La La Land (2016)

I was sort of dreading this film. While I admire the craft of Whiplash, I found the overall message to be rather abhorrent. It was a self-justifying ode to being a dick. Knowing in advance that one of this film's main characters was a militant jazz evangelist, I was prepared for more of the same "ends justify the means" BS that college boys take way too to heart. Thankfully, this film allows its central dick to suffer (not a whole lot of suffering though, because in the end this is just light entertainment) but at least a little suffering. Rather than ending on the triumph of Whiplash, La La Land hangs around to see what comes after the success and does not shy away from the regret that follows. Was it really all worth it? Hopefully that's enough to prevent an army of militant jazz evangelists from springing up in this film's wake. It really is Emma Stone's movie anyway.

West Side Story (1961)

As a kid I hated musicals. I hated West Side Story in particular. Why is there an overture? Why are they dancing? None of this is realistic! I loved The King and I when we watched it over the course of several rainy recesses, but that's Siam, in the distant past! For all I knew it was a documentary. West Side Story is about gangs! I saw gangs all the time on the evening news. Gangs don't dance. Gangs certainly don't snap. Where was the grit? Sure the songs were catchy, but it wasn't realistic!

It wasn't until many years later that I came to appreciate how sometimes, emotional realism can trump visual realism. To an outsider the Jets and Sharks might seem like a bunch of punk kids making the neighborhood a less safe place to live. But to them, the few city blocks which comprise their turf is a kingdom. To them it is epic. And that is precisely what the entire team behind West Side Story got right. The colors,  sets, costumes and camera moves were all perfectly matched to the romanticized way in which these kids see their world. Everything is life or death and there is only Tonight. And damn if it isn't gorgeous.

Magic Mike XXL (2015)

I heard somewhere that a film's production often mirrors its narrative. Though I wasn't around for the making of Magic Mike XXL, I'm pretty sure that was the case here. When Steven Soderbergh announced that he would be retiring from feature filmmaking after Behind the Candelabra, we all knew it would only be a matter of time before he got back in the game. I imagine Channing and the guys showing up outside Soderbergh's house in a taco truck and pestering him endlessly to come along for the "last ride". While they weren't able to get him to come back as director, they were able to get him to be their cinematographer and editor. From there on its all one wild, beautifully photographed and rhythmically cut party for all. Way more fun, queer and subversive than the dower and academic first film. It's also way more awesomely female centric too. Could a full fledged Soderbergh return be next?

Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

I still can't get over the fact that this movie helped to birth the "Disney Renaissance" that began with The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. Something so subversive paving the way for something so wholesome. Though Alan Menken certainly deserves an immense amount of credit, the real draw for me is Howard Ashman's phenomenal abilities as a lyricist. Every time I listen to his work I discover some new couplet that absolutely knocks me on my ass! His vocabulary was immense. Who else would have thought of a line like "I'm espcially good at expectorating!" for a children's film like Beauty and the Beast? And then to call back to that with a line as ludicrous as "I use antlers in all of my decorating!"? Thank God Jerry Katzenberg was able to see past all the sly murder and S&M jokes of Little Shop and recognize a prodigiously versatile duo who could do family friendly as well. It hurts my heart to think of all the great lyrical possibilities we lost when we lost Howard so young. But at least we will always have "Suddenly Seymour" and "Somewhere That's Green" and "Dentist!" and...

Lola (1961)

Though this was Demy's first feature, it was the fourth one I saw. Prior to this I had already been amused by The Young Girls of Rochefort, baffled by Donkey Skin and absolutely taken by The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. As a result, I was already extremely familiar with many of Demy's thematic and stylistic tropes. While I do enjoy "growing old with a filmmaker" and getting to watching them evolve over time, viewing Demy's filmography in such a fractured manner allowed me the unique pleasure of getting to witness familiar flourishes in an extremely protian stage. For a filmmaker just starting out, his vision was so assured. He really new how to use that wide frame. And the cyclical structure is absolutely amazing! Though you have an idea how things are going to end, watching it actually fall into place is a thing of beauty. The final five minutes or so run like a Swiss clock that moves to a wonderfully jazzy beat by Michel Legrand. And of course Anouk Aimee is pretty easy on the eyes as well.

Sight & Sound Challenge: Singin' in the Rain (1952)

Film: Singin' in the Rain (16/250)

Critics Poll: 20th 

Directors Poll: 67th 

First Time/Rewatch: Rewatch

Where do I even begin to describe this film's greatness? Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen, and Cyd Charisse are all amazingly talented. This film has some of my favorite dance numbers in cinema history (particularly "Moses Supposes" which features Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor tap dancing and looking suave as hell). It's visually stunning, it takes time to just have fun (the "Beautiful Girls" number features the most over-the-top technicolor 50s version of 20s fashion), and everybody looks like they're having a blast. Jean Hagen is especially hilarious as Lina Lamont, with her squeaky voice and her angry outbursts ("Why I make more money than Calvin Coolidge....PUT TOGETHER!") I've seen this movie a million times over the years and its magic never diminishes. This is one to put on when you feel like being in a good mood. I'm so happy this made the list and I was more than happy to revisit it!

The Princess and the Frog (2009)

Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, whatever you call it, it's here. Because I am both obsessed with holiday-specific movie watching and a Disney fanatic enthusiast, I like to revisit The Princess and the Frog on this day. Set in 1920s New Orleans, this movie features beautiful 2-D animation, a lively jazz soundtrack, and one of the most level-headed Disney heroines in the form of Tiana, a hardworking young woman with dreams of owning her own restaurant. It's light and fluffy and full of the usual Disney hijinks, but the film has style and I love the music, especially the song "Almost There." That's my favorite sequence in the whole film, in fact...the animation is just so cute.

Add a trumpet playing crocodile, a lovable firefly in love with a star, and an evil voodoo witch doctor, and you've got yourself a fun little family night film. And who can say no to that?

Top-5: Surprise Musicals

If you were to buy a David Lynch film on DVD in the early 2000's, odds are pretty good that it wouldn't include chapter stops. Though he has since come to embrace them, Lynch opposed them on the grounds that movies should be experienced as a whole rather than in parts. While I agree with him on that front, sometimes (after you've already seen the film through a first time) you just need a little cinema fix. Sometimes you just need that shock to the system that only moving pictures can provide. 

If you're a longtime reader of this blog, you know that my favorite types of films are the ones that provide a variety of experience. Unlike the people in charge of Warner Brothers' DC Comics movies, I don't want JUST funny or JUST serious. The best films are the ones that can mix it up. One of the best ways to mix things up is by throwing in a musical number when you aren't expecting one. There's really nothing like watching a performer, "do their thing" and do it well. It's a great way to add humor or pathos when things have been too, "one note". Here are five personal favorites for your consideration.

"Cry Me a River" from The Girl Can't Help It

"Put the Blame on Mame" from Gilda

"Let My Baby Ride"from Holy Motors

"Prelude in C-Sharp Minor" from A Day at the Races

"Seems Like Old Times" from Annie Hall

Nashville (1975)

Though Robert Altman certainly didn’t invent the idea of a large ensemble film with intersecting characters and plotlines (see: Grand Hotel), he certainly was its master. Off the top of my head there is MASH, Nashville, A Wedding, Short Cuts, Prêt-à-Porter, Gosford Park and A Prairie Home Companion. Sure some were more successful than others, but that’s to be expected with a career that spanned multiple decades and dozens of films. Yet even at their most mediocre, there was still always something special to be found there. Something rough and jagged that another filmmaker would have certainly smoothed out. Need proof? Just look at the poor facsimiles that Gary Marshall has attempted with Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Eve. Even the great imitations like Dazed and Confused or Magnolia miss the mark slightly by tying things up a little too nicely in the end. Altman wasn’t afraid to leave some threads dangling because - that’s life man. Life is messy and unpredictable. The good guys don’t always win, the bad guys don’t always lose and sometimes we’re not sure how we’re supposed to feel about an outcome. While this might fill some with anxiety and anger, Robert Altman calmly replied with, “It don’t worry me.”

10 Reasons to Watch Frozen (2013)

So you've all seen Frozen by now, right? If you haven't, it's kind of wonderful and you should go see it right now. It's still in theaters! No excuses! In case you need a push, here's what I loved about this movie.

1. All that ice animation! I was hooked from the very beginning with those beautiful snowflakes slowly taking shape. Gorgeous!

2. The music! From the hilarious "In Summer" to the moving "Do You Want To Build a Snowman?" to the epic Oscar-nominated "Let it Go," these songs really stick with you.

3. Speaking of singing, Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell kick major ass in the vocals department. Who knew Veronica Mars could sing like an old school Disney princess??

4. "I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs!" That obnoxious-looking talking snowman from the trailer actually ended up being pretty damn funny. Props to Josh Gad for bringing him to life!

5. Kristoff and Sven, the ice harvester and his faithful reindeer. He's so gosh darn likable! He gets a funny little song too. So much singing!

6. "Yoohoo! Big summer blowout!"

7.  Those costumes! I love Anna's winter wear in particular.

8. A genuinely good story that had audiences in our theater gasping in some scenes, sniffling in others, and laughing quite a bit too!

9. A cute post-credits scene. Oh Disney, you're too good.

10. Sisters! It's nice seeing a movie where the romance takes a backseat to the girl power and sisterly love that's front and center. It's refreshing, it's awesome, and it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Go see it (with your sister, if you have one!) and give yourself a pick-me-up this winter!

The Little Mermaid (1989)

Excellent, another Disney film added to my collection! I usually wait until after the holidays to grab whatever Disney film just came out of the "vault" because I'm hoping somebody will get it for me for Christmas. And guess what was under the tree! 

Most girls (and boys) of a certain age have very fond memories of this movie. I remember having a little stuffed Flounder that I would hold by its fins like Ariel did. I would swim in my grandparents' pool and pretend I was a mermaid. You know, typical little girl stuff. What's nice about a lot of these classic Disney films is that while you grow up loving them for one reason, you can revisit them as an adult and appreciate them on a totally different level. What makes this movie great for me now is the amazing musical work by Howard Ashman (RIP) and Alan Menken. Those songs! I hate to think of a world without "Under the Sea". And let's not forget the hilariously violent "Les Poissons" sequence! The blu-ray is pretty great, featuring a great making-of documentary and lots of other fun behind-the-scenes tidbits for superfans. Did you know Ursula the sea witch was based on Divine? Awesome! I'm so glad Ashman's legacy will live on as people continue to love this movie. And with a great voice cast (Jodi Benson as Ariel is flawless), beautiful animation, and top-notch music, there will be no shortage of love for The Little Mermaid anytime soon.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Jack Skellington is feeling a little bored and restless in his role as the Pumpkin King in Halloween Town when he stumbles into Christmas Town and has his little skeleton mind BLOWN. He is inspired to claim Christmas as his own, to the delight of some, and the dismay of others.

This movie takes me back to 10th grade. I was going through my little goth phase, I had a Jack Skellington lunchbox, and Disneyland had just opened their Nightmare Before Christmas Halloween/Christmas makeover on the Haunted Mansion ride. Ah, those were the days! It's true that merchandise for this movie seems to be EVERYWHERE now and it can get kinda seen-one-seen-them-all, but if you look at just the film by itself it's really quite extraordinary. First of all, the amount of work that went into this film is mind-boggling.  I can't wrap my head around the dedication and patience required to make a stop-motion film. The voice actors are top notch, the music is wonderful (well done, Danny Elfman!), and the combined talents of Tim Burton and Henry Selick make this film shine. There's something comfortable and familiar about these songs and these characters. Whenever I feel too snobby and abandon this movie for a few years, it waits, patiently, for me to come back. Like an old friend. For Jack, Sally, Zero, even Oogie Boogie, I'll always come back.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

I am not even going to try to describe the plot of this film. Any attempt to do so would likely just scare you off.

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Though I've seen this film at least twenty times, watching it on home video for the first time in over a decade felt like a completely new experience. Weeks upon weeks of seeing this film in a darkened, rowdy theater had turned it into something almost completely different. When viewed in the comfort of your home, there are actually moments where nothing is being said/sung. Even quietly muttering the audience responses to yourself doesn't quite match the theatrical experience. If you've only seen this movie on video, you truly haven't really seen it. Do yourself a favor and find the a place to see it with people. The Official Fan Site even has a theater locator to help you with this. Don't dream it, be it. Give yourself over to absolute pleasure.

I'm confident that if theatrical exhibition ever goes the way of the dodo, somewhere there will still be a small band of the faithful screaming "asshole" and "slut" at a bed sheet pinned to the wall. This will certainly be the last film standing.

Funny Face (1957)

Ummm...how have I not written about this movie yet? It's one of my absolute favorites! Audrey Hepburn stars as Jo Stockton, a bookstore beatnik yanked into the world of modeling by Quality Magazine editor Maggie Prescott (Kay Thompson) and fashion photographer Dick Avery (Fred Astaire). They take gorgeous pictures, sing songs, frolic around Paris, and generally be fabulous. Could a fashion-loving cinema freak ask for anything more?

This film is a love letter to 50s fashion photography. The character of Dick Avery is based on renowned photographer Richard Avedon, and Maggie Prescott is based on legendary editor, eccentric, and icon Diana Vreeland (who I gushed about here). The film also features appearances by real models Dovima and Suzy Parker among others. But let's get back to the film. It's eye candy of the very best kind. The "Think Pink" number alone is just too fantastic! Add Hepburn's famous cafe freestyle dance, the photography montage, the grand reveal of her makeover, and the songs by Gershwin, and you've got yourself one chic and fabulously fun movie!

Here's a sneak peek at the "Think Pink" number...if you want more, it's streaming on Netflix right now! And do you really need an excuse other than looking at Hepburn's gorgeous face? I didn't think so!

Starstruck (1982)

Craig & 'Becca'lise would like to formally introduce you to a new guest contributor. Everyone say hi to Andi! 'Becca'lise first came across this little lady via her vintage blog Andi B. Goode. Admiration for her blog lead to Facebook/Twitter friendship which has in turn evolved into a mutual admiration between blogs and bloggers. Seeing as Andi is from Adelaide, Australia, her first piece (will there be more?) is an appreciation of her favorite Australian film Starstruck! For more of her film writing please check out her film blog, The Sofa Cinephile. And now without further ado...

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I can't really say what most people outside of Australia think of when they think 'Australian cinema'. Drag queens driving through the desert in a converted bus? Crazed serial killers? Young girls mysteriously disappearing? (Which, and it tickles me, some people still think is a true story. Too funny). I know a lot of my Australian cinema-loving friends will quote The Castle as a favourite, though it doesn't seem to have done so well in America? Perhaps it's 'too' Australian? (I know a lot of the jokes were changed to 'translate' for American audiences. But maybe something on that another time...)

Well, one of my own personal favourites is Gillian Armstrong's 1982 offering, Starstruck. It combines so many things that I love: the '80s, great new wave music, fun costumes and an homage to Busby Berkeley. And yet there is still, somehow, that understated quality that I love about Australian cinema. (There are exceptions, of course, like Baz Luhrman's Australia...which I don't actually like very much.) Well, understated is a matter of opinion, of course...

It's referred to by at least one IMDB user as a 'cult film' in the US but I'm not sure it's much more well known in Australia, to be honest.

Starstruck is the story of Jackie (Jo Kennedy), an aspiring singer, and her cousin Angus, her manager and songwriter, and their quest to raise Jackie to star status including the adventures and mishaps along the way that culminate in a New Year's Eve performance at the Sydney Opera House.

It's directed by Gillian Armstrong who has directed a lot of period movies (like Little Women and Charlotte Gray) including My Brilliant Career, a film I found slightly dry but very important (a word that is well open to interpretation). Starstruck is a surprising follow-up to My Brilliant Career in some ways, yet both are about young women struggling to overcome their situations in life to 'make it'.

Starstruck is hardly a masterpiece of cinema, but I think it illustrates Australia's affinity for the underdog just as well as so many of our other films. And it does it with appearances from The Swingers, great new wave music (including a cover of a Split Enz song), creative use of locations, colourful costumes and genuinely likeable characters. It's just a really fun movie!

I could be wrong: maybe Starstruck is a lot better known than I think it is – I tend to be a fairly isolated/insulated movie watcher at times. Either way, it's one of my all-time favourites (not just of Australian cinema) and one I come back to time and time again.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

I recently bought Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and But Gentlemen Marry Brunettes by Anita Loos. While cracking it open yesterday and reading the introduction about the groundbreaking characters of Lorelei and Dorothy, I couldn't help but reminisce about the silver screen version I've seen a billion times.

Dorothy (Jane Russell) and Lorelei (Marilyn Monroe) are "just two little girls from Little Rock" with big dreams and dollar signs in their eyes. Lorelei's rich and innocent fiance sends her to Paris, with Dorothy as chaperon, but neither of them realizes that a private detective hired by her future father-in-law is keeping a close eye on them...Dorothy in particular, wink wink! Full of fun over-the-top musical numbers (my favorite being "When Love Goes Wrong"), including the famous "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend," this film is colorful and witty. Marilyn sparkles and has some hilarious lines as the not-as-dumb-as-you-think blonde, and Jane Russell is dynamite.

The real star, however, is author Anita Loos herself for creating these characters in her novel back in 1925. Loos was one of the Hollywood's first noteworthy screenwriters (girl power!) and went on to write the screenplay for the scandalous Red-Headed Woman (1932) starring Jean Harlow, and contributed to dozens and dozens more films. She's a fascinating character in her own right...I recommend her autobiographies A Girl Like I and Kiss Hollywood Good-by for more about this acid-tongued trailblazer!

Remember: a kiss on the hand might feel very good, but a diamond tiara lasts forever!

Les Misérables (2012)

Ah, Les Misérables!  This was one of my most eagerly anticipated films this year. I'm a huge fan of the musical (saw it on stage last summer and the summer before that as well) and I ended up being a huge fan of this film too. So yes, I'm biased.

I won't trouble you with a long plot summary (it's epic and there are lots of characters) but it's a classic story of redemption, heartbreak, loyalty, defiance, and yes, there's lots of singing! I appreciated the intimate approach with the songs. Having seen the show on stage, I can certainly appreciate the power of amazing voices, but the film allowed you to really look at their faces, see their anguish and their tears. Anne Hathaway (Fantine) and Eddie Redmayne (Marius) really knocked it out of the park for me on their songs, and I couldn't ask for better from Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean, particularly in his "What Have I Done/Soliloquy" at the beginning of the film. Very moving performances all around...if you are even the slightest bit emotional, bring tissues!

Oh, and casting the original Jean Valjean (Colm Wilkinson) as the bishop was brilliant. Brilliant! You can also catch the original Eponine (Frances Ruffelle) as one of the prostitutes. Little details like that make it all the more special for fans like me.

It was difficult for me to write this without being like "OMFG SUCH A GREAT MUSICAL EVERYTHING WAS AMAZING GO SEE IT NOW!" and no I'm not going to slam anything or anyone related to this film (Russell Crowe tried his best, okay??). See it for yourself if you haven't already, if only to be up to date when the Oscars roll around!

To love another person is to see the face of God...

Gateway Drugs: Musicals

One of my biggest cinematic regrets is that I waited so long to see West Side Story. Lots of people (my wife included) have grown up with this film, I didn't see it until about two years ago. When I finally did see it I was blown away. Of course the songs are great, but what really got me was the sheer visual power of it all. The colors, the camera movement and the choreography are all unparalleled.

So what was it that kept me away from musicals for so long? Like many in my peer group I grew up on animated Disney films which by and large are musicals. I had no problem with those films. Maybe it had something to do with most musicals being 'old' movies, or maybe the fact that they were 'kissing movies'. I'm not really sure what it was. So what changed you ask? Well one fateful Halloween evening, teenage Craig decided to stay in and watch this movie he'd been hearing so much about from some of his more adventurous friends. It was a little film called The Rocky Horror Picture Show and it was airing on VH1! Nothing like bawdy humor and young Susan Sarandon in a bra to change a young man's opinion of a genre! Here's a list of some other movie musicals that might just open your mind...

The Blues Brothers

I've said it before and I'll say it again: THE BLUES BROTHERS IS THE GREATEST MOVIE MUSICAL EVER MADE! It has everything! Car chases, car crashes, a bazooka, explosions, dirty words, bumbling Nazis, and James Brown. What's not to love?

The Prince of Egypt (1998)

This film was suggested by my little sister (Hi Dri!), and despite the fact that I already wrote about a Moses movie recently, I thought I’d give this one a write-up too!

The plot is your standard Moses story: Hebrew baby sent adrift in a basket is discovered by Egyptian queen, and is raised believing he is an Egyptian prince. Eventually he learns his true heritage, leaves home to start a new life, receives a message from the God of his people to return to Egypt to free the slaves. You know the rest.

The thing that really makes this movie for me is the relationship between Moses (Val Kilmer) and Rameses (Ralph Fiennes). In The Ten Commandments (1956), for example, they HATE each other from the start. It’s enjoyable to watch in it’s own right (for campy reasons, mostly), but it doesn’t really makes Moses’s return to free the slaves seem like a dilemma for him in any way. In The Prince of Egypt, they were raised as brothers and genuinely love each other. The relationship makes it much harder for Moses to go against his brother by following through on his mission. When Rameses turns on Moses, we can see how hurt they both are. It’s really well done.

With an all-star voice cast (Michelle Pfeiffer, Sandra Bullock, Jeff Goldblum, Patrick Stewart, Steve Martin and Martin Short, among others), gorgeous animation and great songs, this film is not to be dismissed as just a “children’s movie." Give it a chance!

Can't Stop The Music (1980)

A highly fictionalized account of the formation of the disco group The Village People.

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Shot at the height of disco's popularity and released in the year of it's demise, Can't Stop The Music was destined for failure. Yet as bad as this movie is, it's not un-watchable. In fact it's actually pretty fun. Where else are you going to see a young Steve Guttenberg grooving around New York on roller-skates? Or a hairy-chested leather-man belt out "Danny Boy"? Oh and did I mention Bruce Jenner's in this thing? It's exactly like a Marx Brother's movie, only instead of Groucho, Harpo and Chico, you have The Village People helping out the struggling artist and the young lovers! Give it a spin. You'll have a gay ol' time!