# "Moulin Rouge" is a big foetid, stinking, steaming pile of crap **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 5, 2004, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moulin-rouge-is-a-big-foetid-stinking-steaming-pile-of-crap/243658 "2004-05-05T16:07:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Ross](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@Ross](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ross)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2004, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moulin-rouge-is-a-big-foetid-stinking-steaming-pile-of-crap/243658/101 "2004-05-07T22:38:20Z")
> [@Homebrew](#): > > When did the rule become that all songs are to be autobiographical? About four hours ago when I ran out of things that were wrong with Elton John. > [@The Gaspode](#): > > **Ross** - dude, you’re not making any kind of sense at all. Shouldn’t Paul McCartney sing “When I’m 64”, Roger Daltrey “My Generation”, Rod Stewart “Maggie May” ASF? > You don’t like Elton - fine. Don’t try to apply your weird logic to that feeling. It doesn’t work. I’m only joking. However I will now stop, it’s starting to get a bit weird. Sorry, as you were. Must go as my daughter is claiming to be a little teapot and my duty is clear… ---
**Author:** ![moi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@moi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moi)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2004, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moulin-rouge-is-a-big-foetid-stinking-steaming-pile-of-crap/243658/102 "2004-05-07T23:43:35Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > However, the use of Elton John’s song in the movie, as well as any of the other pop songs … none of it was creative, interesting, or appealling at all. It just seemed supremely lazy. Especially when there were long stretches of dialogue that were nothing more than quotes from dozens of pop songs. This may not change your thoughts about the movie, but I thought it was interesting. The reason the movie uses pop songs is that the movie’s writers had created an Orpheus-type character in Christian, but then felt overwhelmed trying to write poetry/lyrics for The World’s Most Powerful Poet[sup]TM[/sup]. So, the writers instead utilized pop culture–Top 40 songs. I guess you could call that lazy, but I think it’s inventive. Sorry, I couldn’t find a cite for this online; I heard it on one of the DVD’s bonus features. Which leads me to say: If you like this movie, you owe it to yourself to get the two-disc set. Really. Buy a DVD player if you must. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2004, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moulin-rouge-is-a-big-foetid-stinking-steaming-pile-of-crap/243658/103 "2004-05-08T00:27:47Z")
_Caaaaan you feeeel th’ luuuuuuuv to-nah-hah-hiite…_ 'Nuff said. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2004, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moulin-rouge-is-a-big-foetid-stinking-steaming-pile-of-crap/243658/104 "2004-05-08T01:56:47Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > I meant to add … However, the use of Elton John’s song in the movie, as well as any of the other pop songs … none of it was creative, interesting, or appealling at all. It just seemed supremely lazy. Especially when there were long stretches of dialogue that were nothing more than quotes from dozens of pop songs. Well, _I_ thougt it was creative, interesting, and appealing. I quite enjoyed playing “name that tune” along with the movie. And although both numbers come late in the movie after the rules of the game have been established, people have still been known to literally gasp in surprise when they first recognize “Like a Virgin” or “Roxanne”. IMHO, any movie that could make “Roxanne” (a song I have never liked) into an, again IMHO, completely engrossing musical number is doing something right. I really do not see how anyone could watch _Moulin Rouge!_ and come away with the impression that the fimmakers were lazy or doing half-hearted work. I should think that even if you didn’t enjoy the film you could recognize that a lot of hard work, research, and talent went into its production. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moulin-rouge-is-a-big-foetid-stinking-steaming-pile-of-crap/243658/105 "2004-05-10T14:05:21Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > people have still been known to literally gasp in surprise when they first recognize “Like a Virgin” or “Roxanne”. Well, I groaned with disgust every time I recognised a song. It seemed like nothing so much as name-dropping to me. > [@](#): > > I really do not see how anyone could watch _Moulin Rouge!_ and come away with the impression that the fimmakers were lazy or doing half-hearted work. I should think that even if you didn’t enjoy the film you could recognize that a lot of hard work, research, and talent went into its production. I recognise that a lot of hard work went into the visuals and production (basically the technical aspects) of the movie. I found the story, dialogue, characters, and acting to be uninspired, lazy, dull, cliched, boring, boring, boring, and cringeworthy. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moulin-rouge-is-a-big-foetid-stinking-steaming-pile-of-crap/243658/106 "2004-05-10T18:37:41Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > Loved _Moulin Rouge_. Loved _Pulp Fiction_. And just to turn the heat up another notch, loved _The Blair Witch Project_. I think we were seperated at birth. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moulin-rouge-is-a-big-foetid-stinking-steaming-pile-of-crap/243658.md?page=5)