Have you heard about this? Grease is back in theatres. It’s not just being re-released as an old film making the rounds. They’ve made a pseudo-karaoke movie where the lyrics appear on the screen so you can sing along even if you don’t know the words by heart. It’s retitled Grease: The Sing-Along and the crowd is encouraged to sing along with the movie.
The idea doesn’t really grab me, but the marketers behind this are geniuses. With the success of Mamma Mia!, they could see there is a market for an event where the audience participates by singing along. The film already exists and the cost involved in adding the subtitles is pocket-change compared to staging a new live show or a new movie.
It may not be a blockbuster, but it’ll certainly turn a tidy profit.
_don
This was also done with “Sound of Music”. Its a neat idea. Probably even neater after a few drinks. 🙂
Louise
Have you been under a rock? It started with the Rocky Horror picture show, then they all got old and wistful… and then Sound of Music sing along started up, with people wearing costumes, etc. No surprise here, move along everybody, squeezing out more juice from the supersized watermellon that the Grease franchise has turned out to be.
Rick
Yep, I’ve been under a rock. It doesn’t invalidate my point, however.
Louise
Of course not, your point is very well made and taken. btw, my mother would love Mama Mia in a sing-along verion.
Jonathan
Years ago when The Sound of Music sing-along came to the Bytowne a reviewer (for the Express?) attended and was amazed at the Germans, nuns, Marias, and brown paper packages that turned up to see/sing the movie. He went on to say that the best moment of the evening was attributed to the unknown movie goer sitting next to him in the balcony. Maria (Julie Andrews) suddenly gets the idea to replace the worn clothes of her charges with ones made of the drape material, the reviewer’s neighbour jumps up and with impeccable timing shouts “It’s curtains for the children!” Needless to say no one heard the movie for the next minute or two.