Worst movie musical- Page 2

[NYC4Life]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 12:51pm

"OMG! How could you say MOULIN ROUGE is a mess?! That movie is so amazing!!"

I have tried and tried to understand what people see in it, but the more and more i watched the more and more i was turned off. For one it was hard for me to lisen to Ms. Kidman. I am also not a fan of ewans voice. I thought the songs lyrics did not do anything for the plot and most of the times did not go with the ideas and actions the characters were speaking of before and after. Not my cup of tea. I prefer subtlety and alot of the dialogue was lost in the chaos of the "cinematography". In the end i felt dizzy. Just an opinion, alot of people love it and i respect that, if it moves someone that is all that matters.

[cpnchicago]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 12:54pm

ANNIE
That whole helicopter thing at the end. Aargh.

[Color and Light]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 12:54pm

A Little Night Music. It pains me that one of my favorite musicals had one of the worst movie adaptions ever.

[theatahguy]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 12:55pm

Oh crap--I just read that we're talking about a movie that started on stage. So, scrap Summer Stock (even tho it still is awful).

My vote then goes to Man of La Mancha, followed closely by Mame & On the Town....tho I *REALLY* love the latter two. Guilty pleasures, I suppose.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 12:58pm

I like ON THE TOWN and love SUMMER STOCK.

MY FAIR LADY? It's one of the best movie musicals ever - you've got to be kidding me.

[theatahguy]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 1:03pm

Oh, I love On the Town too--but as an adaptation of the show, not so great.

Ugh, I dont know--Summer Stock just DID NOT do it for me in any way.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 1:07pm

There were many film versions of hit shows done in the 1930s and 1940s where you wonder why they even bothered buyin the rights to the show only to eliminate the story and most of the songs.

ANYTHING GOES - the 1936 film keps Ethel Merman but reduces her character's role to a virtual cameo. The only songs that survive are "I get a kick out of you" (in a wildly overproduced production number) and "You're the Top" (reduced to one verse with altered lyrics.)

As for the title song, Merman sings the first lines at the top of the film reaching "Anything Goes" as the title appears on screen leading into the credits. (The TV version is retitled TOPS IS THE LIMIT so as she sings "Anything Goes" that title is superimposed over a still from the show's finale...which is very weird to see.) but that is the ONLY time we hear the title song. There's no "All Though the Night", no "Be Like the Bluebird" and no "Blow Gabriel Blow."

The film was not a success so Paramount remade it 20 years later. This time they wrote a new (and rather silly) plot that two musical comedy stars each signing a different leading lady while traveling in Europe (Isn't it the Producer's job to do that???) and they have to sort it out on the ship coming home. AT least this film kept 5 original songs (Anything Goes, I Get a Kick Out f You, You're the Top, All through the Night, and Blow Gabriel Blow) added Porter's It's Delovely (from RED HOT AND BLUE - the one interpolation that works and the song is now usually added to the show on stage) and three new (forgettable) songs by Van Heusen and Cahn. This film just came out on DVD last year. The 1936 film has not been re-released.

[JoeM]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 1:08pm

The film verson of The Fantastics is unwatchable. (Loved "Summer Stock", btw). They ruined Annie, La Mancha, Chorus Line. Hoping Dreamgirls is good.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 1:09pm

munkustrap178 and tkts: I've seen quite a few movie musicals, thanks, and I'm not 14. I just think Phantom was an absolute debacle, screwing with the story, and featuring a cast without one ounce of talent (excluding Patrick Wilson, whose talent was negated by his blandness, and Margaret Preace.) I didn't list RENT, I only said that it had problems.

cpnchicago: Oh yeah, I forgot about the helicopter scene...

Can't believe someone actually listed West Side Story.

Moulin Rouge wasn't bad, but I die a little inside everytime someone says it's one of their favorite musicals.

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 1:23pm

Well, MY FAIR LADY was the first show I ever saw (the original London cast), and the movie, by comparison, just stinks. Where the show was lively and electric, the film just meanders along at a snails pace, with no life and no heart. Also, it's a film, and it's barely cinematic, in any way. I hate it. What's so great about it?
Updated On: 6/14/06 at 01:23 PM

[Aaron27]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 1:28pm

-Phantom...horrendous to sit through. BUt then again so is the musical
-A Chorus Line
-Annie...I can deal with the helicopter but adding the character of Punjab? What's the point.
-Forum
-Carousel
-Jesus Christ Superstar...I can't bring myself to sit through all of it

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 1:36pm

What's so bad about Carousel? I was considering renting it sometime, but if I shouldn't bother...

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 1:41pm

While I have some issues with CAROUSEL, I really love Shirley Jones in it, and the score is wonderful. I recommend it.
Updated On: 6/14/06 at 01:41 PM

[Weez]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 1:43pm

I quite liked the movie of Carousel, but some part of me is thinking "so the moral of the story is 'women! Don't complain when your husband beats you! If it hurts, that's because you don't love him enough, so you deserve it! I suppose!'. WTF?!".

I couldn't abide Annie. I thought The Producers was mostly fine; the two weak links were Susan Stroman (the whole thing was too stagey for a movie adaptation) and Uma Thurman (now Ulla belt my ARSE). I thought Phantom was an okay movie, but it felt like I was watching understudies the whole time. O_o

[Papa_Burgundy_NY]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 1:47pm

umm...
I tried hard not to fall asleep while watching Moulin Rouge, but I did. The costumes and cinematography was interesting, but everything else was too over the top for me.

I love Kiss Me, Kate, but sometimes it just gets on my nerves how the lyrics had to be changed, and it lacks a certain energy in the film. I know why they had to change the lyrics, but I just prefer the stage version. I don't like Brigadoon, either. I agree that Uma can't sing...couldn't they get someone to sing it for her, at least? Let's not kid ourselves, she was pretty bad.

[Enjolras77]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 1:51pm

Carousel is a wonderful movie musical. Originally supposed to star Frank Sinatra, Gordon McRae does an admirable job as Billy. It is one of my favorites.

My Fair Lady is also a classic.

In the category of worst I would have to say A Chorus Line and Godspell.

Forum is alright, but I hate that they had to cut so much. Also a lot of the camera work is odd.

I am also not a big fan of Jesus Christ Superstar because of the artistic choices made (I would rather it just be cut and dry and not have all the tanks and guns, etc.) but I know that it is respected by a lot of people for BEING artistic.

I think The Fantasticks as a movie works ok. Although as a fan of the show I hated to see "It Depends on What You Pay" cut and all of the additional orchestrations and scenic elements added in. However, if you are going to have a film version of this intimate no-frills show then you have to have those things. I am on the fence about this one...

[once a month]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 1:55pm

HOW is it possible that everyone missed MAME with Lucille Ball??
The Wiz was also horrendous.
Man of La Mancha also ranks as pretty rank!

At least Chorus Line, as bad as it was, had a cool beginning and thrilling finale. I'm also surprised at the venom toward the Phantom and Rent movies. Saw both original casts on Broadway, and I enjoyed both movies as if they were new to me.

[philcrosby]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 1:55pm

MAME, although I have to admit I am fascinated by its awfulness. It's like watching a car crash in slow motion over and over again.

A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC is close, though Diana Rigg's perforamnce in it is brilliant.

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA was definite disappointment and needn't have been.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 2:02pm

"MAME, although I have to admit I am fascinated by its awfulness. It's like watching a car crash in slow motion over and over again."
Same here

and
Man of La Mancha
Moulin Rouge
RENT

[best12bars]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 2:03pm

For Broadway musicals turned into films, the winners in the "worst" category are:

The Wiz
A Chorus Line

Runners up:

Mame
Annie
Man of La Mancha

Honorable mentions:

Phantom of the Opera
A Little Night Music

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 2:04pm

I don't think MAME is as horrible as people like to say it is. Although, it doesn't compare to what the stage show was. I thought THE WIZ was the worst show I had ever seen, at the time, so the film stinking meant little to me.

[JoeM]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 2:07pm

Add Phantom & Mame for me too.

Suggested new lyrics for "It's Today"

"Light the candles,
Get the ice out,
Blow my bugle,
It's too gay!"

[Wax Lion]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 2:12pm

Wax Lion thought that RENT was a gosh darn good movie, despite its flaws.

Love,
Wax Lion

[FranklinShepard-Inc.]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 2:32pm

Well, as I said, My fair Lady sure is a classic, but as someone already said, it never really has the spark of a live version. It is long and very epic, and I like the show a lot - and a good part of the movie as well. It is just that they could've cut down a bit of it and it would have worked better.

I liked Rent and The Producers. They sure are no classics but in a way entertaining and moving.

[MusicAndPassion]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 2:37pm

I've crapped better movies than the "Guys & Dolls" movie.