25 Best MOVIE Musicals-- per Entertainment Weekly

[jpbran]

Posted: 12/10/07 at 3:51pm

I think this is new... It's featured on their homepage, but I don't know if it's old news.

http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/1,,20041669_20041686_20164491,00.html

Discuss.
Updated On: 12/10/07 at 03:51 PM

[The Boy From Ohio]

Posted: 12/10/07 at 3:59pm

How does Dreamgirls not make the list?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 12/10/07 at 4:02pm

Looks new- they mention the Sweeney Todd Movie.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 12/10/07 at 4:02pm

Probably heresy to say so, but I would remove The Band Wagon, On the Town or American In Paris and add Oliver. (I like those films, but have never quite loved them as others do. I always want to like The Band Wagon more than I do, On the Town is fun but replaces great Bernstein songs with less effective Roger Edens songs, and American in Paris is a bit too arty for its own good).

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 12/10/07 at 4:04pm

Eh. Not one surprise. Where's HEDWIG or PENNIES FROM HEAVEN or even THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG, for Godsake!

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 12/10/07 at 4:05pm

Where the hell is 1776??

[Unknown User]

Posted: 12/10/07 at 4:08pm

Certainly a credible list- a couple goofy picks but all in all....

And personally I LOVE the Bandwagon!!!!

[deadparrot]

Posted: 12/10/07 at 4:08pm

I'm pretty sure that, outside of my family, I'm the only person in the world who avidly dislikes SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS.

[best12bars]

Posted: 12/10/07 at 4:34pm

The Sound of Music and Chicago are way too low on that list. No Dreamgirls or Moulin Rouge!

Once? No. Not ahead of Oliver and many others.

Still... I can't argue with their #1!

[BroadwayPer4mer03]

Posted: 12/10/07 at 4:43pm

I find it incredibly disturbing that "Hairspray" ranked higher than The Sound of Music among other MUCH more-deserving films some of which were overlooked completely! The minute I saw Hairspray on that list, I prayed that EW would completely lose their minds and include "The Producers" or "Rent"...luckily that got SOMETHING RIGHT.

[broadwaybaby086]

Posted: 12/10/07 at 4:43pm

Um...Southpark above Chicago and the Sound of Music? I have to disagree.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 12/10/07 at 4:45pm

Deadparrot, SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS sucks arse.

[me2]

Posted: 12/10/07 at 4:49pm

By nature, it's not going to cover everyone's list. I would hardly agree with WIZARD OF OZ or WEST SIDE STORY, but it's one person (or group of people's list).

Same with SINGIN' IN THE RAIN. It's a great movie, no doubt, but when you look at what a musical does and how it does it . . . Not really a great MUSICAL.
http://broadwaymouth.blogspot.com/

[best12bars]

Posted: 12/10/07 at 4:51pm

Mine would be something like this (give or take a few):

1. The Wizard of Oz
2. The Sound of Music
3. Singin' in the Rain
4. Mary Poppins
5. West Side Story
6. Oliver!
7. An American in Paris
8. The King & I
9. The Music Man
10. My Fair Lady
11. Cabaret
12. Moulin Rouge!
13. Gigi
14. Sweet Charity
15. Chicago
16. Funny Girl
17. Funny Face
18. Hello, Dolly!
19. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
20. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
21. Scrooge
22. The Band Wagon
23. Royal Wedding
24. Doctor Doolittle
25. Babes In Arms

[jpbran]

Posted: 12/10/07 at 5:12pm

I agree that it's strange that Hedwig and Dreamgirls aren't on there.
(Though I still stand by my earlier assertion that Dreamgirls seemed almost embarassed to be a musical, saving the first "musical" scene -- non-"performance"-scene-- until the middle of the movie...)

And where's Little Shop of Horrors???

[tazber]

Posted: 12/10/07 at 5:17pm

No love for Tommy?

[jv92]

Posted: 12/10/07 at 5:28pm

I disagree with their #1 slot, The Wizard of Oz. I would put Cabaret in that spot. How the hell does South Park get #8. It'd certainly make my list, but not #8. Yay for Love me Tonight! Boo for On the Town! (It butchers a great score and sanitizes a wonderful lyric) Boo for Grease, but at least it wasn't in the top 5. Chicago, #17? Jesus! It should be at least 6 or 7. Beauty and the Beast should also be higher up on the list. That's about all.

[jpbran]

Posted: 12/10/07 at 5:34pm

I absolutely LOVE Cabaret, but that's a movie that 98% of the time isn't a musical as most of the "book songs" were cut or made instrumental.

Not to drag it down to their depths, but like things like Flashdance, Dirty Dancing, and Footloose -- all movies shoved into the Musical category by stores, etc. -- are in the same boat. Just because a movie's in a musical setting and includes the characters performing on stage (usually as their "hobby" or profession), doesn't make it a full-fledged MUSICAL movie.

That said, Cabaret is in my top 10 MOVIES of all time, but I still only think of it "sort of" as a musical.

NOTE: I also agree with the above comment about #1. It may be a "favorite" musical, but I wouldn't say "the #1 best."
Updated On: 12/10/07 at 05:34 PM

[bwayguy22089]

Posted: 12/10/07 at 5:51pm

I think they mean musical movies. I agree with a great deal of the list. There are a few weird ones in there though lol. I do agree with The Wizard of Oz and West Side Story as 1st and 2nd place. They are def. the most beloved.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 12/10/07 at 6:06pm

"I find it incredibly disturbing that "Hairspray" ranked higher than The Sound of Music among other MUCH more-deserving films some of which were overlooked completely! The minute I saw Hairspray on that list, I prayed that EW would completely lose their minds and include "The Producers" or "Rent"...luckily that got SOMETHING RIGHT."

Actually, Rent got an A- in Entertainment Weekly so I have no doubt that it was probably thrown out for consideration.

[luvcaroline]

Posted: 12/10/07 at 6:09pm

jv92, I agree 100% about Cabaret, the greatest film of all time, being #1 here. I definitely think that they went with the sentimental choice, and I certainly can't quibble with that.

I have no qualms at all with calling Cabaret a full-fledged musical, even though all but one of the book songs were cut out (the one that made it was the chilling "Tomorrow Belongs to Me.") The way that the songs from the cabaret were incorporated was ingenious. Even though they were done "on a stage," they clearly moved the story along.

The 2 biggest omissions for me are Little Shop (which should be about 7) and Fiddler on the Roof (about 14).

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 12/10/07 at 6:17pm

Add me to those who totally agree with THE WIZARD OF OZ and WEST SIDE STORY being #1 and #2.

And I also miss HEDWIG, 1776, OLIVER!, SWEET CHARITY, LITTLE SHOP and DREAMGIRLS.

[jpbran]

Posted: 12/10/07 at 6:23pm

"I think they mean musical movies."

Not sure about that... If that were true, I think the list would include more "sorta" musicals, other than just Cabaret.

[LuvUrBatBoy]

Posted: 12/10/07 at 7:55pm

yeah I gagged when I saw Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. The only musical I turned off sooner was A Chorus Line (which THANK GOD wasnt included.)

That being said, where was Gypsy?! And I realize that Beauty and the Beast was nominated for an oscar, but had The Little Mermaid not been such a huge commercial success, there would have been no Beauty and the Beast.

[americanboy99]

Posted: 12/10/07 at 8:14pm

SOUND OF MUSIC is way too low.

HAIRSPRAY better than CHICAGO? I would have to disagree.

Some very, very wacky picks.