SVong-Along

TLDR: See "Yesterday" if you are a Beatles fan and/or like British humor. What if "the Beatles" did not exist? That's basically the premise of "Yesterday," a fun film featuring the very talented Himesh Patel, (and also a lot of Ed Sheeran). I saw a sneak peek a few weeks ago thanks to my Yelp Elite friend May A. The premise of the movie, the whole world not knowing about the Beatles, basically applies to today's generation (i.e. my current 24 yr-old apartmentmate commented: "the Beatles are too old for me.") The highlights of the movie are the Beatles covers by Himesh Patel and Kate McKinnon being ridiculous as a music executive. Otherwise, the love arc is super cheesy but does have some "cute" moments, and the movie overall isn't super memorable. I do appreciate its creative take on a parallel universe, and the showcasing of a SouthEast Asian/Indian being a star and legit having a great voice. The song "Yester

TLDR - See Rent in SF if you: 1. enjoy stories about diversity, love, and young American artists/bohemians 2. liked the movie, and/or 3. identify with the struggle of paying rent (most millenials) and want to sing about it/vent about it through the arts. Another Sunday, another drive down to the bay, and this time I got tickets to Rent, the 20th Anniversary Tour with SHN thanks to the TodayTix app (s/o to other musical-lover Isabella ). My favorite comment re: the show was from my sister's boyfriend: Wow, the show is actually put on by people who are struggling to pay rent? VENUE The show was at Golden Gate Theater, and I do not recommend parking on 6th street in SF - unless you really want an immersive experience of walking through "Alphabet City" and have to dodge drunk people and garbage galore. Getting inside the theater was nice though, There's really not a bad view in the theater and so much is going on in the show so it's ok to sit further back an

In short: the movie is very #Extra , with some unnecessary scenes, but still nostalgic, entertaining, with some love-able cast members and great themes. (image from imdb) While Disney's remakes have not been particularly memorable, Aladdin managed to keep some of the Disney "magic" in the live-action version, despite some unnecessary scenes and acting that made the movie feel a little too over-the-top. There's a wistful and whimsical feeling listening to a modern "Arabian Nights" and "One Jump Ahead." But sometimes the music- i.e. the bridge of Prince Ali (and the overall acting/directing) felt like the movie was trying too hard. Despite this, the modern version is at times awe inspiring- the setting of Agrabah is beautifully brought to life and some of the cinematic scenery has a very nice aesthetic. The first few chords of "A Whole New World" always move me, and I still felt the feels during the song despite a mega-cheesy harm