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Vulture’s Les Misérables Advent Calendar: Day 25

Hello and welcome to Vulture’s very special Les Misérables Advent Calendar, where we have been counting down the 25 days to the most exciting movie-musical event of 2012. [Obligatory “One Month More” interlude.] Every day, this calendar has revealed a new Les Miz–related treat to help pass the time until Opening Day — just like a normal Advent calendar, except with more barricades and tarnished dreams. But today is the day! The wait is over, and the calendar is complete! We have one last treat for you, but feel free to revisit the previous 24 to properly be in the Les Miz spirit.

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Day 1 - 25 Reasons We Are Abnormally Excited About Les Miz

Today, we offer you a list of reasons to care about Les Miserables, in case you have a friend or family member who is not entirely persuaded. (We know you’re excited — you clicked this link.)

1. When Eponine comes in with "he was never mine to lose" in "A Heart Full of Love." Mmmmbest. (It comes later than you think. Fourth verse.)

2. We have to assume someone is organizing an unofficial-but-come-on sing-along screening. This sounds like fun.

3. So many good cries.

4. Possible uptick in babies named "Enjolras."

5. Wolverine is going to sing "Bring Him Home"!

6. Being able to call every weird trash heap of discarded and presumably bed-buggy furniture a "barricade."

7. The end of having to hear about Anne Hathaway's diets.

8. Helena Bonham Carter's side-eye. Helena Bonham Carter's everything, really.

9. It will suddenly be okay for a few weeks to, like, reenact important scenes from Les Miz at a bar. "We just saw the movie," you can say if someone gives you a stink eye. "I just saw the movie," you can say if someone is doing the scene wrong and you want to jump in.

10. Anything that references the spinning stage.

11. Russell Crowe's inevitable jaunty hat line — a tri-corner in every color!

12. The movie version of "One Day More" making its way to YouTube, so we can send it to people the night before important events (weddings, trips, etc.). Not that we don’t do this with the tenth-anniversary version, but you know, options!

13. The confusion that will sweep over the theater when the new song plays.

14. Dancing!

15. Sasha Baron Cohen's cockney accent.

16. Seth MacFarlane singing “Confrontation” at the Oscars in voices — Brian as Valjean, Stewie as Javert.

17. People going as Javert for Halloween next year, and then being confused for Captain Crunch.

18. Better close-ups of the little miserables children running through the streets. (They don’t actually look that miserables, but they are cute!)

19. Sitcoms making Les Miz jokes in two to three months. We’re looking at you, New Girl.

20. Taylor Swift’s inevitable revenge cover of “On My Own,” with the words changed to shame Samantha Barks.

21. Measuring time in Les Mizes. Set your crock pot for two “Les Mizes” and you’ll have the best chili in the world.

22. Eddie Redmayne as heartthrob. It is his time!

23. Changing all our passwords to 24601. Just kidding, we didn’t do that; please don’t try to hack into our e-mail.

24. More Sesame Street Les Miz spoofs like this one.

25. A guaranteed two hours without anyone talking about The Hobbit.

Day 2 - Paul Rudd and Jason Segel Sing "Confrontation"

It's irresponsible to post this without pointing out that Paul Rudd and Jason Segel had each performed "Confrontation" before — Rudd with David Wain, and Segel with Neil Patrick Harris. All three videos are marvelous. You should watch all of them.

Day 3 - Here is a Jean Valjean Toy

Someone hand made a Jean Valjean action figure! (Javert and bridge sold separately.)

Day 4 – Eddie Redmayne on His Marius Diet and Singing ‘Confrontation’ With His Brother

On Sunday night, Vulture’s Katie Van Syckle attended a Les Misérables screening and party (at which Hugh Jackman gave Amanda Seyfried a lap dance, among other things.) She spoke to Eddie Redmayne.

A lot has been made of the diets on this film. What were you eating?

I remember sitting in rehearsals with Tom Hooper and waiting for Hugh and Samantha and Annie, who were all in the gym. Tom was like, “Where are they all?” And I was like, “Oh, they are working out.” He goes, “Aren’t you the romantic dude … aren’t you meant to work out?” And I said, “I’ve got really nice suits.” I think I was the only person not on some weird fad diet. I could eat burgers.

How many times had you seen the musical before you did it?

I saw it first when I was 7, and my brother and I saw it and we used to sing. My brother is not musical at all or particularly interested in theater, but we would sing Hugh Jackman’s and Russell Crowe’s parts to each other. When I was auditioning for the role, I mean, I really wanted it, but my brother would text me about once every five minutes, “Have you heard? What’s going on? Can my daughter play baby Cosette?”

So did you know all the parts coming into it?

I am going to say to you that I didn’t, because that would be lame and pathetic, but I may know a few more parts than I should.

Day 5 - Today we present a delightful mash-up that combines the spirit of pop music with the story of the barricades.

Sometimes two great tastes really do taste great together. Like Les Miz and "Call Me Maybe." Here's my number; it's 24601.

Day 6 - The cutest, fuzziest version ever

Les Miserables is mostly for grown-ups, what with the beatings, prostitution, constant death, gun violence, and themes of parental neglect. But that has not stopped Cozy Classics from creating an adorable fuzzy picture-book version of Victor Hugo's classic. Look at cozy Marius falling in love with cozy Cosette! And cozy Valjean! It's enough to make us support a cozy revolution.

Day 7 - Which Song Are You Most Excited to Sing Along To?

Truth time: do you plan on singing along? (Really quietly, obviously, and with total respect for your fellow moviegoers. It's not like you were going to smuggle in some French flags to wave during "Do You Hear the People Sing." That would be outrageous.) Which song are you most excited about? Tell us!

Day 8 - Grumpy Cat

It started with this. Now Grumpy Cat goes full Cosette. [via]

Day 9 - What if Javert was in Rent?

It's always a good time to revisit Hark! a Vagrant’s Javert strips, which cover the Bread Crimes Division and a little Valjean slashfic, too.

Day 10 - Watch Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe Sing “Confrontation” Two Weeks Early

Your new Valjean and Javert showed up at New York City’s Joe’s Pub over the weekend and did a little preview. Now we know what it looks like when Russell Crowe sings karaoke.

Day 11 - Les Miserables Bohemian Rhapsody

Here is the Australian tenth-anniversary cast singing the hell out of a “Bohemian Rhapsody” spoof: “You know we’re gonna die / But that’s okay, we all come back to life / in the end / in the end.” Now if someone could just blend “Who Am I?” with “Mr. Fahrenheit,” we’d really be in business.

Day 12 - Play the Les Miserables Board Game

Look, it’s right there waiting for you to hit “print.” Or if you prefer embarrassing games, we came up with some Les Miz Would You Rathers. Ready? Would you rather be a bridesmaid in Cosette’s wedding (your dress is purple floor-length taffeta and you have to wear it all day) or work in Fantine’s factory for a year? Would you rather babysit Gavroche or take Legal Philosophy 101 with Javert? Would you rather marry Monsieur or Madame Thenardier? Your turn! [via]

Day 13 - A Pop Hybrid

We didn’t know that you could set Les Miz lyrics to the tune of Christina Aguilera songs, or that “Empty Chairs” would work as a bongo-laden ditty. But you can, and it does! You learn something new every day.

Day 14 - The Lea Michele Time Machine

Once upon a time, back in 1995, Glee’s Lea Michele played Young Cosette on Broadway. This is a picture of her. No really, that is her.

Day 15 - Captcha Wisdom

Correct answer! We are totally sure that your download will continue as planned.

Day 16 - Les Miserables Confessions

Do you have a "secret" about Les Miz that you want to share, Post Secret style? There is a tumblr for that.

Day 17 - The Best Les Miz-Related Scene From Last
Night's Homeland

No spoilers, even. (Keep yours out of the comments, please!)

Day 18 - Arm Joe, the Les Miserables Fighting Game

It's Victor Hugo’s masterpiece as you’ve never seen it before: a 2-D retro-style fighting game. (Think Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat. On Sega Genesis.) The downloadable PC game lets you play as a variety of canonical characters, as well as Jean Valjean’s more dangerous self, Robo-Jean. Now all we can think about is Javert screaming “finish him!”

Download the game here.

Day 19 - the Les Mis vs. Les Miz Poll

Yesterday Kyle Buchanan and Amanda Dobbins debated the most important movie abbreviation question of our time: is it Les Mis or Les Miz? Today, we put the question to you.

Day 20 - Henry Winkler Loves Hugh Jackman

Hey calendar readers! It is I, Kyle Buchanan (Team Miz!), here to hijack this space to tell you a story about Henry Winkler. The other day I was at the Chateau Marmont interviewing Hugh Jackman at a party, a task made difficult by how besieged Hugh was by well-wishers and awards voters who wanted to tell him how much they loved his performance. The most notable of these fans was Henry Winkler, who interrupted my chat with Hugh for two ecstatic minutes. While Hugh has two iconic roles under his belt in Wolverine and Jean Valjean, Henry Winkler has given us the Fonz and Barry Zuckercorn, so he is entitled to talk to Hugh Jackman when he wants to, y’know? What follows is my transcript of Mr. Winkler’s high-energy genuflecting:

“Can I just say, Hugh might be transformative in every role, but this role? Transforms everything he’s ever done. Oh. My. Goodness. I’ve seen him on Broadway — where he took an entire theater and made it into a small, intimate room, which very few humans can do, man or woman — and you’ve seen him as a superhero, but now this role? This movie is unbelievable. You are Un.Believable! You jump into the heart of any human being that is watching this movie. From my heart, I am telling you the truth! Hugh! This is something for the ages. You are in a film … I mean, [Tom Hooper] directed a postage stamp the last time we saw him, with nice wallpaper. And now he’s directed a continent! And you are a part of that continent. Oh my God. You are so incredible. And your journey, from that opening shot, lifting the flag? My heart went, ‘Oh!’ when you lifted the wagon to save that guy, and Russell Crowe saw you. I went, ‘No, put it down, put it down!’ Okay, okay, I’m done now. Congratulations. I'm not kidding. And happy holidays.”

Later on, I ran into Henry Winkler again when I went down the hall to use the bathroom. “Let’s keep talking about how amazing Hugh is!” he said.

Day 21 - Cosette Travels the World

She dreams of a castle on a cloud. We dream of her traveling the world, donning iconic hats. [Hidden In Lianas Chamber]

Day 22 - Animaniacs

It's “Les Miseranimals,” and it’s perfect. Bernadette Peters, you guys!

Day 23 - Les Miz meets Mean Girls

It was bound to happen eventually. And it was bound to be fantastic. Behold: Mean Miz. [JeanValJeans]

Day 24 - The Obligatory “One Day More” Festival

What, you thought we were above this? We are not above this. Here is a Polish flashmob version:

And here is a dubstep version:

And here is the very talented Brian Nash doing all the parts at once:

Day 25 - It’s Here! It’s Finally Here!

But if you somehow did not pre-order tickets, and therefore cannot see the movie today, here is the entire 25th Anniversary Concert Special to tide you over. Enjoy! And thank you for spazzing out with us.

Vulture’s Les Misérables Advent Calendar: Day 25