Columbia, 1964
Voices of Daws Butler, Don Messick, Julie Bennett, and Mel Blanc
Directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbara
Music by Ray Gilbert; Lyrics by Doug Goodwin
The Care Bears aren't the only animated bears I'm a big fan of. Yogi remains one of the most beloved of Hanna and Barbara's "funny animal" characters of the 50's, 60's, and 70's. He and his picnic basket-stealing antics proved to be such a hit in The Huckleberry Hound Show, he and his buddy Boo Boo briefly got their own Saturday morning showcase in 1960. His ongoing popularity finally prompted Hanna-Barbara to get into the feature animation business, making this the the first animated film to be based after a TV show. Does this story of Yogi, Boo-Boo, and Cindy's cross-country road trip deserve a picnic basket with all the trimmings, or should it be sent to the zoo? Let's head to Jellystone National Park, just as spring is beginning, and find out.
The Story: Spring brings tourists to Jellystone Park...and as soon as the tourists arrive, so does Yogi's (Butler) appetite. After his attempts to snitch picnic baskets gets him caught by Ranger Smith (Messick), he tells him he wants to be transferred to the San Diego Zoo. He convinces another bear to take his place so he can continue stealing food. His girl Cindy (Bennett) and best friend Boo Boo (Messick) think he's gone. Cindy claims she's stealing the food so she can go to San Diego and be with Yogi, but her cage falls off the train and she ends up as the main attraction in a shady circus. Yogi and Boo Boo run off to rescue her. Even after they escape the circus, they still have to find their way home.
The Animation: Hanna-Barbara put some real work into this one, and it shows with animation that's above the norm for them in the 50's and 60's. The backgrounds are lush and colorful, and the characters move better and are more refined than they are on TV. The Venice fantasy number in particular looks terrific, with its shadows and romantic moonlight on the water.
The Song and Dance: The story is nothing to write home about, but even when it's ambling along, the characters are always worth watching. Butler, Messick, and Bennett have a great time playing their respective characters in a couple of hilarious set pieces, including the destruction of the circus that bear-napped Cindy and the three of them running around on the steel frame of an unfinished skyscraper in New York.
Favorite Number: "Ven-e, Ven-o, Ven-a" is a lovely ballad performed by Yogi (singing voice by crooner James Darren) that somehow turns into a random fantasy number in Venice towards the end of the movie, complete with Boo Boo as a gondolier. Cindy has a nice solo early-on when she's trying to tell Yogi how much she's in love with him, "Like I Like You." Boo Boo joins the two on the road for "Whistle Your Way Back Home." Cindy gets to enjoy the antics of three bears who travel with her on the train to "St. Louis."
What I Don't Like: Most of the musical numbers aren't terribly memorable, and a lot of them, like the Venice fantasy and the bears' song on the train, seem to be there mainly as filler. The story is a bit disjointed, lurching from one set piece to the next without much flow. And while the animation is better than it is on TV, it's still not quite at the level of Disney's finest.
The Big Finale: A nice introduction to Yogi's picnic-basket-stealing antics and a fun road trip for Hanna-Barbara fans and younger kids.
Home Media: Warners picked up this one when they merged with Hanna-Barbera owner Turner Broadcasting in the late 90's. The current DVD has glowing, jewel-like colors and decent sound. It's not on Blu-Ray, but it can be found on several streaming companies.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Reviews of musical films, from 1930s black and white to widescreen 21st century extravaganzas.
Saturday, June 29, 2019
Thursday, June 27, 2019
Cult Flops - Summer Holiday (1948)
MGM, 1948
Starring Mickey Rooney, Gloria DeHaven, Walter Huston, and Frank Morgan
Directed by Rouben Mamoulien
Music by Harry Warren; Lyrics by Ralph Blaine
Rouben Mamoulien was one of the true maverick directors of stage and film from the 1920's through the 1950's. He often fought with studios and crews in order to get his vision on the screen, but more often than not, it paid off. Even when his shows and movies, like the first three-strip Technicolor feature Becky Sharp and the landmark Gershwin opera Porgy and Bess in 1935, didn't make money, they were usually critically acclaimed. Mamoulien had so many problems trying to see his vision through, this movie was finished in 1946 and wasn't released until 1948. Did it deserve better? Let's take a stroll down the street in Danville, Connecticut in 1902 and find out...
The Story: Richard Miller (Rooney) is a teenager with a lot of high-minded ideas about the rights of the common man that he picked up from the books he reads. He spouts them to anyone who'll listen, including his father, newspaper owner Nat Miller (Huston), and his nervous girlfriend Muriel (DeHaven). Angry when Muriel's banker father catches her reading his books and forbids their relationship, he goes out to a bar with a floozy (Marilyn Maxwell)...and learns that maybe he's not quite ready for adulthood yet.
He's not the only one in the Miller family who's having problems with his love life. Perpetually drunk Uncle Sid (Morgan) is trying to court Aunt Lilly (Agnes Moorehead), but she'll only take him if he gets a decent job and stop drinking. She's not happy when he doesn't quite manage to do either, especially after he guzzles down giant pitchers of beer at the Danville 4th of July Picnic.
The Song and Dance: This is such a charming movie. Mamoulien made much use of his trademark dialogue flowing naturally into music and back again, especially in the opening number and during the picnic. The supporting cast is even better. Morgan and Moorehead make a cute couple, and Huston is warm but firm as Richard's (mostly) supportive father. Maxwell gets to have fun vamping it up as the chorus girl who thinks she's found an easy mark in Richard. The lovely costumes and colorful Technicolor cinematography ably brings the early summer of over a century ago to life.
Favorite Number: The opening number "In Our Home Town" is actually a series of shorter numbers that introduce each member of the family, starting with Nat Miller explaining Danville and how things work there, and ending with Rooney and DeHaven in a soda shoppe. We get a more dynamic version of this in the "It's Independence Day" picnic sequence, as the music takes us to everyone's very different celebrations - the men drink their way through the holiday, the kids swim in a local pond, the teens dance together, and the women play croquet and enjoy their huge spread. "Afraid to Fall In Love" is a cute duet for Rooney and DeHaven as he tries to convince her to kiss him.
"I Think You're the Sweetest Kid I've Ever Known" is initially performed as Maxwell's come-on to Rooney. It makes clever uses of colored filters, making Maxwell's costume get scantier the drunker Rooney gets.
Trivia: This is based after the 1934 Eugene O'Neil play Ah, Wilderness. MGM had done an earlier, non-musical version in 1935 (with Rooney in the little brother's role), and there would be a stage musical in 1959 called Take Me Along with Robert Morse as Richard and Jackie Gleason as Sid.
MGM cut at least three numbers that appear in audio form on the limited edition CD soundtrack - "Never Again" for Morgan and Moorehead, "I Wish I Had a Braver Heart," a solo for DeHaven, and "Omar and the Princess," an extended fantasy sequence for Rooney and DeHaven that likely derived from the Persian poetry Richard gave to Muriel.
It was indeed finished in 1946 and not released until '46, after which it was one of their bigger flops of the year.
What I Don't Like: Rooney and DeHaven are way too old for their roles and try too hard to behave like teenagers. I kind of wish MGM had let Mamoulien do what he wanted and kept the numbers. The movie feels too rushed, and we don't really see much of Morgan and Moorehead, especially compared to how important they are in other versions.
A lot of this seems like an imitation of Meet Me In St. Louis, a much bigger MGM nostalgic hit from 1944. This is especially obvious in "The Stanley Steamer." Not only is the song just so-so, but it's pretty directly imitating "The Trolley Song."
The Big Finale: An adorable bit of Americana with some creative musical staging and a nice supporting cast that deserves to be better-known.
Home Media: Currently only available on DVD through the Warner Archives.
DVD
Starring Mickey Rooney, Gloria DeHaven, Walter Huston, and Frank Morgan
Directed by Rouben Mamoulien
Music by Harry Warren; Lyrics by Ralph Blaine
Rouben Mamoulien was one of the true maverick directors of stage and film from the 1920's through the 1950's. He often fought with studios and crews in order to get his vision on the screen, but more often than not, it paid off. Even when his shows and movies, like the first three-strip Technicolor feature Becky Sharp and the landmark Gershwin opera Porgy and Bess in 1935, didn't make money, they were usually critically acclaimed. Mamoulien had so many problems trying to see his vision through, this movie was finished in 1946 and wasn't released until 1948. Did it deserve better? Let's take a stroll down the street in Danville, Connecticut in 1902 and find out...
The Story: Richard Miller (Rooney) is a teenager with a lot of high-minded ideas about the rights of the common man that he picked up from the books he reads. He spouts them to anyone who'll listen, including his father, newspaper owner Nat Miller (Huston), and his nervous girlfriend Muriel (DeHaven). Angry when Muriel's banker father catches her reading his books and forbids their relationship, he goes out to a bar with a floozy (Marilyn Maxwell)...and learns that maybe he's not quite ready for adulthood yet.
He's not the only one in the Miller family who's having problems with his love life. Perpetually drunk Uncle Sid (Morgan) is trying to court Aunt Lilly (Agnes Moorehead), but she'll only take him if he gets a decent job and stop drinking. She's not happy when he doesn't quite manage to do either, especially after he guzzles down giant pitchers of beer at the Danville 4th of July Picnic.
The Song and Dance: This is such a charming movie. Mamoulien made much use of his trademark dialogue flowing naturally into music and back again, especially in the opening number and during the picnic. The supporting cast is even better. Morgan and Moorehead make a cute couple, and Huston is warm but firm as Richard's (mostly) supportive father. Maxwell gets to have fun vamping it up as the chorus girl who thinks she's found an easy mark in Richard. The lovely costumes and colorful Technicolor cinematography ably brings the early summer of over a century ago to life.
Favorite Number: The opening number "In Our Home Town" is actually a series of shorter numbers that introduce each member of the family, starting with Nat Miller explaining Danville and how things work there, and ending with Rooney and DeHaven in a soda shoppe. We get a more dynamic version of this in the "It's Independence Day" picnic sequence, as the music takes us to everyone's very different celebrations - the men drink their way through the holiday, the kids swim in a local pond, the teens dance together, and the women play croquet and enjoy their huge spread. "Afraid to Fall In Love" is a cute duet for Rooney and DeHaven as he tries to convince her to kiss him.
"I Think You're the Sweetest Kid I've Ever Known" is initially performed as Maxwell's come-on to Rooney. It makes clever uses of colored filters, making Maxwell's costume get scantier the drunker Rooney gets.
Trivia: This is based after the 1934 Eugene O'Neil play Ah, Wilderness. MGM had done an earlier, non-musical version in 1935 (with Rooney in the little brother's role), and there would be a stage musical in 1959 called Take Me Along with Robert Morse as Richard and Jackie Gleason as Sid.
MGM cut at least three numbers that appear in audio form on the limited edition CD soundtrack - "Never Again" for Morgan and Moorehead, "I Wish I Had a Braver Heart," a solo for DeHaven, and "Omar and the Princess," an extended fantasy sequence for Rooney and DeHaven that likely derived from the Persian poetry Richard gave to Muriel.
It was indeed finished in 1946 and not released until '46, after which it was one of their bigger flops of the year.
What I Don't Like: Rooney and DeHaven are way too old for their roles and try too hard to behave like teenagers. I kind of wish MGM had let Mamoulien do what he wanted and kept the numbers. The movie feels too rushed, and we don't really see much of Morgan and Moorehead, especially compared to how important they are in other versions.
A lot of this seems like an imitation of Meet Me In St. Louis, a much bigger MGM nostalgic hit from 1944. This is especially obvious in "The Stanley Steamer." Not only is the song just so-so, but it's pretty directly imitating "The Trolley Song."
The Big Finale: An adorable bit of Americana with some creative musical staging and a nice supporting cast that deserves to be better-known.
Home Media: Currently only available on DVD through the Warner Archives.
DVD
Tuesday, June 25, 2019
The Music Man (1962)
Warner Bros, 1962
Starring Robert Preston, Shirley Jones, Buddy Hackett, and Hermione Gingold
Directed by Morton DaCosta
Music and Lyrics by Meredith Wilson
With the original Broadway show announced for a revival next fall (and none other than Hugh Jackman in the title role) , I thought this might be a fun way to kick off two weeks of All-American Weekdays, focusing on Americana and tales of the Fourth of July in years past. We hop on a train to Iowa to see just how the story of a con-man who fools a Midwestern town into buying band instruments fares today...
The Story: Professor Harold Hill (Preston) breezes into River City, Iowa in 1912, hoping to sell the stubborn locals on a non-existent boy's band. He has it all planned, including how he'll deal with the smart, pretty young librarian and piano teacher, Marian Paroo (Jones), and her mother (Pert Kelton). Marian's not happy with his slapdash methods of teaching music or how easily he charms all the women in town, including the wife of the mayor Mrs. Shinn (Gingold). As the children of the town become more and more involved with the band, including Marian's troubled younger brother Winthrop (Ron Howard), she begins to soften to the professor...and he realizes how much Marian, her family, and the town have come to mean to him.
The Song and Dance: For many people, Preston still is this role. He won a Tony for it in 1959 and really throws himself into it here. He's so charming and funny, especially when trying to flirt with Jones or convince the townspeople to buy his fictional instruments, you can understand why half the town falls for him. Jones more than matches him as the intellectual library lady with the secretly romantic heart. Gingold and Paul Ford are hilarious as the Shinns; he's suspicious of Preston's motives, she's happy to toss out gossip and starts a dance troupe for the older women in town at the slightest prevarication. Buddy Hackett and Pert Kelton has a lot of fun as Preston's best friend and Marian's matchmaking mother. A very young Ron Howard makes an adorable Winthrop. The colorful and historically accurate costumes and sets garnered Oscar noms.
Favorite Number: The movie kicks off well with an excellent version of that early salesman's rap on the train, "Rock Island." Those guys can really rattle that song off! Preston makes the most of his two big solos, "Trouble" and "76 Trombones." "Trouble" easily convinces the parents of the town that a pool table will corrupt their kids; "Trombones" brings the kids in for one of the catchiest marches in musical history. He's charming with Howard and Kelton, telling them about "Gary, Indiana."
Jones gets two lovely ballads, "'Til There Was You" with Preston down on the bridge towards the end, and "Goodnight My Someone" with her little pupil Amaryllis (Monique Vermont) joining in on her piano lesson. "Shipoopi" really has nothing to do with the rest of the movie, but it's so energetically performed with such enjoyable choreography that it's easy to overlook; "Marian the Librarian" lets Jones and Preston have fun with the chorus (and Jones' expressions are perfect during that song).
Trivia: Jones was pregnant during the entire filming. That (and it being the fashion in the early 1910's) is why the waistlines on her dresses are so high.
Only two songs from the original show weren't retained. "It's You" became a short number for the Buffalo Bills barbershop quartet and the ladies during the ice cream social at the end. "Being In Love" does use part of the original "My White Knight," but was mostly re-written by Wilson.
What I Don't Like: Like most of the big Broadway adaptations, this is way too long, over two and a half hours. A lot of the numbers go on for about ten minutes too long and really could have been trimmed, no matter how good the dancing is. The movie drags like crazy, especially in the middle when the focus is on Preston trying to sell the band and Gingold and her ladies and their dance.
The Big Finale: A huge favorite of mine, the cast and delightful musical numbers alone make this one worth a look if you have time on your hands.
Home Media: Pretty easy to find on most formats, including several streaming companies.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Starring Robert Preston, Shirley Jones, Buddy Hackett, and Hermione Gingold
Directed by Morton DaCosta
Music and Lyrics by Meredith Wilson
With the original Broadway show announced for a revival next fall (and none other than Hugh Jackman in the title role) , I thought this might be a fun way to kick off two weeks of All-American Weekdays, focusing on Americana and tales of the Fourth of July in years past. We hop on a train to Iowa to see just how the story of a con-man who fools a Midwestern town into buying band instruments fares today...
The Story: Professor Harold Hill (Preston) breezes into River City, Iowa in 1912, hoping to sell the stubborn locals on a non-existent boy's band. He has it all planned, including how he'll deal with the smart, pretty young librarian and piano teacher, Marian Paroo (Jones), and her mother (Pert Kelton). Marian's not happy with his slapdash methods of teaching music or how easily he charms all the women in town, including the wife of the mayor Mrs. Shinn (Gingold). As the children of the town become more and more involved with the band, including Marian's troubled younger brother Winthrop (Ron Howard), she begins to soften to the professor...and he realizes how much Marian, her family, and the town have come to mean to him.
The Song and Dance: For many people, Preston still is this role. He won a Tony for it in 1959 and really throws himself into it here. He's so charming and funny, especially when trying to flirt with Jones or convince the townspeople to buy his fictional instruments, you can understand why half the town falls for him. Jones more than matches him as the intellectual library lady with the secretly romantic heart. Gingold and Paul Ford are hilarious as the Shinns; he's suspicious of Preston's motives, she's happy to toss out gossip and starts a dance troupe for the older women in town at the slightest prevarication. Buddy Hackett and Pert Kelton has a lot of fun as Preston's best friend and Marian's matchmaking mother. A very young Ron Howard makes an adorable Winthrop. The colorful and historically accurate costumes and sets garnered Oscar noms.
Favorite Number: The movie kicks off well with an excellent version of that early salesman's rap on the train, "Rock Island." Those guys can really rattle that song off! Preston makes the most of his two big solos, "Trouble" and "76 Trombones." "Trouble" easily convinces the parents of the town that a pool table will corrupt their kids; "Trombones" brings the kids in for one of the catchiest marches in musical history. He's charming with Howard and Kelton, telling them about "Gary, Indiana."
Jones gets two lovely ballads, "'Til There Was You" with Preston down on the bridge towards the end, and "Goodnight My Someone" with her little pupil Amaryllis (Monique Vermont) joining in on her piano lesson. "Shipoopi" really has nothing to do with the rest of the movie, but it's so energetically performed with such enjoyable choreography that it's easy to overlook; "Marian the Librarian" lets Jones and Preston have fun with the chorus (and Jones' expressions are perfect during that song).
Trivia: Jones was pregnant during the entire filming. That (and it being the fashion in the early 1910's) is why the waistlines on her dresses are so high.
Only two songs from the original show weren't retained. "It's You" became a short number for the Buffalo Bills barbershop quartet and the ladies during the ice cream social at the end. "Being In Love" does use part of the original "My White Knight," but was mostly re-written by Wilson.
What I Don't Like: Like most of the big Broadway adaptations, this is way too long, over two and a half hours. A lot of the numbers go on for about ten minutes too long and really could have been trimmed, no matter how good the dancing is. The movie drags like crazy, especially in the middle when the focus is on Preston trying to sell the band and Gingold and her ladies and their dance.
The Big Finale: A huge favorite of mine, the cast and delightful musical numbers alone make this one worth a look if you have time on your hands.
Home Media: Pretty easy to find on most formats, including several streaming companies.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Saturday, June 22, 2019
Animation Celebration Double Feature - The Care Bears Movie & Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation
Along with being a fan of musicals, swashbucklers, and Star Wars, I love teddy bears. I've collected teddies in one form or another all my life, and real bears are among my favorite members of the animal kingdom. The original series debuted in 1982, just in time to be one of my earliest favorite cartoons. My sisters and I had the toys, we had the figures, and we watched both the Professor Coldheart and Family versions of the show. The first movie was a surprise hit, actually bigger at the box office in 1985 than Disney's offering that year, The Black Cauldron; the second was an equally surprising flop a year later. How do the loving bears and their not-so-sweet antagonists stack up today? Let's head to an orphanage to hear a familiar bedtime story and find out...
The Care Bears Movie
The Samuel Goldwyn Company, 1985
Voices of Mickey Rooney, Georgia Engel, Jackie Burroughs, and Sunny Besen Thrasher
Directed by Arna Selznick
Music and Lyrics by Carole King, John Sebastian, and others
The Story: Kindly Mr. Nicholas Cherrywood (Rooney) tells the story of how he met the Care Bears as a young teen to an audience of attentive orphans. He was once the apprentice to grouchy magician Mr. Fettuccini (Brian George) in his small-time magic act at a local amusement park. Lonely and tired of Fettuccini constantly putting him down, Nicholas finds a strange spell book possessed by a dark spirit (Burroughs). The spirit claims it can help him make friends, but it encourages him to put Fetuccini to sleep and sabotages Nicholas when he tries to take over his act. Care Bear leader Tenderheart Bear (Billie Mae Richards) witnesses it and tries to convince him to give up the book, but Nicholas thinks it's the only way to get revenge on those who ignored him.
Meanwhile, the other bears have been helping another pair of friendless kids. Kim (Cree Summer Francks) and Jason (Thrasher) were also friendless orphans, but unlike Nicholas, the Care Bears were able to find them and show them how much fun friendship can be. Thanks to their having been in Care-a-Lot, they were the only ones who didn't fall under Nicholas' spell. The spell turns anyone who touches it into a hateful monster, causing cloud-quakes in Care-a-Lot and damaging Grumpy Bear's (Bobby Dermer) new transportation machine. A glitch in the machine sends the Bears and kids to a new land, the Forest of Feelings, where they meet another band of animals who desire to help others. Even the power of the Bears and their new friends might not be enough to deal with the spirit's magic...but Kim and Jason may have the real answer.
The Animation: Even as a kid, I realized that the animation wasn't these films' strong suit. The designs are colorful and fun, especially in the Forest of Feelings, where every tree and wave bursts with pastel curves. The intense sequences with Nicholas and the spirit in the finale are especially well-done and make for a nice contrast to the sweet rainbow colors in Care-a-Lot.
The big problem here is the Care Bears pretty much look alike outside of their different colors. This leads to some major problems with continuity; frequently, a Care Bear will be seen in a number they aren't supposed to be in, or the wrong character will turn up in a scene or in the background. It probably won't be a big deal for the pre-school target audiences, but for adults, it can be distracting.
The Song and Dance: The Care Bears' first big-screen outing is actually quite charming. Their first encounters with what would later be known as the Care Bear Cousins, especially the sequences with Brave Heart Lion and Proud Heart Monkey, are hilarious. (And at the very least, the Cousins being different animals make them more distinct from each other than the Bears are.)
What most people tend to remember from this one is the spirit in the book. She's a truly nasty piece of work, one of the most frightening villains from an animated film in this era. Her ultimate goal isn't just to take over the world or to destroy it, but to destroy all positive feelings...and she easily manipulates a needy teen boy to do it. I know a lot of people my age who grew up in the 80's and remember being really scared by her as kids.
Favorite Number: John Sebastian, who did the songs for a couple of Nelvana specials in the 80's, puts in some nice work here. "When You Care You're Not Afraid to Try," which introduces the rest of the Cousins, is a catchy march. The laid-back "Nobody Cares Like a Bear" shows Kim, Jason, and the audience how much fun Care-a-Lot - and friendship - can be. The Cousins officially join the group in "In a Care Bear Family"; the reactions when they get their Belly Badges are really cute.
But my favorite number from this is the intense "Look Out, He's After You." Nicholas chasing Kim and Jason through the fun house is highlighted by several intense moments, leading up to Swift Heart Rabbit almost getting blasted. Like the spirit, it's a heavy number for such a light tale, and that makes it all the more effective.
Trivia: The success of Care Bears Movie saved TV animation studio Nelvana Animation from shutting down after their previous theatrical film, the bizarre adult animated musical Rock & Rule, failed to find a distributor.
The Care Bears Movie was one of the first films to be based after a toy line, but it was far from the last. Its success inspired big-screen versions of My Little Pony, Rainbow Brite, G.I Joe, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and Transformers, among others, along with a live-action version of Masters of the Universe. None were anywhere near as successful as Care Bears Movie, though the latter three have cult followings today.
What I Don't Like: The critical reception in 1985 was harsh, and while their main complaint - the movie being made to sell toys - isn't as obvious today, some of the other problems they mentioned do remain. The Care Bears themselves don't really have much personality other than Tenderheart and Grumpy. Even with the different colors and Belly Badges, it can be hard for a lot of people to tell them apart. Carole King's opening ballad "Care-a-Lot" is syrupy and dull, and while the music for "Home Is In Your Heart" is serviceable, the lyrics are awkward and sticky. And yes, the Bears and the entire premise can come off as too treacly for a lot of people.
The Big Finale: I actually prefer the second film, but the first has its moments too, especially in its memorable villain and some good songs. If you have young kids or remember watching the movies yourself as a child (and don't mind the animation bobbles), this is worth checking out.
Home Media: Not on Blu-Ray, but it's pretty easy to find on DVD and streaming.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation
Columbia, 1986
Voices of Hadley Kay, Chris Wiggins, Maxine Miller, and Cree Summer Francks
Directed by Dale Schott
Music and Lyrics by Stephan Bishop and others
The Story: This time, The Great Wishing Star (Wiggins) tells the story of how the Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins came to be. They were originally homeless cubs and baby animals, cared for by True Heart Bear (Miller) and Noble Heart Horse (Pam Hyatt). The duo are on the run from the shape-shifting spirit Dark Heart (Kay), who hates how loving they are. Caught in a storm, they're lead to the Kingdom of Caring. The Great Wishing Star declares them to be the Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins and gives them their mission to show everyone how to care for each other as well as they have for the cubs and babies.
True Heart's first mission lands her (and a stowaway Baby Swift Heart Rabbit) in a summer camp. Twins Dawn (Alyson Court) and John (Michael Fantini) and their marbles-playing friend Christy (Francks) aren't as good at running or swimming as the other kids in the camp and are tired of being bullied. The trio run away. True Heart finds the twins and brings them to Care-a-Lot, where they help babysit the cubs and learn that they have a lot to offer. Christy's not as lucky. She runs afoul of Dark Heart, who offers to make her the "Camp Champ"...if she'll help him round up the now-grown Care Bears and stop their mission of love for good.
The Animation: Slightly improved, especially in the nice effects animation with Dark Heart's transformations, Christy after she's hit with Dark Heart's magic, and the Care Bear Stare. Some problems remain; the continuity still isn't great, and the Bears still don't look that much different from each other.
The Song and Dance: I'm always surprised at how mature this is for something intended for pre-schoolers. Christy's story line is straight out of Faust, and there's allusions to Peter Pan as well. The conversation between Christy and Dark Heart in the canoe, from after they've caught the bears to when she rescues him from drowning, is fairly adult. The camp turning evil is just as freaky as the fair getting nasty in the first movie. Dark Heart is just as scary of a villain as the spirit in the book...and unlike her, he does succeed in doing away with the Bears, if only just for a few minutes. I also like how Dawn and John are treated; the sequence with them taking care of the Cubs is genuinely funny and cute.
Favorite Number: I have a soft spot for Cheer Bear's peppy "Fight Song," performed by Debbie Allen, when she's revving up the others to go after Dark Heart. The second version of "Flying My Colors," with Swift Heart avoiding the water in the swimming hole by running over everyone's heads, is actually pretty funny.
The ballad "Forever Young" at the end of the film has nothing to do with the rest of the movie; the music video depicting the Bears and Cousins looking back on their youth is kind of tacked-on, but the songwriter Carol Parks' performance of the lovely number mostly makes up for it.
Trivia: Though it came out less than a year after the first movie in March 1986, it wasn't nearly as big of a hit. Even so, a third movie, Care Bears Adventures in Wonderland, was released in 1987. It was such a huge flop, it became the Bears' last big-screen adventure to date.
This was the last animated film released by Columbia until Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within in 2001.
What I Don't Like: Nelvana's attempt to have it both ways - a thoughtful movie about what people will go through for power for the adults and the tale of loving animals for kids - just makes the plot feel disjointed. There's also plot holes galore. It has almost nothing in common with the first movie, other than the Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins and the basic structure of them helping three kids while battling a very dark villain. In fact, it contradicts a lot of the plot of the first film, especially how they met the Cousins.
The Big Finale: If you take this one as a stand-alone movie, rather than a genuine sequel, and once again have young kids or remember this one from your own childhood, you may find just as much to enjoy here.
Home Media: I've seen the DVD for this one, and while it can often be found for under 5 dollars, the print is barely a cut above the copy my parents took off cable in 1988. Streaming may be your best bet here.
DVD
Amazon Prime
The Care Bears Movie
The Samuel Goldwyn Company, 1985
Voices of Mickey Rooney, Georgia Engel, Jackie Burroughs, and Sunny Besen Thrasher
Directed by Arna Selznick
Music and Lyrics by Carole King, John Sebastian, and others
The Story: Kindly Mr. Nicholas Cherrywood (Rooney) tells the story of how he met the Care Bears as a young teen to an audience of attentive orphans. He was once the apprentice to grouchy magician Mr. Fettuccini (Brian George) in his small-time magic act at a local amusement park. Lonely and tired of Fettuccini constantly putting him down, Nicholas finds a strange spell book possessed by a dark spirit (Burroughs). The spirit claims it can help him make friends, but it encourages him to put Fetuccini to sleep and sabotages Nicholas when he tries to take over his act. Care Bear leader Tenderheart Bear (Billie Mae Richards) witnesses it and tries to convince him to give up the book, but Nicholas thinks it's the only way to get revenge on those who ignored him.
Meanwhile, the other bears have been helping another pair of friendless kids. Kim (Cree Summer Francks) and Jason (Thrasher) were also friendless orphans, but unlike Nicholas, the Care Bears were able to find them and show them how much fun friendship can be. Thanks to their having been in Care-a-Lot, they were the only ones who didn't fall under Nicholas' spell. The spell turns anyone who touches it into a hateful monster, causing cloud-quakes in Care-a-Lot and damaging Grumpy Bear's (Bobby Dermer) new transportation machine. A glitch in the machine sends the Bears and kids to a new land, the Forest of Feelings, where they meet another band of animals who desire to help others. Even the power of the Bears and their new friends might not be enough to deal with the spirit's magic...but Kim and Jason may have the real answer.
The Animation: Even as a kid, I realized that the animation wasn't these films' strong suit. The designs are colorful and fun, especially in the Forest of Feelings, where every tree and wave bursts with pastel curves. The intense sequences with Nicholas and the spirit in the finale are especially well-done and make for a nice contrast to the sweet rainbow colors in Care-a-Lot.
The big problem here is the Care Bears pretty much look alike outside of their different colors. This leads to some major problems with continuity; frequently, a Care Bear will be seen in a number they aren't supposed to be in, or the wrong character will turn up in a scene or in the background. It probably won't be a big deal for the pre-school target audiences, but for adults, it can be distracting.
The Song and Dance: The Care Bears' first big-screen outing is actually quite charming. Their first encounters with what would later be known as the Care Bear Cousins, especially the sequences with Brave Heart Lion and Proud Heart Monkey, are hilarious. (And at the very least, the Cousins being different animals make them more distinct from each other than the Bears are.)
What most people tend to remember from this one is the spirit in the book. She's a truly nasty piece of work, one of the most frightening villains from an animated film in this era. Her ultimate goal isn't just to take over the world or to destroy it, but to destroy all positive feelings...and she easily manipulates a needy teen boy to do it. I know a lot of people my age who grew up in the 80's and remember being really scared by her as kids.
Favorite Number: John Sebastian, who did the songs for a couple of Nelvana specials in the 80's, puts in some nice work here. "When You Care You're Not Afraid to Try," which introduces the rest of the Cousins, is a catchy march. The laid-back "Nobody Cares Like a Bear" shows Kim, Jason, and the audience how much fun Care-a-Lot - and friendship - can be. The Cousins officially join the group in "In a Care Bear Family"; the reactions when they get their Belly Badges are really cute.
But my favorite number from this is the intense "Look Out, He's After You." Nicholas chasing Kim and Jason through the fun house is highlighted by several intense moments, leading up to Swift Heart Rabbit almost getting blasted. Like the spirit, it's a heavy number for such a light tale, and that makes it all the more effective.
Trivia: The success of Care Bears Movie saved TV animation studio Nelvana Animation from shutting down after their previous theatrical film, the bizarre adult animated musical Rock & Rule, failed to find a distributor.
The Care Bears Movie was one of the first films to be based after a toy line, but it was far from the last. Its success inspired big-screen versions of My Little Pony, Rainbow Brite, G.I Joe, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and Transformers, among others, along with a live-action version of Masters of the Universe. None were anywhere near as successful as Care Bears Movie, though the latter three have cult followings today.
What I Don't Like: The critical reception in 1985 was harsh, and while their main complaint - the movie being made to sell toys - isn't as obvious today, some of the other problems they mentioned do remain. The Care Bears themselves don't really have much personality other than Tenderheart and Grumpy. Even with the different colors and Belly Badges, it can be hard for a lot of people to tell them apart. Carole King's opening ballad "Care-a-Lot" is syrupy and dull, and while the music for "Home Is In Your Heart" is serviceable, the lyrics are awkward and sticky. And yes, the Bears and the entire premise can come off as too treacly for a lot of people.
The Big Finale: I actually prefer the second film, but the first has its moments too, especially in its memorable villain and some good songs. If you have young kids or remember watching the movies yourself as a child (and don't mind the animation bobbles), this is worth checking out.
Home Media: Not on Blu-Ray, but it's pretty easy to find on DVD and streaming.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation
Columbia, 1986
Voices of Hadley Kay, Chris Wiggins, Maxine Miller, and Cree Summer Francks
Directed by Dale Schott
Music and Lyrics by Stephan Bishop and others
The Story: This time, The Great Wishing Star (Wiggins) tells the story of how the Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins came to be. They were originally homeless cubs and baby animals, cared for by True Heart Bear (Miller) and Noble Heart Horse (Pam Hyatt). The duo are on the run from the shape-shifting spirit Dark Heart (Kay), who hates how loving they are. Caught in a storm, they're lead to the Kingdom of Caring. The Great Wishing Star declares them to be the Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins and gives them their mission to show everyone how to care for each other as well as they have for the cubs and babies.
True Heart's first mission lands her (and a stowaway Baby Swift Heart Rabbit) in a summer camp. Twins Dawn (Alyson Court) and John (Michael Fantini) and their marbles-playing friend Christy (Francks) aren't as good at running or swimming as the other kids in the camp and are tired of being bullied. The trio run away. True Heart finds the twins and brings them to Care-a-Lot, where they help babysit the cubs and learn that they have a lot to offer. Christy's not as lucky. She runs afoul of Dark Heart, who offers to make her the "Camp Champ"...if she'll help him round up the now-grown Care Bears and stop their mission of love for good.
The Animation: Slightly improved, especially in the nice effects animation with Dark Heart's transformations, Christy after she's hit with Dark Heart's magic, and the Care Bear Stare. Some problems remain; the continuity still isn't great, and the Bears still don't look that much different from each other.
The Song and Dance: I'm always surprised at how mature this is for something intended for pre-schoolers. Christy's story line is straight out of Faust, and there's allusions to Peter Pan as well. The conversation between Christy and Dark Heart in the canoe, from after they've caught the bears to when she rescues him from drowning, is fairly adult. The camp turning evil is just as freaky as the fair getting nasty in the first movie. Dark Heart is just as scary of a villain as the spirit in the book...and unlike her, he does succeed in doing away with the Bears, if only just for a few minutes. I also like how Dawn and John are treated; the sequence with them taking care of the Cubs is genuinely funny and cute.
Favorite Number: I have a soft spot for Cheer Bear's peppy "Fight Song," performed by Debbie Allen, when she's revving up the others to go after Dark Heart. The second version of "Flying My Colors," with Swift Heart avoiding the water in the swimming hole by running over everyone's heads, is actually pretty funny.
The ballad "Forever Young" at the end of the film has nothing to do with the rest of the movie; the music video depicting the Bears and Cousins looking back on their youth is kind of tacked-on, but the songwriter Carol Parks' performance of the lovely number mostly makes up for it.
Trivia: Though it came out less than a year after the first movie in March 1986, it wasn't nearly as big of a hit. Even so, a third movie, Care Bears Adventures in Wonderland, was released in 1987. It was such a huge flop, it became the Bears' last big-screen adventure to date.
This was the last animated film released by Columbia until Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within in 2001.
What I Don't Like: Nelvana's attempt to have it both ways - a thoughtful movie about what people will go through for power for the adults and the tale of loving animals for kids - just makes the plot feel disjointed. There's also plot holes galore. It has almost nothing in common with the first movie, other than the Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins and the basic structure of them helping three kids while battling a very dark villain. In fact, it contradicts a lot of the plot of the first film, especially how they met the Cousins.
The Big Finale: If you take this one as a stand-alone movie, rather than a genuine sequel, and once again have young kids or remember this one from your own childhood, you may find just as much to enjoy here.
Home Media: I've seen the DVD for this one, and while it can often be found for under 5 dollars, the print is barely a cut above the copy my parents took off cable in 1988. Streaming may be your best bet here.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Thursday, June 20, 2019
Footloose (1984)
Paramount, 1984
Starring Kevin Bacon, Lori Singer, John Lithgow, and Chris Penn
Directed by Herbert Ross
Music by Kenny Loggins and others; Lyrics by Dean Pitchford and others
The popularity of MTV in the 80's inspired a spate of musicals with dynamic, quick editing, flashy costumes and sets, and melodramatic stories to appeal to more jaded teen audiences. This was one of the earliest, and one of the bigger hits of 1984, with a great up-and-coming cast and a smash soundtrack of rock and pop tunes. The title song and "Let's Here It For the Boy" were even more successful, hitting number 1 on the Billboard charts and getting nominated for Oscars for Best Song. How does this very 80's tale look nowadays? Let's head to a church in a small town in Utah to find out...
The Story: Ren McCormick (Bacon) isn't happy to move from Chicago to tiny Bomont, Utah to live with his aunt and uncle. He's even less thrilled when Willard (Penn), the nice guy he befriends on his first day, tells him that dancing and rock music have been banned in town by the strict preacher Reverend Moore (Lithgow). Moore lost his son to a car crash after he'd been out dancing. Ren would rather crush on his daughter Ariel (Singer) and face down her obnoxious boyfriend Chuck (Jim Youngs) in a tractor chicken race. Moore grounds her after that and forbids her to see Ren again, but she, Willard, and her friend Rusty (Sarah Jessica Gellar) sneak out to to a country music bar to see what dancing is all about anyway.
Ren and the other teens want to hold a real senior prom, but Moore continues to hold out and insist that dancing and rock will lead to no good. It takes a talking-to from his wife Vi (Dianne West) and witnessing a book burning to make him understand that his protectiveness is causing more harm than good.
The Song and Dance: Kevin Bacon may still be best-known for his performance as the young man whose rebellious spirit eventually inspires others to defy the music ban. He's especially good at the hearing to overturn the ban, where he reads quotes from the Bible on the importance of dance and expression. Penn and Gellar are even more fun as Ren's goofy best buddy who eventually learns to stand up for himself and Ariel's supremely sarcastic friend. Lithgow and West are also excellent as the parents who think they're doing what's best in the face of tragedy.
Extra points for the on-location filming in and around the movie's Utah setting. It adds a note of dusty reality to this old-fashioned story.
Favorite Number: The title song is used at least three times; my favorite version is the opening credits, where dancing feet moving to the catchy music gives us a hint of what's to come. "Let's Hear It for the Boy," with the girls prancing and having fun, has some great choreography, as does Ren's driving dance solo "Never" and the title song finale.
My personal favorite "number" isn't really a musical number in the traditional sense. "Holding Out for a Hero" makes perfect background music for the tense, excitingly-filmed tractor race, even if Ren's not quite the hero that the music makes him out to be.
Trivia: This is loosely based after a real-life incident. There really was a town in Oklahoma that banned dancing. They finally overturned it in 1980 when the high school wanted to hold a prom.
A Broadway version debuted at the Richard Rodgers Theater in October 1998. It was a hit in its own right, running through early summer 2000. The film remake in 2011 also did fairly well at the box office and even better than the original with the critics.
What I Don't Like: For a movie intended for teens, the story is resolutely old-fashioned and ridiculously melodramatic. It sounds more like a teen movie from the 1950's than the 1980's. As good as Bacon is in the dramatic scenes, I wish they'd found someone who could dance as well. The use of a double in "Never" is glaringly obvious. And yeah, if you don't like 80's rock music, teen movies, or are looking for something lighter, this isn't going to be your thing.
The Big Finale: It's too bad that the iconic numbers and performances are occasionally drowned out by the dated story. The melodrama was a little much for me, but if you're more into heavy drama and the music video-influenced musicals of the mid-80's than I am, you may want to dance on over and check this one out.
Home Media: Can be found on DVD solo or paired with the remake or fellow mid-80's musical Flashdance, along with several streaming companies. The solo DVD can frequently be had for under five dollars.
DVD
DVD - Flashdance/Footloose Double Feature
DVD - Flashdance 1984/Flashdance 2011 Double Feature
Amazon Prime
Starring Kevin Bacon, Lori Singer, John Lithgow, and Chris Penn
Directed by Herbert Ross
Music by Kenny Loggins and others; Lyrics by Dean Pitchford and others
The popularity of MTV in the 80's inspired a spate of musicals with dynamic, quick editing, flashy costumes and sets, and melodramatic stories to appeal to more jaded teen audiences. This was one of the earliest, and one of the bigger hits of 1984, with a great up-and-coming cast and a smash soundtrack of rock and pop tunes. The title song and "Let's Here It For the Boy" were even more successful, hitting number 1 on the Billboard charts and getting nominated for Oscars for Best Song. How does this very 80's tale look nowadays? Let's head to a church in a small town in Utah to find out...
The Story: Ren McCormick (Bacon) isn't happy to move from Chicago to tiny Bomont, Utah to live with his aunt and uncle. He's even less thrilled when Willard (Penn), the nice guy he befriends on his first day, tells him that dancing and rock music have been banned in town by the strict preacher Reverend Moore (Lithgow). Moore lost his son to a car crash after he'd been out dancing. Ren would rather crush on his daughter Ariel (Singer) and face down her obnoxious boyfriend Chuck (Jim Youngs) in a tractor chicken race. Moore grounds her after that and forbids her to see Ren again, but she, Willard, and her friend Rusty (Sarah Jessica Gellar) sneak out to to a country music bar to see what dancing is all about anyway.
Ren and the other teens want to hold a real senior prom, but Moore continues to hold out and insist that dancing and rock will lead to no good. It takes a talking-to from his wife Vi (Dianne West) and witnessing a book burning to make him understand that his protectiveness is causing more harm than good.
The Song and Dance: Kevin Bacon may still be best-known for his performance as the young man whose rebellious spirit eventually inspires others to defy the music ban. He's especially good at the hearing to overturn the ban, where he reads quotes from the Bible on the importance of dance and expression. Penn and Gellar are even more fun as Ren's goofy best buddy who eventually learns to stand up for himself and Ariel's supremely sarcastic friend. Lithgow and West are also excellent as the parents who think they're doing what's best in the face of tragedy.
Extra points for the on-location filming in and around the movie's Utah setting. It adds a note of dusty reality to this old-fashioned story.
Favorite Number: The title song is used at least three times; my favorite version is the opening credits, where dancing feet moving to the catchy music gives us a hint of what's to come. "Let's Hear It for the Boy," with the girls prancing and having fun, has some great choreography, as does Ren's driving dance solo "Never" and the title song finale.
My personal favorite "number" isn't really a musical number in the traditional sense. "Holding Out for a Hero" makes perfect background music for the tense, excitingly-filmed tractor race, even if Ren's not quite the hero that the music makes him out to be.
Trivia: This is loosely based after a real-life incident. There really was a town in Oklahoma that banned dancing. They finally overturned it in 1980 when the high school wanted to hold a prom.
A Broadway version debuted at the Richard Rodgers Theater in October 1998. It was a hit in its own right, running through early summer 2000. The film remake in 2011 also did fairly well at the box office and even better than the original with the critics.
What I Don't Like: For a movie intended for teens, the story is resolutely old-fashioned and ridiculously melodramatic. It sounds more like a teen movie from the 1950's than the 1980's. As good as Bacon is in the dramatic scenes, I wish they'd found someone who could dance as well. The use of a double in "Never" is glaringly obvious. And yeah, if you don't like 80's rock music, teen movies, or are looking for something lighter, this isn't going to be your thing.
The Big Finale: It's too bad that the iconic numbers and performances are occasionally drowned out by the dated story. The melodrama was a little much for me, but if you're more into heavy drama and the music video-influenced musicals of the mid-80's than I am, you may want to dance on over and check this one out.
Home Media: Can be found on DVD solo or paired with the remake or fellow mid-80's musical Flashdance, along with several streaming companies. The solo DVD can frequently be had for under five dollars.
DVD
DVD - Flashdance/Footloose Double Feature
DVD - Flashdance 1984/Flashdance 2011 Double Feature
Amazon Prime
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
The Blues Brothers
Universal, 1980
Starring John Belushi, Dan Ackroyd, Carrie Fisher, and Cab Calloway
Directed by John Landis
Music and Lyrics by various
We're going to kick off a week of 80's musicals with this huge hit. The title group started out as Belushi and Ackroyd's skits on the early days of Saturday Night Live, but by the early 80's, the Brothers had gotten too big for the small screen. How does the Brothers' silver screen debut look today? Let's head to a jail house in Chicago, Illinois just as "Joilet" Jake Blues (Belushi) is being released and find out...
The Story: On his release from prison, Jake and his brother Elwood (Ackroyd) return to their old orphanage, only to find from Sister Mary Stigmata (Kathleen Freeman) that it'll close unless she can gather five thousand dollars in back taxes. They head to the nearby baptist church, where the Reverend James (James Brown) and his choir's sermon move Jake until he lights up with an epiphany. The'll get their old band back together and play gigs to raise the money for the orphanage.
That's easier said than done. The Illinois state police goes after them after they catch Elwood driving without a license. A mysterious woman (Fisher) keeps trying to blow them up, and isn't happy when they survive her gunshots and explosions. They run a group of Nazi sympathizers off a bridge on their way to picking up two more members, sending that group after them. Another band member's wife (Aretha Franklin) gives him a hard time about rejoining. Even when they do get a job, it's at a country music bar...and while they go over with the crowd, they spend their pay on drinks, and the band that was originally supposed to play goes after them, too. Jake hopes one big show at the Palace Hotel Ballroom will finally get them the money...unless half of Chicago, including the angry mystery lady, gets to them first!
The Song and Dance: The cameos are the thing here. The rousing numbers are performed by a who's who of soul, blues, and R&B stars. Along with Brown and Franklin, we have Ray Charles as the owner of a musical instrument store, Cab Calloway as friend of the Brothers', and John Lee Hooker as a street singer. Belushi's antics may have delayed filming, but it was worth it in the end. He and Ackroyd are hilarious as the brothers, whether seeing the light or romping through another number. Fisher does well with her few appearances; her sadistic smile at the end when she catches the brothers is chilling. Also look for John Candy as a parole officer, Frank Oz as a corrections officer, Twiggy as a woman who flirts with Elwood at a gas station, and Henry Gibson as the head of the Illinois Nazis.
And yes, that's mostly the real Chicago the guys crash through, including an actual defunct mall. The gritty cinematography, especially in the wild and electric car chases, goes a long way to bringing realism to a story that can seem more than a little airborne at times.
Favorite Number: Franklin's rocking "Think" at the diner is my personal favorite. She really tears into that song, taking the Brothers along with her. Calloway does a great "Minnie the Moocher" at the Ballroom to cover the Brothers when they're late arriving. Brown and the choir raise the roof - and Jake - with "The Old Landmark." Likewise, Charles having a ball with "Shake a Tail Feather." The Brothers have so much fun with the theme from Rawhide at the country bar, you can understand why the cowboys got so into it.
Trivia: That was a real defunct mall they crashed through, the Dixie Square Mall. It closed two years before in 1978. No one ever cleaned up the mess the car chases left at the mall. It remained there as the building continued to deteriorate; it wasn't demolished until 2012.
A sequel, Blues Brothers 2000, was released in 1998. John Goodman, among others, stood in for the long-gone Belushi.
What I Don't Like: Not for people looking for a quieter or more introspective musical, or one with a strong story. The story is pretty much cliched piffle, and it's noisy and violent, what with all the cars crashing and Fisher blowing up everything in firing range.
The Big Finale: The musical performances and action sequences alone make this worth checking out for fans of the Brothers, rock musicals, or R&B and soul.
Home Media: As one of the most popular comedies of the last 40 years, this is easily found in all major formats, including many streaming companies.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Starring John Belushi, Dan Ackroyd, Carrie Fisher, and Cab Calloway
Directed by John Landis
Music and Lyrics by various
We're going to kick off a week of 80's musicals with this huge hit. The title group started out as Belushi and Ackroyd's skits on the early days of Saturday Night Live, but by the early 80's, the Brothers had gotten too big for the small screen. How does the Brothers' silver screen debut look today? Let's head to a jail house in Chicago, Illinois just as "Joilet" Jake Blues (Belushi) is being released and find out...
The Story: On his release from prison, Jake and his brother Elwood (Ackroyd) return to their old orphanage, only to find from Sister Mary Stigmata (Kathleen Freeman) that it'll close unless she can gather five thousand dollars in back taxes. They head to the nearby baptist church, where the Reverend James (James Brown) and his choir's sermon move Jake until he lights up with an epiphany. The'll get their old band back together and play gigs to raise the money for the orphanage.
That's easier said than done. The Illinois state police goes after them after they catch Elwood driving without a license. A mysterious woman (Fisher) keeps trying to blow them up, and isn't happy when they survive her gunshots and explosions. They run a group of Nazi sympathizers off a bridge on their way to picking up two more members, sending that group after them. Another band member's wife (Aretha Franklin) gives him a hard time about rejoining. Even when they do get a job, it's at a country music bar...and while they go over with the crowd, they spend their pay on drinks, and the band that was originally supposed to play goes after them, too. Jake hopes one big show at the Palace Hotel Ballroom will finally get them the money...unless half of Chicago, including the angry mystery lady, gets to them first!
The Song and Dance: The cameos are the thing here. The rousing numbers are performed by a who's who of soul, blues, and R&B stars. Along with Brown and Franklin, we have Ray Charles as the owner of a musical instrument store, Cab Calloway as friend of the Brothers', and John Lee Hooker as a street singer. Belushi's antics may have delayed filming, but it was worth it in the end. He and Ackroyd are hilarious as the brothers, whether seeing the light or romping through another number. Fisher does well with her few appearances; her sadistic smile at the end when she catches the brothers is chilling. Also look for John Candy as a parole officer, Frank Oz as a corrections officer, Twiggy as a woman who flirts with Elwood at a gas station, and Henry Gibson as the head of the Illinois Nazis.
And yes, that's mostly the real Chicago the guys crash through, including an actual defunct mall. The gritty cinematography, especially in the wild and electric car chases, goes a long way to bringing realism to a story that can seem more than a little airborne at times.
Favorite Number: Franklin's rocking "Think" at the diner is my personal favorite. She really tears into that song, taking the Brothers along with her. Calloway does a great "Minnie the Moocher" at the Ballroom to cover the Brothers when they're late arriving. Brown and the choir raise the roof - and Jake - with "The Old Landmark." Likewise, Charles having a ball with "Shake a Tail Feather." The Brothers have so much fun with the theme from Rawhide at the country bar, you can understand why the cowboys got so into it.
Trivia: That was a real defunct mall they crashed through, the Dixie Square Mall. It closed two years before in 1978. No one ever cleaned up the mess the car chases left at the mall. It remained there as the building continued to deteriorate; it wasn't demolished until 2012.
A sequel, Blues Brothers 2000, was released in 1998. John Goodman, among others, stood in for the long-gone Belushi.
What I Don't Like: Not for people looking for a quieter or more introspective musical, or one with a strong story. The story is pretty much cliched piffle, and it's noisy and violent, what with all the cars crashing and Fisher blowing up everything in firing range.
The Big Finale: The musical performances and action sequences alone make this worth checking out for fans of the Brothers, rock musicals, or R&B and soul.
Home Media: As one of the most popular comedies of the last 40 years, this is easily found in all major formats, including many streaming companies.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Saturday, June 15, 2019
Happy Father's Day! - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
United Artists, 1968
Starring Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes, Lionel Jeffries, Gert Frobe
Directed by Ken Hughes
Music and Lyrics by Richard M and Robert B Sherman
We salute all fathers with this elaborate family musical from the late 60's. The success of Mary Poppins made both epic, super-long musicals and family-oriented musicals all the rage in the mid-late 60's. This may be the closest anyone came to replicating that film's success...and a close father-child relationship is at the heart of the story of an inventor who spins a crazy yarn about his newly-repaired car. Let's head to the races in the early 1900's to find out how well this story works nowadays...
The Story: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was once the most decorated race car in Europe, until its career ended in a fiery crash. Two children, Jeremy (Adrian Hall) and Jemima (Heather Ripley), regard Chitty as their own playground at the local junkyard and are horrified when the owner intends to sell it for scrap. They run into the lovely Truly Scrumptious (Howes) on the road, who takes them home to their doting father, Cartaculous Potts (Van Dyke). Potts is an inventor whose creations tend towards the fantastic side, like the candies he'd been working on with holes in them. He tries to market them to Truly's father Lord Scrumptious (James Robinson Justice) as a candy you can play, but the whistling sound brings dozens of dogs into the factory. He does manage to raise the money dancing with a folk group at a fair after his hair-cutting machine doesn't work out.
A day out with Chitty, Cartaculous, the kids, and Truly turns into an opportunity for the rousing tale of how the family dodged the child-like Baron Bombhurst of Vugaria (Frobe) and his spoiled and silly wife (Anna Quale) and rescued Cartaculous' father (Jeffries) from his dungeons and the children from the tower and the terrifying Child Catcher (Robert Helpmann).
The Song and Dance: Van Dyke and Howes make a charming couple in this fantastical tale. I think I like Van Dyke's performance even better here. He's warm with the kids and hilarious with Jefferies, the imagined explorer who wishes his son would do something concrete with his life besides tinker. Quale and Frobe are also very funny as the royal couple who care more about playing with toys than with each other. The lavish production includes widescreen cinematography with filming locations England, France, and Germany and lovely, colorful costumes ably depicting the early Edwardian period in Europe.
Favorite Number: "Toot Sweets," with its dancers whirling around a stark Victorian candy factory, plays almost like a warm up for Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory three years later. The Oscar-nominated title song is performed several times, including as they're going to the beach for the picnic after Chitty was finished. The children sing the sweet and charming "Truly Scrumptious" to Truly at the beach to tell her how much they appreciate her joining them. "Me Old Bamboo" is the folk dance Dick Van Dyke joined in on at the fair. His sheer energy level there is amazing; he keeps up well with the other dancers. He sings the lovely lullaby "Hushabye Mountain" twice, the second time as a duet with Howes when they're trying to comfort the hidden children of Vulgaria. Grandpa has two great solos, "Posh" when he's been kidnapped, and "The Roses of Success" with a group of scientists trying to invent a flying car.
Frobe and Quale's "Chu-Chi Face" sounds like something a loving couple would perform, but it's really the darkest song in the movie as the Baron continues to attempt to kill his wife.
Trivia: This was based the book of the same name by Ian Fleming of James Bond fame, but didn't really use much besides a few character names and the idea of a flying car.
It was a big hit in 1969, the tenth-most-popular film of that year.
What I Don't Like: First and foremost, it's way too long at over two hours, especially for a musical intended for families. The sequence with the goofy spies and the entire second half of the film in Vulgaria feel like obvious padding. The special effects, which were much-touted at the time, haven't really dated that well. Chitty going over the cliff is some of the most obvious green-screen I've ever seen in a movie. Howes' solo ballad "Lovely, Lonely Man" is notoriously dull and only serves as a buffer between the first and the second half. It's not hard to tell Road Dahl worked on the screenplay; there's a dark undercurrent to the film's antics, especially in the Vulgaria sequence, with the creepy Child Catcher, child-hating royalty, and the Baron gleefully attempting to kill his wife.
Did this really need to be set in the Edwardian era? The costumes are appropriate, but the story just doesn't feel that historical.
The Big Finale: If you can get your kids to sit for it and they can handle some of the darker elements, this is a fun ride with some great songs and catchy musical numbers.
Home Media: As one of the most beloved family musicals ever created, this is easily found in all major formats, including streaming.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Starring Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes, Lionel Jeffries, Gert Frobe
Directed by Ken Hughes
Music and Lyrics by Richard M and Robert B Sherman
We salute all fathers with this elaborate family musical from the late 60's. The success of Mary Poppins made both epic, super-long musicals and family-oriented musicals all the rage in the mid-late 60's. This may be the closest anyone came to replicating that film's success...and a close father-child relationship is at the heart of the story of an inventor who spins a crazy yarn about his newly-repaired car. Let's head to the races in the early 1900's to find out how well this story works nowadays...
The Story: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was once the most decorated race car in Europe, until its career ended in a fiery crash. Two children, Jeremy (Adrian Hall) and Jemima (Heather Ripley), regard Chitty as their own playground at the local junkyard and are horrified when the owner intends to sell it for scrap. They run into the lovely Truly Scrumptious (Howes) on the road, who takes them home to their doting father, Cartaculous Potts (Van Dyke). Potts is an inventor whose creations tend towards the fantastic side, like the candies he'd been working on with holes in them. He tries to market them to Truly's father Lord Scrumptious (James Robinson Justice) as a candy you can play, but the whistling sound brings dozens of dogs into the factory. He does manage to raise the money dancing with a folk group at a fair after his hair-cutting machine doesn't work out.
A day out with Chitty, Cartaculous, the kids, and Truly turns into an opportunity for the rousing tale of how the family dodged the child-like Baron Bombhurst of Vugaria (Frobe) and his spoiled and silly wife (Anna Quale) and rescued Cartaculous' father (Jeffries) from his dungeons and the children from the tower and the terrifying Child Catcher (Robert Helpmann).
The Song and Dance: Van Dyke and Howes make a charming couple in this fantastical tale. I think I like Van Dyke's performance even better here. He's warm with the kids and hilarious with Jefferies, the imagined explorer who wishes his son would do something concrete with his life besides tinker. Quale and Frobe are also very funny as the royal couple who care more about playing with toys than with each other. The lavish production includes widescreen cinematography with filming locations England, France, and Germany and lovely, colorful costumes ably depicting the early Edwardian period in Europe.
Favorite Number: "Toot Sweets," with its dancers whirling around a stark Victorian candy factory, plays almost like a warm up for Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory three years later. The Oscar-nominated title song is performed several times, including as they're going to the beach for the picnic after Chitty was finished. The children sing the sweet and charming "Truly Scrumptious" to Truly at the beach to tell her how much they appreciate her joining them. "Me Old Bamboo" is the folk dance Dick Van Dyke joined in on at the fair. His sheer energy level there is amazing; he keeps up well with the other dancers. He sings the lovely lullaby "Hushabye Mountain" twice, the second time as a duet with Howes when they're trying to comfort the hidden children of Vulgaria. Grandpa has two great solos, "Posh" when he's been kidnapped, and "The Roses of Success" with a group of scientists trying to invent a flying car.
Frobe and Quale's "Chu-Chi Face" sounds like something a loving couple would perform, but it's really the darkest song in the movie as the Baron continues to attempt to kill his wife.
Trivia: This was based the book of the same name by Ian Fleming of James Bond fame, but didn't really use much besides a few character names and the idea of a flying car.
It was a big hit in 1969, the tenth-most-popular film of that year.
What I Don't Like: First and foremost, it's way too long at over two hours, especially for a musical intended for families. The sequence with the goofy spies and the entire second half of the film in Vulgaria feel like obvious padding. The special effects, which were much-touted at the time, haven't really dated that well. Chitty going over the cliff is some of the most obvious green-screen I've ever seen in a movie. Howes' solo ballad "Lovely, Lonely Man" is notoriously dull and only serves as a buffer between the first and the second half. It's not hard to tell Road Dahl worked on the screenplay; there's a dark undercurrent to the film's antics, especially in the Vulgaria sequence, with the creepy Child Catcher, child-hating royalty, and the Baron gleefully attempting to kill his wife.
Did this really need to be set in the Edwardian era? The costumes are appropriate, but the story just doesn't feel that historical.
The Big Finale: If you can get your kids to sit for it and they can handle some of the darker elements, this is a fun ride with some great songs and catchy musical numbers.
Home Media: As one of the most beloved family musicals ever created, this is easily found in all major formats, including streaming.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Thursday, June 13, 2019
Words and Music
MGM, 1948
Starring Mickey Rooney, Betty Garrett, Tom Drake, and Janet Leigh
Directed by Norman Taurog
Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Lorenz Hart
This was the second lavish MGM musical biography about popular songwriters of the early part of the 20th century after Till the Clouds Roll By in 1946. The spotlight here is on Richard Rodgers and his first partner, the complex and troubled lyricist Lorenz "Larry" Hart. Hart had a difficult and tragic life that was often reflected in his dark, introspective words to Rodgers' graceful music. How does that come across on-screen in this time period? Let's join Tom Drake as Rodgers as he discusses how his relationship with Hart began to find out...
The Story: Richard Rodgers (Drake) first meets Lorenz Hart (Rooney) when their friend Eddie Anders (Perry Como) introduces them in the early 20's. Larry's late for their very first meeting, but he arrives with the lyrics for "Manhattan" already hashed out. They have little success for the next few years, until starlet Peggy McNeill (Garrett) performs their songs at a party. The number used in the revue The Garrick Gaieties is a hit and turns them into one of the most popular songwriting duos on Broadway. Their words and music are a perfect match, but Dick is getting tired of Larry's habit of disappearing for weeks while working on lyrics, his obsession with his height and lack of looks, and his partying, and his never being on time.
Neither man does especially well with the opposite sex at first. Peggy continuously turns Larry down; Dick is rejected by older Broadway star Joyce Harmon (Ann Southern) and teenager Dorothy Feiner (Leigh). Dick does eventually marry Dorothy and have two girls with her, but Larry never manages to settle down. Even when they go out to Hollywood, Larry still pops up whenever he feels like it after a spree. He's seriously depressed and sick, especially after Peggy rejects him one last time. Dick's tired of his never being on time, his heavy partying, and constantly disappearing and is considering taking a new partner. Larry is deliriously feverish, even as he wanders dazed into the theater in the rain to see one last show.
The Song and Dance: As with Till the Clouds Roll By, the musical numbers are the thing here. Energetic Rooney really throws himself into playing Hart, the brilliant wordsmith who ultimately succumbed to his demons, and Jeanette Nolan is very sweet as his beloved mother (whom he lived with for much of his life). Some of the costumes are gorgeous; I especially love the outfits for Southern's "Where's That Rainbow?" routine.
Favorite Number: "Where's That Rainbow?" was the only song I'd never heard of before I saw this movie. I'm glad I discovered it. Ann Southern and the chorus have a great time with the lively routine in their colorful dance outfits. June Allyson is squired by the Blackburn Twins in their adorable trio "Thou Swell." Lena Horne scores with stunning renditions of two of Rodgers and Hart's best songs, "Where Or When" and "The Lady Is a Tramp." Rooney and Drake (dubbed by Bill Lee) kick things off with a very cute version of "Manhattan." Cyd Charisse dances a lovely "Blue Room," sung by Como, while Ann Alyn McLerie and the chorus join him for rustic Okalahoma-esque "Mountain Greenery."
The movie is probably best known for two numbers towards the end of the film. Rooney and his long-time friend Judy Garland performed together on the big screen one last time, and it was worth it to get them together. Their "I Wish I Were In Love Again" is absolutely hilarious. Gene Kelly and Vera-Ellen perform the Rodgers ballet "Slaughter On Tenth Avenue" from the Broadway show On Their Toes as far darker and more dramatic than pretty much anything else in the movie.
Trivia: Although the movie was a hit, it was so expensive that it barely recouped its costs.
For all the inaccuracies, some things really did happen. Most of Hart's destructive habits, including his chronic lateness, his running off for weeks while working, his obsession with his lack of looks and his shortness, and his partying, are portrayed more-or-less realistically. A friend really did introduce Rodgers to Hart; their first big show was The Garrick Gaieties. Hart was considered to be part of the Rodgers family. Dick and Dorothy's daughters thought of him as a fun-loving uncle.
Sadly, Hart's death is also portrayed fairly accurately. He did indeed die of pneumonia after wandering around in the rain the night of the the opening of the revival of A Connecticut Yankee.
What I Don't Like: This was even more sanitized than Till the Clouds Roll By. Hart was a closeted homosexual, something they couldn't exactly discuss in 1948. He did have problems with his relationships...with men. Richard Rodgers, who was consulted on the film, was well-known for being a control freak and a bit of a jerk. He was nothing like the blandly attractive Drake. Hart was actually witty and soft-spoken, very different from the brash and energetic Rooney. Drake's romances mid-way through the film feel almost as manufactured as most of the second half of Clouds Roll By. His attempt to woo the ladies just isn't that interesting.
Once again, there's no attempts whatsoever to represent the clothes of time period accurately. It looks like 1948 for the entire movie, including in the 20's in the opening.
The Big Picture: Same deal here. If you're a big fan of Rodgers and Hart or the MGM musicals of the 40's and 50's, you'll find a lot to enjoy if you can ignore the inaccuracies.
Home Media: Currently available on DVD and several streaming companies.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Starring Mickey Rooney, Betty Garrett, Tom Drake, and Janet Leigh
Directed by Norman Taurog
Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Lorenz Hart
This was the second lavish MGM musical biography about popular songwriters of the early part of the 20th century after Till the Clouds Roll By in 1946. The spotlight here is on Richard Rodgers and his first partner, the complex and troubled lyricist Lorenz "Larry" Hart. Hart had a difficult and tragic life that was often reflected in his dark, introspective words to Rodgers' graceful music. How does that come across on-screen in this time period? Let's join Tom Drake as Rodgers as he discusses how his relationship with Hart began to find out...
The Story: Richard Rodgers (Drake) first meets Lorenz Hart (Rooney) when their friend Eddie Anders (Perry Como) introduces them in the early 20's. Larry's late for their very first meeting, but he arrives with the lyrics for "Manhattan" already hashed out. They have little success for the next few years, until starlet Peggy McNeill (Garrett) performs their songs at a party. The number used in the revue The Garrick Gaieties is a hit and turns them into one of the most popular songwriting duos on Broadway. Their words and music are a perfect match, but Dick is getting tired of Larry's habit of disappearing for weeks while working on lyrics, his obsession with his height and lack of looks, and his partying, and his never being on time.
Neither man does especially well with the opposite sex at first. Peggy continuously turns Larry down; Dick is rejected by older Broadway star Joyce Harmon (Ann Southern) and teenager Dorothy Feiner (Leigh). Dick does eventually marry Dorothy and have two girls with her, but Larry never manages to settle down. Even when they go out to Hollywood, Larry still pops up whenever he feels like it after a spree. He's seriously depressed and sick, especially after Peggy rejects him one last time. Dick's tired of his never being on time, his heavy partying, and constantly disappearing and is considering taking a new partner. Larry is deliriously feverish, even as he wanders dazed into the theater in the rain to see one last show.
The Song and Dance: As with Till the Clouds Roll By, the musical numbers are the thing here. Energetic Rooney really throws himself into playing Hart, the brilliant wordsmith who ultimately succumbed to his demons, and Jeanette Nolan is very sweet as his beloved mother (whom he lived with for much of his life). Some of the costumes are gorgeous; I especially love the outfits for Southern's "Where's That Rainbow?" routine.
Favorite Number: "Where's That Rainbow?" was the only song I'd never heard of before I saw this movie. I'm glad I discovered it. Ann Southern and the chorus have a great time with the lively routine in their colorful dance outfits. June Allyson is squired by the Blackburn Twins in their adorable trio "Thou Swell." Lena Horne scores with stunning renditions of two of Rodgers and Hart's best songs, "Where Or When" and "The Lady Is a Tramp." Rooney and Drake (dubbed by Bill Lee) kick things off with a very cute version of "Manhattan." Cyd Charisse dances a lovely "Blue Room," sung by Como, while Ann Alyn McLerie and the chorus join him for rustic Okalahoma-esque "Mountain Greenery."
The movie is probably best known for two numbers towards the end of the film. Rooney and his long-time friend Judy Garland performed together on the big screen one last time, and it was worth it to get them together. Their "I Wish I Were In Love Again" is absolutely hilarious. Gene Kelly and Vera-Ellen perform the Rodgers ballet "Slaughter On Tenth Avenue" from the Broadway show On Their Toes as far darker and more dramatic than pretty much anything else in the movie.
Trivia: Although the movie was a hit, it was so expensive that it barely recouped its costs.
For all the inaccuracies, some things really did happen. Most of Hart's destructive habits, including his chronic lateness, his running off for weeks while working, his obsession with his lack of looks and his shortness, and his partying, are portrayed more-or-less realistically. A friend really did introduce Rodgers to Hart; their first big show was The Garrick Gaieties. Hart was considered to be part of the Rodgers family. Dick and Dorothy's daughters thought of him as a fun-loving uncle.
Sadly, Hart's death is also portrayed fairly accurately. He did indeed die of pneumonia after wandering around in the rain the night of the the opening of the revival of A Connecticut Yankee.
What I Don't Like: This was even more sanitized than Till the Clouds Roll By. Hart was a closeted homosexual, something they couldn't exactly discuss in 1948. He did have problems with his relationships...with men. Richard Rodgers, who was consulted on the film, was well-known for being a control freak and a bit of a jerk. He was nothing like the blandly attractive Drake. Hart was actually witty and soft-spoken, very different from the brash and energetic Rooney. Drake's romances mid-way through the film feel almost as manufactured as most of the second half of Clouds Roll By. His attempt to woo the ladies just isn't that interesting.
Once again, there's no attempts whatsoever to represent the clothes of time period accurately. It looks like 1948 for the entire movie, including in the 20's in the opening.
The Big Picture: Same deal here. If you're a big fan of Rodgers and Hart or the MGM musicals of the 40's and 50's, you'll find a lot to enjoy if you can ignore the inaccuracies.
Home Media: Currently available on DVD and several streaming companies.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Tuesday, June 11, 2019
Rocketman
Paramount, 2019
Starring Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, and Bryce Dallas Howard
Directed by Dexter Fletcher
Music by Elton John; Lyrics by Bernie Taupin and others
I've been a huge fan of Elton John for as long as I could remember. His albums were always among my mother's record collection in the 80's, especially after he made his big comeback with "I'm Still Standing" when I was four years old. Unlike Bohemian Rhapsody, which mostly relies on concert footage, this is a full-blown jukebox musical, complete with splashy chorus numbers, reprises, and a five o'clock number. How does the life of one of England's most beloved and successful rock stars look on the big screen? Let's head to a rehab center with Elton himself to find out...
The Story: Elton John (Egerton) narrates his life story to an addiction rehabilitation group after fleeing a concert at Madison Square Garden. He started life as Reginald Dwight (Kit Connor), growing up in a cold and unfeeling household. His mother Sheila (Howard) hadn't wanted children and remains cold to him; his father Stanley (Steven Macintosh) is mostly out of his life in the Royal Air Force, and when he's around, he's even less affectionate. Only Reggie's kindly grandmother Ivy (Gemma Jones) supports his musical talent, especially after he gets a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music. His father walks out of his life after his mother has an affair, and while this does hurt him deeply, his mother's new boyfriend introduces him to rock and roll.
Reggie takes to this brash new sound like a duck takes to water, playing at local pubs. He joins a band, Bluesology, and discovers while backing an American soul group that he definitely has homosexual leanings. He's encouraged to start writing music and to change his life and name. Becoming Elton John, he's introduced to lyricist Bernie Taupin (Bell), with whom he has an instant bond. The two become fast friends and start writing songs together. "Your Song" is a big enough hit to prompt a performance as the wildly popular Los Angeles venue The Troubadour. It's here that John overcomes his stage fright and discovers his frenzied and electric performing style.
He meets the handsome music businessman John Reid (Madden) at Mama Cass' after-show party. Reid becomes his manager and lover, introducing him to the drinking, drugs, and partying that would mark most of Elton's career in the 70's. By the mid-70's, John is at the top of the charts, one of the biggest rock stars in the world...but his life is starting to spiral out of control. His parents don't mind his homosexuality, but they still don't show him any love. Reid is not only cheating on him, but stealing from him as well. John's attempt at a straight marriage only lasts a few years, and Taupin's had it up to here and leaves briefly. It's the loss of his best friend and a near-suicide attempt that makes John realize how bad things have gotten...and finally prompts him to clean up his act for good.
The Song and Dance: The eclectic numbers and spot-on performances are reason enough to check this one out. Egerton was selected to play John by the man himself. His instincts proved to be solid. Egerton is awesome, nailing many of John's mannerisms and beautifully portraying both the shy and flamboyant sides of John's personality. Bell's almost as good as Taupin, who continues as John's partner to this day, and Connor is a dead-ringer for the young John. Howard also does well as John's icy and uncaring mother. Madden portrays his lover as a charming cad who is out to use him and his career.
In fact, what I like is how honest the movie is about John's life, especially given that John himself agreed to it. Unlike Bohemian Rhapsody, it has no qualms about showing the darker side of the glamorous rock star life of the 70's or John's sexual relationships. I believe it's the first Hollywood movie from a major studio to depict a sexual relationship between two men.
Goes without saying that the costumes are especially incredible here, with John's most infamous costumes recreated in all their glittering glory. Dexter Fletcher also worked on Bohemian Rhapsody, and he does even better work here; the numbers are electric and beautifully staged, with some very catchy choreography.
Favorite Number: The opening number "The Bitch Is Back," with Connor and Egerton introducing John's drab early life, is catchy start that may be a bit surprising, with it's juxtaposition of John's bright colors against the pale pastels and black and white of his memories. "I Want Love," the Dwight family's realization that they're breaking apart, is absolutely heartbreaking. "Crocodile Rock" is as electric as it must have been the first night at the real Troubadour, with some great effects as Egerton literally lifts himself on the piano keys. "Pinball Wizard" depicts John's real-life concert tours, with swirling effects as we move from one venue to another. The title song starts underwater after John's suicide, giving us some nice underwater photography, and ends up in one of John's most famous performances at Dodgers Stadium in LA (complete with sparkling Dodgers uniform).
Special kudos to the finale, "I'm Still Standing." I was 4 when that song debuted, and I vividly recall seeing the music video on MTV when it came out. It's a near-perfect re-creation of that video, right down to John's white suit and the dancers' domino effect at one point.
What I Don't Like: While it's more honest about it's subject matter than Bohemian Rhapsody, it's still fairly cliched. It's also an R rating, and very much so. In addition to the man-on-man sex, there's some heavy swearing (including a ton of F-bombs dropped) and minor violence. The effects of John's lifestyle are shown on-screen, including his battle with bulimia and all the drugs and liquor he consumed. This is absolutely not for children, "fantasy" or not. Start them on The Lion King or John's earlier music videos if you want to give them a taste of his work. Egerton is electric as John, but he may actually be a little too conventionally handsome to pass for him (something John never was).
The Big Finale: If you love John and his music, musicals, or the cast, you won't want the sun to go down on this one before you check it out.
Home Media: The soundtrack is available on CD and on streaming from several companies, including Amazon Music.
CD
MP3
Amazon Music
Starring Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, and Bryce Dallas Howard
Directed by Dexter Fletcher
Music by Elton John; Lyrics by Bernie Taupin and others
I've been a huge fan of Elton John for as long as I could remember. His albums were always among my mother's record collection in the 80's, especially after he made his big comeback with "I'm Still Standing" when I was four years old. Unlike Bohemian Rhapsody, which mostly relies on concert footage, this is a full-blown jukebox musical, complete with splashy chorus numbers, reprises, and a five o'clock number. How does the life of one of England's most beloved and successful rock stars look on the big screen? Let's head to a rehab center with Elton himself to find out...
The Story: Elton John (Egerton) narrates his life story to an addiction rehabilitation group after fleeing a concert at Madison Square Garden. He started life as Reginald Dwight (Kit Connor), growing up in a cold and unfeeling household. His mother Sheila (Howard) hadn't wanted children and remains cold to him; his father Stanley (Steven Macintosh) is mostly out of his life in the Royal Air Force, and when he's around, he's even less affectionate. Only Reggie's kindly grandmother Ivy (Gemma Jones) supports his musical talent, especially after he gets a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music. His father walks out of his life after his mother has an affair, and while this does hurt him deeply, his mother's new boyfriend introduces him to rock and roll.
Reggie takes to this brash new sound like a duck takes to water, playing at local pubs. He joins a band, Bluesology, and discovers while backing an American soul group that he definitely has homosexual leanings. He's encouraged to start writing music and to change his life and name. Becoming Elton John, he's introduced to lyricist Bernie Taupin (Bell), with whom he has an instant bond. The two become fast friends and start writing songs together. "Your Song" is a big enough hit to prompt a performance as the wildly popular Los Angeles venue The Troubadour. It's here that John overcomes his stage fright and discovers his frenzied and electric performing style.
He meets the handsome music businessman John Reid (Madden) at Mama Cass' after-show party. Reid becomes his manager and lover, introducing him to the drinking, drugs, and partying that would mark most of Elton's career in the 70's. By the mid-70's, John is at the top of the charts, one of the biggest rock stars in the world...but his life is starting to spiral out of control. His parents don't mind his homosexuality, but they still don't show him any love. Reid is not only cheating on him, but stealing from him as well. John's attempt at a straight marriage only lasts a few years, and Taupin's had it up to here and leaves briefly. It's the loss of his best friend and a near-suicide attempt that makes John realize how bad things have gotten...and finally prompts him to clean up his act for good.
The Song and Dance: The eclectic numbers and spot-on performances are reason enough to check this one out. Egerton was selected to play John by the man himself. His instincts proved to be solid. Egerton is awesome, nailing many of John's mannerisms and beautifully portraying both the shy and flamboyant sides of John's personality. Bell's almost as good as Taupin, who continues as John's partner to this day, and Connor is a dead-ringer for the young John. Howard also does well as John's icy and uncaring mother. Madden portrays his lover as a charming cad who is out to use him and his career.
In fact, what I like is how honest the movie is about John's life, especially given that John himself agreed to it. Unlike Bohemian Rhapsody, it has no qualms about showing the darker side of the glamorous rock star life of the 70's or John's sexual relationships. I believe it's the first Hollywood movie from a major studio to depict a sexual relationship between two men.
Goes without saying that the costumes are especially incredible here, with John's most infamous costumes recreated in all their glittering glory. Dexter Fletcher also worked on Bohemian Rhapsody, and he does even better work here; the numbers are electric and beautifully staged, with some very catchy choreography.
Favorite Number: The opening number "The Bitch Is Back," with Connor and Egerton introducing John's drab early life, is catchy start that may be a bit surprising, with it's juxtaposition of John's bright colors against the pale pastels and black and white of his memories. "I Want Love," the Dwight family's realization that they're breaking apart, is absolutely heartbreaking. "Crocodile Rock" is as electric as it must have been the first night at the real Troubadour, with some great effects as Egerton literally lifts himself on the piano keys. "Pinball Wizard" depicts John's real-life concert tours, with swirling effects as we move from one venue to another. The title song starts underwater after John's suicide, giving us some nice underwater photography, and ends up in one of John's most famous performances at Dodgers Stadium in LA (complete with sparkling Dodgers uniform).
Special kudos to the finale, "I'm Still Standing." I was 4 when that song debuted, and I vividly recall seeing the music video on MTV when it came out. It's a near-perfect re-creation of that video, right down to John's white suit and the dancers' domino effect at one point.
What I Don't Like: While it's more honest about it's subject matter than Bohemian Rhapsody, it's still fairly cliched. It's also an R rating, and very much so. In addition to the man-on-man sex, there's some heavy swearing (including a ton of F-bombs dropped) and minor violence. The effects of John's lifestyle are shown on-screen, including his battle with bulimia and all the drugs and liquor he consumed. This is absolutely not for children, "fantasy" or not. Start them on The Lion King or John's earlier music videos if you want to give them a taste of his work. Egerton is electric as John, but he may actually be a little too conventionally handsome to pass for him (something John never was).
The Big Finale: If you love John and his music, musicals, or the cast, you won't want the sun to go down on this one before you check it out.
Home Media: The soundtrack is available on CD and on streaming from several companies, including Amazon Music.
CD
MP3
Amazon Music
Saturday, June 8, 2019
Family Fun Saturday - High School Musical 3: Senior Year
Disney, 2008
Starring Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, and Lucas Grabeel
Directed by Kenny Ortega
Music and Lyrics by various writers
I'm returning to this franchise in honor of the end of the school year here in Southern New Jersey. By the late 2000's, the High School Musical films were such a major phenomenon, especially among young children, the small screen was too small to contain them. It became Disney's first live-action big-screen musical since Newsies in 1991...and unlike that film, it wound up being one of the bigger hits of the fall of 2008. How well do the antics of the Wildcats come across on the big screen? Let's return to East High in Utah and find out...
The Story: The end of the basketball season brings the beginning of the rehearsals for the spring musical...and of the seniors at East High considering their futures. Kelsi (Oleysa Rulin) has signed her entire homeroom up for the show. None of them are thrilled at first, as they're all busy with school activities and homework, but they eventually agree to it. Not only that, but there will be people from Juliard coming to consider Sharpay (Tisdale), Troy (Efron), Ryan (Grabeel), and Kelsi for drama scholarships. Troy has no idea where he wants to go. Sharpay wants that scholarship badly and gets her twin Ryan to try to butter up Kelsi in order for her to give her best songs to them.
Meanwhile, most of the kids are focusing on prom. Troy's best friend Chad (Corbin Bleu) is trying to figure out how to ask out brilliant scholar Taylor (Monique Coleman), while Sharpay hires British exchange student Tiara (Jemma McKenzie-Brown) to be her assistant, and later, her understudy. Troy's devoted girlfriend Gabriella (Hudgens) gets a scholarship to a freshman program at Stanford. Sharpay convinces him that he's holding Gabriella back from her dream, and he encourages her to leave. He's shocked when she won't come back for prom and the spring musical...but he still manages to find a way to have his last dance with her.
The Song and Dance: The increased budget for the big screen really shows in the numbers. There's some attempts at special effects, including in Efron's solo "Scream," and some glowing cinematography. The story is slightly more interesting than the last one, with the kids trying to figure out what they want to do with their futures. The scene where Troy tells Gabriella she should go to Stamford is especially effecting.
Favorite Number: Once again, the chorus numbers are the stand-outs. High-energy routines like the opening basketball routine "Now or Never" come complete with some excellent choreography by director Kenny Ortega. Along with Troy's "Scream" on his confusion over Gabriella leaving and where he wants to go to college, Efron gets in on two good duets, his memories of childhood with Bleu "The Boys are Back" in the junkyard, and the first version of "Can I Have This Dance?" with Hudgens on the Garden Club roof in the rain.
What I Don't Like: Anyone who is a lot less self-involved than Sharpay can probably telegraph Tiara's real intentions from a mile off. Yes, while the story is a little better than last time, it's still a mass of cliches, and the ballads are still bland and too sugary. If you like your musicals darker or more thoughtful, or you weren't a fan of the first film or aren't into Ortega's style, this won't be your show.
The Big Finale: I'm probably the wrong audience for these movies. They're enough fun that I'm glad I saw them again...but they're also not something I'm going to actively seek out or watch a lot. If you have younger kids who were fans of the first ones, you'll want to show them the Wildcats' final performance.
Home Media: Like the rest of the series, this is very easy to find, both as a stand-alone film and bundled with the other two movies.
DVD
DVD - High School Musical: 3 Movies Collection
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Starring Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, and Lucas Grabeel
Directed by Kenny Ortega
Music and Lyrics by various writers
I'm returning to this franchise in honor of the end of the school year here in Southern New Jersey. By the late 2000's, the High School Musical films were such a major phenomenon, especially among young children, the small screen was too small to contain them. It became Disney's first live-action big-screen musical since Newsies in 1991...and unlike that film, it wound up being one of the bigger hits of the fall of 2008. How well do the antics of the Wildcats come across on the big screen? Let's return to East High in Utah and find out...
The Story: The end of the basketball season brings the beginning of the rehearsals for the spring musical...and of the seniors at East High considering their futures. Kelsi (Oleysa Rulin) has signed her entire homeroom up for the show. None of them are thrilled at first, as they're all busy with school activities and homework, but they eventually agree to it. Not only that, but there will be people from Juliard coming to consider Sharpay (Tisdale), Troy (Efron), Ryan (Grabeel), and Kelsi for drama scholarships. Troy has no idea where he wants to go. Sharpay wants that scholarship badly and gets her twin Ryan to try to butter up Kelsi in order for her to give her best songs to them.
Meanwhile, most of the kids are focusing on prom. Troy's best friend Chad (Corbin Bleu) is trying to figure out how to ask out brilliant scholar Taylor (Monique Coleman), while Sharpay hires British exchange student Tiara (Jemma McKenzie-Brown) to be her assistant, and later, her understudy. Troy's devoted girlfriend Gabriella (Hudgens) gets a scholarship to a freshman program at Stanford. Sharpay convinces him that he's holding Gabriella back from her dream, and he encourages her to leave. He's shocked when she won't come back for prom and the spring musical...but he still manages to find a way to have his last dance with her.
The Song and Dance: The increased budget for the big screen really shows in the numbers. There's some attempts at special effects, including in Efron's solo "Scream," and some glowing cinematography. The story is slightly more interesting than the last one, with the kids trying to figure out what they want to do with their futures. The scene where Troy tells Gabriella she should go to Stamford is especially effecting.
Favorite Number: Once again, the chorus numbers are the stand-outs. High-energy routines like the opening basketball routine "Now or Never" come complete with some excellent choreography by director Kenny Ortega. Along with Troy's "Scream" on his confusion over Gabriella leaving and where he wants to go to college, Efron gets in on two good duets, his memories of childhood with Bleu "The Boys are Back" in the junkyard, and the first version of "Can I Have This Dance?" with Hudgens on the Garden Club roof in the rain.
What I Don't Like: Anyone who is a lot less self-involved than Sharpay can probably telegraph Tiara's real intentions from a mile off. Yes, while the story is a little better than last time, it's still a mass of cliches, and the ballads are still bland and too sugary. If you like your musicals darker or more thoughtful, or you weren't a fan of the first film or aren't into Ortega's style, this won't be your show.
The Big Finale: I'm probably the wrong audience for these movies. They're enough fun that I'm glad I saw them again...but they're also not something I'm going to actively seek out or watch a lot. If you have younger kids who were fans of the first ones, you'll want to show them the Wildcats' final performance.
Home Media: Like the rest of the series, this is very easy to find, both as a stand-alone film and bundled with the other two movies.
DVD
DVD - High School Musical: 3 Movies Collection
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Thursday, June 6, 2019
Cult Flops - The Pirates of Penzance
Universal, 1983
Starring Kevin Kline, Angela Landsbury, Rex Smith, and Linda Rondstat
Directed by Wilford Leach
Music by Arthur Sullivan; Lyrics by W.S Gilbert
This more faithful adaptation of the hit 1981 revival of the Gilbert and Sullivan nautical favorite came out about six months after The Pirate Movie...and despite using most of the original cast and music, it didn't do any better at the box office than its predecessor. Is this one an improvement over the very goofy Pirate Movie? Let's head to the sleepy English seaside town of Penzance, just before it receives a few rude and noisy guests, and find out...
The Story: Fredric (Smith) is about to leave the apprenticeship of a group of less-than-bloodthirsty pirates, including its lively Pirate King (Kline). Turns out that his nurse Ruth (Landsbury) was hard of hearing and accidentally apprenticed him to the pirates, rather than to a pilot. That sends both Fredric and Ruth to shore. Ruth's hoping to flirt with him, but after Fredric sees a group of lovely lasses on the shore, he realizes that Ruth is past her prime and not quite so beautiful as them. He arrives at shore to greet the ladies. They're all afraid of him, except for sweet youngest Mabel (Rondstat). The pirates follow him and try to kidnap the ladies, but their Major General father (George Rose) claims to be an orphan. The pirates won't hurt orphans and take off.
Fredric is ready to lead the local police force against the pirates, at least until the Pirate King and Ruth turn up again and reveal that the terms of his apprenticeship insist that he stays until he's 21 - and his birthday is on Leap Year Day. Fredric tells them that, not only are the cops after them, but the Major General lied. The ensuing battle eventually takes over the entirety of Penzance, including a performance of the other big seaside-themed Gilbert and Sullivan show, H.M.S Pinafore.
The Song and Dance: The cast is the thing here. Kevin Kline is in his element as the randy ruler of the buccaneers, chewing every bit of scenery and having a blast swinging around the sets. Landsbury is almost as fun as Ruth, especially in the second half when she's joined the pirates. Smith and Rondstat sing beautifully together, and the chorus is having a ball. There isn't even a a passing attempt at the outdoor shooting in Pirate Movie. It's all detailed, very theatrical sets and costumes.
Favorite Number: Kline tears into his opening solo "I am the Pirate King" with relish, while Landsbury does well by her "When Fredric Was a Little Lad" and her duet with Smith on the beach, "You Deceived Me." Rondstat does a lovely "Poor Wandering One" and joins Smith for a gorgeous series of duets ending with "Oh Here Is Love and Here Is Truth." Smith's best moment is his spoof of Elvis Prestley and other rockers of the 50's and 60's in "Oh Is There Not One Maiden Breast."
I'm especially fond of the chorus numbers. "Climbing Over Rocky Mountain" is just as much fun here sans parasols, and the entire finale, from "When a Felon's Not Engaged In His Employment" to the last dance, is an absolute delight. (Especially how they burst into that performance of Pinafore. It reminds me a bit of a similar sequence in Blazing Saddles when the townspeople's fight disrupts a musical being filmed.)
What I Don't Like: This may stick a little too closely to the original production. It's very artificial and theatrical, lacking the gorgeous real-life scenery of The Pirate Movie. If you don't love stage musicals, you probably won't get what this is going for. It's not for people who don't love operetta, either. It's almost entirely through-sung, with only a little dialogue. While the "modern" gags aren't nearly as numerous as in Pirate Movie, there's still a few that may take people out of the late 19th-century setting (including Smith's Elvis spoof in "Maiden Breast").
The Big Finale: This is the one for Gilbert and Sullivan purists. If you love their shows, the cast, swashbucklers, or the theater, you'll want to "take heart" and wander over to Penzance to check this one out.
Home Media: Unlike Pirate Movie, this one is easily found in all formats, including many streaming companies.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Starring Kevin Kline, Angela Landsbury, Rex Smith, and Linda Rondstat
Directed by Wilford Leach
Music by Arthur Sullivan; Lyrics by W.S Gilbert
This more faithful adaptation of the hit 1981 revival of the Gilbert and Sullivan nautical favorite came out about six months after The Pirate Movie...and despite using most of the original cast and music, it didn't do any better at the box office than its predecessor. Is this one an improvement over the very goofy Pirate Movie? Let's head to the sleepy English seaside town of Penzance, just before it receives a few rude and noisy guests, and find out...
The Story: Fredric (Smith) is about to leave the apprenticeship of a group of less-than-bloodthirsty pirates, including its lively Pirate King (Kline). Turns out that his nurse Ruth (Landsbury) was hard of hearing and accidentally apprenticed him to the pirates, rather than to a pilot. That sends both Fredric and Ruth to shore. Ruth's hoping to flirt with him, but after Fredric sees a group of lovely lasses on the shore, he realizes that Ruth is past her prime and not quite so beautiful as them. He arrives at shore to greet the ladies. They're all afraid of him, except for sweet youngest Mabel (Rondstat). The pirates follow him and try to kidnap the ladies, but their Major General father (George Rose) claims to be an orphan. The pirates won't hurt orphans and take off.
Fredric is ready to lead the local police force against the pirates, at least until the Pirate King and Ruth turn up again and reveal that the terms of his apprenticeship insist that he stays until he's 21 - and his birthday is on Leap Year Day. Fredric tells them that, not only are the cops after them, but the Major General lied. The ensuing battle eventually takes over the entirety of Penzance, including a performance of the other big seaside-themed Gilbert and Sullivan show, H.M.S Pinafore.
The Song and Dance: The cast is the thing here. Kevin Kline is in his element as the randy ruler of the buccaneers, chewing every bit of scenery and having a blast swinging around the sets. Landsbury is almost as fun as Ruth, especially in the second half when she's joined the pirates. Smith and Rondstat sing beautifully together, and the chorus is having a ball. There isn't even a a passing attempt at the outdoor shooting in Pirate Movie. It's all detailed, very theatrical sets and costumes.
Favorite Number: Kline tears into his opening solo "I am the Pirate King" with relish, while Landsbury does well by her "When Fredric Was a Little Lad" and her duet with Smith on the beach, "You Deceived Me." Rondstat does a lovely "Poor Wandering One" and joins Smith for a gorgeous series of duets ending with "Oh Here Is Love and Here Is Truth." Smith's best moment is his spoof of Elvis Prestley and other rockers of the 50's and 60's in "Oh Is There Not One Maiden Breast."
I'm especially fond of the chorus numbers. "Climbing Over Rocky Mountain" is just as much fun here sans parasols, and the entire finale, from "When a Felon's Not Engaged In His Employment" to the last dance, is an absolute delight. (Especially how they burst into that performance of Pinafore. It reminds me a bit of a similar sequence in Blazing Saddles when the townspeople's fight disrupts a musical being filmed.)
What I Don't Like: This may stick a little too closely to the original production. It's very artificial and theatrical, lacking the gorgeous real-life scenery of The Pirate Movie. If you don't love stage musicals, you probably won't get what this is going for. It's not for people who don't love operetta, either. It's almost entirely through-sung, with only a little dialogue. While the "modern" gags aren't nearly as numerous as in Pirate Movie, there's still a few that may take people out of the late 19th-century setting (including Smith's Elvis spoof in "Maiden Breast").
The Big Finale: This is the one for Gilbert and Sullivan purists. If you love their shows, the cast, swashbucklers, or the theater, you'll want to "take heart" and wander over to Penzance to check this one out.
Home Media: Unlike Pirate Movie, this one is easily found in all formats, including many streaming companies.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Tuesday, June 4, 2019
Cult Flops - The Pirate Movie
20th Century Fox, 1982
Starring Kristy MacNichol, Christopher Atkins, Ted Hamilton, and Bill Kerr
Directed by Ken Annikin
Music by Arthur Sullivan and others; Lyrics by W.S Gilbert and others
In a response to the success of the revival of Pirates of Penzance in New York in 1981, there were two versions of the classic Gilbert and Sullivan operettas on the big screen in 1982 and 1983. Neither was a success, but both would pick up a bit more of an audience on cable in the 80's and early 90's. This rock-and-roll Australian spoof came out first, in the summer of 1982. Is it still worthy of a modern major general, or should it be made to walk the plank? Let's join a young woman and her friends at a pirate festival on the docks at Sydney, Australia and find out...
The Story: Mabel (MacNichol) is a rather nerdy Australian girl who is on an outing with her gorgeous friends at a pirate festival. The swordfighting instructor (Atkins) she meets on a pier invites her and her friends on a trip with him, but they kick her off. She rents a pontoon and follows them, only to fall off and wash up on an island.
It's there that she dreams that she's the daughter of a very modern Major General (Kerr) in the late 1800's. The instructor becomes Fredrick, a young man raised by less-than-bloodthirsty pirates, including the sex-crazed Pirate King (Hamilton). It's his birthday, and he wants to leave his apprenticeship with the buccaneers and work towards their destruction. He heads to shore; while the ship's nurse Ruth (Maggie Kirkpatrick) tries to flirt with him, but he's more interested in the young women frolicking behind parasols on shore. They're the daughters of Major General Stanley, and they're all afraid of a pirate...except the bold and sarcastic Mabel. Mabel finds herself having to first defend her sisters against the randy Pirate King and his men, then leading Fredrick to find the pirates' lost treasure.
The Pirate King finds Fredrick first. He and Ruth reveal that Fredrick's birthday isn't exactly what he thinks it is. When he switches sides, Mabel takes his place. She has to try to lead a group of very frightened cops to victory against pirates twice their size...and remember that in dreams, everyone can make their own happy ending.
The Song and Dance: I have such fond memories of watching this on cable as a kid in the early-mid 80's. For the most part, it's still as much fun as I remember it, kind of a musical cross between Pirates of the Caribbean and the Mel Brooks movies of the 70's and 80's. MacNichol is having a blast as the shy girl who dreams herself into the role of a strong and smart heroine. This movie was originally Hamilton's idea, and he's very funny as the leader of the buccaneers who is determined to chase anything in a skirt, with Kirkpatrick almost as good as Ruth, who is more-or-less his female counterpart in flirting. He and Atkins have the best non-musical moment in the hilarious duel all over Werribee Mansion.
One of my favorite things about this is the gorgeous cinematography. The movie was shot on location in and around the historic Werribee Park Mansion in Victoria, Australia, and even when the plot is at it's silliest, it never looks less than beautiful.
Favorite Number: My own sisters and I used to love "The Sisters' Song (Riding Over Rocky Mountain)," mainly because of their cute frilly pink and yellow parasols that they twirl throughout the number. The choreography here is pretty nifty, too. Mom got a kick out of the revised lyrics for "Modern Major General" that makes references to the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. In fact, most of the ensemble numbers here are a lot of fun to watch, including the finale "Happy Ending" (despite a few questionable hand-and-arm movements in that one). Mabel also gets the animated-live action segment "Pumpin' and Blowin'," as she does just that while Fredrick searches for the treasure.
Trivia: Ken Annikin was a mentor of George Lucas, hence the Star Wars reference (and Annkin's name being used for the character of Anakin Skywalker).
What I Don't Like: A lot of the gags here are either very sexually-oriented, misogynist, or dated. (The Pink Panther sequence is funny only if you've seen the later movies in that franchise.) The sex jokes went over our heads when we were kids, but they may be a little too randy for some adults today. Mabel and Fredrick's big duet and their solo love songs are fairly bland 80's pop ballads and are at odds with the more uptempo rock songs and the Gilbert and Sullivan. Speaking of Gilbert and Sullivan, this is obviously not for purists or those looking for for a more traditional version of Pirates of Penzance.
The Big Finale: With its jokey tone, perky pop songs, and strong heroine, this might actually have been ahead of its time. If you love comic swashbucklers, goofy musicals, or action movies with a good female lead, you'll want to dig up this treasure.
Home Media: Unfortunately, the lone Anchor Bay Entertainment DVD release that I have is currently out of print. Your best bet may be to look for this at used venues like eBay or Goodwill.
DVD
Starring Kristy MacNichol, Christopher Atkins, Ted Hamilton, and Bill Kerr
Directed by Ken Annikin
Music by Arthur Sullivan and others; Lyrics by W.S Gilbert and others
In a response to the success of the revival of Pirates of Penzance in New York in 1981, there were two versions of the classic Gilbert and Sullivan operettas on the big screen in 1982 and 1983. Neither was a success, but both would pick up a bit more of an audience on cable in the 80's and early 90's. This rock-and-roll Australian spoof came out first, in the summer of 1982. Is it still worthy of a modern major general, or should it be made to walk the plank? Let's join a young woman and her friends at a pirate festival on the docks at Sydney, Australia and find out...
The Story: Mabel (MacNichol) is a rather nerdy Australian girl who is on an outing with her gorgeous friends at a pirate festival. The swordfighting instructor (Atkins) she meets on a pier invites her and her friends on a trip with him, but they kick her off. She rents a pontoon and follows them, only to fall off and wash up on an island.
It's there that she dreams that she's the daughter of a very modern Major General (Kerr) in the late 1800's. The instructor becomes Fredrick, a young man raised by less-than-bloodthirsty pirates, including the sex-crazed Pirate King (Hamilton). It's his birthday, and he wants to leave his apprenticeship with the buccaneers and work towards their destruction. He heads to shore; while the ship's nurse Ruth (Maggie Kirkpatrick) tries to flirt with him, but he's more interested in the young women frolicking behind parasols on shore. They're the daughters of Major General Stanley, and they're all afraid of a pirate...except the bold and sarcastic Mabel. Mabel finds herself having to first defend her sisters against the randy Pirate King and his men, then leading Fredrick to find the pirates' lost treasure.
The Pirate King finds Fredrick first. He and Ruth reveal that Fredrick's birthday isn't exactly what he thinks it is. When he switches sides, Mabel takes his place. She has to try to lead a group of very frightened cops to victory against pirates twice their size...and remember that in dreams, everyone can make their own happy ending.
The Song and Dance: I have such fond memories of watching this on cable as a kid in the early-mid 80's. For the most part, it's still as much fun as I remember it, kind of a musical cross between Pirates of the Caribbean and the Mel Brooks movies of the 70's and 80's. MacNichol is having a blast as the shy girl who dreams herself into the role of a strong and smart heroine. This movie was originally Hamilton's idea, and he's very funny as the leader of the buccaneers who is determined to chase anything in a skirt, with Kirkpatrick almost as good as Ruth, who is more-or-less his female counterpart in flirting. He and Atkins have the best non-musical moment in the hilarious duel all over Werribee Mansion.
One of my favorite things about this is the gorgeous cinematography. The movie was shot on location in and around the historic Werribee Park Mansion in Victoria, Australia, and even when the plot is at it's silliest, it never looks less than beautiful.
Favorite Number: My own sisters and I used to love "The Sisters' Song (Riding Over Rocky Mountain)," mainly because of their cute frilly pink and yellow parasols that they twirl throughout the number. The choreography here is pretty nifty, too. Mom got a kick out of the revised lyrics for "Modern Major General" that makes references to the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. In fact, most of the ensemble numbers here are a lot of fun to watch, including the finale "Happy Ending" (despite a few questionable hand-and-arm movements in that one). Mabel also gets the animated-live action segment "Pumpin' and Blowin'," as she does just that while Fredrick searches for the treasure.
Trivia: Ken Annikin was a mentor of George Lucas, hence the Star Wars reference (and Annkin's name being used for the character of Anakin Skywalker).
What I Don't Like: A lot of the gags here are either very sexually-oriented, misogynist, or dated. (The Pink Panther sequence is funny only if you've seen the later movies in that franchise.) The sex jokes went over our heads when we were kids, but they may be a little too randy for some adults today. Mabel and Fredrick's big duet and their solo love songs are fairly bland 80's pop ballads and are at odds with the more uptempo rock songs and the Gilbert and Sullivan. Speaking of Gilbert and Sullivan, this is obviously not for purists or those looking for for a more traditional version of Pirates of Penzance.
The Big Finale: With its jokey tone, perky pop songs, and strong heroine, this might actually have been ahead of its time. If you love comic swashbucklers, goofy musicals, or action movies with a good female lead, you'll want to dig up this treasure.
Home Media: Unfortunately, the lone Anchor Bay Entertainment DVD release that I have is currently out of print. Your best bet may be to look for this at used venues like eBay or Goodwill.
DVD
Saturday, June 1, 2019
Animation Celebration Double Feature - All Dogs Go to Heaven & All Dogs Go to Heaven 2
Don Bluth was riding high at the end of the 1980's. His independent animation studio had hit it big with An American Tail and The Land Before Time, unusually dramatic stories with strong child protagonists, and in the case of Tail, a couple of lovely songs. Things fell apart almost as soon as All Dogs Go To Heaven was released...on the same day in November 1989 as The Little Mermaid. The non-Bluth sequel went out amid a glut of animated musicals in 1996 and did even worse. Did they deserve their un-heavenly fate, or do they earn their canine wings? Let's head to a dog pound in New Orleans, where a certain pooch is about to be sprung from jail, and find out...
All Dogs Go to Heaven
United Artists, 1989
Voices of Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLouise, Vic Tayback, and Judith Barsi
Directed by Don Bluth
Music by Ralph Burns; Lyrics by Charles Strouse, T.J Kuenster, Al Kasha, and Joel Hirchhorn
The Story: In 1939 New Orleans, German Shepard Charlie Barkin (Reynolds) is rescued from the pound by his good friend Itchy (DeLouise), only to be murdered by his greedy partner Carface Carruthers (Vic Tayback). Bored in heaven, he resets the watch that represents his life and returns to Earth. He and Itchy discover that Carface is using a little human girl named Anne Marie (Barsi) who can talk to animals and find out which rat is going to win at the races. Charlie convinces her to join him by telling the orphan that he'll help her find parents. Her abilities help them win enough money at various animal races for Charlie to open his own club. Carface, meanwhile, isn't happy that he lost his money ticket or that Charlie seems to have cheated death, and Charlie's worried that losing that watch will mean he'll end up in a far worse place than heaven...
The Animation: Colorful and lively, this isn't as groundbreaking as Mermaid, but it does have a charm of its own. The backgrounds are lush and detailed, especially in two rather scary nightmare sequences with Itchy dreaming of what happened to his friend and Charlie's reverie on what'll happen if he does end up in Hell. The animals in particular are well-designed.
The Song and Dance: This may be Don Bluth's strangest movie...and considering his films feature everything from roosters whose voice controls the sun to the Earth blowing up, that's saying a lot. Reynolds and DeLouise were good friends in real life who apparently recorded together and ad-libbed a lot of their dialogue (as did Tayback and Reilly), and it shows in the loosey-goosey structure and some very funny lines. At the very least, you can't say it isn't original, probably one of the most unique animated films in existence. It's also fairly mature for an animated movie from this era, with its frank discussions of death, murder, betrayal, and the afterlife.
Favorite Number: Charlie's "You Can't Keep a Good Dog Down" is his introductory number after he's sprung from the pound. It's a catchy tune with lyrics that perfectly emphasize Charlie's "never say die" (pardon the pun) attitude. "Let's Make Music Together" with King Gator in the sewer may not make much sense, but it's probably the film's best song, and Reynolds and Ken Page have a lot of fun with it. My favorite song from this as a kid was the charming "What's Mine Is Yours," which Charlie sings to the puppies of his old girlfriend Flo (Reynolds' then-wife Loni Anderson) in an attempt to get them to share a slice of pizza.
Trivia: This was the last movie for Judith Barsi, who was tragically murdered by her father shortly after recording her dialogue for the film, and Vic Tayback, who died in 1990. Barsi's death and several other shocking shootings around the same time prompted Bluth to remove some of the more extreme violence and change Killer's machine gun to a "Buck Rogers ray gun."
For all the problems it had on release, like Charlie, the movie did get a second chance at a happy ending. It was a best-seller when it came out on video, in fact the top-selling video of 1990. The popularity of the video is how it earned a sequel in the first place (see below).
What I Don't Like: Despite Bluth removing some of the darker scenes, this is still very disturbing for a kid's movie. Along with the fairly heavy violence, the dogs drink, smoke, abuse every animal around (including humans), gamble, and kill each other. It was too dark for many critics at the time, who complained noisily about the violence and the gangster theme. It was so grim, I remember there being a brief snippet at the end of the original VHS release that had Dom DeLouise basically warning kids not to do anything that Charlie or his friends do in the film.
The tone is all over the place. Charlie and Carface are playing a 30's Warner gangster movie, but Anne Marie is basically a cross between Snow White and Annie. She's way too sticky-sweet, especially in her big song, "Soon You'll Come Home." Then there's the cutesy "Mine Is Yours" number, the rather infamous King Gator song that has nothing whatsoever to do with the rest of the movie (though Gator does show up later to deal with Carface), and the Grand Chawhee horse that wins the race comes off as a bit of a mentally disabled stereotype.
The Big Finale: While not Bluth's best picture (or as good as Mermaid), it's still got some decent animation, a good score, and a nice cast in a truly original story. If you have older kids who love animals and can handle the grittier aspects of the plot, they may find a lot to enjoy here.
Home Media: The movie's popularity on video has continued into the disc and streaming era. It can easily be found in all major formats, often bundled with it's sequel (see below).
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
All Dogs Go to Heaven 2
MGM/United Artists, 1996
Voices of Charlie Sheen, Sheena Easton, Dom DeLouise, and Ernest Borganine
Directed by Paul Sabella and Larry Leker
Music by Mark Watters
The Story: Heaven still doesn't do much for Charlie (Sheen), even after Itchy (DeLouise) arrives. It's even less fun for Carface (Borganine). Bored stiff, he steals Gabriel's Horn, then loses it somewhere over San Francisco in 1995. Annabelle (Bebe Neuwirth), the head angel, sends Charlie and Itchy back to Earth to collect it, armed with one miracle. They're ghosts when they arrive, unable to be seen by the physical world, including pretty Irish setter singer Sasha (Easton). Carface, however, is able to interact with those around him, thanks to a red collar he got from a fortune teller (George Hearn). Charlie and Itchy get their own collars that allow them to be seen for one day.
They befriend Sasha, who brings them to visit David (Adam Wylie), the little boy she's living with. David wants to become a street performer, and even makes the dogs part of his act. Charlie does manage to find the horn...but he hides it in order to remain on Earth. What he doesn't know is that fortune teller isn't what he seems...and he has plans for that horn, and for the three ghostly pooches and their human...
The Animation: A mild step down. On one hand, it retains the gorgeous color palatte of the original film, but otherwise, the animation is less lush and detailed and more Saturday morning cartoon. Some of the effects in Heaven and during the villain's big numbers are rather well-done, and the action-packed finale looks pretty good.
The Song and Dance: Considering most animated sequels from the 90's and early 2000's range from "ok" to "should be in Hell with Carface," this one is surprisingly not bad. At the very least, it's a bit less violent than the previous film, with a lighter and somewhat more even tone. Adam is less sugary than Anne-Marie and gets in on the action a lot more, and Sheena Easton is quite good as sassy and tough Sasha. Sheen isn't bad as Charlie, either; his relationship with Sasha is funny and even touching. Red is honestly a far better villain than Carface, and George Hearn (who knows a bit about scary villains - he was the title character during the later run of the original Broadway cast of Sweeney Todd) has a great time playing him to the hilt.
Favorite Number: Sheena Easton gets two pretty good numbers, her big solo in the bar "Count Me Out" that has Charlie trying to flirt with her even though she can't see him, and their lovely duet "I Will Always Be With You." Hearn has a blast with his big evil solo telling how he'll take over two realms, "It Feels So Good to Be So Bad." (It has a number worthy of it, too, with some of the best animation in the movie.)
Trivia: Though the movie failed at the box office, it still lead to an animated series that ran from 1996 to 1999 and a Christmas special, An All Dogs Christmas Carol.
What I Don't Like: The lighter tone does make it more kid-friendly, but there's still a lot of violence for a family musical. The plot involving the theft of the horn and how Red wants to take over Heaven makes no sense whatsoever. As much fun as Hearn is, his character is pure evil for evil's sake and isn't really that deep. I really wish they'd retained the 1930's setting, or maybe moved it ahead a bit to the 50's or 60's. The 90's backdrop makes it look like every other animated action movie from the mid-90's onwards. Some of the goofier slapstick probably could have been trimmed, too.
The Big Finale: If you have younger kids who love dogs, I'd start them on this or the series before going to the original film. For everyone else, it's a cute enough time-passer if you're a fan of the original film, Easton, or Sheen.
Home Media: Same deal; this can be found easily on every format, often bundled with the original film.
DVD
DVD - All Dogs Go to Heaven 1 & 2
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
All Dogs Go to Heaven
United Artists, 1989
Voices of Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLouise, Vic Tayback, and Judith Barsi
Directed by Don Bluth
Music by Ralph Burns; Lyrics by Charles Strouse, T.J Kuenster, Al Kasha, and Joel Hirchhorn
The Story: In 1939 New Orleans, German Shepard Charlie Barkin (Reynolds) is rescued from the pound by his good friend Itchy (DeLouise), only to be murdered by his greedy partner Carface Carruthers (Vic Tayback). Bored in heaven, he resets the watch that represents his life and returns to Earth. He and Itchy discover that Carface is using a little human girl named Anne Marie (Barsi) who can talk to animals and find out which rat is going to win at the races. Charlie convinces her to join him by telling the orphan that he'll help her find parents. Her abilities help them win enough money at various animal races for Charlie to open his own club. Carface, meanwhile, isn't happy that he lost his money ticket or that Charlie seems to have cheated death, and Charlie's worried that losing that watch will mean he'll end up in a far worse place than heaven...
The Animation: Colorful and lively, this isn't as groundbreaking as Mermaid, but it does have a charm of its own. The backgrounds are lush and detailed, especially in two rather scary nightmare sequences with Itchy dreaming of what happened to his friend and Charlie's reverie on what'll happen if he does end up in Hell. The animals in particular are well-designed.
The Song and Dance: This may be Don Bluth's strangest movie...and considering his films feature everything from roosters whose voice controls the sun to the Earth blowing up, that's saying a lot. Reynolds and DeLouise were good friends in real life who apparently recorded together and ad-libbed a lot of their dialogue (as did Tayback and Reilly), and it shows in the loosey-goosey structure and some very funny lines. At the very least, you can't say it isn't original, probably one of the most unique animated films in existence. It's also fairly mature for an animated movie from this era, with its frank discussions of death, murder, betrayal, and the afterlife.
Favorite Number: Charlie's "You Can't Keep a Good Dog Down" is his introductory number after he's sprung from the pound. It's a catchy tune with lyrics that perfectly emphasize Charlie's "never say die" (pardon the pun) attitude. "Let's Make Music Together" with King Gator in the sewer may not make much sense, but it's probably the film's best song, and Reynolds and Ken Page have a lot of fun with it. My favorite song from this as a kid was the charming "What's Mine Is Yours," which Charlie sings to the puppies of his old girlfriend Flo (Reynolds' then-wife Loni Anderson) in an attempt to get them to share a slice of pizza.
Trivia: This was the last movie for Judith Barsi, who was tragically murdered by her father shortly after recording her dialogue for the film, and Vic Tayback, who died in 1990. Barsi's death and several other shocking shootings around the same time prompted Bluth to remove some of the more extreme violence and change Killer's machine gun to a "Buck Rogers ray gun."
For all the problems it had on release, like Charlie, the movie did get a second chance at a happy ending. It was a best-seller when it came out on video, in fact the top-selling video of 1990. The popularity of the video is how it earned a sequel in the first place (see below).
What I Don't Like: Despite Bluth removing some of the darker scenes, this is still very disturbing for a kid's movie. Along with the fairly heavy violence, the dogs drink, smoke, abuse every animal around (including humans), gamble, and kill each other. It was too dark for many critics at the time, who complained noisily about the violence and the gangster theme. It was so grim, I remember there being a brief snippet at the end of the original VHS release that had Dom DeLouise basically warning kids not to do anything that Charlie or his friends do in the film.
The tone is all over the place. Charlie and Carface are playing a 30's Warner gangster movie, but Anne Marie is basically a cross between Snow White and Annie. She's way too sticky-sweet, especially in her big song, "Soon You'll Come Home." Then there's the cutesy "Mine Is Yours" number, the rather infamous King Gator song that has nothing whatsoever to do with the rest of the movie (though Gator does show up later to deal with Carface), and the Grand Chawhee horse that wins the race comes off as a bit of a mentally disabled stereotype.
The Big Finale: While not Bluth's best picture (or as good as Mermaid), it's still got some decent animation, a good score, and a nice cast in a truly original story. If you have older kids who love animals and can handle the grittier aspects of the plot, they may find a lot to enjoy here.
Home Media: The movie's popularity on video has continued into the disc and streaming era. It can easily be found in all major formats, often bundled with it's sequel (see below).
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
All Dogs Go to Heaven 2
MGM/United Artists, 1996
Voices of Charlie Sheen, Sheena Easton, Dom DeLouise, and Ernest Borganine
Directed by Paul Sabella and Larry Leker
Music by Mark Watters
The Story: Heaven still doesn't do much for Charlie (Sheen), even after Itchy (DeLouise) arrives. It's even less fun for Carface (Borganine). Bored stiff, he steals Gabriel's Horn, then loses it somewhere over San Francisco in 1995. Annabelle (Bebe Neuwirth), the head angel, sends Charlie and Itchy back to Earth to collect it, armed with one miracle. They're ghosts when they arrive, unable to be seen by the physical world, including pretty Irish setter singer Sasha (Easton). Carface, however, is able to interact with those around him, thanks to a red collar he got from a fortune teller (George Hearn). Charlie and Itchy get their own collars that allow them to be seen for one day.
They befriend Sasha, who brings them to visit David (Adam Wylie), the little boy she's living with. David wants to become a street performer, and even makes the dogs part of his act. Charlie does manage to find the horn...but he hides it in order to remain on Earth. What he doesn't know is that fortune teller isn't what he seems...and he has plans for that horn, and for the three ghostly pooches and their human...
The Animation: A mild step down. On one hand, it retains the gorgeous color palatte of the original film, but otherwise, the animation is less lush and detailed and more Saturday morning cartoon. Some of the effects in Heaven and during the villain's big numbers are rather well-done, and the action-packed finale looks pretty good.
The Song and Dance: Considering most animated sequels from the 90's and early 2000's range from "ok" to "should be in Hell with Carface," this one is surprisingly not bad. At the very least, it's a bit less violent than the previous film, with a lighter and somewhat more even tone. Adam is less sugary than Anne-Marie and gets in on the action a lot more, and Sheena Easton is quite good as sassy and tough Sasha. Sheen isn't bad as Charlie, either; his relationship with Sasha is funny and even touching. Red is honestly a far better villain than Carface, and George Hearn (who knows a bit about scary villains - he was the title character during the later run of the original Broadway cast of Sweeney Todd) has a great time playing him to the hilt.
Favorite Number: Sheena Easton gets two pretty good numbers, her big solo in the bar "Count Me Out" that has Charlie trying to flirt with her even though she can't see him, and their lovely duet "I Will Always Be With You." Hearn has a blast with his big evil solo telling how he'll take over two realms, "It Feels So Good to Be So Bad." (It has a number worthy of it, too, with some of the best animation in the movie.)
Trivia: Though the movie failed at the box office, it still lead to an animated series that ran from 1996 to 1999 and a Christmas special, An All Dogs Christmas Carol.
What I Don't Like: The lighter tone does make it more kid-friendly, but there's still a lot of violence for a family musical. The plot involving the theft of the horn and how Red wants to take over Heaven makes no sense whatsoever. As much fun as Hearn is, his character is pure evil for evil's sake and isn't really that deep. I really wish they'd retained the 1930's setting, or maybe moved it ahead a bit to the 50's or 60's. The 90's backdrop makes it look like every other animated action movie from the mid-90's onwards. Some of the goofier slapstick probably could have been trimmed, too.
The Big Finale: If you have younger kids who love dogs, I'd start them on this or the series before going to the original film. For everyone else, it's a cute enough time-passer if you're a fan of the original film, Easton, or Sheen.
Home Media: Same deal; this can be found easily on every format, often bundled with the original film.
DVD
DVD - All Dogs Go to Heaven 1 & 2
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
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