There is a way to fix it... GIVE THEM CAT NOSES! Even the stage show got that right. Helping to disassociate with the human face.

Cats is going to end with a post credits stinger with Mike Myers’ Cat in the Hat saying “I’m hear to talk to you about the Feline Initiative”

Rachel: "Cats is a musical for perverts" Patrick [scratching chin]: "Yeah I simply *cannot* figure out what it is about this movie that compels me.. Obsessively."

i'm obsessed with the reaction people have to this movie.

Looks like Star Wars 9 is gonna be a huge flop guys, they wont stand a chance when they open the same day as CATS.

I think you just took 20 minutes to say "I'm excited because this looks like a glorious trainwreck."

"Ok, we have to address the elephant in the room." That we all know a Cats reaction video is going to be the biggest Lindsay Ellis hit of the year and Patrick is muscling in on her gig before the movie is even in cinemas?

"Jellicle cats" is a corruption of "dear little cats" and "Pollicle dogs" of "poor little dogs"

I think for the King’s Speech, the discomfort the King feels due to his speech impediment and his sense of isolation as a result is really greatly externalized via the cinematography. It’s slightly off-center, people aren’t directly looked at, and it all feels vaguely askew and stunted. Kind of like how the main character feels. Off balance, broken, and trapped in his own skin. It felt relatable. Les Mis? Yeah, that felt purposeless.

As a theatre geek, it's kinda cute seeing everyone freaking out about cats in 2019, it's like seeing a younger brother going through puberty and losing its mind about something you lived through and made peace with years ago.

“A style that signifies isolation and paranoia, so what purpose does it serve in The King’s Speech?” To signify isolation and paranoia.

I was kind of shocked by the backlash since I was totally obsessed with Cats as a kid - I had a VHS of it that I watched religiously, the book of all the costume designs and dragged my parents to see it twice in theatres. I had never really considered how batshit insane the whole thing is compared to most musicals

He’s a chaotic Neutral Wes Anderson

as uncomfortable as Hooper's musicals make me feel, at least they make me feel SOMETHING. unlike the live action Lion King or Aladdin musical scenes

“Cats is plotless!” *Proceedes to explain the plot of Cats*

Love you, Patrick but as a stutterer I can see why Hooper made camera blocking that was isolating for King’s Speech.

PATRICK I WILL FIGHT YOU FOR THE HONOR OF CATS THE MUSICAL Also my personal favorite fact about Cats: It uh... wasn't actually supposed to be a musical. At all. Webber wrote most of the songs as an exercise to see if he could write music to pre-existing lyrics and he only picked Eliot's book because he liked it as a child. Later on, he considered turning it into a song cycle, and when he went to perform it Eliot's widow showed up with some extra unpublished cat poems, including Grizabella the Glamour Cat, which had apparently been cut for being too sad, which inspired Webber to turn his series of entirely unconnected songs into a coherent story. "Musical" was literally his third idea for what to do with these songs.

I mean - the cat names sound funny, yeah. They're from humorous poems for literal children.

The King's Speech is shot with a lot of negative space and often isolating its subjects because it's only superficially about overcoming difficulty speaking. It isn't really an inspiring overcoming adversity movie, but it's a film about class differences and coming together in the end, first clashing and feeling alienated when out of their familiar setting, thus when Prince Albert goes to Lionel's home or when Lionel visits the royal family. The intent is to isolate these men to accentuate their possible discomfort in unfamiliar territory while the film is going about its real agenda, expressing the need to come together as a nation in their declaration against the rising Nazi threat in Europe. And I sort of get what he wanted to do with Les Mis. I don't like it, but I can kind of guess what his intent was. I think it was about wanting to really get a close personal emotional realism to their performances (ironically enough even though those wide angle lenses distort those close-ups), but paired with his decision to record vocals on set and on day with raw and unrefined vocal performances I think his intent as to try and capture some of that raw emotional weight to those characters and those performances, and the use of the close-up as the obvious closest window into that. It's just without much breathing room those sequences become unrelenting and those wide angle lenses distort those dirt smeared faces, which works to the film's detriment.

Kajit are cats, they have cat face, cat paws but they walk on 2 legs... in "cats" they have human face and human limbs... they are like CRISPR trial runs

I'm glad they made Cats look like this. Not only because it's fucking weird & therefore interesting. But because in a world where they reanimate the Lion King to be a lifeless National Geographic aesthetic, It's important to do the exact opposite. Also it'll be less jarring when they do pretty much the same thing for Cheetah in Wonder Woman & give people a "well it's not as weird as Cats" defence.

Why make a film about two people becoming friends in a way that emphasises isolation and paranoia? Is it possible that, with the Kings Speech, Mr Cooper is teaching you how it feels to be British?

Saw the film today ... and all I can say is OH WELL I NEVER! WAS THERE EVER A CAT SO CLEVER AS MAGICAL MISTER MISTOFFELEES!!

People don't give the musical Cats enough credit. It has a story but people just want to hate on it, so they say it doesn't.

Fortnite is going to steal dances from the movie.

I was waiting for this video, Tom Hooper is Michael Bay of Oscar Bait movies.

Why imply "isolation" in a movie about "two people becoming friends?" ...A fundamental point of the movie is that one of those people doesn't have any real friends due to the burden of leadership and responsibility he feels has been thrust upon him against his will, and the walls of class and etiquette that creates which the other guy has to tear down to try and make a connection with him. The guy also happens to have a communication disorder that makes it nigh-impossible for him to be taken seriously in that very same job. "Isolation" is just... a huge theme of the movie?

I liked the uncomfortable feeling in les mis. Poverty is uncomfortable.

I always wanted cat girls to exsist. But not like this. *never like this*

Ok, so all of this, is why I've been obsessed with this movie. Also Lindsey Ellis' enthusiastic excitement also helped, because damn, she convinced me with her tweets about something I had absolutely no opinion or excitement about.

That CATS "expert" is nothing short of an abominable source for information. The cats in CATS are analogs for different types of people (which, btw, inadvertently excuses the cat/human look). The last song in the show makes it clear that cats are like us and should be respected the same way to really clear this up. Anyway, all the cats at this gathering are vying to be the next person to be chosen to move on to another life which is why there is so many cat introductions. Each one is "stating their case", as it were. Some speak for themselves, others are spoken for, and some are even spoken against. Each cat shown reflects a particular portion of human society. The show seems plotless and meandering because of all these introductions but, in reality, this is part of the point it's making. That point is one of inclusion, redemption, and forgiveness leading to true happiness. Grizabella is the only cat that is introduced that shows a lack of attachment to the physical or material world and a true desire to move on. She has led a life that has taken her from comfort to being an outcast and thus gone through the gamut of life's experiences only to find that shallow pursuits are ultimately worthless and pointless (even ruinous). She craves forgiveness and bigger things (shades of the spiritual abound here) Every other cat vying for the spot is wistful for the past or, worse, involved in their ego and showing no desire to leave that behind. Grizabella herself sings about happiness being found in forgiveness which she ultimately is given and she moves on. She was worthy. The message of Cats is ultimately a very positive one and the key to it's "plot".

Also, in your outline of American musicals of the 2000s, you forgot Hairspray.

Patrick, I've solved it. It's just a simple math problem. You're multiplying two negatives, which will come out as a positive. Let's go Cats 2019

_"...Musicals had a resurgence with the two forms of the genre that would dominate the 21st century"_ Isn't it a little early in the 21st century to be making statements like this?

I would like to see the credentials of your "catspert"

The whole point of this video is basically “This is going to be a M A S S I V E dumpster fire and I can’t look away”

Remind you that this movie comes out on the same day as Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. So to those of you who are so desperate to boycott TRoS for whatever reason (other than TLJ "ruined" the franchise), Cats is the movie for you! P.S I know all of those people are still gonna go pay money to go see Rise of Skywalker, anyway. 😂😂😂🤣

"Linsay's killing it with Game of Thrones" Up Next: *We Need to Talk About Game of Thrones I Guess* Lindsay Ellis Recommended for you

I think its really unfair of that lady to say Cats is for perverts. Everyone that I know that has seen and loved Cats was introduced to it as a child.

I kind of get why the weird, uncomfortable direction works for The King's Speech. It gives me a sense of anxiety, which makes get a sense what the king is feeling.

TEACH ME, JELLICAL DADDY

I didn't see the trailer. I could've gone my whole life without seeing this monstrosity. I want the past back.

Never realized just why Les Mis didn't work for me. Thanks. Side note: I refer to that film as Les Incompetentes

I had to study The King's Speech in secondary (Irish high) school, and I honestly don't think Hooper's techniques are just there for the sake of it. The shallow focus and negative space is used often to show the discomfort and isolation felt by the characters, but there is a definite humorous angle that felt completely intentional.

Patrick, I cannot tell you the sheer glee and satisfaction my husband and I felt the moment we realized you were taking on the o BAFFLING direction of Tom Hooper. specifically Les Mis. You have somehow managed to gift wrap the catharsis we've been searching for these past 7 years.

I have so many problems with Hollywood, but one of the main things that piss me off about this industry is that they are willing to piss away five hundred million dollars on a movie about cats or a robot that can turn into a truck, and yet they cling to their purses when it comes to horror, because they are too afraid to take risks. What a joke the entertainment industry has become.

The way you pace those videos, its so entertaining, informing and funny.

I always found the cinematography, lens choices, and angles of both King Speech and Les to be my favorite parts about them. Didn't know those choices were hated. Off, sure. But I think that's why I enjoyed them.

Clearly what should have been done is something like Pom Poko, where the cats look like real cats but transform into something more like the stage show when it's time for a song. Like, the cats in the stage show are clearly meant to be symbolic representations of real cats that do cat things, the movie could have taken the step to show both sides of that.

Every time I see James Corden as Bustopher Jones I hate it more. He is so completely wrong for that part. Ian McKellan as Gus, though... that's perfect! 😝

17:14 Oh so we just gonna ignore the Step Up film series, huh? The disrespect.

I'm surprised you didn't discuss actual musicals that have gained popularity in recent years starting off with wicked, and including Hamilton and book of Mormon

Left out 2 of my favorite 2000’s musicals: ACROSS THE UNIVERSE and HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch not on your whiteboard of 2000s musicals. 2/10

There are jellicle cats and pollicle dogs, the first derives from "dear little cats" and the latter from "poor little dogs" 🐈🐕 But really if that girl was a Cats expert she'd know about this

Every video should cut to a quote by Werner Herzog.

The practical cat makeup in that Doctor Who episode is better!! So when is Hooper giving Fincher the Oscar he stole from him??

I don’t know anything about Cats other than it looks nuts but I’m ready for this video

Well if there's one thing I definitely agree with you, is that Hollywood needs big budget risks Also: Baby Driver is a musical. The only good one I've seen that isn't animated too

I loved Hoopers Les Mis and I think his choiced made it feel more ”real” and modern, not something meant for a stage or what was an adaptation of an adaptation but something that was his own.

I’m English, as is the musical. I liked the musical, and this film hurt my national pride

Mamma Mia! and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again are modern masterpieces and no one can dispute this fact

All these negative reviews are making me want to watch Cats just to see what a trainwreck it is

The King’s Speech was very much about feeling isolation. A King with tan almost debilitating speech impediment. Being a King is isolating enough, considering every other person who has been in his position is dead. So he has no true peers. Then he avoids people as to not expose his “weakness”. Loved it.

Was expecting Rachel to say “musical for Furverts”

Tom Hooper is the pretentious art-house version of Michael Bay.

Every video that I've seen by Americans/Canadians, including this one, refer to there being a song called 'Memories' in Cats. It's just 'Memory' (and the word 'memories' doesn't feature in the song either).

"I don't know, noone knows, I think TS eliot was high" Yup welcome to the musical theatre fandom

9:00 this is exactly why I was okay with Joel Schumacher doing the Phantom adaptation. But then, talk about a guy who loves his Dutch angles more than the reasons why they're employed...

“Then there’s CATS...” “HERE WE GO HA HA!”

I LOVE The King's Speech!

"Seriously, what's a jellicle cat?" "Nobody knows, we think TS Eliot was high." That was the best moment in the video. Perfect set up, perfect execution, perfect joke. And probably true.

OH MAN I FORGOT THAT HE MADE LES MISERABLES I loved that.

A Jellicle Cat is a hardline Starfleet Captain who's able to outsmart the Cardassians and rescue Captain Picard.

As a person who has stuttered her entire life, 54 years, the work in "The King's Speech" makes perfect sense. The movie isn't about a friendship but the frustrating and, at times, dehumanizing therapy techniques and ableistic attitudes people who stutter endure everyday the weird camera angles are perfect.

Supposedly, jellicle is TS Elliot's niece' inadvertant contraction of "dear little". ie 'deuh liccle cats'

Rocketman is almost certainly a musical, considering that unlike Bohemian Rhapsody it has dance numbers and more of a fantasy style to it rather than a grounded biopic.

I love this musical And I'm excited about the advancements in 'cgi' and how they built every single set by hand But how the characters look I can't

i just woke up from a dream in which Patrick H Willems and I were at a busy party. He was being extremely effusive and entertaining. His big crowd pleaser was to run to one corner of the room and do a Balducci levitation trick, facing the wall and shouting 'I'm floating! I'm floating!'. He would then immediately run over to a sofa in the room and jump up and down on it like Tom Cruise, shouting 'Now I'm couching! I'm couching!' This stunt was hugely popular, and he continued to do it all night as I looked after his baby daughter.

I'm really interested in the sets and dancing, but my main gripe is the design. I actually really enjoy the designs of the cats from the musical, because they did so much with rather simple stuff. I like the odd wigs that both imitate head fluff and ears, I love the face makeup that obscures the more human features, and I'm a fan of the occasional use of arm/leg warmer type things that make the arms and legs of the dancer look more paw like. This movie had a gigantic budget and CGI but looks SCARIER than the stage makeup while doing less. They literally ONLY added fur, ears, and a tail, and didn't even integrate it in a way that looked comfortable. Why not add cat noses? Cat claws? Fangs? Add more fluff than simply a thin coating, make them look.... at least mildly proportionate. Despite the "digital fur technology" the whole design thing seems kind of low effort. My theory is that they wanted to make the actors faces more visible bc they were such big names and showcasing your actors is obviously more important than designing palatable characters 🙄 but thats just my theory. I enjoyed the musical because of how alive and genuine it felt. You can watch the musical about a 20 times, each time focusing on a different cat, and see something new every time. Minor background characters have consistent personalities and interactions w other background characters. It's my favorite part of the musical tbh! However... I have no faith that this movie will portray that. Movies don't often care about their background characters that play no key role aside from filling in space. It would make the movie feel very lifeless in my eyes, but who knows? Maybe they'll...actually honor the musical and make something that it's fans could actually enjoy.... but I'm not convinced

I think the problem with the fur effects are that the heads aren't fluffy enough. It makes the faces look too large in proportion.

I’m surprised no one gets this. Jellicle Cats is a play on the British Pronunciation of Dear Little Cats

I can't stop watching reviews for this movie

"Lindsay's killin' it with Game of Thrones." Oh no! Does that mean Patrick and Lindsay are competitors? Can't they get together and discuss more Michael Bay, or Star Wars, or frankly anything?

*talks about movie jukebox musicals released in the 2000s* FORGETS ACROSS THE UNIVERSE

Can people stop saying Cats has no plot? Like lmao they literally explain the plot in the “Invitation to the Jellicle Ball” song.

I had to watch a filmed version of the musical in Elementary school music class and it was by far the most baffling piece of media I had ever seen up to that point. Until the movie trailer, I could've been convinced the whole thing was a childhood fever dream

Hooper knows what he's doing. Before Les Miserables, a lot of movie musical adaptations tend to either be shot as a straight-up documentation of the stage production or they tend to be shot either like a Bob Fosse '70s production or like Rob Marshall's version of Chicago. Very traditional. Granted Hooper's approach undercuts the epicness of big powerful moments from Les Mis, but his point isn't so much "can I make the thing grander in scale" as much as it's "can i put the audience directly into the scene? what are established ways of putting the audience in the scene?" Same reason why Bergman or Allen use close-ups in films - to make you effectively go through what the characters can go through. Hooper's logic is that when you see Les Mis on Broadway or at your local venue, you can distance yourself enough from Fantine, Valjean, Javert, Cosette, Marius, etc. to the point where you might think the songs are good, but you can wake up the next day and go on with your everyday life. The musical didn't affect you that much outside of the music and the scope of the production. With his approach to the film, he'll make you feel what those characters are feeling, goddamn it, with all their dread and their fears and their regrets exposed - why not approach relating to a musical from another avenue?

Patrick is the only one who gets me to watch all the way through his sponsorship portion. Well done!

This guy seems like a film critic version of Vsauce

OMG this is such a great video. I've always loved The Kings Speech and I could never put my finger on why. Just as a reference point, I spent the weekend watching Swamp Thing and Swamp thing returns. I love 80s horror/ sic fi and weird off beat flicks like Mandy or Under the Silver Lake (which is my favourite film right now), but the Kings Speech just entertained me and when the other day I was telling the story of it to my GF and she was like "that Sounds dull", but it wasn't! Hopper made it interesting. I know now why i liked it: He's like, a horror thriller director making "Grown up" movies.

I loved this video but I have to say I do think the weird “chaotic” camerawork Tom Hooper uses actually works for The King’s Speech seeing as the story revolves around a man who is forced into the limelight of being a monarch when he is the last person on Earth who wants to be one. I actually really like that film a lot, even if David Fincher clearly deserved Best Director at the Oscars that year.

A third of the way through the video, so apologies if it's answered later - but the use of seemingly strange close-ups and wide-angle shots helps to sell the emotion of a scene NOT by showing the scene itself, but through the eyes and reactions (and emotions) of the character in that scene.

Hey! The Damned United is a fantastic film -- the only sports film that this non-sports fan has ever found interesting. Admittedly, it's more the actors (Michael Sheen and Tim Spall especially) than the director, but Hooper captured the claustrophobic atmosphere of winning and losing clubs.

I went to see this with a friend knowing it was terrible. We were no kidding, the only two people in the entire theatre. Never in my life have I seen a theatre that large so empty

That so called “Cats expert” is no expert at all. She didn’t even explain the plot properly and made it worse by saying it’s a musical for perverts. Cats is a plot that is explained through the music and the choreography please find a proper expert next time.

Say what you want about how this should never have ever in any world existed and how it's probably the single greatest indicator of our late stage capitalist cultural rot BUT... I'm definitely seeing it at least 3 times.

Your enthusiasm got me totally interested in this. Although I'm totally going to watch Star Wars first haha. This might be one of those movies I catch on a 13h Hong Kong to Johannesburg flight

You are the best movie related analysis guy. Extremely well done videos in every way. Also every one of them feel personal, like any good director would made his movies. Deserve at least a million sub. Peace.

If you and Lindsey don't do a joint video about your reactions to seeing Cats, the internet will have failed us.