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Parody, The Edinburgh Fringe and One Musical to Rule Them All


I've decided to do something a bit different with this post. If you want film stuff, there will be more of that coming soon. The BFG, Finding Dory, and Star Trek Beyond should be getting the review treatment, and Suicide Squad and Jason Bourne may also be subject to it as well. Now, on with the thing.

Parody is dead. Or it is in Hollywood, at least. For proof of this, look no further than Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. These two geniuses are responsible for Date Movie, Epic Movie, Disaster Movie, Meet the Spartans and Vampires Suck. These modern classics have a collective Rotten Tomatoes rating of 16%. If you (for some reason) need further proof, Marlon Wayans is another shining example. His latest masterpiece, Fifty Shades of Black, holds a dreadful 7% on RT. Which looks like Citizen Kane next to Friedberg and Seltzer's The Starving Games, that boasts a pathetic 0%.

So things are looking bleak in Tinseltown. But fret not dear reader, for elsewhere there is a ray of sunshine. But what magical land does this light shine from? Edinburgh. I was at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival last Friday; the world's biggest arts festival and hardest place on earth to find a toilet. Amidst the dingy pub cellars and armies of people equipped with flyers for their rendition of The Taming of the Shrew starring literal shrews, there are some true gems. Edinburgh Napier University's One Musical to Rule Them All is one such gem.

One Musical to Rule Them All - a musical parody of Lord of the Rings written and performed by students - succeeds where professional Hollywood filmmakers have failed. The gags are hurled rapidly at the audience, and I was laughing like an idiot throughout (and for a good half an hour afterwards). Most importantly, they're all relevant. Unlike the awkwardly shoehorned pop culture references that have infested most Hollywood parodies, OMRTA's jokes actually spoof LOTR. Like the eagles plot hole, which is mocked brilliantly, or the Black Riders, who are "accidentally" referred to as Dementors. The humour is bolstered by the production's self awareness; almost nothing happens without someone acknowledging how ridiculous it is.

Everything is spectacularly brought to life by the cast through spot on delivery and infectious energy. Each member plays their character distinctively, be they a sarcastic hobbit, a vain ranger or a mad witch king. The song's are of equal quality. They're irresistibly catchy and just as self aware as the rest of the production. The band are fantastic and the cast sing and dance their way through them wonderfully. The singing itself is very good too, with the exception of Sam's intentionally appalling solo, that goes on long enough to be funny, without getting annoying. But OMRTA's biggest stroke of genius is the personification of the ring. Rather than a lifeless prop, the ring is played by an actor in a remarkable and superbly sassy physical performance. The ring steals the show whenever it's on stage.

As far as I'm concerned, the future of parody lies in the hands of fans. This has been the case for a while, thanks to sites like YouTube, which give passionate fans the opportunity to showcase their work. And passion is exactly what makes them so good. Their love for the material they're parodying shines through in a way that the cynical, money driven Hollywood productions could never replicate. OMRTA has genuine passion behind it, and that's what makes it such a joy. So, if you find yourself in Edinburgh in the next week, I highly recommend going to see One Musical to Rule Them All. You will not be disappointed. Meanwhile Hollywood better get its act together, because this is embarrassing.

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