The Sound of Music Tagged Articles at Cinematical

On this side of the Atlantic, there has always been the Trapp Family Lodge. Nestled in Stowe, Vermont, you could go there, ski, get fat on maple sugar, and revel in all things von Trapp. However, being in Vermont, and not Austria, it can't immerse The Sound of Music fans into the Austrian experience of the uber-popular film.

And now there's a new vacation spot to steal the Vermont Lodge's thunder. Reuters reports that the original family villa near Salzburg, Austria, is going to open as a hotel this July. I kinda feel bad for the US lodge, because what can compete, for fans, with sleeping in their rooms, or getting hitched in their chapel? You can even sing "Sixteen Going on 17" in Liesl's gazebo (a "self-assembly construction set"). To make things even more appealing, there are no large-scale renovations in store. The plan is to make minimal changes, like paint and rewiring, before the hotel opens and masses of fans can step back into time for a quite reasonable 100 euros a night. I wonder if the halls will be alive with music, and how long it would take to drive a normal traveler mental?

There's also tours through Salzburg Panorama Tours.

Now as long as we don't get a remake, we'll be set!

(In honor of Mother's Day, we're launching a series of posts today written, in part, by our mothers after we asked them one simple (yet very complex) question: What's your favorite movie and why?)

My mother, Deanna, is not much of a cinephile, but she claims to have at least learned from me different ways of appreciating movies. For example, she was always a huge Rogers and Hammerstein fan, and still cites The Sound of Music and South Pacific, as well as the non-R&H musical My Fair Lady, as some of her favorite films. But after I went to film school in the mid-90s, she became a fan of Quentin Tarantino dialogue and added Reservoir Dogs and True Romance to her list. However, it was dropping out of college that caused her to subjectively choose Good Will Hunting as her most favorite movie of all time:

"I love GWH very much because of how much the lead character reminds me of my son (Christopher) and how gifted/intelligent he is ... and how frustrated friends and family of his (like Will's) were when he decided there was no need to return to college and get his degree ... etc. But now that Christopher, as Will did, has come to his senses (!!!!) and did go back to school ... and he graduates with honors this month ... and how happy Chistopher's friend's and family and especially his MOM are.... well, I won't tell you the ending! You'll just have to watch the film and come listen to me brag on and on and on about my Christopher!!!!"

Wait -- don't throw up your devil horns and prepare to rock out to the rock 'n' roll of cinema. Movies Rock is going to be a 2-hour television ode to the wonderful world of film and music, but not to film's rock. While it sounds like a history of rock 'n' roll in the movies, it's more about how movies 'rock' because they have music, rather than movies that 'rock' to rock 'n' roll. The Hollywood Reporter has posted the line-up for the special, which includes Beyonce, Carrie Underword, Elton John, Fergie, Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Lopez, John Legend, Mary J. Blige, Legend, and composer John Williams.

The solid pop lineup will tackle the classics. Beyonce is planning to belt out "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," Underwood is going to sing about "The Sound of Music," Fergie and Hudson will perform two Bond duets for "Live and Let Die" and "Goldfinger," and Blige and Legend are planning to sing "As Time Goes By." Meanwhile, Williams will lead the orchestra, and Elton will "honor the music from animated features." Ready to rock yet? Some work, but some...

The idea is nice and all, but who came up with that name? Sure, it's catchy, but catchy only works if you're luring them in for truthful reasons -- unless restraints are going to pop out of the couch and hold viewers down if they turn the special on. Now all I want is a special with the great rock songs of film. If you heard the title "Movies Rock," what songs would you line up, and who would you get to perform them?

I'll go on record right now and say that I love The Sound of Music. Blame my mother, who had us watching it constantly while growing up, or the fact that as a supporter of high school theater, I've sat through many a production of the stage version. I probably like the songs more than anything, though, and I've just learned there is a singing troupe that perform a number of these songs live. Unfortunately, the troupe won't be singing them in their new film.

A whole new generation of von Trapp children, these the great-grandchildren of the Captain portrayed on film by Christopher Plummer (what, you didn't know it was a true story?) have been touring for years, dressing up in Austrian clothing and singing "The Lonely Goatherd", "Do-Re-Me" and "Favorite Things", and they are now set to star in a Christmas-themed film, tentatively called Von Trapp Children Christmas Movie, which is expected to hit theaters in 2007. If it isn't weird enough that some kids you didn't know existed are getting their own movie, maybe the casting of Jerry Mathers (aka "the Beaver") in a small role and the hiring of a mostly Star Trek-experienced crew is. Apparently the film's executive producer, John Demers, made a lot of connections in a former job working as a government liaison for public events -- like, for instance, Star Trek conventions. Maybe General Chang can make a cameo?

The film, which has been written by Paul W. Shapiro and is reportedly not a musical, tells the story of the four singing kids on their way home for the holidays, carrying a "very special" Christmas tree that some bad guys are trying to steal. Guess what? The bad guys are described as "bumbling." I have a feeling that this will make The Sound of Music look like a work of genius.

Pitt Against Marrying Jolie!

According to his 83-year-old grandmother (Yes folks, it's gone there), Brad Pitt will not marry Angelina Jolie. The actor recently spoke with his grandma over the telephone and assured her he will not make anymore life-long promises until he's passed the ones already broken. Ooohh, perhaps Brad is not over Jennifer yet? Or maybe Angelina is not over Brad's not being over Jen. I give up. Hey, how about we just leave Pitt's dear-old grandmother alone?

Johansson Sounds Like Bad Music!

News Alert: Scarlett Johansson is a diva! Apparently, the actress was supposed to star in a big-budget revival of The Sound of Music in London's West End, but then dropped out when they refused to pay her millions upon millions of dollars. Scarlett Johansson? The Sound of Music? Are they updating the musical to turn the lead role into a hip, young, hottie? (Sorry, that was harsh. But, seriously, Scarlett is no Julie Andrews.) Yeah, so Andrew Lloyd Webber is pissed. He claims the Scoop star really wanted to do it. Of course she did ... but for $10 million. Actors? Who needs em'?

Cornell Disses Pierce Brosnan!

After officially signing on to write and perform the title song for Casino Royale, Chris Cornell told VH1 he almost turned down the offer. Why? Well, according to the Audioslave frontman, he was not at all impressed with the last few James Bond films. It wasn't until he had a chance to watch a rough edit of Casino Royale when his mind was changed. "I was just completely blown away by it, because it's unlike any Bond film ever, really. Craig is an actor's actor, and there's emotional content to the movie." Wait a second, what the hell is an "actor's actor?" And so does that mean Pierce Brosnan is just a plain old actor? Should he be pissed about that?