I’ll do anything for ice, but I won’t freeze that!

[TrevorR]

Took the tiddler to see Frozen II this morning. It was, of course, a properly good Disney romp and perfectly targeted at its demographic. The big songs are equally bombastic as Let It Go and will be torturing parents for months to come. BUT by far the best thing was that the creators have sneaked the ultimate 1980s rock power ballad video right into the centre of the film. One of the characters, Christoph, sings an “I’ve lost my girl” tear jerker called “Lost In The Woods” which musically and visually pulls out every Total Eclipse Of The Heart, I Wanna Know What Love Is, Against All Odds cliche... from the framing of an opening shot in the forest which has a branch and pine cone in the foreground so it looks like the character is singing into an old valve condenser mic on a boom stand,  to the walking in and out of rays of light.... from a close up with the character’s hair blowing just right in the breeze as he stares off into the distance to the silhouette of a lost love in the distance which turns out just to be a shadow... it was all there perfectly done. None of this would possibly resonate with an 8 year old but this middle aged bloke was grinning from ear to ear. And then when the Bo Rhap style choir of reindeer turned up in spotlights around Christoph’s head I nearly wet myself laughing! 
 

Well played Disney. I’ve already suggested to @cetera that he should include it in the set list for the Rock Anthems and Power Ballads show, “Leather & Lace”, with which he tours the country!

Edited November 23, 2019 by TrevorR

[TrevorR]

In a Post Script... being a bit sad like that I looked up the credits for the Frozen II soundtrack. Turns out that bass is courtesy of Abe Laboriel Sr, percussion by Alex Acuna (ex of Weather Report) and the absolutely spot on 80s power ballad parody guitar lines were by Dean Parks. Which is appropriate since, between them, he and Steve Lukather probably provided the guitar on 90% of those big, cheesy 80s power ballads in the first place! No wonder it sounded so perfect (and so good).

[cetera]

This would however sound MUCH better sung by Peter Cetera...... it's a straight songwriting rip of the Peter Cetera & David Foster style from Chicago 16 & Chicago 17 albums!

[TrevorR]

55 minutes ago, cetera said:

This would however sound MUCH better sung by Peter Cetera...... it's a straight songwriting rip of the Peter Cetera & David Foster style from Chicago 16 & Chicago 17 albums!

If only they'd made Frozen II in 1984, he'd definitely be (soft) rocking the credits playout version!

[TrevorR]

57 minutes ago, cetera said:

it's a straight songwriting rip of the Peter Cetera & David Foster style

Oh yes, and it absolutely knows it!

[dave moffat]

Purely out of curiosity I looked it up on youtwat I'm obviously in the minority.

Yuck a manky old lump of supermarket own brand cheddar

[TrevorR]

3 hours ago, dave moffat said:

Purely out of curiosity I looked it up on youtwat I'm obviously in the minority.

Yuck a manky old lump of supermarket own brand cheddar

Never said it wasn’t humongously cheesy. But it’s the blend with the visuals that kills it. Sadly I don’t think Disney have released any clips  of that section yet, just audio (which is why I never bothered to post a clip). It’s one of those cases where, if it had been done by Not The Nine O’Clock News, SNL or Spitting Image as one of their song/genre parodies we’d all hail it as a genius mickey take. And yet they’ve stuck it in the middle of a mega grossing merchandising fest... 

Edited November 25, 2019 by TrevorR

[dave moffat]

Its morning and I've almost drunk my first coffee of the day so on reflection my post was a bit harsh and probably didn't read the way I meant it. The footage would probably help as well and it is aimed at pre-teens and their parents not at jaded old cynics. Just seems a bit thin, forced and clunky, I'm sure It'll do well, especially if someone grabs it by the throat and gives it a good rearrangement and a bit of ooomph.