5 Reactions to Netflix’s Baz Luhrmann 70's Musical Series Trailer for ‘The Get Down’
Netflix has been killing it over the past few years in the original content space. Since their debut of ‘House of Cards’ and ‘Orange is the New Black’, a consistent stream of original content and shows have been commissioned by the online distribution giant…but this week is a first. On Tuesday, Netflix dropped a trailer for their new Baz Luhrmann-directed 70's-themed musical series and we have to say, we’re effing excited. Here are some first reactions:
1. Lots of Diversity
Since NBC aired ‘The Wiz’ in December, soon after the show premiered, there were a drove of people on social media complaining about why there wasn’t a ‘white version’ of the Wiz and if there was, there would be an uproar from the Black communities. Sorry kids, there is an all-White version of ‘The Wiz’ and it’s called ‘The Wizard of Oz’. Yet through all the complaining, ‘The Wiz’ ranked #2 in audience viewership (14M+ viewers) and was the most successful broadcast yet. This tells us the people want diversity and the trailer for ‘The Get Down’ fulfills this desire. The images of urban culture, Black people, Hispanic people and White people all mixed into one is the true image of America and gets me even more excited to watch. Giving urban individuals the ability to see people of their own skin color on television, singing, performing and doing what they love inspires a whole new generation of ethic musicians and performers.
2. The Music Sounds Decent
We are really only able to hear one song sung by what looks like the lead actress and it sounds beautiful. One of the biggest things that can make or break a musical is obviously the strength of its music and lyrics. From the looks of the trailer, it looks like Baz took it to the 100th mile and actually took the time needed to orchestrate a score that will encapsulate the essence of the era and the music that defined it. I am a big fan of Motown musicals like ‘Memphis’, ‘Motown’ and blues musicals like ‘Passing Strange’ and we’re hoping Netflix and Baz can transcend to this level (we have no doubt). Also, this is a huge breakthrough in online content as this will be the first major musical series launched online!
3. The Voices Sound Great
One of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to Hollywood movie musicals or shows is they tend to choose the big star with an OK singing voice for the publicity. This was definitely the case for Russell Crowe in ‘Les Miserables’. He was deplorable and there was no need to cast another A-List actor, especially for this role. But it seems like Netflix and Luhrmann learned from Hollywood’s mistakes and decided to cast the show based on talent. The few music numbers in the trailer demonstrate strong singing and a new pool of musical talent ripe for America’s ears. It’s been proven by ‘Glee’ and Empire that this is what we want and we want it now. Let’s see if the show holds true to this.
4. The Cinematography Looks Amazing
I’m a stickler for cinematography and if a period piece like this does not put in the effort to emulate the camera and lighting techniques of the day, the show will flop. At first glance, the imagery looks rich in deep colors and gives the feeling we are transported to the 70's era. The camera movement style in the trailer reminds me of ‘Boogie Nights’, ‘Staying Alive’ and many iconic movies that take us back to the era of bell bottoms and free love. Disco?
5. The Story Looks Interesting and Exciting
IndieWire, who broke the trailer on Tuesday writes:
“We follow a rag-tag crew of South Bronx teenagers in a broken down and beaten up, violent New York City at the brink of bankruptcy, which gave birth to hip-hop, punk and disco — a story told through the lives and music of the South Bronx kids who changed the city, and the world… forever.”
Sounds exciting to us!
Take a look at the trailer below for yourself and let us know what you think in the comments:
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