worst movie musical- Page 5

[LittlexFallxOfxRain]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 2:27pm

CHICAGO.

Always and forever, the worst movie musical and the worst movie ever made. Badly cast, badly directed, an atrocity from beginning to end.

Really? I respect your opinion but I really enjoyed Chicago. I thought that they kept the feel of the era, the cast did a great job on the characters and the musical numbers were fantastic. I particularly loved "We Both Reached for the Gun". Chicago is a very hard musical to translate to film, and I thought that their version was incredible.

As for High School Musical...GIVE IT A BREAK. It appeals to children, it's cute and it's a phenomenon among what...8 year olds? My neices are in love with it, as well as all of their friends. Sure it's not incredible but It wasn't one of the worst of all time. Updated On: 3/7/08 at 02:27 PM

[BDrischBDemented]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 2:30pm

leefowler, I've totally heard of "The Apple". I own it on DVD. It's such an amazingly bad experience, but at about halfway through it becomes so legitimately bad that I have a hard time appreciating its camp value.

I also must speak out in defense of "Shock Treatment". It's no amazing movie, but it has some great songs and actually has a pretty great idea for the plot, in all fairness. I think it would have been a better movie as "The Brad and Janet Show", maybe, but I still enjoy it.

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 2:37pm

""Guys and Dolls" on the whole wasn't bad, but Brando's performance is surely up there with the worst musical performances ever (yes, I said it)."

I think you are being too kind. It's far from the worst movie musical, but it is the movie musical that irritates me the most. Sinatra even seems completely bored for Sinatra. The only redeeming quality for me is Stubby Kaye and maybe Vivian Blaine. The Hot Box numbers being exchanged for substandard numbers is another reason for my dislike of this movie.

[snl89]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 2:47pm

CHICAGO.

Always and forever, the worst movie musical and the worst movie ever made. Badly cast, badly directed, an atrocity from beginning to end.

WOW. Roscoe, clearly you and I have utterly different taste in musicals haha. I think Chicago is probably THE best movie musical as of yet. It's the only one where I really didn't feel like it was choppy or flawed at all. I thought it was brilliantly directed, brilliantly designed (as far as cinematography and all that), and brilliantly acted. (This was the movie that instantaniously made me a diehard fan of Catherine Zeta-Jones haha. I thought she was AMAZING)

but, you know, to each his own!



I don't really feel like I can rightfully make a list of my own for this thread, because I havn't really seen a lot of the classic movie musicals, and all the ones I have seen, I've liked a lot. I've seen pretty much all of the RECENT movie musicals, and I've highly enjoyed all of them as well, though, as I said, I felt like Chicago was the only one that never had ANY slightly choppy/imperfect moments.

See, I think the problem is that I'm quite picky and I generally just won't watch a movie if I don't think I'll like it haha. I've happened to like all the recent movie musicals, but as far as the classics go, if it's not something I've heard of an am actually interested in, I just wont watch it. Which.. I might be missing out that way, but, I can't help it- that's the way I am! lol

Updated On: 3/7/08 at 02:47 PM

[Roscoe]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 3:07pm

It is my opinion that Chicago is quite simply the worst film ever made. What few virtues the film possesses (a good score, a good plot, some adequate performances) are completely overwhelmed by the sheer awfulness of the execution. Even such classic howlers as Showgirls and Plan Nine From Outer Space are classics of cinema compared with this hyper-caffeinated load of garbage.

The device of having musical numbers take place as Roxie's fantasies is interesting on paper but badly carried out. I don't think it works. Similar devices have been used effectively before, in Pennies From Heaven and All That Jazz, but it is worth remembering that those films were conceived with those devices in mind, as being integral parts of the films/TV series. Chicago grafts this device onto an already existing piece of material, and does a bad job of it. The film spends so much time getting in and out of Roxie's fantasies that it can't work up urgency in the plot, or generate any sexual tension.

The camera work and editing are a mess. The dances are cut to shreds, and the choreography vanishes in a flurry of quick cuts to bizarre camera angles and hand held shots. It starts to look like The Blair Witch Musical after a while.

As for the performances, I can't say I was terribly impressed with anyone. Catherine Zeta Jones shakes her ass, waggles her shoulders, drags on cigarettes, widens her eyes at strategic moments, and gets an Oscar. Renee Zellweger tries her best, but doesn't make much of an impression. Richard Gere smirks his way through the film, which is sort of in character, but his alleged singing only gets worse on repeat viewings. I have to say that I was astonished by the lack of charisma exhibited by Queen Latifah. In other films she is a vibrant and attractive actress, with great energy and intelligence, to say nothing of incredbile sexual energy. I can't imagine what Rob Marshall must have done to get her to deliver the tired by-the-numbers work she does here.

All in all, a travesty.

[sparkleplenty]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 4:01pm

Meet Me in St. Louis!!! Easter Parade!!! These are wonderful, classic musicals. If you don't like these one must question do you like some of the most talented performers ever - Judy Garland Fred Astaire Ann Miller? Both have great songs and in Parade wonderful dance numbers.

bad musicals: Mame, The Wiz, A Little Night Music come to mind.
Loved the musical versions on Broadway (well, Mame and Night Music anyway)

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 7:04pm

Worst - Moulin Rouge

Dishonorable mentions - Annie, Jesus Christ Superstar, A Chorus Line, Brigadoon, My Fair Lady, A Little Night Music, Song of Norway, Funny Face.

[LePetiteFromage]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 7:09pm

Updated On: 5/8/09 at 07:09 PM

[madame_no]

Posted: 3/10/08 at 12:21pm

Rent was just... *sigh* Its not terrible, but so many of the choices they made were just bad.

Hello Dolly has already been discussed.

I have to defend Grease 2. I think that if it had been made in any other decade, it would have been unforgivable. But its so 80's. And as a lover of all things 80's, I find it horrifically endearing. Plus, few things in this world make me laugh harder than Adrian Zmed's high note as he slides down the lane in "Score Tonight".

[Roscoe]

Posted: 3/10/08 at 12:40pm

RENT was pretty horrific, not least for Adam Pascal's somnambulent performance and that inane haircut. It did at least hit levels of sheer filmmaking competence that Rob Marshall cannot approach. But Chris Columbus can't help but sanitize anything he comes across. And that opening, where Collins escapes from muggers by running INTO a dark alley is the stupidest thing in recent movies.

[TheatreFan71]

Posted: 3/10/08 at 2:51pm

Have you guys forgot "Popeye"? Great cast, HORRIBLE songs. The chorus to one of Olive Oyl's songs are: He needs me (REPEATED 6 TIMES!!!) The most unmusical musical of all time in my opinion. But I think the casting was brilliant.

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 3/10/08 at 3:14pm

That would be - "Have you guys forgotten Popeye?" Yes, I had forgotten it. You're right, it's awful. Not as awful as Moulin Rouge, but pretty awful.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 3/10/08 at 3:26pm

Yeah, but POPEYE at least has a couple of things to recommend it, like a couple of glimpses of the sublime Bill Irwin and some pretty cool art direction. CHICAGO is a monstrous abortion in every way imaginable.

[oohshizz146]

Posted: 3/10/08 at 4:59pm

A CHORUS LINE! I wanted to cry it was so bad!

[jondouglas]

Posted: 3/10/08 at 5:21pm

Roscoe, you are more bitter than usual. Did you want to audition for the film of "Chicago" and were rejected? Is that where all of your anger is coming from?

If you think that you can do it better.....remaking the film, that is......please do so.

[nealb1]

Posted: 3/10/08 at 5:27pm

Yeah, I gotta agree with Jon Doulgas on that - chill out Roscoe.

Saw "At Long Last Love" this weekend at The Castro Theatre in San Fran. I have the film on dvd. I bought it on ebay, and it's a pirated version as it's never been commercially released on video or dvd. It was an edited print. 3 musical numbers and various scenes were missing. But, there was a musical number that isn't on my longer version dvd, of the film. It was a song that Cybil S & Eileen B sing as they are leaving the race tracks about etiquette.

The film is beautiful to look at - the crispness of the costumes, the stunning art direction, beautiful cinematography and the look of the film. Parts of the movie are very good, then there are other parts that just don't work.

It was a fun experience and I completely enjoyed myself. No where near as bad as it's been called for all of these years.