Passing
Strange the Movie
Directed by Spike Lee
reviewed by Madelyn Miller, the TravelLady
 If
someone asked me if I would rather see a play or a movie, I would always say
I'd prefer a live performance. But that was before I saw Passing Strange the
Movie. Spike Lee captured the incrediable performance of the remarkable
Broadway show in a way that made me feel like I was right on stage. And
having multiple cameras (especially directed by Spike Lee) captured each
nuance, each expression of the performers.
There is
even a camera following the performers at "intermission" as they reapply
makeup, change their shirt or costume. It was like being the ultimate
insider. Even box row seats do not let you see the facial expressions or
capture their movements from the very best angle.
My new
answer to movie or stay performance is --movie by a great director.
It is
really exciting to experience a way to bring the best of Broadway and other
stage performances to people all over the world. Passing Strange the
Movie unites revelatory theater with superb filmmaking, raising
the whole to a dizzying plateau of emotional engagement.
PASSING
STRANGE THE MOVIE is a tour-de-force of creative collaboration and
inspiration. In this breathtaking film, Spike Lee captures the
highly-acclaimed Broadway musical show written by singer/songwriter Stew
(with music cowritten by his creative partner, Heidi Rodewald). The original
show, winner of the 2008 Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical, was
universally applauded for its originality, its deep emotional resonance, and
its powerful, often high-octane, music.
Discovering the Real
PASSING
STRANGE THE MOVIE tells the semi-autobiographical story of a young black man
who leaves behind his middle-class, church-ruled upbringing in mid-1970s LA
to travel to Europe in search of his artistic and personal identity, or what
he calls “the real.” Picaresque misadventures with sex, drugs, politics, and
art await him in far-out Amsterdam and hyper-militant Berlin.
His eyes
are opened ever wider, even revealing what he left behind. An absolutely
superb cast, ably supported by sparing (but pitch-perfect) costumes, design,
and stagecraft, bring to life the emotionally charged story with its
astounding original music, narrated and overseen by Stew himself. Lee’s
multicamera coverage of the event (including backstage scenes) involves the
audience in not only the text but the electricity of the ensemble’s onstage
adventure.
Watch
the Trailer:
http://office.mammothnyc.com/passing_strange_trailer/passingstrange_trailer_480x272.mov
AVAILABLE
NATIONWIDE ON VIDEO ON DEMAND BEGINNING 8/26
(following NYC 8/21 theatrical release)
How to
watch PASSING STRANGE THE MOVIE nationwide on demand on cable:
BRIGHT
HOUSE: Movies on Demand > IFC In Theaters or Sundance Selects
CABLEVISION: Movies On Demand > Independent Films > Sundance Selects
COMCAST:
Channel 1>Movies & Events > Same Day as Theaters > Sundance Selects
COX:
Channel 1 > Movies On Demand > Sundance Selects
TIME
WARNER: Movies On Demand> IFC In Theaters or Sundance Selects
Running
Time:
135 Minutes / Rating: Not Yet Rated
Official
Selection:
Sundance Film Festival 2009 / Tribeca Film Festival 2009
Madelyn
Miller is a travel and food writer who loves theatre and movies. Read her
stories on
www.travellady.com,
www.carladynews.com,
www.yogaya.com,
www.cocktailatlas.com,
www.chocolateatlas.com,
www.coffeeatlas.com,
www.teaAtlas.com
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