![]() Bagdasarian credited himself as Dave Seville, taking the advice of executives who thought his real name would be hard to pronounce. The playful tune was a hit in 1958, reaching number one on the charts. Played at normal speed, it sounds like he had been on helium. To capture the distinctive pitch, Bagdasarian recorded at half-speed, delivering the lyrics slowly. The idea came in part from the unusual voices created by reel-to-reel tape recorders for the Munchkins in 1939’s The Wizard of Oz. “The Witch Doctor” featured Bagdasarian muttering gibberish that he sped up, ostensibly from a master of dark magic. Supporting a family of five, he decided to buy a tape recorder for $190 and record a song he felt would be in tune with the fast and sometimes indecipherable lyrics of modern music. In the late 1950s, actor and musician Ross Bagdasarian was down to his last $200. The Chipmunks owe a debt to The Wizard of Oz. For more on the history of this talented rodent trio, take a look at some facts on everything from their earliest recordings to the punk album that won them a whole new audience. Alvin and the Chipmunks have made records, starred in numerous animated series and films, and even have their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. ![]() Parents, however, may come out echoing Dave’s early lament: “My life is being sabotaged by talking chipmunks.For more than 60 years, the dulcet, high-speed tones of Alvin, Simon, and Theodore Seville have resonated with generations of fans. Overlong and underplotted, Alvin is likely to make children fitfully fidgety, even if they are ultimately won over by their new furry friends. At least Simon has the distinction of wearing specs, and Theodore of being childish and fat. The least memorable is Alvin himself, the so-called leader of the pack (voiced by Justin Long, but you wouldn’t really know it). This segment also forces the musical numbers on a downward spiral, as the chipmunks swap harmonious pop for jerky hip-hop numbers that don’t suit their shrill tones.ĭavid Cross is well cast as the cynical music exec who schemes to charm the boys away from Dave’s influence, but few other characters go beyond one dimension. The chipmunks go on tour and get exhausted, but they seem to take an inordinately long time doing so. But after a pacy start, the narrative descends into over-familiar territory. The ’munks themselves are pretty cute: their nimbly choreographed version of Funky Town is a hoot, and chubby Theodore is bound to elicit “aahhs” as he snuggles up to Dave after having nightmares.Īll this, plus the obligatory fart joke, is likely to amuse kids, and there are in-jokes for moviegoing parents, too (“Tell her she completes you, it works!”). Cartoonish visual comedy abounds when the chipmunks wind up at Dave’s place and attempt to hide, quickly freezing as he spies their movement and swings round. Lee is likeable as Dave, the hapless ad exec whose real passion is songwriting - if only he could find the right singers. This latest adventure sees the furry little CG’d creatures cosying up to a live-action Jason Lee, in a story about the evils of commercialism, merchandising and exploiting children. have had various lucrative incarnations, including two TV cartoon series and several straight-to-video animated features. Since The Chipmunk Song made it big in the 1950s, Alvin and co. Make that three chipmunks and you’ve hit paydirt - or so seems the general idea. Ever seen a kid giggle at someone inhaling a helium balloon? Show them a high-pitched singing chipmunk and you can double that effect.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |