Crown International Pictures, 1978
Starring Mae West, Timothy Dalton, Dom DeLouise, and Tony Curtis
Directed by Ken Hughes
Music by various
Mae West was one of the most beloved comediennes and sex symbols of the 1930's, known for her frankness about sexual mores and her double ententes. Her movies were so popular in 1933 and 1934, they literally saved Paramount from bankruptcy. She wrote most of her movies and plays, and was a dominating force at a time when women were still too often restricted to the home. The increase in censorship in the mid-30's neutered her films and her creativity, and she largely retired in 1940. With the exception of a cameo in the sitcom Mr. Ed, she was rarely seen again...until she wrote and starred in this film at the ripe age of 84. How does this bizarre paean to West's aging charms look today? Let's head to a deluxe hotel in London, England and find out...
The Story: Marlo Manners (West) is a major movie star and sex symbol who just married handsome young British nobleman Sir Michael Barrington (Dalton) and is looking forward to a night of unbridled passion with him in their bridal suite. Her manager Dan Turner (DeLouise) has other ideas. He wants Marlo to keep up with a demanding schedule that includes fittings with her costume designer (Keith Moon) and auditions with her director (Ringo Starr), who is one of her many ex-husbands. Sir Michael wants her all to himself, but Dan keeps distracting him with news reports that question his sexuality and Marlo's feelings for him.
Marlo, meanwhile, has been tasked with convincing another ex-husband, Russian diplomat Alexai Karansky (Tony Curtis), to vote with a group of politicians at the hotel who are trying to solve the world's problems. She's also trying to keep the diplomats and her current husband from finding the cassette tape she's used to dictate her memoirs, which discuss every affair and marriage she's ever had. And then her gangster ex-husband Vance Norton (George Hamilton) returns from the dead, and she can't remember if they ever actually divorced or not.
The Song and Dance: I give Mae West props for even making this. Many women can barely walk at 84, let alone star in a musical film. No matter how misguided the final product was, the woman had guts. I suspect her star power alone was likely the reason they got so many big names to appear, including famous costumer Edith Head to do West's trademark boas and sequined gowns.
Favorite Number: West and Dalton prove how mismatched they - and Marlo and Sir Michael - are in their odd version "Love Will Keep Us Together." She's half-talking the lyrics, he's singing with fairly decent voice, and the lyrics are re-written to emphasize how young and beautiful West is. DeLouise discusses Marlo's importance to Hollywood - and him - while tapping on her glass piano, "Honey Pie."
Trivia: West had to wear an ear piece during the filming, either because she couldn't remember her lines, or because the script had been re-written so often, she hadn't had time to learn them.
George Raft, who played the Godfather gangster, starred in Mae West's debut picture Night After Night and was the one who recommended her for the role.
What I Don't Like: Um, yeah, you can tell this was re-written multiple times. Nothing makes the tiniest bit of sense. While it is amusing for Dalton to suddenly be revealed as secret agent to rival James Bond, given his later career, this has no build-up, nor any previous reference in the script. Everyone goes from trying to destroy Marlo's memoirs because of the sensitive information they contain, to trying to find them for the same reason. What are the politicians doing, besides vaguely arguing? It's never said why Alexai's vote is so important, or why Marlo has to persuade him to go along with the others.
I give West props for trying to revive her career in her twilight years, but she should have been more honest about her age. Every man in the film falls at her feet and drools over her, and everyone keeps singing about how young and beautiful she is. While she does seem to have aged fairly well, she's still an 84-year-old woman. That "Love Will Keep Us Together" duet with Dalton is creepy and awkward at best. Her singing "Happy Birthday Twenty One" to the sports team who are also staying at the hotel is even worse.
The numbers are a problem, too. Like the plot, they're dropped into the movie with no rhyme or reason. I've seen early talkie musicals that work the songs into their stories more organically than the big "Hooray for Hollywood" chorus number after the wedding or Alice Cooper's song near the end "Next Next."
The Big Finale: This is just flat-out terrible. Only if you're a really, really huge fan of camp, West, or any of the stars involved.
Home Media: Out of print and ridiculously expensive on DVD. Streaming is by far your best bet.
Amazon Prime (Rental Only)
Reviews of musical films, from 1930s black and white to widescreen 21st century extravaganzas.
Thursday, July 30, 2020
Tuesday, July 28, 2020
Walking On Sunshine
Vertigo Films, 2014
Starring Hannah Arteton, Annabel Scholey, Giulio Berruti, and Katy Brand
Directed by Max Giwa and Dania Pasquini
Music by various
As successful as Mamma Mia! was in the US, it was even bigger in England, where ABBA still has many long-standing fans and jukebox musicals have long been popular. That kind of success is bound to launch imitations. The music and fashion of the 80's were also starting to make a comeback in the early 2010's as people looked to thirty years before as an escape into wacky childhood memories. How did they manage to tie 14 songs of the 80's into the story of two sisters who love the same Italian man? Let's start off with the end of a summer romance in Puglia, Italy, and find out...
The Story: Taylor (Arteton) had a whirlwind summer romance in Italy with local man Raf (Berruit), but gave it up to attend college. After college, she joins her sister Maddie (Scholey) in Italy, only to discover that Maddie is now engaged to Raf. They try to deny their feelings to keep Maddie happy, but they can't help admitting they still love each other. Maddie's scuzzy ex-husband Doug (Greg Wise) wants her back in the worst way, too, and will do anything to convince her they can still make it work.
The Song and Dance: The high energy and sense of fun are the only remote saving graces here. Everyone's obviously having a good time, whether they can sing and dance or not, and they're really getting into belting all those familiar hits. There's some spectacular views in Puglia, in the heel of Italy's boot, too. Even when the story's annoying, the glowing Mediterranean vistas are often worth looking at.
Favorite Number: Taylor opens the film singing about being on "Holiday" in the airport while everyone from the pilots to the other flyers join in. Maddie sings about "The Power of Love" in a restaurant, not realizing her sister and fiancee are making goo-goo eyes at each other. Doug tries to seduce his ex with "Don't You Want Me" in the marketplace and "Faith" at her home. She manages to get rid of him both times. "White Wedding" is a montage of everyone rushing off to Maddie's big day, from Lil dragging Taylor in her car to Raf somehow getting tied to a tree and found by nuns.
What I Don't Like: First and foremost, the only one who can sing here is Leona Lewis as Maddie's friend Elena. Everyone else ranges from passable (Arteton) to ear-gratingly terrible (Wise), and it makes a lot of the numbers tough to listen to. The many chorus routines are supposed to look spontaneous, but they're really just unorganized and badly choreographed. The characters are so dull and paint-by-the-numbers, it doesn't matter which sister ends up with Raf in the end. Raf barely has any personality beyond "designated eye candy," to the point where you wonder what all the fuss is about. The story is pretty dull, too, and makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
The entire side plot with Doug comes off as less playful and more creepy. Doug's a real scuzzball who follows his ex half-way around the world and won't leave her alone, even when she's made it abundantly clear she has no interest in him. He's lucky all she did was kick him into the pool and played a few pranks. It doesn't help that Greg Wise is the worst singer in a film full of bad ones, and he gets two important numbers.
The Big Finale: Only if you really, really love jukebox musicals or are looking for background music on a summer's evening and aren't too particular.
Home Media: Out of print on disc in the US. Streaming is by far your best bet on this side of the pond.
Amazon Prime
Starring Hannah Arteton, Annabel Scholey, Giulio Berruti, and Katy Brand
Directed by Max Giwa and Dania Pasquini
Music by various
As successful as Mamma Mia! was in the US, it was even bigger in England, where ABBA still has many long-standing fans and jukebox musicals have long been popular. That kind of success is bound to launch imitations. The music and fashion of the 80's were also starting to make a comeback in the early 2010's as people looked to thirty years before as an escape into wacky childhood memories. How did they manage to tie 14 songs of the 80's into the story of two sisters who love the same Italian man? Let's start off with the end of a summer romance in Puglia, Italy, and find out...
The Story: Taylor (Arteton) had a whirlwind summer romance in Italy with local man Raf (Berruit), but gave it up to attend college. After college, she joins her sister Maddie (Scholey) in Italy, only to discover that Maddie is now engaged to Raf. They try to deny their feelings to keep Maddie happy, but they can't help admitting they still love each other. Maddie's scuzzy ex-husband Doug (Greg Wise) wants her back in the worst way, too, and will do anything to convince her they can still make it work.
The Song and Dance: The high energy and sense of fun are the only remote saving graces here. Everyone's obviously having a good time, whether they can sing and dance or not, and they're really getting into belting all those familiar hits. There's some spectacular views in Puglia, in the heel of Italy's boot, too. Even when the story's annoying, the glowing Mediterranean vistas are often worth looking at.
Favorite Number: Taylor opens the film singing about being on "Holiday" in the airport while everyone from the pilots to the other flyers join in. Maddie sings about "The Power of Love" in a restaurant, not realizing her sister and fiancee are making goo-goo eyes at each other. Doug tries to seduce his ex with "Don't You Want Me" in the marketplace and "Faith" at her home. She manages to get rid of him both times. "White Wedding" is a montage of everyone rushing off to Maddie's big day, from Lil dragging Taylor in her car to Raf somehow getting tied to a tree and found by nuns.
What I Don't Like: First and foremost, the only one who can sing here is Leona Lewis as Maddie's friend Elena. Everyone else ranges from passable (Arteton) to ear-gratingly terrible (Wise), and it makes a lot of the numbers tough to listen to. The many chorus routines are supposed to look spontaneous, but they're really just unorganized and badly choreographed. The characters are so dull and paint-by-the-numbers, it doesn't matter which sister ends up with Raf in the end. Raf barely has any personality beyond "designated eye candy," to the point where you wonder what all the fuss is about. The story is pretty dull, too, and makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
The entire side plot with Doug comes off as less playful and more creepy. Doug's a real scuzzball who follows his ex half-way around the world and won't leave her alone, even when she's made it abundantly clear she has no interest in him. He's lucky all she did was kick him into the pool and played a few pranks. It doesn't help that Greg Wise is the worst singer in a film full of bad ones, and he gets two important numbers.
The Big Finale: Only if you really, really love jukebox musicals or are looking for background music on a summer's evening and aren't too particular.
Home Media: Out of print on disc in the US. Streaming is by far your best bet on this side of the pond.
Amazon Prime
Saturday, July 25, 2020
Musicals On TV - Teen Beach Movie
Disney, 2013
Starring Ross Lynch, Maia Mitchell, Grace Phipps, and Garrett Clayton
Directed by Jeffrey Hornaday
Music by various
Hoping for a musical hit as big as their High School Musical franchise, Disney hit the waves with this take on the "beach party" movies of the mid-60's. Those films were wildly popular with teens looking for drive-in fodder, reflecting much of the early surfing and rock n' roll culture. How do those carefree, crazy movies look to a pair of modern teen surfers? Let's head to the beach, where Mack (Mitchell) is waiting for the big one and trying to figure out her future, and find out...
The Story: Mack's boyfriend Brady (Lynch) is devastated when she tells him she's leaving the island and her grandfather's (Barry Boswick) surf shop. She wants to pursue her mother's dream of going to college by joining a prestigious boarding school...but first, she wants to ride a huge 40-foot wave that's on its way. Brady's horrified at the idea and takes a jet ski to find her.
They're swept away and somehow float into the world of Wet Side Story, a 60's beach party film that happens to be Brady's favorite movie. He's thrilled to be among the surfers and bikers who are battling for control of their local hangout Big Mamma's. Super-mature and logical Mack would rather be going home, even after she catches the eye of head surfer Tanner (Clayton) and Brady catches biker girl Lela (Philpps). Trouble is, the two are supposed to fall for each other, then rally the bikers and surfers to take on a pair of mad scientists who have built a laser to change the weather and create another rogue wave. Now Mack and Brady have to try to make the two fall for each other...and teach the groups a lesson in following their heart - if they want to get home.
The Song and Dance: As someone who loves musicals and grew up by the beach, this may be my favorite of the Disney Channel original musicals. The self-reflexive references to beach party and musical cliches reminds me a lot of another Disney musical spoof, Enchanted, although that one brought the musical character to the real world. Lynch and Mitchell had a great time as the duo trying to get home, especially when they're practically singing against their will.
Favorite Number: "Cruisin' for a Bruisin' introduces the biker gang in Wet Side Story and gives Brady a chance to show off how well he knows the film by eagerly joining their intricate choreography. "Boys/Girls Like Me" has the boys at Big Momma's and the girls at a slumber party as they reveal how much romance has changed since 1962. "Falling for Ya" is where everything goes off the ropes as Tanner flirts with Mack and Brady saves Lela. "Meant to Be" has Brady and Mack attempt to shove Tanner and Lela together, with disastrous results. Mack and Brady are so frustrated they're becoming part of the film, they try to talk about it, but "Can't Stop Singing" instead.
Trivia: This is dedicated to original beach babe Annette Funicello, who died in April 2013.
What I Don't Like: Obviously, this is as fluffy as the movies they're making fun of. If you're musical-resistant like Mack or are looking for something more substantial, this won't be for you. It probably helps if you're either into musicals or the real Beach Party movies or are in the 8 - 12 target audience, too.
The Big Finale: If you have surf-crazy pre-teens or are a fan of musicals or the "Beach Party" films yourself, you might get a kick out of this one.
Home Media: As one of the Disney Channel's biggest hits, this is easy to find on streaming and DVD.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Starring Ross Lynch, Maia Mitchell, Grace Phipps, and Garrett Clayton
Directed by Jeffrey Hornaday
Music by various
Hoping for a musical hit as big as their High School Musical franchise, Disney hit the waves with this take on the "beach party" movies of the mid-60's. Those films were wildly popular with teens looking for drive-in fodder, reflecting much of the early surfing and rock n' roll culture. How do those carefree, crazy movies look to a pair of modern teen surfers? Let's head to the beach, where Mack (Mitchell) is waiting for the big one and trying to figure out her future, and find out...
The Story: Mack's boyfriend Brady (Lynch) is devastated when she tells him she's leaving the island and her grandfather's (Barry Boswick) surf shop. She wants to pursue her mother's dream of going to college by joining a prestigious boarding school...but first, she wants to ride a huge 40-foot wave that's on its way. Brady's horrified at the idea and takes a jet ski to find her.
They're swept away and somehow float into the world of Wet Side Story, a 60's beach party film that happens to be Brady's favorite movie. He's thrilled to be among the surfers and bikers who are battling for control of their local hangout Big Mamma's. Super-mature and logical Mack would rather be going home, even after she catches the eye of head surfer Tanner (Clayton) and Brady catches biker girl Lela (Philpps). Trouble is, the two are supposed to fall for each other, then rally the bikers and surfers to take on a pair of mad scientists who have built a laser to change the weather and create another rogue wave. Now Mack and Brady have to try to make the two fall for each other...and teach the groups a lesson in following their heart - if they want to get home.
The Song and Dance: As someone who loves musicals and grew up by the beach, this may be my favorite of the Disney Channel original musicals. The self-reflexive references to beach party and musical cliches reminds me a lot of another Disney musical spoof, Enchanted, although that one brought the musical character to the real world. Lynch and Mitchell had a great time as the duo trying to get home, especially when they're practically singing against their will.
Favorite Number: "Cruisin' for a Bruisin' introduces the biker gang in Wet Side Story and gives Brady a chance to show off how well he knows the film by eagerly joining their intricate choreography. "Boys/Girls Like Me" has the boys at Big Momma's and the girls at a slumber party as they reveal how much romance has changed since 1962. "Falling for Ya" is where everything goes off the ropes as Tanner flirts with Mack and Brady saves Lela. "Meant to Be" has Brady and Mack attempt to shove Tanner and Lela together, with disastrous results. Mack and Brady are so frustrated they're becoming part of the film, they try to talk about it, but "Can't Stop Singing" instead.
Trivia: This is dedicated to original beach babe Annette Funicello, who died in April 2013.
What I Don't Like: Obviously, this is as fluffy as the movies they're making fun of. If you're musical-resistant like Mack or are looking for something more substantial, this won't be for you. It probably helps if you're either into musicals or the real Beach Party movies or are in the 8 - 12 target audience, too.
The Big Finale: If you have surf-crazy pre-teens or are a fan of musicals or the "Beach Party" films yourself, you might get a kick out of this one.
Home Media: As one of the Disney Channel's biggest hits, this is easy to find on streaming and DVD.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Thursday, July 23, 2020
Cult Flops - Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights
Lionsgate/Miramax, 2004
Starring Romola Garai, Diego Luna, Sela Ward, and John Slattery
Directed by Guy Ferland
Music by various
Dirty Dancing was such a hit, there was talk of a sequel or prequel almost as soon as it came out. There was a TV show that revolved around Baby and Johnny's adventures in October 1988, but it didn't make three months. After that, there was lots of talk, but nothing came of it...until the success of Moulin Rouge suddenly made dance musicals viable again. Most of the musical movies released in its wake weren't nearly as successful with critics or audiences, including this one. Why did the story of a teenager who falls for a local during the Cuban Revolution of 1959 fail to resonate with audiences? Let's start with Katey Miller (Garai) and her family as they're arriving in Havana, Cuba to find out...
The Story: Katey is initially upset with the move, as she was in the middle of her senior year of high school and wanted to attend the prestigious Radcliffe College after high school. Her parents and sister may be happy in the expensive hotel where they're staying, but Katey finds the rich American teens who live there to be more stuck-up than friendly. After they insult a local waiter she accidentally ran into, she follows him into the kitchen. The young man's name is Javier (Luna), and he's not too crazy about her at first. She finally wins him over when joins Javier to see revolutionaries playing music in the street. She even convinces her date James (Jonathan Jackson), the son of her father's boss, to come to a Cuban club and check out the much sexier dancing there.
Javier is fired for walking her home after James attacks her outside of the club. Katey hopes to make it up to him by entering them in a dance contest on Christmas Eve. If they win, they'll go on to the finals and earn 5,000 for his family. Katey only has a week to learn how to be an award-winning dancer...and then she has to explain her new passion to her family, and Javier has to explain it to his ardently anti-American brother Carlos (Rene Lavan).
The Song and Dance: Once again, "dance" is the operative word. Even when the movie itself falters, some of the dance numbers soar, especially the two big ones at the contests towards the end. I also give them credit for at least trying for something a little different. I don't know of many musicals set during the Cuban Revolution. Look for Patrick Swayze making a couple of brief appearances as a sympathetic dance teacher who helps Katey with her big routine for the contest.
Favorite Number: Those old revolutionaries really have something going there with their number "Timbason" that brings Katey and Javier together under more auspicious circumstances. Katey and Javier have a great time learning to dance from Johnny and each other in the lively montage to "Do You Wanna Dance." Their two big numbers - at the Christmas Eve contest and the aborted New Year's Eve finals - are well-done, showing all the passion and excitement that the script lacks.
What I Don't Like: The melodrama doesn't work any better than it did in the first film. Almost no one here is actually Cuban, including the location - they filmed in Old San Juan in Puerto Rico. Like the original film, this was also intended to have been a much darker story about a teenager who falls in love with a Cuban revolutionary. Decent dance numbers aside, that probably would have been a lot more interesting than the bland, derivative drama we got here. Katey's parents accept their daughter's interest in the brother of a revolutionary rather quickly, considering the initial fuss they made, too.
The Big Finale: In the end, both movies are too melodramatic to be huge favorites of mine. This one is recommended only for dance nuts or major fans of the first film.
Home Media: Only on DVD and streaming in the US, though they can usually be found for under 10 dollars.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Starring Romola Garai, Diego Luna, Sela Ward, and John Slattery
Directed by Guy Ferland
Music by various
Dirty Dancing was such a hit, there was talk of a sequel or prequel almost as soon as it came out. There was a TV show that revolved around Baby and Johnny's adventures in October 1988, but it didn't make three months. After that, there was lots of talk, but nothing came of it...until the success of Moulin Rouge suddenly made dance musicals viable again. Most of the musical movies released in its wake weren't nearly as successful with critics or audiences, including this one. Why did the story of a teenager who falls for a local during the Cuban Revolution of 1959 fail to resonate with audiences? Let's start with Katey Miller (Garai) and her family as they're arriving in Havana, Cuba to find out...
The Story: Katey is initially upset with the move, as she was in the middle of her senior year of high school and wanted to attend the prestigious Radcliffe College after high school. Her parents and sister may be happy in the expensive hotel where they're staying, but Katey finds the rich American teens who live there to be more stuck-up than friendly. After they insult a local waiter she accidentally ran into, she follows him into the kitchen. The young man's name is Javier (Luna), and he's not too crazy about her at first. She finally wins him over when joins Javier to see revolutionaries playing music in the street. She even convinces her date James (Jonathan Jackson), the son of her father's boss, to come to a Cuban club and check out the much sexier dancing there.
Javier is fired for walking her home after James attacks her outside of the club. Katey hopes to make it up to him by entering them in a dance contest on Christmas Eve. If they win, they'll go on to the finals and earn 5,000 for his family. Katey only has a week to learn how to be an award-winning dancer...and then she has to explain her new passion to her family, and Javier has to explain it to his ardently anti-American brother Carlos (Rene Lavan).
The Song and Dance: Once again, "dance" is the operative word. Even when the movie itself falters, some of the dance numbers soar, especially the two big ones at the contests towards the end. I also give them credit for at least trying for something a little different. I don't know of many musicals set during the Cuban Revolution. Look for Patrick Swayze making a couple of brief appearances as a sympathetic dance teacher who helps Katey with her big routine for the contest.
Favorite Number: Those old revolutionaries really have something going there with their number "Timbason" that brings Katey and Javier together under more auspicious circumstances. Katey and Javier have a great time learning to dance from Johnny and each other in the lively montage to "Do You Wanna Dance." Their two big numbers - at the Christmas Eve contest and the aborted New Year's Eve finals - are well-done, showing all the passion and excitement that the script lacks.
What I Don't Like: The melodrama doesn't work any better than it did in the first film. Almost no one here is actually Cuban, including the location - they filmed in Old San Juan in Puerto Rico. Like the original film, this was also intended to have been a much darker story about a teenager who falls in love with a Cuban revolutionary. Decent dance numbers aside, that probably would have been a lot more interesting than the bland, derivative drama we got here. Katey's parents accept their daughter's interest in the brother of a revolutionary rather quickly, considering the initial fuss they made, too.
The Big Finale: In the end, both movies are too melodramatic to be huge favorites of mine. This one is recommended only for dance nuts or major fans of the first film.
Home Media: Only on DVD and streaming in the US, though they can usually be found for under 10 dollars.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Tuesday, July 21, 2020
Dirty Dancing
Vestron Pictures, 1987
Starring Jennifer Gray, Patrick Swayze, Cynthia Rhodes, and Jerry Orbach
Directed by Emile Ardolino
Music by various
We're staying in the 1980's for our first entry this week. As an 8-year-old in 1987, I fondly remember how big this movie was during late summer and early fall. Everyone talked about it, imitated the dance moves, joined dance classes, and dug out their old rock records from the early 60's. Is it still worthy of the acclaim, or should it be put in a corner? Let's head to a summer resort in New York's Catskills Mountains just as as Frances "Baby" Houseman (Gray) is arriving with her family and find out...
The Story: Baby's on vacation at the resort with Dr. Jake (Orbach) and Marjorie (Kelly Bishop) Houseman and her older sister Lisa (Jane Brucker). She's full of hope and desire to change the world and help people, but she's also bored with her traditional life. She gets a shot in the arm when she sees the handsome Johnny Castle (Swayze) dancing with his partner and good friend Penny (Rhodes) at the resort and is instantly intrigued. When she's recruited to help his cousin Billy (Neal Jones) bring watermelons to the staff's "dirty" dancing party, she runs into him and is instantly smitten, despite dancing awkwardly.
She has to learn about dancing in a hurry Baby discovers Penny's pregnant and can't do a big dance routine at another resort. If she and Johnny don't do that number, they'll lose their jobs. Baby agrees to take her place. In the midst of lessons and attempting lifts in the river, they fall for each other. Baby, however, is afraid of what her father will say when he finds out she's in love with a low-life who is badly regarded my many people at the resort, In the end, Baby discovers that the most important thing anyone can do is to stand up for not only your rights, but for the rights of others to dance in any way they choose.
The Song and Dance: Gray, Swayze, and the music are the things here. Swayze absolutely oozes sexuality as the dance instructor from the streets who's more of a gentleman at heart than many of the smarmy rich boys at the club, while Gray more than matches him as the sheltered teen who learns lessons in more than just dance. The music is an odd mix of classic early 60's rock and extremely late 80's rock, but it somehow works. Orbach also comes off well as Baby's father, who challenges his own prejudices when his beloved daughter falls for a guy from the wrong side of the tracks. The Catskills scenery is a serene and glowing contrast to the occasionally overwrought melodrama. The occasional burst from real-life early 60's DJ "Cousin Brucie" adds a bit of authenticity.
Favorite Number: The Contours' "Do You Love Me?" gives Baby her first glimpse into the world on the other side of the tracks at the staff shows off its slinky moves in the "dirty dancing" party. Many of the scenes of Johnny teaching Baby to dance are iconic today, including sequences done to the 60's romp "Hey Baby" and the 80's fast ballad "Hungry Eyes." "De Todo Un Poco" is the Latin-flavored instrumental tune that provides the backdrop for Johnny and Baby's big dance number at the other resort. Though Baby has a shaky start and isn't confident enough for lifts at that point, they do well enough for it to be a highlight. Johnny and Baby have more fun getting down and sexy with Mickey and Sylvia's playful ballad "Love Is Strange."
The two biggest numbers from this movies were massive blockbusters in their own right. Swayze's intense ballad "She's Like the Wind" underscores Johnny leaving after he's been fired over Baby. The heartfelt and passionate slow song perfectly suits the moment and is probably my favorite number from the film. The climatic "I've Had the Time of My Life" at the talent show is likely the most famous number, as Johnny and Baby consummate their relationship by showing off the number they'd practiced throughout the movie...including that lift...and get the entire resort to join in.
Trivia: The movie is based after screenwriter Eleanor Boardman's real-life experiences with a dance instructor at a Catskills resort in the 60's.
This was one of the first big-screen assignments for Kenny Ortega, who choreographed the dance sequences.
What I Don't Like: While I appreciate that they had the guts to tackle abortion in a movie largely intended for teenagers, that part of the plot comes off as overly earnest and melodramatic. The class prejudice story hasn't always dated that well, either. Not to mention, it sometimes feels like the movie doesn't know what time period it wants to be set in. The songs are good...but the 80's synth-pop sometimes mixes awkwardly with the 60's ballads and dance songs. The men's hair and clothing is pretty accurate for the time. Other than a few fluffy dresses, the women's hair and costumes are definitely more 80's, especially Gray's curly perm.
The Big Finale: Come for the fantastic dance numbers; stay for excellent performances that almost succeed in drowning out the goopy plot.
Home Media: The movie was the first million-seller on video, and its popularity continues into the streaming era. It's easily found on all formats; Amazon Prime currently has it for free with a subscription.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Starring Jennifer Gray, Patrick Swayze, Cynthia Rhodes, and Jerry Orbach
Directed by Emile Ardolino
Music by various
We're staying in the 1980's for our first entry this week. As an 8-year-old in 1987, I fondly remember how big this movie was during late summer and early fall. Everyone talked about it, imitated the dance moves, joined dance classes, and dug out their old rock records from the early 60's. Is it still worthy of the acclaim, or should it be put in a corner? Let's head to a summer resort in New York's Catskills Mountains just as as Frances "Baby" Houseman (Gray) is arriving with her family and find out...
The Story: Baby's on vacation at the resort with Dr. Jake (Orbach) and Marjorie (Kelly Bishop) Houseman and her older sister Lisa (Jane Brucker). She's full of hope and desire to change the world and help people, but she's also bored with her traditional life. She gets a shot in the arm when she sees the handsome Johnny Castle (Swayze) dancing with his partner and good friend Penny (Rhodes) at the resort and is instantly intrigued. When she's recruited to help his cousin Billy (Neal Jones) bring watermelons to the staff's "dirty" dancing party, she runs into him and is instantly smitten, despite dancing awkwardly.
She has to learn about dancing in a hurry Baby discovers Penny's pregnant and can't do a big dance routine at another resort. If she and Johnny don't do that number, they'll lose their jobs. Baby agrees to take her place. In the midst of lessons and attempting lifts in the river, they fall for each other. Baby, however, is afraid of what her father will say when he finds out she's in love with a low-life who is badly regarded my many people at the resort, In the end, Baby discovers that the most important thing anyone can do is to stand up for not only your rights, but for the rights of others to dance in any way they choose.
The Song and Dance: Gray, Swayze, and the music are the things here. Swayze absolutely oozes sexuality as the dance instructor from the streets who's more of a gentleman at heart than many of the smarmy rich boys at the club, while Gray more than matches him as the sheltered teen who learns lessons in more than just dance. The music is an odd mix of classic early 60's rock and extremely late 80's rock, but it somehow works. Orbach also comes off well as Baby's father, who challenges his own prejudices when his beloved daughter falls for a guy from the wrong side of the tracks. The Catskills scenery is a serene and glowing contrast to the occasionally overwrought melodrama. The occasional burst from real-life early 60's DJ "Cousin Brucie" adds a bit of authenticity.
Favorite Number: The Contours' "Do You Love Me?" gives Baby her first glimpse into the world on the other side of the tracks at the staff shows off its slinky moves in the "dirty dancing" party. Many of the scenes of Johnny teaching Baby to dance are iconic today, including sequences done to the 60's romp "Hey Baby" and the 80's fast ballad "Hungry Eyes." "De Todo Un Poco" is the Latin-flavored instrumental tune that provides the backdrop for Johnny and Baby's big dance number at the other resort. Though Baby has a shaky start and isn't confident enough for lifts at that point, they do well enough for it to be a highlight. Johnny and Baby have more fun getting down and sexy with Mickey and Sylvia's playful ballad "Love Is Strange."
The two biggest numbers from this movies were massive blockbusters in their own right. Swayze's intense ballad "She's Like the Wind" underscores Johnny leaving after he's been fired over Baby. The heartfelt and passionate slow song perfectly suits the moment and is probably my favorite number from the film. The climatic "I've Had the Time of My Life" at the talent show is likely the most famous number, as Johnny and Baby consummate their relationship by showing off the number they'd practiced throughout the movie...including that lift...and get the entire resort to join in.
Trivia: The movie is based after screenwriter Eleanor Boardman's real-life experiences with a dance instructor at a Catskills resort in the 60's.
This was one of the first big-screen assignments for Kenny Ortega, who choreographed the dance sequences.
What I Don't Like: While I appreciate that they had the guts to tackle abortion in a movie largely intended for teenagers, that part of the plot comes off as overly earnest and melodramatic. The class prejudice story hasn't always dated that well, either. Not to mention, it sometimes feels like the movie doesn't know what time period it wants to be set in. The songs are good...but the 80's synth-pop sometimes mixes awkwardly with the 60's ballads and dance songs. The men's hair and clothing is pretty accurate for the time. Other than a few fluffy dresses, the women's hair and costumes are definitely more 80's, especially Gray's curly perm.
The Big Finale: Come for the fantastic dance numbers; stay for excellent performances that almost succeed in drowning out the goopy plot.
Home Media: The movie was the first million-seller on video, and its popularity continues into the streaming era. It's easily found on all formats; Amazon Prime currently has it for free with a subscription.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Saturday, July 18, 2020
Animation Celebration Saturday - Oliver & Company
Disney, 1988
Voices of Billy Joel, Joey Lawrence, Dom DeLouise, and Cheech Martin
Directed by George Scribner
Music by various
The Walt Disney Company had a bumpy go of things in the 1980's. Their ambitious animated sword-and-sorcery adventure The Black Cauldron was a huge flop in 1984. The Great Mouse Detective did better two years later, enough for Disney to go ahead with another animal-themed project. Oliver & Company was seen as Disney's attempt to get "hip" with an up-to-date cast, rock (and briefly, rap) music, and a comic action story. How does this 80's spin on the Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist look now? Let's head to the streets of New York City to find out...
The Story: Oliver (Lawrence) is an orphaned kitten making his way on the streets of New York City. He helps scruffy Dodger (Joel) get hot dogs and follows him home when he won't share. Dodger lives in a run-down shack with five other dogs and Fagin (DeLouise), a pickpocket who is in hock to ruthless businessman Sykes (Robert Loggia). Oliver gets in trouble on his first assignment with the gang and ends up in the care of Jenny (Natalie Gregory), a lonely little rich girl. The other dogs want Oliver back, though, and Jenny's pampered poodle Georgette (Bette Midler) is jealous. When Jenny goes after the dogs, she's the one who gets into trouble. It'll take all the effort of Fagin and his pooch friends to save the little girl and their cat buddy.
The Animation: While it retains the sketchy style of the 60's and 70's entries, there's clearly more care put into it. The detailed backgrounds ably shows New York's upper echelons and grimy side with equal vigor. The characters are cartoonier, with the dogs looking at least something like their respective breeds. Real streets were shot, then animated to give a dog's eye view of the city, and some of them were even done in early CGI.
The Song and Dance: Occasionally charming and often very funny, this is one of Disney's more unusual films. Despite the inclusion of several songs and two rock singers in the cast, the emphasis here is on the gags with the dogs trying to steal various odd bits for Fagin and the action, especially in that heart-pounding ending on the Brooklyn Bridge.
Favorite Number: Things kick off well with another rock singer, Huey Lewis, performing "Once Upon a Time In New York City" over a montage of how Oliver started out with other orphan kittens to be given away and ended up in a thunderstorm. Joel's "Why Should I Worry?" was the big one, and is probably still the best-known number from this film today. Dodger takes Oliver on a merry, musical chase over taxi cabs and down city streets as the kitten tries to get his breakfast back. Ralph (dubbed by another rock star, Ruth Pointer of The Pointer Sisters) sings of New York's "Streets of Gold" to Oliver right as he's about to go on his first attempt to pick pockets. Midler is tailor-made for the preening "Perfect Isn't Easy" as Georgette dresses up and sings to her admirers.
Trivia: This was the first fully-animated Disney movie made under the supervision of Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzeburg.
When first pitched in 1985, the film was much darker and grittier, beginning with Sykes' dobermans killing Oliver's parents. Oliver originally wanted revenge, not a family.
What I Don't Like: Most of the movie is one big cliche. Oliver's not terribly interesting beyond his involvement with Jenny and the gang. Jenny is too cutesy and sweet. No wonder Georgette wanted Oliver out. Her big ballad "Good Company" is enough to give you cavities. The action finale is a little too dark for a story that mostly leaned on comedy up until that point. The emphasis on making the story as hip as possible results in a movie that has dated rather badly.
The Big Finale: Not Disney's best by a long-shot, but it has its virtues, including a good cast and some decent songs. Watch with older kids who enjoyed other talking animal tales like Zootopia.
Home Media: This is another late-comer to home video that's now easy to find on disc and streaming.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Voices of Billy Joel, Joey Lawrence, Dom DeLouise, and Cheech Martin
Directed by George Scribner
Music by various
The Walt Disney Company had a bumpy go of things in the 1980's. Their ambitious animated sword-and-sorcery adventure The Black Cauldron was a huge flop in 1984. The Great Mouse Detective did better two years later, enough for Disney to go ahead with another animal-themed project. Oliver & Company was seen as Disney's attempt to get "hip" with an up-to-date cast, rock (and briefly, rap) music, and a comic action story. How does this 80's spin on the Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist look now? Let's head to the streets of New York City to find out...
The Story: Oliver (Lawrence) is an orphaned kitten making his way on the streets of New York City. He helps scruffy Dodger (Joel) get hot dogs and follows him home when he won't share. Dodger lives in a run-down shack with five other dogs and Fagin (DeLouise), a pickpocket who is in hock to ruthless businessman Sykes (Robert Loggia). Oliver gets in trouble on his first assignment with the gang and ends up in the care of Jenny (Natalie Gregory), a lonely little rich girl. The other dogs want Oliver back, though, and Jenny's pampered poodle Georgette (Bette Midler) is jealous. When Jenny goes after the dogs, she's the one who gets into trouble. It'll take all the effort of Fagin and his pooch friends to save the little girl and their cat buddy.
The Animation: While it retains the sketchy style of the 60's and 70's entries, there's clearly more care put into it. The detailed backgrounds ably shows New York's upper echelons and grimy side with equal vigor. The characters are cartoonier, with the dogs looking at least something like their respective breeds. Real streets were shot, then animated to give a dog's eye view of the city, and some of them were even done in early CGI.
The Song and Dance: Occasionally charming and often very funny, this is one of Disney's more unusual films. Despite the inclusion of several songs and two rock singers in the cast, the emphasis here is on the gags with the dogs trying to steal various odd bits for Fagin and the action, especially in that heart-pounding ending on the Brooklyn Bridge.
Favorite Number: Things kick off well with another rock singer, Huey Lewis, performing "Once Upon a Time In New York City" over a montage of how Oliver started out with other orphan kittens to be given away and ended up in a thunderstorm. Joel's "Why Should I Worry?" was the big one, and is probably still the best-known number from this film today. Dodger takes Oliver on a merry, musical chase over taxi cabs and down city streets as the kitten tries to get his breakfast back. Ralph (dubbed by another rock star, Ruth Pointer of The Pointer Sisters) sings of New York's "Streets of Gold" to Oliver right as he's about to go on his first attempt to pick pockets. Midler is tailor-made for the preening "Perfect Isn't Easy" as Georgette dresses up and sings to her admirers.
Trivia: This was the first fully-animated Disney movie made under the supervision of Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzeburg.
When first pitched in 1985, the film was much darker and grittier, beginning with Sykes' dobermans killing Oliver's parents. Oliver originally wanted revenge, not a family.
What I Don't Like: Most of the movie is one big cliche. Oliver's not terribly interesting beyond his involvement with Jenny and the gang. Jenny is too cutesy and sweet. No wonder Georgette wanted Oliver out. Her big ballad "Good Company" is enough to give you cavities. The action finale is a little too dark for a story that mostly leaned on comedy up until that point. The emphasis on making the story as hip as possible results in a movie that has dated rather badly.
The Big Finale: Not Disney's best by a long-shot, but it has its virtues, including a good cast and some decent songs. Watch with older kids who enjoyed other talking animal tales like Zootopia.
Home Media: This is another late-comer to home video that's now easy to find on disc and streaming.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Thursday, July 16, 2020
Royal Wedding
MGM, 1951
Starring Jane Powell, Fred Astaire, Peter Lawford, and Sarah Churchill
Directed by Stanley Donen
Music by Burton Lane; Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner
Powell came into her first adult role at MGM nearly by accident. She replaced Judy Garland, who was still having personal problems, and Judy replaced June Allyson, who got pregnant and dropped out. Stanley Donen replaced Charles Walters after Walters had trouble with Garland. After all that trouble, how does the story of a brother-sister team who fall in love on a trip to England during the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Phillip, Duke of Ediburgh, look now? Let's start on Broadway with the big number from the show Every Night at Seven and find out...
The Story: Brother and sister dance team Tom and Ellen Bowen go over to London with their show just in time for the big wedding, thanks to their fast-talking agent Irving (Keenan Wynn). On the boat over, Ellen meets handsome but broke Sir John Brinsdale (Lawford), who prefers chasing women to settling down. Ellen falls hard for him, but she has a different beau every week. Meanwhile, her brother has his sights set on lovely chorus girl Anne Ashmond (Churchill), but she's engaged to a man in Chicago. Tom turns to the Irving's veddy British twin brother Edgar (Wynn) to find out more about him...and make sure everything turns out right in time for that big wedding!
The Song and Dance: With Donen at the helm, the emphasis is firmly on the "dance" side of things. The wonderful numbers and charming performances by the four leads are the main reason to catch this now. This was Powell's first adult role, and she runs with it, more than matching Astaire in her acting and her dancing ability. Wynn manages to pull off his unusual dual role as the extremely different set of twins equally well, and Albert Sharpe adds authenticity as Sarah's crusty father, the owner of a local pub.
Favorite Number: "Every Night at Seven" is the title number of Tom and Ellen's show-within-a-show, the whimsical story of a prince who falls for a maid. He and Powell also get my favorite number from this, playing street toughs whose relationship has soured in "How Could You Believe Me When You Said I Loved You When You Knew I'd Been a Liar All My Life?" (Yes, the title is that long.) Powell sings "Open Your Eyes," but their dance winds up being more complicated than they thought when the ocean liner hits a storm and keeps rolling. Powell's big solo is the lovely Oscar-nominated ballad "Too Late Now."
Astaire gets three of his most famous solos here. He dances with a hat rack in a gym in "Sunday Jumps" while waiting for Powell to appear. "You're All the World to Me" has Astaire so thrilled with his feelings for Churchill that he's literally dancing on the ceiling of his hotel room. "I Left My Hat In Haiti" is a more traditional chorus number that has Astaire pursuing a beauty and his chapeau amid the colorful citizens of the Caribbean.
Trivia: The story was inspired by Astaire's relationship with his sister Adele in the 20's and 30's. They really were a popular dancing team who broke up when she married a duke.
So, how did they pull off "All the World to Me?" The room was actually a barrel. The camera and its operator were mounted to an ironing board that could move along with the room.
Sarah Churchill was the daughter of British prime minister Winston Churchill.
What I Don't Like: This is about as fluffy a story as you can get...and ironically, other than the pub and a couple of actors, there's not really much British flavor. It was filmed in its entirety in Hollywood. The emphasis on Princess Elizabeth's wedding also very much dates it to the late 40's-early 50's.
The Big Finale: A charmer with some lovely performances; worth seeing for the delightful musical numbers alone.
Home Media: It's in the public domain, so you can pretty much pick it up anywhere, usually for under 10 dollars.
DVD
Tubi
Starring Jane Powell, Fred Astaire, Peter Lawford, and Sarah Churchill
Directed by Stanley Donen
Music by Burton Lane; Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner
Powell came into her first adult role at MGM nearly by accident. She replaced Judy Garland, who was still having personal problems, and Judy replaced June Allyson, who got pregnant and dropped out. Stanley Donen replaced Charles Walters after Walters had trouble with Garland. After all that trouble, how does the story of a brother-sister team who fall in love on a trip to England during the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Phillip, Duke of Ediburgh, look now? Let's start on Broadway with the big number from the show Every Night at Seven and find out...
The Story: Brother and sister dance team Tom and Ellen Bowen go over to London with their show just in time for the big wedding, thanks to their fast-talking agent Irving (Keenan Wynn). On the boat over, Ellen meets handsome but broke Sir John Brinsdale (Lawford), who prefers chasing women to settling down. Ellen falls hard for him, but she has a different beau every week. Meanwhile, her brother has his sights set on lovely chorus girl Anne Ashmond (Churchill), but she's engaged to a man in Chicago. Tom turns to the Irving's veddy British twin brother Edgar (Wynn) to find out more about him...and make sure everything turns out right in time for that big wedding!
The Song and Dance: With Donen at the helm, the emphasis is firmly on the "dance" side of things. The wonderful numbers and charming performances by the four leads are the main reason to catch this now. This was Powell's first adult role, and she runs with it, more than matching Astaire in her acting and her dancing ability. Wynn manages to pull off his unusual dual role as the extremely different set of twins equally well, and Albert Sharpe adds authenticity as Sarah's crusty father, the owner of a local pub.
Favorite Number: "Every Night at Seven" is the title number of Tom and Ellen's show-within-a-show, the whimsical story of a prince who falls for a maid. He and Powell also get my favorite number from this, playing street toughs whose relationship has soured in "How Could You Believe Me When You Said I Loved You When You Knew I'd Been a Liar All My Life?" (Yes, the title is that long.) Powell sings "Open Your Eyes," but their dance winds up being more complicated than they thought when the ocean liner hits a storm and keeps rolling. Powell's big solo is the lovely Oscar-nominated ballad "Too Late Now."
Astaire gets three of his most famous solos here. He dances with a hat rack in a gym in "Sunday Jumps" while waiting for Powell to appear. "You're All the World to Me" has Astaire so thrilled with his feelings for Churchill that he's literally dancing on the ceiling of his hotel room. "I Left My Hat In Haiti" is a more traditional chorus number that has Astaire pursuing a beauty and his chapeau amid the colorful citizens of the Caribbean.
Trivia: The story was inspired by Astaire's relationship with his sister Adele in the 20's and 30's. They really were a popular dancing team who broke up when she married a duke.
So, how did they pull off "All the World to Me?" The room was actually a barrel. The camera and its operator were mounted to an ironing board that could move along with the room.
Sarah Churchill was the daughter of British prime minister Winston Churchill.
What I Don't Like: This is about as fluffy a story as you can get...and ironically, other than the pub and a couple of actors, there's not really much British flavor. It was filmed in its entirety in Hollywood. The emphasis on Princess Elizabeth's wedding also very much dates it to the late 40's-early 50's.
The Big Finale: A charmer with some lovely performances; worth seeing for the delightful musical numbers alone.
Home Media: It's in the public domain, so you can pretty much pick it up anywhere, usually for under 10 dollars.
DVD
Tubi
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