The MoFo Musicals Countdown - Preliminary Thread

Added.

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"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra

Surprisingly, I've managed to put together a shortlist with more than enough qualifying movies that I don't hate to be able to do a full ballot. I'm going to have to rewatch some of them to see if that statement is actually still true, though.

Also, my recent conversion into a Ryan Gosling fan has me questioning whether I want to subject myself to La La Land but I'm also about 95% sure I'm going to hate it.

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I would be highly surprised if you liked La La Land

I saw it six times theatrically and have two of its posters framed in my office.



I know we often have different taste, but give it a shot. I suspect you will hate the opening number, but see if you can make it to the party where the two characters really talk for the first time, after she requests Flock of Seagulls. If you make it that far (twenty minutes in) and aren't grooving to it yet, probably no hope. But if you are invested by that sequence, you'll make it through.

Gosling is very funny, throughout.

So would I.

No. It only has the one sequence.

Another example of something not eligible, Young Frankenstein...

Loved Hair...will definitely be on my list.

The Blue Angel is a musical?

May we interest you in Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog?

I thought I might do a musical watch log thread like I did with the now famous Noirvember thread. But then I realized if I posted about the musicals that I watched here it would help to keep this thread bumped. The more this thread stays bumped the more likely it is that people will see we're doing a Musical countdown and join in and send a ballot.

So, I rewatched the first musical last night in prep for this countdown.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)

Gosh I love this film! It's such escapist fun with witty & catchy songs that move the story along at a break neck speed. Howard Keel has always been a favorite of mine in the many musicals that he made. Keel was a bass-baritone singer with a strong screen presences. He was the perfect choice to play a strong willed mountain man who comes into town to buy supplies...and to get married. There's only one problem he doesn't know any girls. The opening song Bless Yore Beautiful Hide is riotously funny, especially with the staging as Keel walks around the town looking for a woman who's 'fit to be married'. Milking a cow is the perk Jane Powell who also sings up a storm and starred in many of MGM's musicals. Keel spots her and with in a few minute they're getting married! No one said this is reality. Indeed the painted country backdrops and the small studio set enforces the idea that this story is one big fun lark.

So the rub is, when lovely Jane Powell arrives at the mountain cabin to start a life of wedded bliss she discovers to her surprise that her new husband has six brothers who all live in the same house. They are an unruly mess, that is until Jane Powell whips them into shape.

The highlight of the movie, which rates as one of the best staged musical dance sequences in a film, is the famous Barn Raising Dance. It's the center piece of the movie and has some spectacular acrobatic style high-energy dancing set to a heart pumping musical beat. The Lonesome Polecat, Sobbin Woman and June Bride numbers are also stand out. I loved revisiting this movie so much that during a break with the movie on pause I was singing in bass baritone a snippet of Sobbin Woman that cracked my wife up as believe it or not I was able for a couple lines at least to sound remarkable like Keel.

Making my ballot!

Good movie! I have it on dvd as part of a 4 disc greatest classical musical collection. I rated it an 8/10. It likely won't make my ballot, but hopefully it makes the countdown.

I watched Calamity Jane (1953) today. I have had this on dvd as part of a 4 disc Doris Day collection, but had never watched it for some reason. I finally watched it today and enjoyed it. Doris Day is wonderful in this fun and entertaining musical western. Hope it makes the countdown.

It's a wonderful stage show if you ever get the chance. I got carwashed by Neil Patrick Harris when it was on Broadway (good times). I'm hoping they'll do another revival so I can take my son to see it--he only knows it through bedtime songs and the movie. Though at this point it'll need some rewrites to deal with the time issue.

Love that movie but I don't think so. Also don't think Almost Famous, Inside Llewyn Davis, Whiplash, or a few others mentioned are.

I wouldn't consider any of those movies musicals.

The soundtrack for Saturday Night Fever really drives the plot of that film, therfore I find it eligible.

Agree so I will be voting similar to you

It wasn't bad, but also not on the Buffy level.

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