Jersey Boys

[floyjoy678]

Has anyone seen the movie? I saw it and I thought the play was better, I guess because the play is being performed live right in front of you but that didn't stop me from seeing the movie 3 times! All of the actors in the movie were great especially the men who played Frankie Valli and Tommy DeVito. Does anyone know why The Four Seasons recorded under different names during the mid 60's?

Also at the end of the movie [[And I'm pretty sure at the end of play as well) the character Bob Gaudio states "None of this would have happened if it weren't for me", how do you feel about that line? Do you think Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons still could have been successful without Bob Gaudio's songwriting skills?

[Glenpwood]

Its a entertaining movie no doubt but the stage show is much better. Clint Eastwood I think struggled to find a balance between if he wanted to do an out and out musical or a drama about the back story of the band with the music being an incidental side thing. I do feel people who know the bands history will find the sliding of events around for dramatic impact frustrating [[The daughter actually dying 13 years later than the film makes you believe - the three members opting to quit or banished from the group didn't happen simulataneously etc.) but casual viewers will be entertained. It is all explained away with the "everyone remembers it the way they want to" line anyway.

Gaudio has a small point since he wrote the initial three number ones but he didn't write all the hits. Sandy Linzer wrote quite a few of them and Charlie Calello arranged many of them beautifully. Bob Crewe also was key in compressing the sound of those singles in Mono to jump off AM radio as well. So it was a marriage of several elements that worked well for everyone.


As for the multiple names, it was mainly like why Berry Gordy had several Motown sister labels so radio could play even more Frankie Valli sung product. The Wonder Who stuff is the high falsetto sung songs, The Phillips solo stuff tended to have a more artistic slant, and the Seasons singles tended to be straight ahead pop/Motown imitating Top 40 fare.

[Soul Sister]

I liked it, good to see the early year though they could have showed how they [[Joe, Tommy, & Frankie) worshiped Jimmy and followed him all around Newark back then. Just sayin`
I think they exaggerated Tommy's character a bit. Tommy is a friend of ours as is Joe & Frankie. Tommy is a real sweet mellow guy these days even if he was a bad ass back in the day, lol. He lives here in Vegas and everyone knows and respects him.
Here's Tommy & Joe at our house:




Frankie at Jimmy's 85 Birthday Celebration:


​S.S.
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[stephanie]

These pics are wonderful!

[Soul Sister]

Thank you, Stephanie.

S.S.
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[edafan]

great pics

edafan

[milven]

Thanks for sharing the pictures. Although I liked the movie, I enjoyed the Broadway musical more. I noticed a few inaccuracies in the movie, but Glenpwood pointed out some that I missed or didn't even know.

Of course. biopics also use dramatic license and move events around, change names , eliminate or combine marriages etc. so it was not unexpected to see some events changed.

[Bokiluis]

I was never a Four Seasons fan. They were slightly ahead of my time. My favorite songs are the Frankie Valli solo hits, "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" and "Swearin' to God". The musical is in its second road trip to San Francisco. However, I never saw the musical nor had much desire considering Broadway prices today.
So a couple of friends and I decided to see the movie, mainly because the lack of appealing summer fare coming from Hollywood.
Unfortunately, the movie reinforced my initial thoughts that the movie was not made for me nor my friends. We weren't bore, but, the movie had no high points or anything memorable for me. And unfortunately again, I've been searching for the 12 inch version of "Swearin' to God". All the compilations I've looked at has either the single version or a live extended version. They will be lucky if they break even at an estimated cost of $40 mil sans ad buys....the movie has grossed $45 million as its box office run winds down. Maybe the DVD/Blu-ray sales will make it profitable.
It certainly was no "Momma Mia" which was also saddled with average to poor reviews, but, managed to gross $145 mil in the states alone.

[Soul Sister]

Glad you enjoyed the pics edafan & milven.
Here's a couple more:




S.S.
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[floyjoy678]

Those are great pictures Soul sister! That's so awesome that Frankie, Joe and Tommy are friends of yours. I know most of the stuff in the movie was exaggerated but it still made for some great entertainment, my sister saw the movie and she thought it was too one-sided on Frankie and Bob's part.

[Soul Sister]

Thank you, floyjoy.

They have been friends with my husband for about 60 years.

S.S.
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[soulster]

I will never pay to see a Clint Eastwood movie after his disgusting display at the 2010 republiKKKan convention. I'll wait until I can see it for free.

[floyjoy678]

I really don't care. I didn't ask how you felt about the director's political views.

[Mary G Jive Five]

LOVE your photos, Soul Sister!! Thanks for posting them.

I want to see the movie. Dramatic license is taken with all biopics. I'm happy to see a movie like this being produced. The stage show and the movie are exposing younger demographics to some great music. I think that's a good thing.

~~Mary~~

[Soul Sister]

You're welcome, Mary.

S.S.
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[soulster]

I really don't care. I didn't ask how you felt about the director's political views.

I don't care that you don't care. Paying to see Eastwood's movie is the same as giving a person who mocked and insulted the sitting president of the United States money. No doubt, he monetarily supports radical groups like the NRA and other various republican/conservative organizations. So, I will never pay to see anything associated with him.

Sorry if I threadcrapped on your thread, but it's my viewpoint.

[Mary G Jive Five]

Soulster,
If you were really sorry about "threadcrapped on your thread", you would keep your opinions to yourself or post them elsewhere, rather than posting more of your hatred for Clint Eastwood. This thread is not about you and your political opinions. As floyjoy678 said, he doesn't really care. Neither do I.

~~Mary~~

[soulster]

Soulster,
If you were really sorry about "threadcrapped on your thread", you would keep your opinions to yourself or post them elsewhere, rather than posting more of your hatred for Clint Eastwood. This thread is not about you and your political opinions. As floyjoy678 said, he doesn't really care. Neither do I.

~~Mary~~

Well, you'll have to deal with it. Now, remember what Ralph's new policy is. Don't get yourself banned.

[smark21]

I'm sure if soulster had his wish and were given power around here [[it's obvious he craves to be in charge here--he even answers questions posed to Ralph) he would ban a whole bunch of people here and turn this into a forum for audiophiles only.

[144man]

My sister met Clint Eastwood once, and he was extremely courteous to her in a situation where he needn't have been.

[milven]

Well, you'll have to deal with it. Now, remember what Ralph's new policy is. Don't get yourself banned.

The way I understood his policy, it is you who will be banned. When music was being discussed in the Supremes threads, people started dissing individual Supremes instead of discussing the music. Then the members started insulting each other and the music was no longer being discussed. The threads were ruined and Ralph removed them.

On this thread, people who actually saw the movie, saw the play and bought the music are discussing the music and the movie.

You hi-jacked the thread and want to discuss the director's politics which were nowhere to be seen in the movie. In fact, I did not seem him direct any of the actors to talk to or sing to an empty chair. And now instead of discussing the movie, we are discussing the director's politics.

A discussion about Clint Eastwood's politics would be interesting, but it has no place in this thread. It would be better served in the Club section.

May we have your permission to get back to discussing the movie, play and music?

[ralpht]

Easy gang, I have a trigger finger these days and would hate to have to ban people I happen to like. Stay on topic, please.

[ralpht]

I may disagree with some of you regarding Eastwood, but, due to the nature of the topic and those involved in the movie, Clint's politics are fair game. After all gang, he IS part of the movie. I can't say I knew the guy, but he is a Monterey Peninsula resident as I was for 35 years which gave me an opportunity to run into him from time to time to say hello. Personally I thought his empty chair bit was stupid and insulting to the President, but no one got shot over it. Lets don't shoot anyone here.

[LadyLola]

I will never pay to see a Clint Eastwood movie after his disgusting display at the 2010 republiKKKan convention. I'll wait until I can see it for free.

They had a convention in 2010?

[antceleb12]

I haven't seen the movie yet, but the soundtrack is very well done, in my opinion. I just think it's fantastic that '60's music is seeing its way back into today's mainstream culture!

[soulster]

They had a convention in 2010?

Oops! 2012!

[floyjoy678]

Sorry if I threadcrapped on your thread, but it's my viewpoint.

You don't need to be sorry for anything. I was brought up to mind my manners and never discuss religion or politics, it makes things much smoother.

[144man]

I fear that that this is a bit of a cop-out. Discussing religion and politics helps to crystalize what one's own opinions really are. Also if you don't discuss these matters, you can never hope to make your voice heard in changing the world for the better.

IMHO I also think members need to be more careful with their thread-titles. "Jersey Boys" is such a general title that anything vaguely related will not be off-topic.

[soulster]

You don't need to be sorry for anything. I was brought up to mind my manners and never discuss religion or politics, it makes things much smoother.

I was brought up to talk politics.

Again, this is a forum where people are free to civilly discuss almost anything without the personal attacks and calling people out. Politics are cool as long as they pertain to the topic, and Clint Eastwood put himself in the middle of it. I cannot, in good conscience, give money to anyone who was so disrespectful to the sitting president, who is a Black man.

I was raised military by WWII parents. I know all about manners.