Passing Strange the Movie Directed by Spike Lee reviewed by Madelyn Miller, the TravelLady If someone asked me if I would rather see a play or a movie, I would always say I'd prefer a live performance. But that was before I saw Passing Strange the Movie. Spike Lee captured the incrediable performance of the remarkable Broadway show in a way that made me feel like I was right on stage. And having multiple cameras (especially directed by Spike Lee) captured each nuance, each expression of the performers.
There is even a camera following the performers at "intermission" as they reapply makeup, change their shirt or costume. It was like being the ultimate insider. Even box row seats do not let you see the facial expressions or capture their movements from the very best angle. My new answer to movie or stay performance is --movie by a great director. It is really exciting to experience a way to bring the best of Broadway and other stage performances to people all over the world. Passing Strange the Movie unites revelatory theater with superb filmmaking, raising the whole to a dizzying plateau of emotional engagement. PASSING STRANGE THE MOVIE is a tour-de-force of creative collaboration and inspiration. In this breathtaking film, Spike Lee captures the highly-acclaimed Broadway musical show written by singer/songwriter Stew (with music cowritten by his creative partner, Heidi Rodewald). The original show, winner of the 2008 Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical, was universally applauded for its originality, its deep emotional resonance, and its powerful, often high-octane, music. Discovering the RealPASSING STRANGE THE MOVIE tells the semi-autobiographical story of a young black man who leaves behind his middle-class, church-ruled upbringing in mid-1970s LA to travel to Europe in search of his artistic and personal identity, or what he calls “the real.” Picaresque misadventures with sex, drugs, politics, and art await him in far-out Amsterdam and hyper-militant Berlin. His eyes are opened ever wider, even revealing what he left behind. An absolutely superb cast, ably supported by sparing (but pitch-perfect) costumes, design, and stagecraft, bring to life the emotionally charged story with its astounding original music, narrated and overseen by Stew himself. Lee’s multicamera coverage of the event (including backstage scenes) involves the audience in not only the text but the electricity of the ensemble’s onstage adventure. Watch the Trailer: http://office.mammothnyc.com/passing_strange_trailer/passingstrange_trailer_480x272.mov AVAILABLE NATIONWIDE ON VIDEO ON DEMAND BEGINNING 8/26 (following NYC 8/21 theatrical release) How to watch PASSING STRANGE THE MOVIE nationwide on demand on cable: BRIGHT HOUSE: Movies on Demand > IFC In Theaters or Sundance Selects CABLEVISION: Movies On Demand > Independent Films > Sundance Selects COMCAST: Channel 1>Movies & Events > Same Day as Theaters > Sundance Selects COX: Channel 1 > Movies On Demand > Sundance Selects TIME WARNER: Movies On Demand> IFC In Theaters or Sundance Selects Running Time: 135 Minutes / Rating: Not Yet Rated Official Selection: Sundance Film Festival 2009 / Tribeca Film Festival 2009 Madelyn Miller is a travel and food writer who loves theatre and movies. Read her stories on www.travellady.com, www.carladynews.com, www.yogaya.com, www.cocktailatlas.com, www.chocolateatlas.com, www.coffeeatlas.com, www.teaAtlas.com | 