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South Pacific
»rank: 2533
: :The dazzling Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, brought to lush life by the director of the original stage version, Joshua Logan. Set on a remote island during the Second World War, South Pacific tracks two parallel romances: one between a Navy nurse (Mitzi Gaynor) 'as corny as Kansas in August' and a wealthy French plantation owner (Rossano Brazzi), the other between a young American officer (John Kerr) and a native girl (France Nuyen). The theme of interracial love was still daring in 1958, and ...
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Annie
»rank: 4915
: :Charmless and dull, this adaptation of the Broadway hit stars Aileen Quinn as the depression-era moppet, Albert Finney as Daddy Warbucks, Carol Burnett as the cruel headmistress at an orphanage, and Tim Curry as a villain. The film never gets its legs, and there is no sense of setting; it's almost as if the whole thing is happening in a void. John Huston nominally directed--no doubt to make money between his smaller, cheaper masterpieces--but one would have thought he would invest something of ...
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The Decline of Western Civilization
»rank: 4145
: :Centered on the early '80s punk movement, this remains the best of Penelope Spheeris's three attempts to chronicle the musical and angst-ridden subculture of urban Los Angeles. The film's style, like the music, is abrasive, frank, and packed with energy, as it moves swiftly from hilarious band and fan interviews to the loud, raucous shows inside seedy L.A. nightclubs. Despite its tongue-in-cheek title, Spheeris neither condemns, nor glamorizes, the movement, though she definitely has an eye for talent and thankfully plays favorites. Lesser ...
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Elvis on Tour
»rank: 161
: :Centered on the early '80s punk movement, this remains the best of Penelope Spheeris's three attempts to chronicle the musical and angst-ridden subculture of urban Los Angeles. The film's style, like the music, is abrasive, frank, and packed with energy, as it moves swiftly from hilarious band and fan interviews to the loud, raucous shows inside seedy L.A. nightclubs. Despite its tongue-in-cheek title, Spheeris neither condemns, nor glamorizes, the movement, though she definitely has an eye for talent and thankfully plays favorites. Lesser ...
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Verdi - La Traviata / Levine, Stratas, Domingo
»rank: 6415
: :Centered on the early '80s punk movement, this remains the best of Penelope Spheeris's three attempts to chronicle the musical and angst-ridden subculture of urban Los Angeles. The film's style, like the music, is abrasive, frank, and packed with energy, as it moves swiftly from hilarious band and fan interviews to the loud, raucous shows inside seedy L.A. nightclubs. Despite its tongue-in-cheek title, Spheeris neither condemns, nor glamorizes, the movement, though she definitely has an eye for talent and thankfully plays favorites. Lesser ...
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1776
»rank: 7263
: :The hit Broadway musical by Peter Stone and Sherman Edwards became the basis for this 1972 film about America's first congress and the nation's declaration of independence from Britain. Most of the original cast members are aboard, including William Daniels as John Adams. The film is a little stodgy and moves stiffly from scene to scene--the adaptation to the screen is not a smooth success. But it is nonetheless captivating, considering that so few films have dealt directly with America's birth. Directed by ...
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Jazz Singer (1927)
»rank: 7904
: :Generally considered the first sound feature, this 1927 film is pretty much silent except for a few lines of dialogue and Al Jolson's songs. The story finds Jolson playing the son of a cantor who wants him to follow in his footsteps, but the singer prefers secular music. Except for its historical value, the film isn't all that interesting, though it is great to get a sense of why people considered Jolson to be a hugely exciting entertainer at the time. --Tom Keogh
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Cats - The Musical (Commemorative Edition)
»rank: 1872
: essential video:This pop-cultural phenomenon has been performed on stage for more than 50 million patrons in 26 countries for almost 18 years, churning more than $2 billion in ticket sales. Now that Cats has finally made it to the small screen, attention must be paid not just by fans of this critic-proof show, but also by those entertainment mavens who have somehow avoided Cats until now. The video version has been restaged but, alas, not really reconceived for its new medium. The ...
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Kismet (1955)
»rank: 4606
: :Hollywood's excursions into Arabian Nights exotica don't come much daffier than Kismet, a 1955 MGM adaptation of the hit Broadway musical. The score includes two standards, 'Baubles, Bangles, and Beads' and 'Stranger in Paradise,' but the blend of Broadway razzmatazz and Middle Eastern culture is, to say the least, awkward. (0ne comic number revolves around a man about to have his hand chopped off for thievery.) There's plenty here for musical fans to enjoy, and a well-cast Howard Keel does his chesty best ...
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Andy Hardy Meets Debutante
»rank: 1924
: :Hollywood's excursions into Arabian Nights exotica don't come much daffier than Kismet, a 1955 MGM adaptation of the hit Broadway musical. The score includes two standards, 'Baubles, Bangles, and Beads' and 'Stranger in Paradise,' but the blend of Broadway razzmatazz and Middle Eastern culture is, to say the least, awkward. (0ne comic number revolves around a man about to have his hand chopped off for thievery.) There's plenty here for musical fans to enjoy, and a well-cast Howard Keel does his chesty best ...
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