CHEWER'S 250 GREATEST MUSICAL NUMBERS IN CINEMATIC HISTORY - Page 7

194. RENT "Tango: Maureen" (2005)

Whatever one might think of this "youth wank" musical, this well choreographed & superbly shot number does sparkle a bit with genuine inspiration.

195.  "He's a Tramp"  -- Lady & the Tramp (1955)

This character comes out of nowhere and, if I recall correctly, doesn't ever show up again, but she makes an impression.  This ode to "bad dogs" by a world-weary bitch (used correctly!) is very catchy and arguably the most memorable song from this classic film.  Peggy Lee kills it here.  One of the few "sexy" Disney songs.  

196. Reefer Madness The Musical Listen to Jesus Jimmy

  This movie is hysterical! It mocks anti-drug propaganda. For as funny as it is, it made a lot of sense in the Bush years. The movie is a great satire of using fear to make people believing stupid things that could never be true. The are a lot of killer tunes: Reefer Madness, The Stuff, Mary Sunshine, and Tell Em' the Truth. I went with this tune because a lounge lizard Messiah isn't something you see every day.

197. Hamlet 2: "Rock Me Sexy Jesus."

Youtube seems fucked right now, so maybe later, or tomorrow, I can add it. It's Steve Coogan, so there's genius right there, but it's the way the kids in the cast sell the idea that takes it a notch or two past the basically on-the-nose silliness of the concept.

Chaz beat me to Reefer Madness. I was on the brink of picking "Mary Sunshine" because DANG, Kristen Bell, but now I'm inclined to grab a more historic slice of psychedelia. I give you:

198. "Pink Elephants On Parade" - Dumbo

This is a film in which the deeply depressed hero gets blackout drunk and wakes up in a tree. And it's the event that changes his whole life for the better. Thanks, Walt!

I damn near picked "When I See A Elephant Fly", but I didn't want to get accused of a hate crime.  

Yeah, Dumbo overall is not one of my favorite Disney films by a long shot. But "Pink Elephants" and the heartbreaking "Baby Mine" sequence more or less justify its existence.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Spider 

Yeah, Dumbo overall is not one of my favorite Disney films by a long shot. But "Pink Elephants" and the heartbreaking "Baby Mine" sequence more or less justify its existence.

"Dumbo" is one of my favorites, but it's also one of the most painful ones to watch.  The crows' song is one of the catchiest but also one of the most mean-spirited.  

Really, the most offensive thing is that the leader's name is... Jim Crow, but that's not a reflection on the character.

I just think Dumbo himself is a painfully uninteresting protagonist; I have the same problem with Snow White and Bambi. And yeah, those crows are awkward as hell. It's nice that they're meant to be a POSITIVE force within the film... but then you remember that they're probably all voiced by white dudes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ratty 

I damn near picked "When I See A Elephant Fly", but I didn't want to get accused of a hate crime.  

Seriously, this is why I didn't pick that song a page ago, and why I didn't pick the Crow song from The Wiz.

I take it we needn't worry about anything from Rock of Ages getting squeezed in at the wire?

199. The Great Dictator "The Globe Ballet" (1940)

Pissing on Hitler with style, grace, & wit. Let's see Rock Of Ages do THAT.

So many choices left, so much pressure. I've gotta go pure here, with a tour-de-force live performance.

200. "Sweet Georgia Brown/Tea For Two" - Jazz on a Summer's Day

Bert Stern's groundbreaking music documentary is notable for a lot of things: the incredible roster of talent, the brisk fly-on-the-wall photography, the amazing color. Above them all, Anita O'Day in beautiful black & white, scatting the hell out of what would shortly become her signature tune.

200. "In Your Eyes", Say Anything

Cusack holding the boombox over his head is an absolutely indelible image. Great song, great actor, great cinematic moment. 

(okay, trailer, not actual scene, but you get it):

Not only is it a personal favorite movie and/or musical moment, it inspired my all-time favorite South Park gag:  

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hammerhead 

So many choices left, so much pressure. I've gotta go pure here, with a tour-de-force live performance.

 

200. "Sweet Georgia Brown/Tea For Two" - Jazz on a Summer's Day

 

Bert Stern's groundbreaking music documentary is notable for a lot of things: the incredible roster of talent, the brisk fly-on-the-wall photography, the amazing color. Above them all, Anita O'Day in beautiful black & white, scatting the hell out of what would shortly become her signature tune.

 

Ooooohhhh, you FUCKER my browser locked up. 

We need to "250" dis bitch.

I am in favor of this.

Screw it! 202!

"Let's Build a Snowman!" - Cannibal! The Musical

Trey Parker and Matt Stone are dismissive and ironic about everything except one in all the world: musical theatre. You have to know your shit to write a spoof this solid-- the film even contains a ballet interlude straight out of Oklahoma!-- but if I have to choose one number that best communicates the whole enterprise it's this (ever so spoilery) one.

204. "Why Am I So Gone About That Gal?" - Les Girls

Released in 1957, towards the end of MGM's golden age, this film has never gotten the recognition it deserves. Perhaps because it's a screen original, without the cred of a stage production to prop it up; perhaps because its Rashomon-influenced story structure was too eclectic for the audience of the day. It certainly wasn't because Gene Kelly was yet past his prime. While the song and lyric are somewhat out of Cole Porter's comfort zone, clearly chasing the recent threat of 'modern' musicals like West Side Story and of rock 'n' roll in general, Kelly's sendup of Marlon Brando in The Wild One is timeless. And Mitzi Gaynor scorches in support.

205. Rock Star Blood Pollution

   I am not a fan of this movie. I know the former Judas Priest tribute band singer Ripper Owens joins Priest story very well. That story could have led to a movie as good Almost Famous. Instead this genre of music still doesn't get the respect it deserves. The movie made Walberg's character out to be somebody who would rather pretend to somebody else than be himself. In real life, Owen's tribute band was a vehicle to promote their original band. They would do a set of their own material before the Priest set. Unlike the movie, Halford being gay had nothing to do with him leaving Priest. I know a ton of metal heads and none of them have ever used a gay slur to describe him. I think the movie should have been started with the trials and tribulations of the tribute band, then Walberg's character joining the band and the climax of the film would have been a successful sold out debut concert.

  I know I may have Britta'd the thread with my defending the heavy metal faith rant; now why I picked this scene. The Steel Dragon tunes are good and could have been hits in the mid 80s. A band with Jason Bonham on drums, Jeff Pilson on bass, and Zakk Wylde on guitar would be awesome! Mark Walberg has killer stage presence. Thanks to the power of movies, I believed that the former leader of The Funky Bunch is a metal singer with swagger to spare.

Speaking of tribute bands, from 96 to 98 I was the pyro tech for a Kiss tribute band. I had a too much fun doing it!

"Don't I get a last request?"

206. "Tequila" - Pee-wee's Big Adventure

A complete non-sequitur sequence, showcasing a bit from Reubens' live show. But damn if it doesn't convincingly win everyone over.

BREAK DANCE!

207.  "Monkey in Me" -- STARSTRUCK (1982)

Song starts at about 2:10

This delightfully goofy Aussie musical is a good old-fashioned rags-to-riches story set in the Australian New Wave/Pop scene.  Jackie is a waitress with big dreams of music stardom and will do anything to get there.  With the help of her annoying young cousin, she manages to make it big by hijacking a live concert and performing this silly but incredibly catchy song.  I have no idea what ever happened to Jo Kennedy (she made absolutely no mark in the U.S.), but she is super-crushable in this film.  "I go ape", indeed.  

208. "Scotty Doesn't Know" - Eurotrip

Let me acknowledge up front that this is a truly awful, vulgar, unfunny film. But it's got this one good bit right at the beginning, in which our hero finds out he's literally the only person alive who was unaware his girlfriend has been cheating on him for an entire year. Points to the unbilled Matt Damon, and to Kristen Kreuk for tweaking her good-girl image, and to the song itself which is undeniably catchy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hammerhead 

208. "Scotty Doesn't Know" - Eurotrip

 

Let me acknowledge up front that this is a truly awful, vulgar, unfunny film. But it's got this one good bit right at the beginning, in which our hero finds out he's literally the only person alive who was unaware his girlfriend has been cheating on him for an entire year. Points to the unbilled Matt Damon, and to Kristen Kreuk for tweaking her good-girl image, and to the song itself which is undeniably catchy.

 

Pardon my derail, but this is too good not to post, using Matt Damon as somewhat a tenuous excuse.

Nothing to see here.

209. Velvet Goldmine "Baby's On Fire" (1998)

A beautifully put together but ultimately shit movie, VG does have one of the better soundtracks of the decade (crap faux-Bowie tunes aside). In this number, a Brian Eno cover, guitar gods Bernard Butler & Johnny Greenwood feature in a seering "I can't believe these guys are in the same room!!" guitar duel.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Art Decade 

210. Velvet Goldmine "Baby's On Fire" (1998)

 

 

A beautifully put together but ultimately shit movie, VG does have one of the better soundtracks of the decade (crap faux-Bowie tunes aside). In this number, a Brian Eno cover, guitar gods Bernard Butler & Johnny Greenwood feature in a seering "I can't believe these guys are in the same room!!" guitar duel.

 

Here it be: (Click to show)

I missed this film in theaters, and really didn't know much about it. One day, I'm walking by the TV room while my daughter had it on, and hearing "Baby's On Fire" was a neck-snapping double-take. I might like the film itself only slightly better than you did, but that soundtrack is pretty fascinating.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Art Decade 

209. Phantom Of The Paradise "Life At Last" (1974)

 

 

BEEF!!

 

Do I get to scold the mighty Art Decade for re-posting a song? 

Yes, yes I do - check out #103.

C'mon, Velvet Goldmine is an awesome movie!  Yes, the music is the highlight (as it should be, considering the subject. It's one of the greatest soundtracks ever; #211 The Ballad of Maxwell Demon being my favorite), but the whole thing feels both incredibly personal and appropriately surreal.

It's also a pretty deep film.  I always remember this quote from Damon Houx, which was a brilliant bit of analysis, I thought:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chavez 

 

 

Do I get to scold the mighty Art Decade for re-posting a song? 

 

 

Yes, yes I do - check out #103.

Apparently, the only thing mighty about me is my ability to skip entire pages of a list.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeb 

 

I missed this film in theaters, and really didn't know much about it. One day, I'm walking by the TV room while my daughter had it on, and hearing "Baby's On Fire" was a neck-snapping double-take. I might like the film itself only slightly better than you did, but that soundtrack is pretty fascinating.

Radiohead, featuring Bernard Butler on guitar, covering Roxy Music with Thom Yorke doing a Bryan Ferry impression? Fascinating doesn't even begin to describe this godlike phenomenon.

211. Radio Days "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To" (1987) / Annie Hall  "It Seems Like Old Times" (1977)

In modern film, there are few moments as adorably luminescent & quietly moving than when Diane Keaton "the singer" comes out of hiding to still the hearts of men & women alike with an old standard. Here are two examples, both serving the same point:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Dickson 

210.  "Rhapsody in Blue" - Fantasia 2000 (2000)

 

I really enjoyed Fantasia 2000 for the most part.  Sure, "The Firebird" was sort of "Night on Bald Mountain Redux,"  and "Pomp and Circumstance" was an attempt to give Donald his "Sorcerer's Apprentice."  But I still enjoyed all the pieces, especially in IMAX.  But the "Rhapsody in Blue" segment has always stood out for me.  It seems closest in spirit to what Disney did with the first Fantasia, and the adoption of Hirschfeld's style is a perfect fit for the material.

 

I like Fantasia 2000 well enough, but this is the ONE segment that really can stand with the best of the first one. 

212. "March of Welcome/Non Piu Andrai" - Amadeus (1984)

Mozart inventing the remix, and creatively bitchslapping Salieri to his face. Even with the awe of his first scene, seeing him improvise genius with a bare minimum of effort, and with that fucking laugh. We may not like Salieri, but no way do we not understand that mix of hatred and envy after this. The simplest musical number in the film, but still one of the best.

213.  "Stay With Me"  -- The Rose (1979)

Believe it or not, there was a brief time where Bette Midler was kind of cool and ballsy, before she got all Disneyfied and turned into a cartoony camp icon.  THE ROSE captures that moment perfectly with this thinly-veiled story of a Janis Joplin-esque crash-and-burn rock star.  Midler spends the whole movie living fast and burning out due to touring pressures and drugs.  "Stay with Me" is the final song of the movie and [SPOILER, I GUESS] the final song of "The Rose" herself.  In this, this song is kind of the spiritual sister to DANCER IN THE DARK's "Next to Last Song".  Midler sings the shit out of this like she's expended every last once of her energy into this song.  

214. "Deliver Us"-The Prince of Egypt

My deep, abiding love for this film is well documented both here and elsewhere on the Internet. I feel it is one of the most purely epic animated features ever made. It should come as no surprise then that I find many reasons to add this opening number to the list, and I will share all of them with you. I love every single song in the movie (yes, even "Playing With The Big Boys", which I feel is fun, but also sinister, and it illustrates the hypocrisy of the Egyptian priesthood rather nicely), but this is easily one of the highlights.

After perhaps my favorite "please don't kill us for changing shit" disclaimer in cinema history, we go right into the song and movie. Musically, the song is booming and grandiose, yet it also shifts to quieter but no less powerful sections, as when the haunting, melodic vocals of the late Ofra Haza take over as Moses' Hebrew mother. Stephen Schwartz is one of those composers/lyricists who's kinda uneven; when he's good, as he is here and in most of Disney's Hunchback, he's spectacular, although on Hunchback he did have help from Alan Menken. When he's bad... it's pretty fucking painful *points at most of Pocahontas* Of course, he's also helped here by the utterly fantastic orchestrations by Hans Zimmer and his posse. Much like how he rescued The Lion King's soundtrack by bringing a true African quality to the music, Zimmer's contributions here are invaluable to bolstering the songs.

Visually, the movie starts us off in a grand fashion, with towering monuments, dangerous waters, and whirling sands Cecil B. DeMille could only dream of. It also has to cover a lot of ground story-wise in order to set up the rest of the movie, a quality it shares with the earlier "Bells of Notre Dame" entry. It accomplishes this task with great aplomb. Not only do we see just how dire and desperate the situation for the Hebrews is; we get the tearful goodbye from Moses' heroic mother, Miriam and Aaron are established so we don't forget about them later, Moses traveling in his surprisingly durable basket, and finally his discovery by the Queen. And not one second of it feels rushed.

"Deliver us! Hear our call, deliver us! Lord of all remember us, here in this burning sand! Deliver us! There's a land you promised us! Deliver us! To the Promised Land!"

215.  "Kyle's Mom's A Bitch"  -  South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)

This song may not have the clever lyrics that the other songs of this brilliant score have, but, goddamn does it make me laugh!  They took the minimalist throwaway joke song from their first television season and fleshed out with full triumphant orchestration and an international flavor.  It's insanely catchy and whenever I need a mood or energy boost, I'll put this on.  Such a fun, upbeat song about shitting all over your friend's mother.

What absolutely kills me every time is Cartman's big Broadway flourish at the end complete with the jazz hands.  He is so proud of his performance! 

216. Murder - Reefer Madness The Musical 2005

   This number is a show with everything but Yul Brenner. There is singing, dancing, Satan, zombies and last but not least cannibalism. There are two lines that always crack me up:"Take it easy you mug that is a brand new Persian rug" and "The weed made him hungry for human flesh.

217. "Big Machine" - Safety Not Guaranteed

I usually prefer to allow some time for consideration between a picture's release and any kind of "best ever" praise. So just pretend I've traveled back from 2026 to nominate a film that's currently playing in theatres. This is the turning point for Aubrey Plaza's character-- is this guy nuts? Damaged? Dangerous? Trustworthy, even? His song reveals an emotional truth, almost independently of his actions, and she makes her decision.

Here's the song, but it's Mark Duplass' rendition of it in the film that really puts it over. No clip available yet.

P.S. Aubrey Plaza's eyes.

218. "Poor Jack"-The Nightmare Before Christmas

Picking the best song from The Nightmare Before Christmas is hard. I don't think there's a single dud musically in the movie, and it operates even more like a traditional Broadway musical than the Disney films. The major plot developments are almost all covered through song, even stuff you wouldn't expect like the town meeting or Jack trying to figure out what the meaning of Christmas actually is. The execution is also completely wonderful throughout. I think this is absolutely Danny Elfman's best score, with witty, clever lyrics, devilishly catchy music, and he even gets to participate in a good deal of it as Jack's singing voice. There's the terrific opening number "This Is Halloween", our hero's mid-life crisis explained through "Jack's Lament", the joy of discovery in "What's This?", Sally's wistful love song, Oogie Boogie's killer jazz number... I could go on.

And then there's this, perhaps the most crucial song in the entire movie. Jack's plans have literally gone up in flames, and now he is left wondering what to do next. The song begins in beautiful sadness, with Elfman's wounded vocals crystallizing Jack's shattered dreams. But the song turns, and Jack's eventual, heightened realization is the most liberating moment in the story:

"Well, what the heck

I went and did my best,

And by God I really tasted something swell

And for a moment, why, I even touched the sky!

And at least I left some stories they can tell, I did!

And for the first time since, I don't remember when,

I felt just like my old bony self again.

And I, Jack, the Pumpkin King!

That's right... I AM THE PUMPKIN KING! HAHAHAHA!"

Elfman's musical acting throughout, but especially on that epic last line, is astonishing. How can you not want to stand up and cheer him on after this? The power of the song is helped even more by the animation. TNBC is one of my favorite stop-motion films of all time, bringing a new smoothness and life to the format that still holds up today. Jack's mournful, languishing poses and then his elegant, re-energized strides are accompanied by equally great cinematography.

Man, just writing about it makes me love this damn thing even more.

219. Detroit Rock City Detroit Rock City 1999

All the thrills of a Kiss concert in under four minutes.

220. "Baby Gonna Shake" - Earth Girls Are Easy

Filmed before Geena Davis won her Oscar for The Accidental Tourist but only released after, this film (written by Julie Brown, from her novelty song of the same name) is a candy-colored riot of knowing 80s glitz that never quite found an audience. Julien Temple's stylish direction and Brown's canny pop-culture riffs ensure that it's a lot smarter than it lets on, which may have been part of the problem. In this sequence, Davis and Brown show the three 'shaved Martians' a night on the town and Zebo (a young Damon Wayans) gets inadvertently drawn into a dance battle with noted choreographer Crescendo Ward. Watch for a similarly-unknown Jim Carrey, stealing scenes in the background.

Hey, I thought of one! (maybe)

Simple Men (1994) - Hal Hartley

The inexplicable Sonic Youth bit.

I still don't know what this was all about.  I think by this point you've settled in to Hal's typically strange dialogue and acting and the movie is starting to look a little too much like a normal drama to the audience (and he did that once already with Trust).  So to shake things up a little...

I am kind of sad at the one Blues Brother's entry here. I love Ol' Landmark, but this is the song I think of when I think musical dance scene:

222: The Blues Brothers, 'Shake A Tail Feather'

I know it is just trying to stuff a cameo in by Ray Charles, but it has always set better than Aretha Franklin's cameo parts, I think because it chose a song he wasn't famous for. How many times do I have to hear Respect?

This of course led to Blues Brothers 2000's very fun scene with Wilson Pickett, Jonny Lang, and Eddie Floyd. I add this as a corollary to 222, not as 223. It starts in a German dub.

Actually Minnie the Moocher was selected first- so the three best numbers in the film are all represented now.

223.  "The Flesh Failures/Let The Sunshine In" -- Hair (1979)

It's kind of hard to mess up this amazing song from the original Broadway production, but director Milos Foreman takes it to the next level.  In a major departure from the play, hippie leader Berger gets accidentally sent to Vietnam by posing as recruit Claude who is out enjoying one last evening with his gal.  The marching soldiers work perfectly with the cadence of the song and then "Let The Sunshine In" comes in as both a gut punch and a celebration of righteous anger, despite the literal cast of thousands not bothering to hide their late 70's-era clothing and hairstyles.  A powerful ending to an underrated film.  

Sidenote:  friggin' Treat Williams should have been a Travolta-sized star and that sadly never came to pass.