"It's Showtime" Bob Fosse
Friday, January 21, 2011 at 11:24AM 
I have to ask: Wouldn't a Bob Fosse biopic be better suited to ShowTime than HBO -- just on account of that catchphrase? Think of the cynergy of marketing. Somehow I'd missed (or had forgotten, more likely) the news that HBO was planning a Bob Fosse biopic and now it's been announced that Bryan Singer will direct.
Haven't any of these people seen All That Jazz (1979)?
See, Fosse already made his own (auto)biopic albeit with silly winking name-changes to protect the guilty. All That Jazz was brilliant (still is), one of the best films of a very amazing decade, and there will be no topping it ever. Face facts: he got there first. Fosse was so committed he even planned ahead by staging his own death scene for film while he still had all his chain-smoking, pill popping, eye-dropping visionary musical wits about him. Another thing that makes All That Jazz untoppable is its distinct lack of hagiography. Or sure you come away from it knowing that Bob Fosse is a genius but he doesn't dwell on this, he just is it, and there's no efforts to soften himself for mass consumption. There's lots of singing but there's not heavenly choruses declaring him Worthy of This.
Despite my reservations I would totally watch this. But it may be a long time off. The project has no writer yet and the producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron are not exactly unbusy.
What'cha think about that?
All That Jazz, Bob Fosse, Bryan Singer, HBO, biopics
Reader Comments (8)
I want to see who they cast as Fosse, but I'm cautiously optimistic. All That Jazz is two hours of wow, a film that can never be equaled, much less surpassed. I'm curious enough to want to see it.
Btw, has anyone else ever done the dance during the instrumental break at the end? You know, with Ben Vereen and the girls, and when they sweep their arms there's that laser zap sound? I feel like I can't be the only one.
Thanks for posting this Nathaniel. This film is exactly what came to mind when I heard about the project yesterday. I'm also mildly curious about the artistic choices they'll make. The film left me emotionally exhausted, but is an amazing piece. Who could forget "Air-otica"?
Michael C. Hall as Fosse, please?
Cal Roth,
Can definitely picture what you're going for and love MCH. He'd have to be malleable on character, though. As much as it doesn't seem it, he has very similar acting tics in his two most notable roles: David in SFU and the eponymous role of Dexter. I'd be scared of seeing Davexter play Bob Fosse.
That being said, All That Jazz really is untoppable. One of my all time favorites. It's also the only F&L I've ever won on this website (First: Tape in the cassette; Last: translucent bodybag). My favorite part besides the finale is the extended musical scene during the surgery, especially the doctors playing the tambourines.
Matthew Morrison would kill for this role, Denis O'Hare and David Hyde Pierce would both be great as the older Fosse, but I could see Patrick Wilson playing him through the decades.
I've already written about this. "All That Jazz" is my favourite film of all time so... umm... yeah, I'm cautiously optimistic, but nothing will not "Jazz". I just don't want any traditional biopic tropes since Fosse himself didn't think them important enough, why should Bryan Singer?
i can't believe nobody's suggested the name that always pops up when a musical project is mentioned around here...
lea michele
damn, Roy was so sexy in that movie!