Two 2007 Movie Musicals You Haven't Heard About

With 2007 being a strong year and attention-grabber for the movie musical genre, I wanted to draw your attention to two other films to add to your list to check out.

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE
COLMA - THE MUSICAL*
ENCHANTED
HAIRSPRAY
ONCE
ROMANCE & CIGARETTES*
SWEENEY TODD

COLMA - THE MUSICAL
In the town of Colma, just south of San Francisco, the dead outnumber the living one thousand to one. Here, one wouldn't expect teenagers to burst out in song, or dance around cemeteries and streets. But, that's exactly what happens. Best pals Rodel, Billy, and Maribel find themselves in a state of limbo; fresh out of high school, they are just beginning to explore a new world of part-time mall jobs and crashing college parties. As newfound revelations and romances challenge their relationships with one another and their parents, the trio must assess what to hold onto, and how to best follow their dreams. It's a love song to the city, and to the residents who dream of a better (and more musical) life.

ROMANCE & CIGARETTES (new to U.S.)
Romance and Cigarettes is a down-and-dirty musical love story set in the world of the working class. Nick (James Gandolfini) is an ironworker who builds and repairs bridges. He's married to Kitty (Susan Sarandon), a dressmaker, a strong and gentle woman with whom he has three daughters. He is carrying on a torrid affair with a redheaded woman named Tula (Kate Winslet). Nick is basically a good, hardworking man driven forward by will and blinded by his urges. Like Oedipus at Colonus, he is sent into exile and searches to find his way back through the damage he has done. In an imaginative, humorous, and touching way, Romance and Cigarettes explores the cost and value of a relationship through life and death. When the characters can no longer express themselves with language, they break into song, lip-synching the tunes lodged in their subconscious. It is their way to escape the harsh reality of their world - to dream, to remember, and to connect to another human being.

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I think you are referring to "Coffee and Cigarettes" made in 2003. "Romance and Cigarettes" came out in 2007.

Colma was a decent musical, with characters one could relate to. And I give it kudos for being an original piece.

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And has anyone actually seen it? It must have been released to about three cinemas for a day.

The reason no one has seen ROMANCE & CIGARETTES is because it got lost in Hollywood bureaucracy. It was indeed filmed in 2005 but it wasn't released until 2007 in a theatre in New York. It had to be distributed by its own director. It will be released on DVD though. Here's an article that explains it all, it's a rather sad story. I'm not a fan of the film but I do wish people had the chance to actually see it and judge for themselves.

With strong leads and a supporting cast that includes Christopher Walken, Mary-Louise Parker and Elaine Stritch, Mr. Turturro persuaded Bingham Ray, then president of the United Artists specialty-film unit of MGM, to put up $4.5 million for the rights to North America and several other foreign territories. (“He pitched it as ‘The Honeymooners’ meets ‘The Singing Detective,’ ” Mr. Ray said.)

That commitment enabled Mr. Turturro to raise $4 million in private equity and an equal amount from Mel Gibson’s Icon Productions for the remaining overseas rights. He had been ready to roll in 2003, but delayed the shoot for more than a year until Mr. Gandolfini had finished shooting a season of “The Sopranos.”

Mr. Turturro faced his first major obstacle in January 2004, when Mr. Ray stepped down in a studio shake-up. “I thought the film might fall apart,” Mr. Turturro said, but MGM kept the project on track. While Mr. Turturro edited, his mother, Katherine Turturro, had a heart attack. She was the model for Ms. Sarandon’s character and had appeared in a scene with her. “John was devastated,” said his wife, the actress Katherine Borowitz.

Based on enthusiastic screenings — according to Mr. Turturro, 70 percent of the rough-cut test audience indicated it would recommend the movie — “Romance” was slated for a summer 2005 release in more than 500 theaters. That spring, however, MGM was bought by a consortium headed by Sony. “Romance” was one of four United Artists films orphaned in the acquisition. Two of them — “Art School Confidential” and “Capote” — found homes at Sony Pictures Classics, the studio’s specialized-film unit. A thriller, “The Woods,” went straight to DVD.

“Romance” faced the same fate. Though Sony executives never actually tested the film, they concluded the movie had limited commercial appeal. “Sony wouldn’t sink any money into prints and advertising,” Joel Coen said.
Rest of the Article

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I just saw Colma on dvd this past weekend. It's really something different for musical lovers. The songs are great, pop oriented, and infectious.

The only thing I didn't like was the many "inside" references to the San Francisco suburbs (of which Colma is one).

Still, I highly reccomend it.

I've tried finding a partner to help run the website, however there have been no suitable takers.

My time has become increasingly limited to maintain it by myself.

It's unfortunate, but it seems as if it will just die out.

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ROMANCE & CIGARETTES is indeed expected to arrive on DVD, though with all the issues associated with it, I wouldn't hold my breath until I see it in Best Buy.
It's surprising that a film featuring A-listers like Susan Sarandon and Kate Winslet can't find a distributor.

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