with Mike they needed a translator since they didn't understand a word of English.
Not bad from a musician who couldn't write music, either--the tunes all had to be transcribed by someone else.
At one point, they were the second highest grossing "company" in Sweden; they were beat out by Volvo.
Count me as an Abba fan--I have all of their albums and have been listening to since Day 1.
::I remember all of that. Except I think (not positive, just a memory) that you're wrong about ABBA being #2 only to Volvo. I believe it was #2 only to SAAB, because SAAB has an aerospace division that manufactures jet planes for the military and is a very large conglomerate, that Volvo did not have.
But I do remember hearing about that statistic: ABBA, a pop music group of exactly four people, was the second highest grossing industry in a country. Amazing...
WB2WIK/6
WA5KRP
07-21-2008, 02:50 AM
Stevie..........I've been in love with Meryl since forever. "Out of Africa" sealed it.
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2008/07/18/movies/18mamma.xlarge1.jpg
Not sure when it hits the screen in San Antonio but you can bet I'll be there within a week. THANK YOU for the hedzup!
WA5KRP
Texas
WB2WIK
07-21-2008, 02:51 AM
BTW, I do remember you're correct: The girls didn't know any English at all, and were just memorizing lyrics without understanding exactly what they were saying. But they guys, who wrote the lyrics, I believe did know English:
I work all night, I work all day, to pay the bills I have to pay
Ain't it sad
And still there never seems to be a single penny left for me
That's too bad
In my dreams I have a plan
If I got me a wealthy man
I wouldn't have to work at all, I'd fool around and have a ball
Money, money, money
Must be funny
In the rich man's world
Money, money, money
Always sunny
In the rich man's world
Aha-ahaaa
All the things I could do
If I had a little money
It's a rich man's world
A man like that is hard to find but I can't get him off my mind
Ain't it sad
And if he happens to be free I bet he wouldn't fancy me
That's too bad
So I must leave, I'll have to go
To Las Vegas or Monaco
And win a fortune in a game, my life will never be the same
Money, money, money
Must be funny
In the rich man's world
Money, money, money
Always sunny
In the rich man's world
Aha-ahaaa
All the things I could do
If I had a little money
It's a rich man's world
Money, money, money
Must be funny
In the rich man's world
Money, money, money
Always sunny
In the rich man's world
Aha-ahaaa
All the things I could do
If I had a little money
It's a rich man's world
It's a rich man's world
WB2WIK
07-21-2008, 02:54 AM
Stevie..........I've been in love with Meryl since forever. "Out of Africa" sealed it.
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2008/07/18/movies/18mamma.xlarge1.jpg
Not sure when it hits the screen in San Antonio but you can bet I'll be there within a week. THANK YOU for the hedzup!
WA5KRP
Texas
::I love talent, male or female, screen or stage or microphone or whatever, and Meryl's definitely got it. For me, "Sophie's Choice" nailed it. There has not been a contemporary actress with this much talent in my lifetime. "Mama Mia" debuted nationally this past Thursday. Here in L.A., it's on something like 850 screens this weekend.
WB2WIK
07-21-2008, 02:58 AM
The film pretty much ends with...
If you change your mind, I’m the first in line
Honey I’m still free
Take a chance on me
If you need me, let me know, gonna be around
If you’ve got no place to go, if you’re feeling down
If you’re all alone when the pretty birds have flown
Honey I’m still free
Take a chance on me
Gonna do my very best and it ain’t no lie
If you put me to the test, if you let me try
Take a chance on me
(that’s all I ask of you honey)
Take a chance on me
We can go dancing, we can go walking, as long as we’re together
Listen to some music, maybe just talking, get to know you better
’cos you know I’ve got
So much that I wanna do, when I dream I’m alone with you
It’s magic
You want me to leave it there, afraid of a love affair
But I think you know
That I can’t let go
If you change your mind, I’m the first in line
Honey I’m still free
Take a chance on me
If you need me, let me know, gonna be around
If you’ve got no place to go, if you’re feeling down
If you’re all alone when the pretty birds have flown
Honey I’m still free
Take a chance on me
Gonna do my very best and it ain’t no lie
If you put me to the test, if you let me try
Take a chance on me
(come on, give me a break will you? )
Take a chance on me
Oh you can take your time baby, I’m in no hurry, know I’m gonna get you
You don’t wanna hurt me, baby don’t worry, I ain’t gonna let you
Let me tell you now
My love is strong enough to last when things are rough
It’s magic
You say that I waste my time but I can’t get you off my mind
No I can’t let go
’cos I love you so
If you change your mind, I’m the first in line
Honey I’m still free
Take a chance on me
If you need me, let me know, gonna be around
If you’ve got no place to go, if you’re feeling down
If you’re all alone when the pretty birds have flown
Honey I’m still free
Take a chance on me
Gonna do my very best, baby can’t you see
Gotta put me to the test, take a chance on me
(take a chance, take a chance, take a chance on me)
Ba ba ba ba baa, ba ba ba ba baa
Honey I’m still free
Take a chance on me
Gonna do my very best, baby can’t you see
Gotta put me to the test, take a chance on me
(take a chance, take a chance, take a chance on me)
Ba ba ba ba baa, ba ba ba ba baa ba-ba
Honey I’m still free
Take a chance on me
WA5KRP
07-21-2008, 03:11 AM
WOOOOOOOOOOO...........it's at the Alamo Quarry Theater within two miles of our house! Monday or Tuesday night for sure.
WA5KRP
Texas
WB2WIK
07-21-2008, 03:36 AM
If you like Meryl, you're gonna love her performance of...
You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life
See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the dancing queen
Friday night and the lights are low
Looking out for the place to go
Where they play the right music, getting in the swing
You come in to look for a king
Anybody could be that guy
Night is young and the music’s high
With a bit of rock music, everything is fine
You’re in the mood for a dance
And when you get the chance...
You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen
Dancing queen, feel the beat from the tambourine
You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life
See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the dancing queen
You’re a teaser, you turn ’em on
Leave them burning and then you’re gone
Looking out for another, anyone will do
You’re in the mood for a dance
And when you get the chance...
You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen
Dancing queen, feel the beat from the tambourine
You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life
See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the dancing queen
...and she sings it in her real voice, which is amazing.
Hang around at the end...when the movie's over, they do a reprise and another...before the final credits. Takes another five mins or so, worth it.
My 21 year-old daughter's final comment: "I want to visit Greece" (which is where it takes place). I don't blame her.
I've seen the play.
We will see if the movie can compare, I doubt it.
K3ACE
07-21-2008, 10:52 AM
My wife saw went to Philadelphia several years ago and raved about the stage production that she saw. We will probably wait until it hits DVD or pay per view as we don't go to the movies much anymore.
I too had/have a bit of a crush on Meryl...probably since Kramer vs Kramer. She resembles a girl that I dated seriously just out of high school.
I like her too.
I have not seen this movie but one of my favorites is The Bridges of Madison County.
WA6MHZ
07-21-2008, 01:30 PM
ABBA has always been my favorite band, since the 70s when I had my Dodge van with an 8Track in it. I would play the ABBA tapes over and over, for hours at a time while I built the interior, and then when I would sit at the beach fishing or enjoying the sunset. I was one of the first in line to buy tickets to ABBAs concert at the San Diego Sports Arena, one of their first and only stateside concerts. It was spectacular, and they went non-stop for 2 hours plus, unheard of for a band! WOW was it great. I still rate their number one song, which I hope is in Mama Mia (I can't afford to go to movies, have to wait for the DVD)is DANCING QUEEN
I sure wanted to meet this girl!
ONLY 17!
You can dance, you can jive
having the time of your life
see that girl, watch that scene
dig in the Dancing Queen
Friday night and the lights are low
looking out for the place to go
where they play the right music
getting in the swing
you come to look for a king
Anybody could be that guy
night is young and the music's high
with a bit of rock music
everything is fine
you're in the mood for a dance
and when you get the chance
You are the Dancing Queen
young and sweet only seventeen
Dancing Queen
feel the beat from the tambourine, oh yeah
you can dance, you can jive
having the time of your life
see that girl, watch that scene
dig in the Dancing Queen
You're a teaser, you turn 'em on
leave 'em burning and then you're gone
looking out for another
anyone will do
you're in the mood for a dance
and when you get the chance
You are the Dancing Queen
young and sweet only seventeen
Dancing Queen
feel the beat from the tambourine, oh yeah
you can dance, you can jive
having the time of your life
see that girl, watch that scene
dig in the Dancing Queen
WB2WIK
07-21-2008, 02:51 PM
ABBA really was very good. Considering the stiff competition of the 70s, where a lot of very talented bands rose to tremendous popularity, ABBA held their own pretty well. One of the great things was their mixing of the girls' voices so it sounded like there were more of them...that they could "pull that off" in a live concert is amazing.
Another cool thing was they sang with such crispness and clarity you could easily understand every word they sang: This for a Swedish band who could barely speak English at all. That must've taken a lot of practice on their parts. I'll bet the final cut of everything they published was the result of hundreds, maybe thousands of practice runs.
True professionals.
WB2WIK/6
N0CTO
07-21-2008, 03:11 PM
I'm an ABBA fan. I love their music. I know the words. How about coming up with something original on this post vice just cutting and pasting their lyrics. Getting pretty annoying.
WB2WIK
07-21-2008, 03:57 PM
I've seen the play.
We will see if the movie can compare, I doubt it.
::It compares well, but is very different. I saw the L.A. stage production with Susie McMonagle as Donna and Rose Sezniak as Sophie, et al. It was excellent, the singing and choreography was superb.
However, the movie has sets and scenery that obviously cannot be reproduced on stage. The sea, the boats, the island...the little chapel up a steep hill at the end (wedding scene) etc. are all very well done in the movie and had to be "created" for the stage version. The movie is much more of a treat for the eyes.
And you'd be surprised: Meryl Streep can really sing...the movie starts out silly but gets better and better (like Streep's singing) and I'll bet nobody falls asleep during this film.
WB2WIK
07-22-2008, 12:56 AM
Mamma Mia! came in second at the box this weekend, grossing nearly $40 Million.
That was the highest ever on record for a musical film.
Good going, cast, keep it up and do it again. I think if it grosses $30M next week it will have broken even and started making a profit. Not bad for two weeks.
ab8ro
07-22-2008, 12:59 AM
If you like ABBA and dark comedy then you must see "Muriel's Wedding."
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110598/
WB2WIK
07-22-2008, 01:03 AM
If you like ABBA and dark comedy then you must see "Muriel's Wedding."
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110598/
::I've seen it and it's very funny. And I did post on another Sophie Lee film, she is an incredible woman.
WB2WIK
07-22-2008, 01:04 AM
::I've seen it and it's very funny. And I did post on another Sophie Lee film, she is an incredible woman.
::Oops, maybe I'm thinking of the wrong person. Let me go look that up. I thought "Muriel's" was Sophie Lee, now not sure.
WB2WIK
07-22-2008, 01:08 AM
Okay, yeah, it's her!
I remembered correctly. Still have the check receipt hanging on my cork board in the shack: $1 for posting the film.
But the residuals were around $8500 if I recall correctly, so not bad for a weekend's work.;)
wa6itf
07-22-2008, 03:19 AM
::It compares well, but is very different. I saw the L.A. stage production with Susie McMonagle as Donna and Rose Sezniak as Sophie, et al. It was excellent, the singing and choreography was superb.
I saw both the Los Angeles stage version that you saw and the NYC stage version. In my humble opinion, the best "Donna" Ive seen so far has been Caolee Carmello at the Wintergarden in NYC. She is very commanding on stage and you soon truly believe that she is the part she is playing.
de Bill P. / WA6ITF
n2ize
07-23-2008, 04:07 AM
aabb
bbaa
baab
abab
baba
abba
ab1ga
07-25-2008, 02:19 PM
aabb
bbaa
baab
abab
baba
abba
Playing with Permutations?
:)
I do wish they had given the film a different name.
Whenever I hear the title, all I can think of is Alka Seltzer.
You know: Mama mia, that's a spicy meatball!
WB2WIK
07-25-2008, 08:57 PM
I do wish they had given the film a different name.
Whenever I hear the title, all I can think of is Alka Seltzer.
You know:
::I remember that one, too. It was a "speeecy, spicy meatball."
But the name is appropriate, since it's also the name of the musical (stage show) and the ABBA song on which it's all based.
WB2WIK/6
kc9mav
07-25-2008, 09:54 PM
I know everyone liked Mama Mia here and I bet it was a good movie but the Dark Knight was amazing pulled in 18.4 million dollars on first weekend when Mama Mia was around 10 million still for booth movies thats a lot of cash!
73
Dave
WB2WIK
07-25-2008, 10:03 PM
I know everyone liked Mama Mia here and I bet it was a good movie but the Dark Knight was amazing pulled in 18.4 million dollars on first weekend when Mama Mia was around 10 million still for booth movies thats a lot of cash!
73
Dave
::Not quite right. "Dark Knight" pulled in $158.4 million in its first weekend, which was last week. That set a new record for one-weekend box office tallies:
LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Batman sequel "The Dark Knight" has continued its rampage across the North American box-office, becoming the fastest film in history to break the 200-million-dollar barrier, industry analysts said Thursday.
Box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations said "The Dark Knight," which enjoyed a record high opening in the United States and Canada last weekend, had netted 203.7 million dollars by Tuesday, with an additional 18 million dollars from screenings on Wednesday.
The previous fastest to hit the 200-million-dollar jackpot was 2004's "Spider-Man 2," which took eight days to reach the mark.
Exhibitor Relations analyst Jeff Bock described the "The Dark Knight" as a juggernaut, and said he expected more records to fall this weekend.
"I think it could well have the biggest second weekend in history," said Bock. Animated film "Shrek 2" holds the current record for the highest grossing follow-up weekend, raking in 72.1 million dollars in 2004.
Last weekend, "The Dark Knight" rewrote the box-office record books as audiences flocked to see late actor Heath Ledger in his last completed film role. The film raked in 158.4 million dollars, crushing the previous North American box-office opening record of 151.1 million held by "Spider-Man 3."
-WB2WIK/6
WA6MHZ
07-25-2008, 10:05 PM
OH I hope it comes out on DVD soon, I do want to see it!!!
kc9mav
07-25-2008, 10:06 PM
::Not quite right. "Dark Knight" pulled in $158.4 million in its first weekend, which was last week. That set a new record for one-weekend box office tallies:
LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Batman sequel "The Dark Knight" has continued its rampage across the North American box-office, becoming the fastest film in history to break the 200-million-dollar barrier, industry analysts said Thursday.
Box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations said "The Dark Knight," which enjoyed a record high opening in the United States and Canada last weekend, had netted 203.7 million dollars by Tuesday, with an additional 18 million dollars from screenings on Wednesday.
The previous fastest to hit the 200-million-dollar jackpot was 2004's "Spider-Man 2," which took eight days to reach the mark.
Exhibitor Relations analyst Jeff Bock described the "The Dark Knight" as a juggernaut, and said he expected more records to fall this weekend.
"I think it could well have the biggest second weekend in history," said Bock. Animated film "Shrek 2" holds the current record for the highest grossing follow-up weekend, raking in 72.1 million dollars in 2004.
Last weekend, "The Dark Knight" rewrote the box-office record books as audiences flocked to see late actor Heath Ledger in his last completed film role. The film raked in 158.4 million dollars, crushing the previous North American box-office opening record of 151.1 million held by "Spider-Man 3."
-WB2WIK/6
HI HI
I Guess when you leave out 1 number that is a difference I had the Chicago Tribune when I was reading that and they have downsized the paper so much it is almost impossible for even me to read. Oh well..
I think I will see Mama Mia when it is on DVD.
73
dAVE
WB2WIK
07-25-2008, 10:10 PM
OH I hope it comes out on DVD soon, I do want to see it!!!
::As long as it's doing well in the theater, they'll hold up the DVD release. But I'm sure it will be out in the Fall.
It's a very entertaining movie; didn't even think I'd like it, and for the first 20 minutes, I didn't. It gets a lot better and ends great.
WB2WIK/6