[Q| Here's another mash-up theme song, this time from Warner Brothers.
At the beginning of each WB movie, the theme of "As Time Goes By" (from "Casablanca") is heard as the WB shield ripples across the screen.
As the lyrics are sung, it's easy to morph into "I've Grown Accustomed to Your Face" from "My Fair Lady".
"Hearts filled with passion, jealousy and hate
Woman needs man and man must have his mate..."
"Your smiles, your frowns
Your ups, your downs..."
I suspect one can morph back to the original song.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
Sunday In New York
[Q| Three days, $120, twenty movies, 45 hours... not unlike a comicbook convention.
We start with Oliver! and end with Tommy.
Oliver!... Ah, the good old days, when movies had intermissions and overtures sans pictures. I was a bit sceptical about this Best Picture, but was won over with the first big musical number in the London markets. Enjoyable, but needs to be seen in a movie palace.
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes was the biggest disappointment. Overrated. What did the title have to do with the story? There was no song with that title. And... Piggy was going to let MM rot in jail, after stealing the tiara back from her... but then he owns a diamond mine in apartheid South Africa, so his morals are probably rawther questionable...
An American In Paris was the most popular movie, although all films had decent audiences. I napped during the concert fantasy, but a large coffee got me through the rest of the day. The required Gene Kelly Dance Fantasy™ was too long, but Leslie Caron... le sigh...
On The Town has some interesting similarities to Hair. Hair has a better soundtrack (best part: draft center), but also some anachronisms (set in 1967ish, shot in 1978ish) like the Citicorp Building in the establishing shot of New York. Lots of great actors in the backgrounds.
The marathon ended with Tommy, an actual opera.. Interesting design and cinematography, but the story...eh. Who knew Jack Nicholson could sing?
Overall, a good selection of musicals. I hear the Bye Bye Birdie is playing downtown, so I might add that as a coda.
We start with Oliver! and end with Tommy.
Oliver!... Ah, the good old days, when movies had intermissions and overtures sans pictures. I was a bit sceptical about this Best Picture, but was won over with the first big musical number in the London markets. Enjoyable, but needs to be seen in a movie palace.
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes was the biggest disappointment. Overrated. What did the title have to do with the story? There was no song with that title. And... Piggy was going to let MM rot in jail, after stealing the tiara back from her... but then he owns a diamond mine in apartheid South Africa, so his morals are probably rawther questionable...
An American In Paris was the most popular movie, although all films had decent audiences. I napped during the concert fantasy, but a large coffee got me through the rest of the day. The required Gene Kelly Dance Fantasy™ was too long, but Leslie Caron... le sigh...
On The Town has some interesting similarities to Hair. Hair has a better soundtrack (best part: draft center), but also some anachronisms (set in 1967ish, shot in 1978ish) like the Citicorp Building in the establishing shot of New York. Lots of great actors in the backgrounds.
The marathon ended with Tommy, an actual opera.. Interesting design and cinematography, but the story...eh. Who knew Jack Nicholson could sing?
Overall, a good selection of musicals. I hear the Bye Bye Birdie is playing downtown, so I might add that as a coda.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Lips!
Okay... just came *snicker* from watching the Rocky Horror Picture Show... not a big crowd, not a lot of adlibs, but there was rain.
Earlier, Pal Joey, which I had seen and then forgotten (how could I forgot Kim Novak in that green dress?)
Love Me Or Leave Me is the unknown gem of this series. Doris Day playing a determined singer who chooses the wrong man. Lots of pain and suffering, with an almost happy ending. I cannot compare it to A Star Is Born, since I haven't seen that yet.
The only miscue of this series is not showing West Side Story. Lincoln Center is the neighborhood, "America" is a great song for the Fourth of July, it won the Best Picture Oscar, and the talent on this movie is stellar.
Six more movies tomorrow.
Earlier, Pal Joey, which I had seen and then forgotten (how could I forgot Kim Novak in that green dress?)
Love Me Or Leave Me is the unknown gem of this series. Doris Day playing a determined singer who chooses the wrong man. Lots of pain and suffering, with an almost happy ending. I cannot compare it to A Star Is Born, since I haven't seen that yet.
The only miscue of this series is not showing West Side Story. Lincoln Center is the neighborhood, "America" is a great song for the Fourth of July, it won the Best Picture Oscar, and the talent on this movie is stellar.
Six more movies tomorrow.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Swing Shift
Early Rogers & Astaire. Great dancing, typical story. Astaire does a blackface number as Bojangles, but it is tasteful and not stereotypical.
Already saw the King and I, which is next, so not likely to review it.
Already saw the King and I, which is next, so not likely to review it.
Gang's All Here
I had seen this before on TV, most likely as a Berkeley marathon. A decent story, Tommy Dorsey, and color choreography by Busby Berkeley with some cool special effects!
Next up: Swing Time
Next up: Swing Time
Saturday at the Bijou
Okay... "Meet Me In St. Louis"... one of those period piece movies, with a few songs added. Of course it's very well done, with athentic detail, and good luck with your allergies when Judy Garland starts singing "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas".
Lucille Ballen (sp?) had a prominent role in this movie as the eldest daughter, Rose. I noticed her in "Ziegfeld Follies" (two Lucilles, her and Ball), dancing two pantomimes with Fred Astaire. I'll Google her later, wonder how many other MGM contract players have faded away? Oh, and June Lockhart was in this as well... and the youngest daughter reminds me of somone...
Next up: The Gang's All Here. Busby Berkeley
Lucille Ballen (sp?) had a prominent role in this movie as the eldest daughter, Rose. I noticed her in "Ziegfeld Follies" (two Lucilles, her and Ball), dancing two pantomimes with Fred Astaire. I'll Google her later, wonder how many other MGM contract players have faded away? Oh, and June Lockhart was in this as well... and the youngest daughter reminds me of somone...
Next up: The Gang's All Here. Busby Berkeley
More Movies
The second day begins...
Battery died yesterday, so let's mash them all together...
Ziegfield Follies... holy fucking shit this is a star-studded movie! You play Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon? this is one of those nexus movies that is used to link actors! First, we've got Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire dancing TOGETHER on screen. Then there's a nice musical number by Judy Garland, an aquatic ballet by Esther Williams (amazing breath control), William Powell as Flo himself, and a humourous skit by Keenan Wynn. What makes this such a great 6DoKB movie is that Lucille Ball appears as scenery in the opening number (as a lion tamer) and Red Skelton doing a great comedy bit about television!
After that, the vaudeville of America is replaced by the Cabaret of Weimar Berlin. Perhaps there have been too many holocaust movies since. Perhaps I was expecting more of Joel Grey (Oscar? Seriously? Hmm... Robin Williams as the MC? Joel Grey as the Joker?) It just didn't impress me. The lack of subtitles made things a bit confusing... when is German being spoken and when is English?
And then Midnight approached, and there was a small crowd for Purple Rain. I had not seen the film when it was released 25 *sigh* years ago. The music was great (half concert movie, half musical), Appolonia was HOT, but the story? Well, it's slightly autobiographical, so won't say anything at all.
Today, later
Battery died yesterday, so let's mash them all together...
Ziegfield Follies... holy fucking shit this is a star-studded movie! You play Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon? this is one of those nexus movies that is used to link actors! First, we've got Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire dancing TOGETHER on screen. Then there's a nice musical number by Judy Garland, an aquatic ballet by Esther Williams (amazing breath control), William Powell as Flo himself, and a humourous skit by Keenan Wynn. What makes this such a great 6DoKB movie is that Lucille Ball appears as scenery in the opening number (as a lion tamer) and Red Skelton doing a great comedy bit about television!
After that, the vaudeville of America is replaced by the Cabaret of Weimar Berlin. Perhaps there have been too many holocaust movies since. Perhaps I was expecting more of Joel Grey (Oscar? Seriously? Hmm... Robin Williams as the MC? Joel Grey as the Joker?) It just didn't impress me. The lack of subtitles made things a bit confusing... when is German being spoken and when is English?
And then Midnight approached, and there was a small crowd for Purple Rain. I had not seen the film when it was released 25 *sigh* years ago. The music was great (half concert movie, half musical), Appolonia was HOT, but the story? Well, it's slightly autobiographical, so won't say anything at all.
Today, later
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