GBGoodies 2015 Movie Logbook

Barnum! (1986)

This amazing musical starring Michael Crawford as P. T. Barnum isn't technically a movie. It was a stage play that was filmed for BBC-TV and released on DVD. It was filmed live, and it shows with a couple of very funny mistakes.

Many years ago, I saw Barnum! on Broadway starring Jim Dale, and I didn't think that anyone could fill his shoes, but I was wrong. Michael Crawford is incredible in this show.

My favorite songs include "There is a Sucker Born Ev'ry Minute", "The Colours of My Life", "One Brick at a Time", "Museum Song", "Out There", "Bigger Isn't Better", "The Prince of Humbug", and "Join the Circus".

If you like musicals, and you loved going to the circus when you were younger, don't miss this amazing musical.

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I'm glad you liked The Big Lebowski overall, but not very funny?

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I guess I just don't "get" that type of humor.

But I expected to hate it, so just the fact that I liked it is a win for me.

Oklahoma! (1999)

This is not technically a movie. Hugh Jackman stars in this stage play of Oklahoma! that was filmed for TV and released on DVD. Hugh Jackman proves that he's more than just a great actor. He can sing and dance too.

I love the movie Oklahoma!, and this play does it justice. There are some things that I like better about the movie, and some things that I like better about the play, but they're both great.

I don't know if anyone could ever be as good as Gordon McRae and Shirley Jones, but I love Hugh Jackman as Curly, and he has great chemistry with Josefina Gabrielle as Laurey. Shuler Hensley is also terrific as Jud Fry.

My favorite songs include "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'", "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top", "Kansas City", "People Will Say We're In Love", "All 'er Nothin'", and of course, the title song, "Oklahoma!".

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What? Are you going to watch and review filmed stage musicals now?

I didn't know that "Barnum" was on DVD. I will have to look for that.


As for "Oklahoma!", I really liked Hugh Jackman as Curly, which I didn't expect to do. No matter what, Gordon MacRae is THE Curly, but I think Jackman was fine.

I finally got to see the live production, which is just like this version. And I thought it was one of the best shows that I'd ever seen. I think it is interesting how they kind of made Laurey more of a tomboy in this production (especially with the way that she dressed). It was a different touch. I kind of liked that. But all-in-all, if I were comparing this show (I am saying Jackman's version) to the movie, I think I still like the movie better. But this version is definitely worth watching, though.

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I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity - Edgar Allan Poe

Oklahoma! (1955)

This is one of my favorite musicals, and after watching the Hugh Jackman stage play version, I decided to make it a double-feature with the movie version. Both versions are terrific, but I think the movie version has a slight edge overall based on the superior supporting cast.

Gordon McRae and Shirley Jones have wonderful chemistry together, as well as amazing singing voices. Rod Steiger is terrific as Jud Fry. And Gene Nelson as Will Parker and Gloria Grahame as Ado Annie are so good that their performances give the movie the slight edge over the stage play.

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I kind of went on a musicals binge for a while when I took a break from the boards, and musicals help me relax.


I saw "Barnum" on PBS years ago, and it was during pledge week, so they were advertising the DVD if you donated something like $60 to the TV station. I didn't want to pay $60, but I found it on eBay for about $10 a few days later.


I agree that the movie version was a little bit better, but I love the stage version too. I've never seen it live, but I've watched the DVD so many times that I wish I did.

Carousel (1956)

In my opinion, this is a very underrated Rodgers & Hammerstein musical. It has a darker storyline than most Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals, so that may be part of the reason, but it's a great story with some great performances.

Shirley Jones and Gordon MacRae have great chemistry in this movie.

This movie has some of Rodgers & Hammerstein's best songs, including "If I Loved You", "Soliloquy", and "You'll Never Walk Alone".

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The Pirates of Penzance! (1983)

This is a fun musical about a pirate apprentice who wants to leave the pirates when he turns 21, but because he was born on February 29th, a date that only comes once every four years, he isn't technically 21 yet, so he isn't allowed to leave yet.

This is an intentionally silly operetta that's funny and very enjoyable. It's an adventure with some romance, and a lot of comedy.

The cast is terrific with Rex Smith, Linda Ronstadt, Angela Lansbury, and an outstanding performance by Kevin Kline.

My favorite songs include "The Major-General's Song" and "I Am A Pirate King".

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On the Waterfront (1954)

This is a movie that I've heard a lot about over the years, but I had never seen it before, so it had some big shoes to fill. Unfortunately, it didn't quite fill those shoes for me.

This is a good movie, but I think it's a bit overrated. The story is interesting, but it just didn't pull me in the way that I had hoped it would. There was some tension, and great acting, but I just didn't find anything special about this movie.

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The Bad Seed (1956) - I watched this movie because it was recommended by Citizen Rules, after MovieGal recommended it to him.

This movie is a good thriller about a psychopathic kid, and the effect that it has on her mother as she learns more and more about her child. The young girl is very creepy, and the movie is somewhat predictable, but it's a great story that's filled with tension, and overall it's a very good movie.

Patty McCormack is terrific as the young girl, and she is surrounded by a supporting cast who are just as good as her.

Thank You to Citizen Rules and MovieGal for this great recommendation.

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Love in the Afternoon (1957)

This is a good movie, but I have the same issue with this movie as with Charade. Audrey Hepburn is too young for her leading man, (or maybe Gary Cooper is too old for her), but otherwise, it's a nice, charming movie. It's a bit slow-paced and a maybe a little bit too long, but it's definitely worth watching.

Audrey Hepburn and Gary Cooper seem like an odd match-up, and this isn't the best movie for either of these two great stars, but somehow the match-up works in this movie anyway.

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The Mating Game (1959)

This is a fun movie with a lot of smile and giggles, but not a lot of laugh-out-loud moments. It's just a nice, enjoyable rom-com with a good cast and a great ending.

Debbie Reynolds and Tony Randall are good together, but for some reason, they just don't work for me as a couple.

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Ruby Sparks (2012) - I watched this movie because it was recommended by Citizen Rules.

This is a great movie about a writer who literally writes his dream girl to life. It's a fantasy about the perfect romance, but it combines the romance with just enough comedy and drama to make this a wonderful movie.

I'm not really a fan of Paul Dano, but I thought he was very good in this movie, and he had very good chemistry with Zoe Kazan.

Thank You to Citizen Rules for this great recommendation.

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Hollywood Homicide (2003)

I heard that this movie wasn't very good, but I'm a big fan of Harrison Ford, so I wanted to watch it anyway. It's better than I expected, but it's still not very good.

It's one of those buddy cop movies, but with an old, experienced cop and a young cop as his partner. The catch is that both cops have second jobs, so they're both preoccupied while trying to solve their case. It has some fun scenes, but overall, the movie is just too chaotic.

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Murder by Death (1976)

This is a very funny spoof of some classic detectives from some classic movies including Sam Spade from The Maltese Falcon, Nick and Nora Charles from The Thin Man, Charlie Chan, Hercule Poirot, and Miss Marple. I highly recommend it for anyone who has seen most of the original movies, or is at least familiar with these classic characters.

This movie is a very funny mystery that will keep you laughing, and guessing, right up to the very end.

It features a terrific cast including Peter Falk, James Coco, Eileen Brennan, Alec Guinness, Elsa Lanchester, David Niven, Peter Sellers, Nancy Walker, Truman Capote, and more.

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Champagne for Caesar (1950) - I watched this movie because it was reviewed by Dadgumblah recently, and it sounded like my kind of movie.

This is a very good movie, about a very intelligent man who goes on a quiz show, and keeps answering questions correctly, but he refuses to take the prize money and leave yet because he wants to bankrupt the owner of the quiz show.

You have to suspend belief quite a bit, but if you can just go with the flow and not let the little things bother you, this is a very enjoyable movie. It's very funny, and it has a terrific ending.

I really like Vincent Price in this movie. His character has a nice villainous touch, without being so bad that he would really be considered a bad guy. (It's nice to see him in movies before he got into his horror movie phase.)

Thank You to Dadgumblah for this great recommendation.

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The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)

This is a good movie that is a story told mostly in flashbacks. It's about a movie producer who betrayed his friends on the way up the ladder of success, but when he's on the way down and he needs the help of his now successful friends, they each explain why they don't want to help him.

This is a great story, with some drama, a little romance, and a nice ending.

It stars Kirk Douglas, Walter Pidgeon, Lana Turner, Dick Powell, and Barry Sullivan. (I'm becoming a bigger fan of Kirk Douglas with every movie I see him in recently.)

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Daddy Long Legs (1955)

This is a good movie with some nice dance numbers, but no really memorable songs. The first hour of the movie kind of drags on a bit, but it picks up nicely once Fred Astaire and Leslie Caron finally get together. It's a little bit predictable, but it's a charming and enjoyable movie.

I like both Fred Astaire and Leslie Caron, but this isn't the best movie for either of them.

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Minions (2015)

I loved the Minions in the Despicable Me movies, so I was really looking forward to this movie, and it didn't disappoint. This is a great movie with some of the funniest animated characters on screen. Some references to the 1960s will be lost on younger people, but for those of us who are old enough to remember them, this movie is a treasure trove of fun.

It's not my kind of music, but most people will love the soundtrack.

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