Second Viewing of Bohemian Rhapsody

Hey fellow Queenzoners!

Today I once again went to the cinema to see Bohemian Rhapsody for the second time so I would have a chance to focus more on the technical aspects and the sound of the movie than on the story itself
Here are the things that I spotted and I believe are important to point out:

- When we see Freddie in the opening sequence, at the backstage, right before entering the stage, on the right we can see U2 coming off from their performance, smirking at Freddie. I don't think it is according to the facts, as right before Queen, Status Quo was performing, am I right ?
(The same sequence shown at the end of the movie seems to be a different shot / take as the musicians coming off the stage are simply not there)

- Bohemian Rhapsody performed at Live Aid: First verse was definitely tinkered with, I don't know why.... to make it more in sync with Malek's singing?... some small bits didn't quite sound like Freddie and I hope it was presented that way only in the cinematic cut and the audio will be all "Freddie only" on the DVD / Blu-ray.

- Brian May playing guitar solo when working on the Bohemian Rhapsody... Was it an original out-take used or he really went to the studio to record a "variation" of the solo in order for it to sound not polished well enough to have something more for the producers to use in the movie ?

- Bearing in mind that they used BoRhap outtake in the scene where Freddie plays the ballad part one wonders why didn't they dig deeper and use Love Of My Life out-take in the scene with Prenter where Freddie is still working on the track ? Why not use the out-takes and get Marc Martel involved instead ? Was it Brian and Roger's decision or maybe there are no out-takes for this particular track ?
New Queen unreleased / previously unheard audio material is additional factor in favour of seeing that movie....

- If you have Queen Productions and Hollywood cooperating, why not use another unheard bit of live audio from the concert (Madison Square Garden scene) of the call and response / vocal improvisation instead of repeating the same Live Aid bit ?

SOUND:

For the second viewing, I went to the usual cinema / multiplex, not the IMAX and I must tell you that the IMAX experience is blasting. The sound is big and really seems to surround and attack youadn closer resembles a "live concert experience". I would say that it is similar to what some Queenzoners posted about Queen performing on the NEC arena in 1984. Some say that was the loudest they have ever heard them perform. It is a good analogy of how IMAX triumphs sound-wise over usual cinema audio system.

Mr Bad Guy title track: I don't know why but during the solo album scene I got a feeling that I was not hearing that track in 5.1 / surround cinema system but that it was simple 2.1 / stereo. Could it be possible that they just didn't bother to go back to the master tapes and create new 5.1. mix of the track ?

The second viewing for me was less engaging emotionally and the artistic liberties and chronological / factual changes bothered me more still I regard this biopic as a really good film, though I wouldn't use the term "masterpiece".

To the best of my recollection, the band that preceded Queen at Live Aid was Dire Staits (preceded by U2)

Brian posted on twitter that he WAS in the studio recording BR solo badly!

[QUOTE] [b]MercurialFreddie wrote:[/b]

Hey fellow Queenzoners!

some small bits didn't quite sound like Freddie and I hope it was presented that way only in the cinematic cut and the audio will be all "Freddie only" on the DVD / Blu-ray.
[/QUOTE]

Brian answered someone on Instagram the other week and said live aid was all Freddie.

If Freddie had not been around then Live Aid would have been very dull indeed.
Freddie brought a huge insurgence of interest from the world after Queen's magnificent performance at Live Aid.
Only Mr Mercury could do that, he was truly inspiring , amazing and unbeatable on the world stages.

So... yet again... instead of using actual out-takes, demos etc. etc. they produced "fake" out-takes and for the movie ? Again... why ?

Status Quo opened the whole concert in London, Queen came on much later and they were preceded by Dire Straits.

[QUOTE] [b]MercurialFreddie wrote:[/b]

So... yet again... instead of using actual out-takes, demos etc. etc. they produced "fake" out-takes and for the movie ? Again... why ?[/QUOTE]

"Dramatic effect" and of course for humor. Because AS WE ALL KNOW: ROGER WAS SHOCKED AND HAD NEVER DONE THAT HIGH FALSETTO BEFORE. ;-)

Not like he'd done it on IN THE LAP OF THE GODS or MY FAIRY KING.

He had to look surprised and perplexed by it all to get the audience to laugh along with it.

[QUOTE] [b]matt z wrote:[/b]

[QUOTE] [b]MercurialFreddie wrote:[/b]

So... yet again... instead of using actual out-takes, demos etc. etc. they produced "fake" out-takes and for the movie ? Again... why ?[/QUOTE]

"Dramatic effect" and of course for humor. Because AS WE ALL KNOW: ROGER WAS SHOCKED AND HAD NEVER DONE THAT HIGH FALSETTO BEFORE. ;-)

Not like he'd done it on IN THE LAP OF THE GODS or MY FAIRY KING.

He had to look surprised and perplexed by it all to get the audience to laugh along with it. [/QUOTE]

Exactly! and then, they raised the bet showing the band completely inmersed doing the chorus section that didn't see the acoustic panels around them, so they stumbled and fell... Classic.

^FTR i didn't like those moments. Another reason it was cheesy crap.

They just didn't want to show the band work at ANYTHING. It was pretty bad. Barring THE USUAL SUSPECTS SINGER did shit worth watching.

Another thing that stood out and clearly is not a big deal during the opening sequence but bothered me throughout the movie, especially in the finale was of course the lack of contacts / the change of Malek's eye colour. In the opening sequence either they had digital artists involved or simply they thought of the contacts as his eyes seem to be brown. Throughout the movie, especially in the close-ups during the Live Aid finale, this was really bothering... and to think that Phoebe emphasized as hell that "[blah blah blah].... this is the sort of the detail they went into"...

This is not a movie to be seen twice

Saw it for the first time a few hours ago. I very much doubt that I'll be willing to watch it a second time. Haven't read any reviews yet, but found the presentation of the gay world vs the holy straight world highly offensive. Mary's prediction that Freddie would face a very difficult life after he had told her that he was bisexual and his loneliness that followed her „words of wisdom“ were just pathetic. I could go on with further scenes, but you all know what I am talking about. Please, god, let there not be a sequel!

You went TWO TIMES to that SHITTY movie?!?
You ain’t got better things to do with your money?
You dingbat
WHOEHAHAHA

You know I'm bad, I'm bad come on, you know
And the whole world has to
Answer right now
Just to tell you once again
Who's bad *SHWOOSH SHWOOS*