Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

It’s that time again - Soundtrack Saturday! 


Have you ever been watching a movie and thought to yourself, “Hey, this is some pretty good music here!”?   That is what this theme is all about. Soundtracks from movies. 



Wikipedia says this about the movie:

Bohemian Rhapsody is a 2018 biographical musical drama film directed by Bryan Singer from a screenplay by Anthony McCarten, and produced by Graham King and Queen manager Jim Beach. The film tells the story of the life of Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of the British rock musical band Queen, from the formation of the band up to their 1985 Live Aid performance at the original Wembley Stadium. The film stars Rami Malek as Mercury, with Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Joe Mazzello, Aidan Gillen, Tom Hollander, Allen Leech and Mike Myers in supporting roles. Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor also served as consultants on the film. A British-American venture, the film was produced by Regency Enterprises, GK Films and Queen Films, with 20th Century Fox serving as distributor.

Bohemian Rhapsody was announced in 2010, with Sacha Baron Cohen set to play Mercury. After he left the project in 2013 following creative differences with producers, the project languished in development hell for several years before Malek was cast in November 2016. Singer served as director through most of principal photography, which began in London in September 2017, but was fired in December 2017 due to frequent absences and clashing with the cast and crew. Dexter Fletcher, who was originally set to direct the film early in development, was hired to complete the film; Singer retained sole director credit as per Directors Guild of America guidelines, while Fletcher received an executive producer credit. Filming concluded in January 2018.

The film was released in the United Kingdom on 24 October 2018 and in the United States on 2 November 2018. It received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics; while Malek's performance and the musical sequences were praised, the editing, Singer's direction and McCarten's screenplay (particularly the portrayal of Mercury's sexuality and the lives of the other band members) were criticized. The film also contains a number of historical inaccuracies. It nonetheless became a major box office success, grossing over $904 million worldwide on a production budget of about $50 million, becoming the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2018 worldwide and setting the all-time box office records for the biopic and drama genres. Bohemian Rhapsody received numerous accolades, including a leading four wins at the 91st Academy Awards for Best Actor (Malek), Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing; it was also nominated for Best Picture. The film also won Best Motion Picture – Drama at the 76th Golden Globe Awards, and was nominated for the Producers Guild of America Award for Best Theatrical Motion Picture and BAFTA Award for Best British Film, while Malek won the Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and BAFTA for Best Actor.

The movie trailer:



The Plot:


In 1985, Queen prepares to take the stage at Bob Geldof's benefit concert Live Aid at Wembley Stadium. Back in 1970, Farrokh Bulsara works as a baggage handler at Heathrow Airport and lives with his parents and sister. Farrokh goes to a pub to see the band Smile. Seeking them out after the show, Farrokh is attracted to Mary Austin and learns that she works at a boutique known as Biba. Farrokh finds drummer Roger Taylor and guitarist Brian May and learns that their lead singer, Tim Staffell just resigned. Farrokh offers himself as a replacement and impresses them with his vocal ability.

Farrokh goes to Biba, encounters Mary, and they become a couple. With Farrokh as the lead singer and new bassist John Deacon, the band plays gigs across Britain. Farrokh urges them to think bigger and sell their van to finance a record album. As they work in a studio late at night, an A&R rep from EMI asks engineer Roy Thomas Baker for demos.

Farrokh uses a stage name under the alias Freddie Mercury and changes the band's name to Queen. They sign with John Reid, Elton John's manager, and land a U.S. tour. Paul Prenter, who is attracted to Freddie, manages Queen's daily schedule. An appearance on Top of the Pops gives Queen their first hit, "Killer Queen". Freddie proposes to Mary, but during the band's sold-out U.S. tour, he begins questioning his sexuality.

In 1975, Queen record their fourth studio album, A Night at the Opera, but quit EMI when executive Ray Foster refuses to release the six-minute song "Bohemian Rhapsody" as the album's lead single. Freddie conspires with radio DJ Kenny Everett to debut the song on his program. Despite mixed reviews, "Bohemian Rhapsody" becomes a global hit. Following a world tour, Freddie begins an affair with Paul and comes out to Mary as bisexual. She counters that he is gay and they break up, but still remain close friends.

The band's success continues into the 1980's, but tensions arise over Paul's influence over Freddie. After a lavish party at his home, Freddie is attracted to a waiter, Jim Hutton, who tells Freddie to find him when he learns self-acceptance. Paul encourages Reid to persuade Freddie to go solo, but when the idea offends Freddie, Paul feigns ignorance and Freddie fires Reid without consulting the band. Despite the increasing strain, Queen continues to produce hits, including "We Will Rock You" and "Another One Bites the Dust". Their lawyer, Jim "Miami" Beach, takes over management. At a press conference for the 1982 album Hot Space, reporters badger Freddie with questions about his personal life and sexuality.

Freddie's relationship with the band sours further after the campy music video for "I Want to Break Free", where the band appears in drag, backfires and he signs a $4 million solo deal with CBS Records. He records his 1984 solo album Mr. Bad Guy in Munich and engages in drugs and gay orgies with Paul. Mary, now married and pregnant, visits unexpectedly and urges Freddie to return to Queen and participate in Live Aid. Realizing that Paul withheld news of Live Aid from him and has been a corrosive influence, Freddie fires him. In retaliation, Paul goes public about Freddie's sexual escapades.

Freddie returns to London to reconcile with the band and persuade them to play at Live Aid as a last-minute addition. With AIDS spreading worldwide, Freddie learns that he has the disease. He reveals his condition to the band but brushes off their sympathy as a waste of time, wishing to focus on performing and making music for however long he has left. The band embraces in solidarity. On the day of Live Aid, Freddie reconnects with Jim Hutton, Mary and his family, and heeds his father's Zoroastrian maxim, "Good thoughts, good words, good deeds". Freddie and the band are in top form at Live Aid, performing "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Radio Ga Ga", "Hammer to Fall" and "We Are the Champions", and helping increase donations during the event.

The film ends with graphics explaining Freddie's death in 1991 at age 45, how the band hosted the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in his honour, and that Freddie remained friends with Mary and had a loving relationship with Hutton for the remainder of his life.


The Soundtrack:

0:00 20th century Fox Fanfare 

0:26 Somebody to love 

5:20 Doing all right...revisited 

8:38 Keep Yourself Alive (Live at the Rainbow) 

16:30 Killer Queen 

19:36 Fat Bottomed Girls (Live at the Paris) 

24:07 Bohemian Rhapsody 

30:04 Now I'm Here (Live at the Hammersmith Odeon) 

34:28 Crazy Little Thing Called Love 

37:14 Love of My Life (Rock in Rio) 

41:40 We Will Rock You (Movie Mix) 

43:49 Another One Bite the Dust 

47:27 I Want to Break Free 

51:06 Under Pressure 

55:11 Who Want to Live Forever 

1:00:31 Bohemian Rhapsody (Live Aid) 

1:02:50 Radio Ga Ga (Live Aid) 

1:06:59 AY-OH (Live Aid) 

1:07:41 Hammer to Fall (Live Aid) 

1:11:44 We Are The Champions (Live Aid) 

1:15:41 Don't Stop Me Now...Revisited 

1:19:18 The Show Must Go On





Do you have a favorite movie that has a great soundtrack? Tell me about it. I’m happy to share.  


See you again soon!   






Comments

  1. What a great soundtrack. You cannot beat those tracks! When I saw your post, my mind drifted to the musical score from the movie “The Summer of 42”. It was a great ‘coming of age’ movie based on a true story. The music is instrumental but so lovely.

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  2. Loved the movie and the soundtrack! Many Vietnam era movies had great Classic Rock soundtracks. Apocalypse Now, for example.

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  3. The movie was quite good and love the music but I was not a fan of Malek's portrayal. His teeth were distracting even though I know they needed to be there because of Freddie's overbite but it seemed to get in his way. I didn't know about all the behind the scenes stull this film went through. I alwsy enjoy reading things about this.

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  4. Queen was such a great band and Freddie Mercury had a once in a lifetime voice. Love the soundtrack! I agree with Debbie that many soundtracks that encompass the Vietnam war are great and I would include Forret Gump even though I think the movie is way over-rated. My hubby loves Road to Perdition and the complete Downton Abbey soundtrack which is great. I love Dr. Zhivago, and The Lord of the Rings.

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