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The Musical Appreciation Thread - Page 2

post #51 of 74
10/24/06 at 11:58pm
No, it's not.

The musical genre--art form, really--is to use songs to tell a story. I can give you a long list of clever, hummable musicals that don't abandon moral or spiritual complexity to place the blame soley on one individual. Which is what Pocahontas does.

Mostly, I just hate Stephen Schwartz.
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post #52 of 74
10/30/06 at 1:25pm
I'd say that O Brother, Where Art Thou is just about the only modern-day musical I can sit through (not counting stuff from Matt & Trey).

But there's a handful of older stuff I dig the shit out of:

- Singin' In the Rain (obviously) - anyone who doesn't at least like this movie is an asshole.
- Top Hat / Swingtime - actually, most of the Astaire / Rogers movies are great.
- Bandwagon - I want to fuck the shit out of Cyd Charisse... well, not now, but back in the '50s.
- Wizard of Oz - yeah, it's been canonized to death, but it's still good with fun songs.
- Easter Parade - fun as all hell, though I have to be in a certain mood for it.
- Meet Me In St. Louis - sentimental Americana cheese, and I fall for it every time...

Shit, I just realized that I named off 3 Judy Garland movies that I love... I swear I'm not gay, I really can't stand Garland herself. Have I mentioned how much I'd like to fuck a young Cyd Charisse?

Oh, and there are many, MANY musicals ("classics" or otherwise) that I absolutely detest - actually, most of them.
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post #53 of 74
10/31/06 at 2:47am
Well if were talking Disney hand drawn renaissance, there is only one that I find the music and song fits like a glove

Hunchback

I remember sitting in the theatre, and then the gregorian chant slowly rose and then the lyrics to the bells of notre dame started and then it spiraled higher and higher, to me way strong then the circle of life.

Then of course Hellfire, the ballsiest thing Disney has done since Donald dreaming he was a Nazi.

But unlike Alladin and Lion King, Hunchback has one glaring flaw those damn gargoyles.

And what about Mary Poppins and the Jungle Book, to me the Sherman brothers could write catchy lyrics even better than Menken.
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post #54 of 74
10/31/06 at 12:29pm
My two faves that haven't been mentioned yet: Tommy and Absolute Beginners. I guess I just like the excess of both.

I also really dig an 80's Australian musical called Starstruck. It's sort of a new wave equivalent of A Star is Born.
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post #55 of 74
10/31/06 at 1:10pm
Little Shop of Horrors and Rocky Horror Picture show are THE SHIT.

Also used to dig Sound of Music as a kid, but haven't seen it in ages. wonder if it holds up.
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post #56 of 74
10/31/06 at 1:27pm
I have to go against the grain and admit that I detest Singing In The Rain.

Shit I can't even write it without feeling like an asshole. From the first time I saw it when I was 5 or 6 years old "Singing In The Rain" is the first song on my mind when I'm really happy. And "Make Them Laugh", holy shit O'Connor was awesome.When I first saw it I tried to pull of some of his moves and almost got crippled.

Oh, and whoever says they don't like "Over The Rainbow" is lying.
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post #57 of 74
10/31/06 at 1:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ratty
My two faves that haven't been mentioned yet: Tommy and Absolute Beginners.
I mentioned Tommy.
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post #58 of 74
10/31/06 at 1:41pm
I'm kinda shocked Disney hasn't adapted Nightmare B4 Xmas to the stage like they did with Lion King & Beauty and the Beast. What a great op for some awesome sets, costumes, and puppets.
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post #59 of 74
10/31/06 at 5:47pm
I think there were talks to adapt Nightmare Before Christmas at one point. I believe the plans were to do something similar to Lion King (and what Julie Taymor is also doing with Little Mermaid), where the actors are operating puppets onstage.
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post #60 of 74
10/31/06 at 6:27pm
I saw a high school put on a production of Nightmare Before Christmas at a festival once. Despite the fact that it was a high school production, it worked pretty well. They had some interesting makeup on Jack and Sally, although Oogie Boogie left something to be desired.
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post #61 of 74
10/31/06 at 6:51pm
The shills are infiltrating perfectly valid threads! Red alert!
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post #62 of 74
10/31/06 at 7:24pm
I'm still waiting for the definitive film version of Les Miserables (the musical, I mean).
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post #63 of 74
10/31/06 at 8:22pm
I'm pretty much a perfectionist when it comes to musicals -- each song has to be as good as the others. For that reason I'd submit West Side Story as my all-time favourite musical. As much as I love the movie, and the lively performances of George Chakiris and Rita Moreno, it really doesn't do justice to Leonard Bernstein's thunderous, riotous music. To hear all the nuances I prefer the 1993 cast recording with Caroline O' Connor (Moulin Rouge) as Anita.

Singin' In The Rain is as brilliant a film as everyone says, but I actually think the songs are the weakest link. The story is first and foremost a great satire of the movie business, but sometimes gets shelved amid a non-stop showcase of recycled Arthur Freed songs. What else is the point of that fashion montage, really? "Make 'Em Laugh" is great. "You Are My Lucky Star" is not. Neither is the title song but Gene Kelly really sells it with his exuberance and some great dancing. As for "The Broadway Melody", you can't justify an extraneous 15-minute-long ballet with one mildly amusing line ("I can't quite visualize it"). I love this movie, but least for its songs.
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post #64 of 74
10/31/06 at 8:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Patrick Ripoll
I'm still waiting for the definitive film version of Les Miserables (the musical, I mean).
I posted thoughts on stage musicals that could or should be adapted to the screen in this thread, including my ideas on an adaptation of Les Miserables.

And my dream musical is "Parade," easily one of the best of the last fifteen years, and definitely my favorite non-Sondheim musical.
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post #65 of 74
11/1/06 at 6:14am
I'd really like to see how a big screen "Into the Woods" would work. If done right, it'd be an awesome send-up of fantasy clichés. Y'know, like Shrek, except good.
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post #66 of 74
11/1/06 at 6:44am
It'd be awesome until the second act, when the whole thing falls apart. I understand that the fact that the story doesn't go anywhere after the death of the narrator is supposed to be meta, but it doesn't stop it from being terribly dull.
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post #67 of 74
11/1/06 at 7:47am
Robert Preston's The Music Man is some great shit. Rocky Horror is nice, trashy fun.

Singin In the Rain is gold. Make'em laugh sequence is astonishing.

High Society has an appeal I can't quite grasp.

Grease rules just for the cuteness of Olivia Newton-John.

The best musical of them all is still The Blues Brothers. Any Elvis movie will work too.

West Side Story always bugged me because Natalie Woods singing voice was dubbed. Add to the list of wasted opportunities, Elvis Presely was originally considered for Tony.

Sound of Music is awful.
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post #68 of 74
11/1/06 at 7:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Quarant

Also used to dig Sound of Music as a kid, but haven't seen it in ages. wonder if it holds up.

Nope, I was forced to endure this in high school. Before it's over, you will cheer the Nazis on.
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post #69 of 74
11/1/06 at 7:50pm
Who is going to see the Dead Alive the musical?
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post #70 of 74
11/1/06 at 8:11pm
Do you mean The Evil Dead one?
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post #71 of 74
11/1/06 at 10:04pm
Labyrinth

"You remind me of the babe."
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post #72 of 74
11/2/06 at 12:05am
Does Tales of Hoffman count as a musical?

Well, it's strictly an opera, and since opera is music...

Anyways, even though I don't really care for operas, and wouldn't be able to distinguish between Offenbach and Verdi, ToH completely knocks me on my ass every time I see it - of course, I have a cinematic-boner for all things Powell & Pressburger...
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post #73 of 74
11/2/06 at 12:07pm
How is it that I've missed this thread for this long?

I agree that Singin' In the Rain is probably the best Gene Kelly musical but for some reason I like An American in Paris more. Maybe it's the sudden shift to the surreal at the end. Maybe it's Alton's cinematography in the end sequence. Maybe it's just because I was completely shocked at how much I loved it the first time I saw it (I hated musicals at that point in my life). Not sure but it's easily my favourite musical.

I will add to the love for the works of Menken and Ashman but Menken on his own or with Schwartz is so brutally bad I can't stand it. I can't watch Hunchback without wanting to smack Schwartz around for his cliche riddled lyrics.

Also much love for the very weird Pennies From Heaven with Steve Martin and Christopher Walken.
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post #74 of 74
1/2/07 at 4:54pm
It's unfortunate that the Rent movie turned out the way it did. I think this clip from the actual Broadway production shows how alive and emotional the material can be.

I mean...wow...just wow.

Out Tonight/Another Day
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