I've found that, to the best of my knowledge, there really isn't a genre of movie I don't like or, at the very least, appreciate to some degree. There are some genres that I enjoy with more frequency than others. I'm typically drawn to comedies or action films. But I also like dramas, romantic movies, classics, foreign films, silent movies, science fiction, and period pieces.
There are two types of films that even though I enjoy and have a deep admiration for them, I have to be in the right mood to watch them. I thought I'd focus on these over the next couple of weeks.
This week, I wanted to focus on the musical. I really love the idea of people randomly bursting into song for no apparent reason, often accompanied by dancing. It doesn't happen in real life, as much as I occasionally try--just to keep those around me on their toes. But because of that whole suspension of disbelief thing, I don't find myself watching them as often as I might watch... let's say a 007 thriller. With the possible exception of The Blues Brothers (which most people don't actually consider to be a musical anyway), as I said, I have to be in the right mood.
During Hollywood's "Golden Age," musicals were a lot more common than they are today. So many performers at that time were not just good actors, but they could sing and dance as well. Today, when a musical comes along, the actors make a point of doing their own singing and dancing often going through months of rigorous training to pull it off and make us say things like, "Wow! I didn't know Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone could sing and dance!" (Gosling also learned how to play the piano for La La Land, but who's keeping track?)
I've also noticed over the last couple of decades, a lot of non-musical films being adapted into stage musicals, frequently on Broadway--some of them later adapted again into musical movies. As much as I enjoyed the movie Legally Blonde, did we really need a musical adaptation of it? I think the one that finally put me over the edge was Evil Dead: The Musical. (And no, I'm not making that up!)
This got me thinking about Hollywood movies that should be turned into musicals. Can you imagine Lethal Weapon: The Musical? I can just picture Sgt. Roger Murtaugh tap dancing across the stage singing "I'm Too Old For This Shit" rather than just muttering it in exhaustion under his breath. Or a musical version of The Godfather in which Don Vito Corleone dramatically--even operatically--belts out, "I'm Gonna Make Him an Offer He Can't Refuse."
I actually started writing a couple such songs. Somewhere--and I wish I knew where--I have lyrics to a potentially country/cowboy ballad titled "The Dude Abides" from The Big Lebowski: The Musical (which also features that other showstopper, "Nobody Fucks With the Jesus!"). I've got about three verses, but it needs more--at least a bridge.
The other one I've started writing is a piece called "He Doesn't Act Like a Scientist (He's More Like a Game Show Host)" from Ghostbusters: The Musical. This is Dana Barrett's big number that she would sing after Peter Venkman checks her out--I mean... ahem... checks out her apartment. The real key is the casting of Dana--not only would the person have to be able to act and sing and potentially dance, but also she would have to be able to play the cello. Again, the song needs a lot more than what I've written so far.
For some reason, I found myself in something of a musical mood last week and decided to watch this week's film, which I hadn't seen in at least 20 years. In hindsight, what made it stand out to me is that it is entirely... well, musical. Most musicals have a song and dance number and then the characters actually talk to each other, providing exposition and advancing the plot until it's time to sing and dance again. That was not the case with this week's film. Everything is sung--even by people you would not expect to hear singing.
The movie was based on Pete Townshend's groundbreaking "rock opera" which The Who had released as their fourth album in 1969. In 1975, director Ken Russell adapted the film into a movie. In the story, Tommy Walker (played here by The Who's vocalist Roger Daltrey) experiences a major trauma at a very young age which causes him to shut down becoming "deaf, dumb, and blind." Tommy eventually learns the fine art of playing pinball which awakens him allowing him to essentially become a religious cult leader.
The film stars Ann-Margret as Tommy's mother, Oliver Reed as her lover, Elton John as the Pinball Wizard, Eric Clapton as the Preacher, Who drummer Keith Moon as Uncle Ernie, Paul Nicholas as Cousin Kevin, Jack Nicholson as the Doctor, and Tina Turner as the Acid Queen and includes music from The Who.
Pete Townshend received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song Score and/or Adaptation. Ann-Margret also received a Best Leading Actress nomination (and won a Golden Globe) for her performance as Tommy's mother and, according to imdb.com, she is "the only actress ever Oscar-nominated in the lead category for a performance which is (save for one single word) entirely sung." This week, please enjoy Tommy.
Until next week, stay safe, be good to your neighbours, and please remember that if at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
Yours in peace, love, and rock 'n' roll!
The Reverend Will the Thrill
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