Sacha Baron Cohen talks about Freddie Mercury Biopic on Howard Stern

The film should be able to stand on its own merits as an interesting bio drama regardless of whether people even like the music that much or are actually Queen fans.

[QUOTE] [b]Biggus Dickus wrote:[/b]

Mr.QueenFan seems to be making assumptions here. (...) .[/QUOTE]

In a way you´r right and i´m sorry if someone felt offended. I´m more pissed at Sacha and Howard Stern for that segment than Queenzone users.

Maybe we´re talking about the same thing but picturing different things in our minds. Let me explain:

Of course i agree with what you say in your post and i understand that we shouldn´t create a Disney kind of movie of Freddie´s life. But i just don´t trust Sacha for this project. This guy has no filter whatsoever.

As i said before there are ways you can portray Freddie´s hedonistic lifestyle and not make people feel unconfortable in their seats at the cinema - Freddie´s family, Queen members and the fans.
And i don´t think Sacha and his team are it, so i have to agree with Queen people on that!

For the general public anything goes, but for me i really feel Freddie as family or friend. He and his music have been a huge part of my life since i can remember. Of course i want the best for him, and i want people to respect him as much as i do.

A Freddie Bio should focus on everything- Music, Parties, Sex, Drugs and AIDS. The question is how much focus should go to each of these different aspects in Freddie´s life, and how they would portray and connect each aspect to create Freddie Mercury.
Chosing the right people for it can be the difference between a movie we can be proud of, or a lost opportunity.

I just recently saw a movie about the life of the lead singer of "Joy Division", and i loved it. I don´t know their music, so for me i didn´t have any expectations for it. And i loved the movie - his family and fans can watch the movie without feeling unconfortable about it. That´s all i ask for the Freddie´s movie.

I don´t use twitter, but i just read on Queenonline what Brian had to say about his:

insomniacmike ?@Ph0n3FL1CkZ Mar 13
Basically Sacha did want a gritty tell-all but @DrBrianMay @OfficialRMT said no they wanted it about family, and now theyre saying Fred dies

Dr. Brian May ?@DrBrianMay Mar 13
Jut so you know, guys, this is ALL Bull-Poo. Ignore these silly bleatings. We have moved on, and for very good reasons. @Ph0n3FL1CkZ Bri


Alessandra Rotilio ?@smilingdarkeyes Mar 14
@DrBrianMay I'm glad he stepped out of the project, he just didn't feel right to me! xx


Dr. Brian May Verified account
?@DrBrianMay
@smilingdarkeyes Baron-Cohen ? Well, truthfully, he didn't 'step out'. We decided, sadly, that he was not suitable. Simple as that. Bri"

And then i checked Brian´s tweet and Brian retweeted:

"gkfilms ?@gkfilms 14 de mar

Hold on #Queen fans. The REAL truth about the film will be revealed shortly. @RollingStone @indiewire @guardian " with Freddie Wembley snippet attached "They´re talking from here".


So, Brian is simply saying that Sacha is lying and very soon we will know the truth about the film.

I´m looking forward to it.

^^^

I saw Brian at HMV in Toronto in June '91. He was asked about touring North America amidst reports of Freddie's poor health. He responded by saying that Freddie wasn't dead yet. Certainly true, but didn't answer question of Freddie's health. He was asked if Freddie sang on TMLWKY as it sounded like Freddie was on it, but Brian said no, he was channeling Freddie even though Freddie sang on the BTTL track. He's lied countless times to protect Freddie and the band legacy, not sure why anyone would think e's being honest now and SBC is lying.

[QUOTE] [b]Mr.QueenFan wrote:[/b]

[QUOTE] [b]Biggus Dickus wrote:[/b]

Mr.QueenFan seems to be making assumptions here. (...) .[/QUOTE]

In a way you´r right and i´m sorry if someone felt offended. I´m more pissed at Sacha and Howard Stern for that segment than Queenzone users.

Maybe we´re talking about the same thing but picturing different things in our minds. Let me explain:

Of course i agree with what you say in your post and i understand that we shouldn´t create a Disney kind of movie of Freddie´s life. But i just don´t trust Sacha for this project. This guy has no filter whatsoever.

As i said before there are ways you can portray Freddie´s hedonistic lifestyle and not make people feel unconfortable in their seats at the cinema - Freddie´s family, Queen members and the fans.
And i don´t think Sacha and his team are it, so i have to agree with Queen people on that!

For the general public anything goes, but for me i really feel Freddie as family or friend. He and his music have been a huge part of my life since i can remember. Of course i want the best for him, and i want people to respect him as much as i do.

A Freddie Bio should focus on everything- Music, Parties, Sex, Drugs and AIDS. The question is how much focus should go to each of these different aspects in Freddie´s life, and how they would portray and connect each aspect to create Freddie Mercury.
Chosing the right people for it can be the difference between a movie we can be proud of, or a lost opportunity.

I just recently saw a movie about the life of the lead singer of "Joy Division", and i loved it. I don´t know their music, so for me i didn´t have any expectations for it. And i loved the movie - his family and fans can watch the movie without feeling unconfortable about it. That´s all i ask for the Freddie´s movie.


[/QUOTE]

I wasn't offended. I agree with you that Control was really good. However, it's not for us to say how his family and friends viewed that film. You didn't feel uncomfortable about it, but it doesn't mean that everyone who saw it agree with you.

Actually I don`t want to beat around the bush. As a Queen fan, I would like to see them go from strength to strengh after Freddie`s death. That dramatic phone call..."Hi here`s John...I quit"....hilarious !!!
And as a Movie-spectator I want a super hard movie :)

[QUOTE] [b]Biggus Dickus wrote:[/b]

Mr.QueenFan seems to be making assumptions here. Just because a lot of people want realism for the film, it doesn't mean we specifically want to see Freddie with five guys. I like to see all sides to Freddie's life. And let's face it; partying, sex and excess in all areas was a big part of his life for about a decade. If I want to see a Disney movie I go see one. This film shouldn't be one for the whole family.[/QUOTE]

Exactly.

Just because we want some mustard and ketchup on the hot dog, doesn't mean we want to immerse the whole bun in a bucket of sauce. We don't need any explicit or seedy sex scenes. But the truth about Freddie's and the rest of the band's life should be shown.

This movie needs to captivate a vast audience. It doesn't matter if people here don't care if non-Queen fans like the movie. The general audience HAVE to like it for it to be a success.

It's a movie not a documentary. Sex and drugs have to be involved. They won't stop the movie from being predominantly about Freddie's musical achievements - indeed, he himself maintained that, for him, it was all about the music.

And nobody, but NOBODY, needs to see more than 3 minutes of Queen post-Freddie working on Made In Heaven, or Queen+ doing anything for that matter. That's not the stuff of movies. What - are they supposed to dedicate 10 or 15 minutes to Brian, Roger and John discussing how to make an album with the bits Freddie left them? Seriously?

[QUOTE] [b]Biggus Dickus wrote:[/b]

[QUOTE] [b]Mr.QueenFan wrote:[/b]

I just recently saw a movie about the life of the lead singer of "Joy Division", and i loved it. I don´t know their music, so for me i didn´t have any expectations for it. And i loved the movie - his family and fans can watch the movie without feeling unconfortable about it. That´s all i ask for the Freddie´s movie.


[/QUOTE]

I wasn't offended. I agree with you that Control was really good. However, it's not for us to say how his family and friends viewed that film. You didn't feel uncomfortable about it, but it doesn't mean that everyone who saw it agree with you .[/QUOTE]


The movie was based on his wife´s book about him, and she was a producer of the film so i guess it was pretty accurate - at least acording to her point of view.
But in the end they can be proud of the movie because it was very respectfull to him.

Of course his family and friends would feel unconfortable about certain aspects of the movie, like when Ian Curtis was having his seizures on stage, and his poor health. I felt unconfortable watching these scenes as i believe any Human Being would, but it´s a different kind of disconfort i´m sure i would have if i was watching the movie Sacha wanted to do about Freddie. But i don´t need to worry about that anymore:-)


Ian became a very interesting character to me because he was portrayed as a talented person - poetry and music, and that is very interesting. Everything else - his relationships - were built around him and his love for Art - at least, that´s how i saw the movie.

[QUOTE] [b]Mr.QueenFan wrote:[/b]

I don´t care about general audiences or film critics.

And who cares about film critics opinions anyway? They only going to like what they´re going to like.[/QUOTE]

If neither general audiences nor critics matter, whom is the movie made for? Just Queen fans? Somehow I predict a box office flop with only Queen fans going to see the movie.... And I would argue that other musician biopics, like the one of Johnny Cash, are not meant to be enjoyed only by the fan base.

[QUOTE]
What makes Mozart an interesting character is His music. Probably the greatest composer that ever lived - to me anyway - and that´s not interesting?
It´s their music and talent that makes Mozart and Freddie and Lennon and so forth, interesting in the first place.[/QUOTE]

Yes in real life, but when you think in the context of movies:

A) Focusing too much on the music is going to alienate everyone who isn't a fan already. Generally musician biopics don't do this.

B) Continuous talent and success aren't a recipe for a great movie. The comic book character Superman is perhaps interesting because of his powers and strength, but you can't make a movie where he just saves people from beginning to end and has success after success. It's just not interesting; you need to put your characters through obstacles and challenges. If the musician didn't have big or interesting enough hardships in his life, you either make something up or it's going to be a very boring movie.

[QUOTE]
Basically you don´t find interesting nothing that has to do with talent. Yet, drugs and parties, and sex is what makes you and the general public go to the movies?[/QUOTE]

No, I'm trying to say that from the point of view of making movies, the interesting story is Freddie's life itself, and that's what the movie should be about.

[QUOTE]because i rarelly hear people talking about the great musician that he was. If he was only about being a great frontman, i wouldn´t be here. His musical talent is what i find interesting. [/QUOTE]

Let's keep in mind that music tastes are personal opinions, and that talent itself doesn't make for an interesting movie - just like you can't make a suspenseful crime thriller where the police catch criminals for two hours straight without any problems. No matter how superbly talented the cops are, it wouldn't be compelling.

[QUOTE]
I understand, but i don´t care! Queen members and Freddie´s estate have all the right not to want Sacha fucking five other men on film while portraying Freddie Mercury. There are many ways of making an interesting movie about Freddie and his sexual lifestyle without turning it into a porn.
[/QUOTE]

You're taking the gay thing too far, I wasn't suggesting that they should make gay porn.

None of the leaked Sony emails about the project would suggest that the Sacha Baron Cohen version is remotely true.
Although the few plot points that are discussed are so vague as to be unsure of the exact plot, it is definitely a movie about Freddie they are discussing, and a movie that features the full band. The third act was about the band getting back together to record new songs and take part in Live Aid.
The original plans had the movie ending with Live Aid, that much IS known. What changes they made afterwards we're unlikely to find out, but Freddie dying half way through just makes no sense at all, unless the whole movie is in 'flashback' and after the death its people remembering the good times at his funeral. Which even though plausible as a concept, would be undeniably shit. There is no way the whole Queen+ thing is going to be in there. (That would be saved for the sequel! :-) ).
Brian and Roger may not know much about movies, but even they cant believe a Freddie Biopic should only have a bit of Freddie in it.
I'm taking the SBC statements with a pinch of salt, there may be some truth in it, but probably just a smidgeon.
It was the Howard Stern show after all, it's not known for its careful consideration of the facts.

PS. Said this before... but the casting of Johnny Flynn as Roger... Inspired. I still don't see Ben Wishaw as Freddie though.

I must admit it could be a movie were Freddie has 90% of the screen time, but it MUST be only in the context of the band or other professional or charitable projects involving Freddie.

Thanks for reminding us about the Sony leaks. It does indeed sound like they're going to explore the darker places of Freddie's life. Prenter's a character that's mentioned in the emails, etc.

Cavill as Freddie?

[QUOTE] [b]Jake12 wrote:[/b]

Cavill as Freddie?[/QUOTE]

Freddie prefers to sit on superman, rather than be superman.