musical
The best thing about Footnotes is that it’s just 78 minutes. But there are so many other, better ways you could spend your time.
Band Aid is a fantastic directorial debut- an utterly charming romantic comedy and an irresistible musical rolled into one.
A Hard Day’s Night not only works as a celebration of The Beatle’s iconic music, but as a satire on the very nature of stardom and celebrity.
As one of his final curtain calls, Limelight is a sterling reminder of Charlie Chaplin’s contributions to culture and the art of cinema.
While not as perfect as the original, Beauty & the Beast is an elegant and magnificent display that true love for a film never dies.
In our latest beginner’s guide, we take a run-down through the films of Jacques Demy, a French director who triumphed in the musical genre.
La La Land was one of last year’s big hits, and if you’ve read much about it, you’ve probably heard Jacques Demy cited as an influence. And he should be – not for nothing does the word “parapluies” appear near the place where La La Land’s main character works, a direct shout-out to the French title of Demy’s The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Of course, it would be a mistake to put too much emphasis on him when La La Land draws on plenty of other influences, including various strains of American musical, Nicholas Ray, Powell and Pressburger, and maybe even Alfred Hitchc*ck.
La La Land is a tribute to classic musicals, yet also attempts something different by subverting the romanticized outlook that they have.
Disney’s latest film, Moana is sure to please crowds, but it plays it safe by recycling a story that has been told to exhaustion.
Trolls is aimed as squarely at parents as it is the kids, who likely won’t be as familiar with the terrifically tressed toy trolls as they were say, Angry Birds. Probably not a problem. A comeback seems likely.
John C. Reilly has surprised me for years. His range is astounding, and watching him effortlessly go from dramatic roles to silly comedies has been a treat. Yet his talent doesn’t stop with acting.
There’s a warm feeling that engulfs you when viewing an old Hollywood musical. Usually, it’s a wave of nostalgia as soon as the opening credits start to roll. When silver screen icons like Gene Kelly, Cyd Charisse, Ginger Rogers or Fred Astaire show up on your screen to entertain the masses for a few hours, you’re guaranteed an entertaining, yet competent, movie experience.
Film is the art of light. Paradoxically, light is that is the ultimate source required for life to exist, and is the greatest substance to cause horrific calamities. Fire was both a blessing and a curse for ancient civilizations to understand and attempt to harness, but it was quite often their undoing.
Let’s start with a brief history of musical cinema. When Al Jonson’s 1927 film The Jazz Singer became both a critical and commercial success, it ushered in the wave of “talkies”: films with audio.
Into The Woods is a big screen adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim musical of the same name, adapted by the writer of the original musical book, James Lapine, and directed by Rob Marshall (of Chicago fame). The film boasts a number of successful actors in musical roles. When I first heard of the film, this was enough to pique my curiosity, but as the release date approached my enthusiasm for it lessened.