We open on a Monday morning at your typical office with workers getting back into their boring routine, their mindsets reflecting traces of lethargy, if not depression. This blah a.m. is broken up by Eric, the mailroom guy who’s making the office rounds with his mail cart. He takes a swig of AMP Energy Juice, which a voiceover describes as “the best tasting wake-up call,” giving Eric “the energy to make things happen.”
Indeed Eric is inspired as he passes some discarded computer equipment, including a monitor and other junky looking components. We later see that he has transformed this junk pile into a soft-serve ice cream dispensing robot.
The workers revert to their childhood, behaving like kids who run toward the ice cream truck as soon as they hear the Good Humor Man’s jingle music down the street. They descend upon the robot who is spewing forth ice cream. Energized, the workers are reveling in what could be characterized as a borderline ice cream orgy at the office.
A befuddled, at first seemingly upset boss witnesses the proceedings. As it turns out, though, he approves as we later see him offering congrats to Eric for taking the creative initiative to boost office morale.
Jeff Aron Lable of Suneeva, Toronto, directed the video for agency Proximity Canada. Editors were Gord Koch and Igor Boros of Ricochet Post, Toronto.
Review: Director Jon M. Chu’s “Wicked”
It's the ultimate celebrity redemption tour, two decades in the making. In the annals of pop culture, few characters have undergone an image makeover quite like the Wicked Witch of the West.
Oh, she may have been vengeful and scary in "The Wizard of Oz." But something changed — like, REALLY changed — on the way from the yellow brick road to the Great White Way. Since 2003, crowds have packed nightly into "Wicked" at Broadway's Gershwin Theatre to cheer as the green-skinned, misunderstood Elphaba rises up on her broomstick to belt "Defying Gravity," that enduring girl-power anthem.
How many people have seen "Wicked"? Rudimentary math suggests more than 15 million on Broadway alone. And now we have "Wicked" the movie, director Jon M. Chu's lavish, faithful, impeccably crafted (and nearly three-hour) ode to this origin story of Elphaba and her (eventual) bestie — Glinda, the very good and very blonde. Welcome to Hollywood, ladies.
Before we get to what this movie does well (Those big numbers! Those costumes!), just a couple thornier issues to ponder. Will this "Wicked," powered by a soulful Cynthia Erivo (owner of one of the best singing voices on the planet) and a sprightly, comedic, hair-tossing Ariana Grande, turn even musical theater haters into lovers?
Tricky question. Some people just don't buy into the musical thing, and they should be allowed to live freely amongst us. But if people breaking into song delights rather than flummoxes you, if elaborate dance numbers in village squares and fantastical nightclubs and emerald-hued cities make perfect sense to you, and especially if you already love "Wicked," well then, you will likely love this film. If it feels like they made the best "Wicked" movie money could buy — well, it's... Read More