well .. *cracks knuckles*
after a delay of 41 years, i have finally watched
Hair -
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079261/
A good ol' boy from Oklahoma is on his way to join the army, and he has a run-in with a bunch of
I like musicals, but most that i know of aren't that great. Maybe because musicals are complicated to bring into existence - you need a plot, and acting, enough for a full film, and then you need enough good music for an album. Hair .. does okaish.
The plot is solid, and the acting is good; it would help if the co-star, the hippie Berger, wasn't such a massive
wise and beautiful woman. Considering that this film was meant to portray the flower-power movement in a positive light, it really doesn't help that he's a complete fuckup. The others tagging along aren't great either. Tbh, the whole film is meant as an anti-war message, but i'm not so sure it manages to do that.
The musicianship is good, compared to something like Jesus Christ Superstar, where the musicians playing the songs can't even keep time. The songwriting is disappointing, as many musicals are. Hair has two absolutely smashing songs, Aquarius and Failures Of Flesh (AKA "Let The Sunshine In"), and a lot of filler, but it's saved from complete disgrace that the songs pieces are not static, instead the song advances the film. For example, there is a song that deals with the protagonist's boot camp - starts as he arrives, and by the end of the song he has completed it.
The backdrop of 1970s NYC and the entire 70s aesthetic is gorgeous, a treasure of simplicity.
I'm gonna be straight with you .. there's not a lot to watch here. This ain't the Rocky Horror Picture Show, or The Blues Brothers. What Hair really has going for it, is two absolutely amazing songs, mostly due to the glorious choirs. So, go to youtube, and watch the two clips of Aquarius and The Flesh Failures, and you've watched 90% of the good stuff.
... look, if you too think Cats is only worth it for the song Memory, which you should, then don't watch it. If instead you find yourself grabbed in a whirlwind of emotions when crap like Jellicle Cats plays, then by all means, sit through 2 hours of Hair.
6.5/10 - about half of it is salvageable.