Legitimate Theater Bonus: #7. Silence! The Musical (2005)

Welcome to Legitimate Theater: a column dedicated to movie-based stage musicals. The goal of this series is to explore those stories that originated in films and eventually worked their way onto Broadway and beyond. By the end of each entry, there will hopefully be a better understanding of this odd but rampant trend in modern entertainment. Are these stories really worth telling through song and dance? How can it even compare to the technical prowess of a camera and seamless editing? Join me on this quest as I explore the highs and lows of this trend on the third Wednesday of every month and hopefully answer what makes this Legitimate Theater.

R.I.P. Jonathan Demme (1944-2017)

Jonathan Demme

On April 26, 2017, director Jonathan Demme passed away a the age of 73 in Manhattan, New York from complications involving esophageal cancer and heart disease. Over the course of a career spanning over 45 years, he created one of the most diverse bodies of work that ranged from studio comedies to prestige thrillers to iconic concert documentaries. He leaves behind such great movies as The Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia, Stop Making Sense, and Rachel Getting Married. No matter how varied his career became, he still managed to influence with his unique style of close-ups and his ability to find tension in otherwise conventional scenes. His work was as influential as it was unpredictable, and that's just some of the reasons that he'll be missed greatly.

Why "The Silence of the Lambs" is One of the Best Directed Movies Ever

Scene from The Silence of the Lambs

With today's passing of director Jonathan Demme, it only seems right to look back at his work. The one that's probably going to get the most attention is his 1991 crime film The Silence of the Lambs. While not a film of the horror genre, it's a wonder that this Best Picture winner often gets considered the scariest movie ever. But why is that? Why did Demme's serial killer tale resonate with audiences on such a deep level? One could argue that it's Anthony Hopkins' excellent performance as Dr. Hannibal Lecter - but then why are the sequels considered inferior if he's just as menacing? In fact, neither Lecter nor antagonist Jame "Buffalo Bill" Gumb (Ted Levine) have a high murder rate compared to Jason Vorhees or Michael Meyers. What is Demme's secret? The answer is subtle and hard to pick up on unless you're intentionally going for it. The answer is direction.

Why "Moonlight" Winning Best Picture is a Big Deal

By all accounts, the 89th annual Academy Awards ceremony was going according to plan. Over the course of the evening through 24 categories, the nominees who had won almost every preliminary got up and gave acceptance speeches. There was nothing new. There rarely is when it comes to the Oscars. Viola Davis won. Emma Stone won It was a predictable even. That is, until the last category was announced. Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway announced La La Land, which was predicted to sweep the entire ceremony. Moments later, it was revealed that there was a mistake and that Moonlight actually won. While this is a moment that will be analyzed for decades to come, it should also be seen as a ceremonious moment that hopefully marks a change in the Academy Awards. Hopefully, this is the moment where things become more inclusive.

Ranking the Performances from the "Big Five" Oscar Winners

Scene from The Silence of the Lambs

With Oscar Sunday mere days away, it feels like as good of a time as any to do a commemorative countdown. In this case, we are five days away from finding out if The Revenant can beat Spotlight for Best Picture or Brie Larson can beat Saoirse Ronan for Best Actress. So, how do you commemorate five days left? Why, by honoring "The Big Five": an honor held by only three films that have won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay (and strangely enough, nothing else). It's rarer than you think. For the sake of an expansive list, I have decided to rank the six performances in order of quality to highlight not only what makes a great performance, but what can enhance a great film.

Nothing But the Best: "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991)

Anthony Hopkins

Welcome to the series Nothing But the Best in which I chronicle all of the Academy Award Best Picture winners as they celebrate their anniversaries. Instead of going in chronological order, this series will be presented on each film's anniversary and will feature personal opinions as well as facts regarding its legacy and behind the scenes information. The goal is to create an in depth essay for each film while looking not only how the medium progressed, but how the film is integral to pop culture. In some cases, it will be easy. Others not so much. Without further ado, let's start the show.

What "The Danish Girl," Says About the Oscar's Problematic Relationship with LGBT Movies

Eddie Redmayne in The Danish Girl

Last night, I decided to catch up on the missing links in my Oscar-nominated movies for this year. I decided to tackle director Tom Hooper's The Danish Girl: a film that I inevitably had high hopes for, if just because of what 2015 was symbolically in the LGBT community. Beyond America legalizing gay marriage, it was the time when we had multiple noteworthy trans celebrities, cinema was hitting new strides with Tangerine, and Transparent was continuing its yearlong (and arguably still going) success. Transgender culture is probably more accepted than it ever had been, and The Danish Girl could be the period to the sentence. Of course, that is problematic to say, but what became abundantly clear is that it was actually doing the opposite. Despite its romanticism, The Danish Girl featured stereotypes akin to the gay best friend with flamboyancy and a lisp. While it took some reading to fully understand why, it's generally one of the problems with The Academy's recent crop of nominees.

Anthony Hopkins Admits to Regretting Involvement with the Hannibal Sequels

Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs

In 1991, nobody could've guessed the impact that director Jonathan Demme's Silence of the Lambs would have on the general public. While it wasn't the first film to be based on serial killer Hannibal Lecter (that's Manhunter), it's the one that many revere as the greatest depiction of the man who loves a nice Chianti with some fava beans. That actor is none other than Anthony Hopkins, who would reprise the role in two additional sequels. However, in a recent interview with The Wrap, Hopkins admits that he is a little regretful about the role that earned him a Best Actor Oscar. He wishes that maybe he didn't continue to play the role that he will likely always be remembered best for.

A Look at Transgender Culture at the Oscars

Scene from The Danish Girl

Among the most anticipated films from this year's Oscar season is director Tom Hooper's The Danish Girl, starring Eddie Redmayne as the first transgender woman. While the film is likely to rake up attention for its subject matter, it isn't the first LGBT film to tackle such subjects and get some Oscar love for it. It's not even the only trans film of 2015 that has gotten acclaim (just look at Tangerine). With the release of a film that's sure to rack up plenty of attention in the months to come, here's a look back at the films that won and were nominated for their representation of trans characters in the media, including one familiar Best Picture winner.

Can a Positive Gay-Themed Movie Win Best Picture?

Scene from Milk

For people across America, June 26, 2015 is a historical day. It is the moment when all 50 states were unanimous in passing a bill to allow gay marriage. Not just in one or two states, but the whole caboodle. It is a prospect that many have fought bravely to acquire over the past century. Because of this, LGBT representation has become more positive and accepted among mainstream audiences and in the case of The Academy, it has even been recognized in most fields, most recently with 2013 film Dallas Buyers Club in which Jared Leto won Best Supporting Actor for playing a transsexual character. But here is the bigger question, and one that is up there with representation of films tackling race and gender equality: with this breakthrough, is it possible that we will ever have a positive gay themed film win Best Picture?