NEWS: Chris Gore's Footage Fetishes: Movie Musicals That Rock

CULTURE: Chris Gore's Footage Fetishes: Movie Musicals That Rock

It’s a little known fact that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has a rule which allows for an Oscar to be awarded to the Best Musical. In order for that to happen, enough musicals have to be eligible in a given year to justify the category and the eventual awarding of the coveted gold statue. To date, this has never happened. It seems that the new rule coincided with the death of the genre. Unfortunately, there are hardly enough musical movies made nowadays to fill a double bill, much less the chance that an Oscar would be awarded to one.

When you think about it, musicals are totally unrealistic. I mean, when in real life does anyone actually break out into song? Have you ever thought to sing a tune to reveal your own inner monologue in real-life? (Try that at work one day just to see what might happen.) Sure, the concept is crazy, yet musicals can lift the spirit in a way that normal movies cannot. The best are the ones that defy the traditional genre conventions, whereas the worst ones seem nothing more than “filmed plays.” There are plenty of movie musicals worth singing to and here’s my personal list of the best in no particular order.


Bjork found herself surrounded by cameras in Lars Von Trier's Dancer in the Dark.

Dancer in the Dark
Lars Von Trier, one of the original Dogme 95 filmmakers, took a unique approach when shooting Bjork in this depressing musical. For certain dance numbers, he shot the actors in a room with more than 100 cameras surrounding the cast so that every possible angle could be captured. It’s soulful, tragic and the perfect approach in Von Trier’s attempt to reinvent the genre.

Grease
The most interesting part about seeing Grease now is noticing the lesbian subtext and all the homo-erotic humor. Unless I read too much into it. Which is possible. Anyway, these layers went over the heads of the young audience that originally made it popular. It’s good clean fun in a junior-high-fully-clothed-make-out session way.

Hair
This anti-war hippie-hoedown made its way from Broadway to the screen in this Milos Forman-directed version from 1979. Perhaps more relevant now than when it was originally in theaters, the powerful dance numbers set during the tumultuous '60s should be revisited with the sound cranked at full volume. Treat Williams and John Savage provide a grounded story that adds weight to the tragic ending.


Cory McAbee is a singing space trucker in The American Astronaut.

American Astronaut
Cory McAbee, lead singer of post-punk-rockabilly band the Billy Nayer Show, stars as a space trucker on a mission. Songs are belted out in the men’s room in a space diner, and across the galaxy in a nonsensical adventure that makes plenty of sense when you listen to the lyrics. This bizarre and starkly shot black & white film which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2001, must be seen to be believed. It’s as if David Lynch himself made a musical. You simply must track it down and then dance to it.

The Blues Brothers
Known as much for its action and comedy as it is for the music, The Blues Brothers has stood the test of time as the best blues musical ever made... and probably the only blues musical I can think of. What’s odd is that it defies the rules and provides reasons within the story for the characters to actually break into song. So, in a way, it’s the most realistic musical ever made.

Open House
Slamdance Film Festival co-founder Dan Mirvish made this musical on such a low budget, he used the actual sound of his actors singing during shooting. This is totally unusual for a musical where the songs are recorded in a studio setting. This "real estate comedy" starring the likes of James Duval, Ann Magnuson and Sally Kellerman shows what can be done without a big budget and a creative concept. In fact, the DVD includes a commentary track sung entirely by the director and members of the cast.


Riki Lake leads the cast in John Waters' film Hairspray.

Hairspray
Riki Lake leads the cast in John Waters' film Hairspray which became a successful Broadway play which will now be remade into a movie starring John Travolta in the role originally made famous by Divine. Make sense? The story makes light of racist attitudes during the 1950s which proves, well, at least in this week's Imus-fueled media frenzy, that we’ve still learned nothing.

Jesus Christ Superstar
This film might be considered sacrilegious in these hyper-sensitive times, but I believe Jesus would approve of this bold rock musical. Unfortunately, it’s an Easter classic rarely seen around Easter.

Tommy
The Who’s rock opera opened the door for other bands to explore long-form concept albums. The wall-to-wall music put to the tale of the reawakening and deification of a deaf, dumb and blind kid who can play pinball, is worthy of multiple viewings and/or listenings if you prefer.

Pink Floyd’s The Wall
It’s depressing, weird, clearly influenced by the popularity of music videos from the 1980s but still packs a punch simply because of the Pink Floyd soundtrack.

Moulin Rouge
Baz Luhrmann puts a new spin on a classic tale. What is most compelling about Moulin Rouge is not the schmaltzy storyline, but the over-the-top production design combining fantastic sets with a fluid style that leaves one breathless during some musical numbers. The song and dance sequences up the ante by combining well-known pop songs – everything from T-Rex, the Police, Nirvana, Madonna, U2 to the Beatles – and weaving the tunes and lyrics into a newly formed mish-mash of songs. It's incredibly bizarre and it works.


Hedwig and the Angry Inch is by far the most original rock musical ever made.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch
This is the only musical I can think of that was borne of a botched sex change operation. Directed, written by and starring John Cameron Mitchell, who looks great in a dress I might add, the tunes offer a tale of pain through the adventures of a struggling punk band. Hedwig is touching, frightening and has the most listenable musical soundtracks ever. And, if you were wondering, the “angry inch” in question – it’s his penis. Or what’s left of it.

Rocky Horror Picture Show
Any list of notable musicals must include the cult classic that made dressing in drag and going to the midnight movies a full-contact sport.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Many people do not consider the 1971 classic starring Gene Wilder to be a musical, most consider it a simple children’s film. But if I began to hum it for you, that oompa-loompa song would be stuck in your head all day. It’s a miracle that the film turned out so well considering this adaptation of the Roald Dahl book was originally funded only as a way to promote a candy bar.

Oh, and as always with any “list-based” piece like this, feel free to pile on your own suggestions for the ones I completely missed, forgot or was too stupid to recognize as being great. Yes, I love you too. I’d write a song about it and sing it out loud, but I can’t find anything to rhyme with Suicide Girls or Footage Fetishes or… you get the picture.

Gore gone.

Chris_Gore is an author, a filmmaker, the creator of Film Threat, and cannot sing.

OK, not a movie however I feel that I must mention the Buffy The Vampire Slayer musical episode Once More, With Feeling. The way that it moved the series forward by allowing the characters to sing things they could never say...amazing.

well if the blues brothers counts as a musical then i thinkcrossroads counts too. it has ralph macchio in it, so it's not that good, I always ff through to the blues parts, great guitar playing, especially at the end when ralph duels steve vai (as satan's guitarist) for the soul of willie.

For a second there I thought you meant this
Crossroads and I was about to beat head against the wall at the thought of it being compared to the Blues Brothers. But you didn't, and my lack of a concussion thanks you.

i love rent but then again i'm a sucker for rosario dawson in a stripper motif....

yet another reason to watch sin city again.

SPINAL TAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

best musical ever!!!!!!!

What about the South Park movie?

+1

Uh, Jailhouse Rock?

I don't even have to look at that link to know what movie you're talking about, having little sisters that range in age from 15-20 caused me much pain in my younger years.

i never watched the show much, but saw this episode and I AGREE.

I also lump in South Park, the movie..

'nuff said.

"A place, where nobody dared to go..."

trivia: contains the first known appearance in the popular media of what later became known as the "Flock of Seagulls haircut

This film, of course, inspired the legendary poem Kubla-Khan by Samuel what's-his-name

Fuck Tommy Gnosis!

Oh. And:

Jake Lives!

Excellent taste.
I must find American Astronaut, Open House.
John Cameron Mitchell and Riki Lake are brilliant.
The Wall, grim. Tommy, a sucker for a happy ending. Both a snapshot in time.
Moulin Rouge inspired, inspiring. A milestone. A real Yankee Doodle Dandy, Singin' In the Rain.

Damn. Beat me to it!

However:

AGREED!!!

how about cry baby I still think thats a funny ass movie

I'm still waiting for that sonofabitch to come out.

Reefer Maddness with Neve Cambell and Alan Cummings
An Amazing musical

This will score me some "lame" points, but I really enjoy 1776 the musical.

I think it's a stretch to call "The Blues Brothers" a blues musical. There's a whole lot more R&B (which while it contains the word "blues" is a different form of music) and soul in it than blues. In fact, I can't recall "The Blues Brothers" as a band (they had an LP out before the movie) ever doing anything remotely close to blues.

Crossroads isn't a musical. It's a movie with MUSICIANS playing/singing music. That's different from a musical.

The best definition I can come up with for a musical is a film where "regular characters" break into song. Cartoons is kind of a grey area. Because of Disney, most animated motion pictures tend to fit the bill, with the princess/car/fish/whatever breaking into song at dramatic points.

The vast majority of India's films are musicals. One day our company's helpdesk in Mumbai basically stopped working because a popular Bollywood star had died in an accident.

It's definitely more of a soul movie, but the John Lee Hooker segment is straight blues, and Matt Murphy was a longtime session blues guitarist.