MarshaKatz Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 I didn't realize there were so many movie musicals during the 1980's & 1990's and so many different types of musicals. Here are some of them. Everyone Says I Love You - 1996 Topsy-Turvy - 1999 Amadeus - 1984 Can't Stop The Music - 1980 Flashdance - 1983 Footloose - 1984 Newsies - 1992 Evita - 1996 Popeye - 1980 Cry-Baby 1990 Staying Alive - 1983 The Blues Brothers - 1980 Gypsy (Bette Midler) 1993 TV Musical Immortal Beloved - 1994 The Commitments - 1991 Mack The Knife - 1989 Jazzmen - 1983 Xanadu - 1980 The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas - 1982 Absolute Beginners - 1986 Grease 2 - 1982 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted June 10, 2016 Author Share Posted June 10, 2016 I didn't realize there were so many movie musicals during the 1980's & 1990's and so many different types of musicals. We can also include the animated musicals from these decades-- like Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST; ALADDIN; and POCAHONTAS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarshaKatz Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 We can also include the animated musicals from these decades-- like Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST; ALADDIN; and POCAHONTAS. Also Disney's "The Little Mermaid", "The Great Mouse Detective", "Mulan", and "The Lion King". Disney animated films have had some of the greatest music. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted June 10, 2016 Author Share Posted June 10, 2016 Prince had a few rock musicals during the 80s & 90s: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LonesomePolecat Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 Many a rock musical was made then, like The Apple (blech), but back to the good stuff Since Disney has been mentioned, gotta bring up other animated musicals from other studios : Anastasia Swan Princess Cats Don't Dance Brave Little Toaster Chipmunk Adventure Return of the King And the boatload of Don Bluth movies like An American Tale But I also gotta add Nightmare Before Christmas 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Gorman Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 I admit to liking THE APPLE (1980). I know it's not a good movie, but I'm still fond of it. Here's a movie musical I like that seems to have disappeared. Directed by latent lustbucket and suicide victim JOE BROOKS (he asphyxiated himself in 2011 at 73). HEADIN' FOR BROADWAY (1980). I could never find a U.S. video release of it, but I did find a UK VHS release (actually, I found 2 of them and bought them both). Seems I enjoyed it more than the reviewer from Leonard Maltin's Guide did. It got a star-and-a-half *½ from Leonard & Co. and the review stated it was "astonishingly amateurish". I didn't get that feeling. I did get the feeling the production ran out of money before Brooks could film all the scenes he needed. There's some abruptness near the end as to what happens to Terri Treas' character along with a few other scenes that you'd figure would be there -- if they were filmed. Even so, some of the songs are quite catchy! After I viewed the movie a couple times I ran across another tape of it on Ebay UK and bought it. I reckon you could say I liked it enough to get myself a spare. The thing about musicals is that it doesn't matter how well made they are if you don't like the music! Here are a number of movies I've read about being musicals or musical-oriented. I've only seen a couple of these*, but I reckon if I wanted to wallow in 1980s Zeitgeist I'll have to watch more of them! COOL AS ICE (1991) starring The Great White Rapper "Vanilla Ice". What a catchy title, eh? SING (1989) ROOFTOPS (1989) LAMBADA (1990) FORBIDDEN DANCE, The (1990) LA BAMBA (1987) BODY ROCK (1984) w/Lorenzo Lamas. View at own risk! CROSSOVER DREAMS (1985) Salsa music is the style here. PLAYING FOR KEEPS (1986) Directed by Miramax guys Bob and Harvey Weinstein FAST FORWARD (1985) Directed by Sidney Poitier KRUSH GROOVE (1985) BREAKIN' (1984) BREAKIN' 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984) RAPPIN' (1985) Mario Van Peebles. I remember the tagline to this: "This movie had to happen . . . Rappin!" FEAR OF A BLACK HAT* (1993-Comedy) It satirizes 2LiveCrew, more or less. CHERYL LADD - FASCINATED (1982) This is a 50-minute long musical odyssey with Cheryl Ladd singing 10 songs. Produced in England. DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION, The (1981-Musical Documentary) URGH! A MUSIC WAR (1981-Musical Performance movie; not a documentary) HEAVENLY BODIES (1984-Canadian) An aerobics musical. PULSEBEAT (1984) Another exercise-themed movie musical of sorts. CHORUS LINE, A (1985) FAME (1980) WHERE THE BOYS ARE '84* (1984) There are songs in this + Lisa Hartman sings her version of "Where The Boys Are" over the closing credits. It's pretty good. Another KEY VIDEO presentation. It's not that bad despite it's uniformly dismal reviews. It's nowhere near as exploitive as it could be. "Breakin'" and "Rappin'" were both directed by the same guy: Joel Silberg. Cannon must've liked the results for "Breakin" so much they assigned him to "Rappin'". ► Here's some real swill: On 'U.S.A. Home Video' came DAZZLE DANCIN' hosted by Rick Dees. This program was previewed on a number of 'U.S.A. Home Video' releases I have that contain TV movies. Once the TVM ended there were a couple previews added to the end of the videocassette. This mess was one of them. I suspect if someone simply had to collect everything "80s" this musical tripe would be right up their alley, but it's retch-inducing just watching the preview. Rick Dees does a 'rap'. Or something. GAWD! (Another 'U.S.A.' preview presented was the exercise video SANDAHL BERGMAN'S BODY complete with 1983-era leg warmers on Sandahl and a couple of guys surrounding her decked out in hideously 'camp' exercise-wear). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarmaGirl Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 Many a rock musical was made then, like The Apple (blech), but back to the good stuff Since Disney has been mentioned, gotta bring up other animated musicals from other studios : Anastasia Swan Princess Cats Don't Dance Brave Little Toaster Chipmunk Adventure Return of the King And the boatload of Don Bluth movies like An American Tale But I also gotta add Nightmare Before Christmas Thumbelina (1994) and The Pebble and the Penguin (1995), both movies with music by Barry Manilow 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted June 11, 2016 Author Share Posted June 11, 2016 The thing about musicals is that it doesn't matter how well made they are if you don't like the music! I couldn't agree more. Glad you mentioned those BREAKIN' movies...I was a teen in the 80s, so that stuff takes me back..! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted June 11, 2016 Author Share Posted June 11, 2016 two hundred seventy-fourth category Comedies about serious subjects STALAG 17..about a concentration camp MONSIEUR VERDOUX..about a serial killer DR. STRANGELOVE..about nuclear war Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarshaKatz Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 M*A*S*H - The futility of War The Producers - Hitler and the Nazis Blazing Saddles - Racism & Slavery The Front - McCarthyism and Blacklisting Arsenic And Old Lace - Mental Illness and Committing Murder in Different Ways Crimes and Misdemeanors - Murder, Suicide, Lies The Loved One - The Funeral Industry A Guide For The Married Man - Adultery Love And Death - Futility of War and Assassination Larceny, Inc. & Take The Money And Run - Bank Robberies Little Miss Sunshine - What is "normal" and what is "beauty" in our society Bananas - Dictators and Revolutionaries 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted June 11, 2016 Author Share Posted June 11, 2016 M*A*S*H - The futility of War And also CATCH-22. There were a lot of sitcoms that tackled serious issues (especially in the 70s and 80s): Hogan’s Heroes…life in a concentration camp (borrowed from STALAG 17) ‘Chuckles the Clown' episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show…death was funny Rhoda...the main character went through a divorce 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LonesomePolecat Posted June 12, 2016 Share Posted June 12, 2016 Kind Hearts and Coronets-- murder & adultery Seven Year Itch-- adultery To Be Or Not To Be-- Nazis, Hitler, bombing, WWII etc Duck Soup-- war Trouble With Harry-- death & murder 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarshaKatz Posted June 12, 2016 Share Posted June 12, 2016 Juno - Teenage Pregnancy Speechless - Political Hacks Cluny Brown - British social class system My Man Godfrey - The Rich and The Poor Cold Turkey - Nicotine addiction and doing anything to stop smoking cigarettes Mother - Family relationships Lost in America - Define the "American Dream" The Great Dictator - Anti-Semitism, Hitler, Mussolini, Naziism, Fascism The Dream Team - Treatment centers for individuals with mental disorders My Favorite Year - Dealing with Fame The Ladykillers (1955) - Aging and Crime The Man in the White Suit - Big Business and the Inventor A Majority of One - How different cultures treat the elderly in their society and bridging cultural gaps Hobson's Choice - Breaking with traditional mores about women and marriage 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted June 12, 2016 Author Share Posted June 12, 2016 two hundred seventy-fifth category Gothic murder mysteries THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE MOSS ROSE THE WOMAN IN WHITE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarshaKatz Posted June 12, 2016 Share Posted June 12, 2016 My Cousin Rachel The Man With A Cloak The Hound of the Baskervilles Footsteps In The Fog Uncle Silas Under Capricorn Madeleine Gaslight Murders In The Rue Morgue The Mask of Dimitrios 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted June 12, 2016 Author Share Posted June 12, 2016 Footsteps In The Fog Uncle Silas Madeleine Thanks Marsha for mentioning some British examples. I knew there had to be a few. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarmaGirl Posted June 12, 2016 Share Posted June 12, 2016 The Picture of Dorian Grey The Woman in White 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted June 12, 2016 Author Share Posted June 12, 2016 The Picture of Dorian Grey I meant to include that one in my earlier post. Thanks..! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LonesomePolecat Posted June 12, 2016 Share Posted June 12, 2016 House of Wax Mystery of Edwin Drood 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted June 13, 2016 Author Share Posted June 13, 2016 House of Wax Mystery of Edwin Drood It's been a while since either of those have been shown on TCM. Good films, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted June 13, 2016 Author Share Posted June 13, 2016 two hundred seventy-sixth category Movies based on U.S. Presidents THIS IS MY AFFAIR..William McKinley GEORGE WASHINGTON SLEPT HERE..it counts, right? LINCOLN..Abraham Lincoln Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarshaKatz Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 The Gorgeous Hussey - Andrew Jackson The President's Lady - Andrew Jackson Tennessee Johnson - Andrew Johnson Magnificent Doll - Thomas Jefferson & James Madison The Adams Chronicles - John Adams (PBS Series) John Adams - HBO Mini-Series Amistad - Martin Van Buren Frost/Nixon - Richard M. Nixon Nixon - Richard M. Nixon Warm Springs - Franklin Delano Roosevelt Sunrise At Campobello - Franklin Delano Roosevelt Selma - Lyndon B. Johnson Truman - Harry S. Truman (HBO Movie) Secret Honor - Richard M. Nixon Thirteen Days - John F. Kennedy JFK - John Fitzgerald Kennedy Fahrenheit 9/11 - George W. Bush Rough Riders - Theodore Roosevelt (1997 TV Mini-Series) The Rough Riders - Theodore Roosevelt (1927 Movie) Young Mr. Lincoln - Abraham Lincoln Abe Lincoln In Illinois - Abraham Lincoln The Buccaneer (1938 & 1958) - future president Andrew Jackson and current president James Madison Wilson - Woodrow Wilson Lee Daniels' The Butler - Served as a butler in The White House during several administrations staring with Dwight D. Eisenhower up until Barack Obama (includes JFK, LBJ, Nixon, Reagan, Carter, Clinton, George W. Bush) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted June 13, 2016 Author Share Posted June 13, 2016 Excellent list Marsha. I just remembered a few more: Olivia de Havilland's character in PRINCESS O'ROURKE visits President Roosevelt at the White House near the end of the film. There was a TV miniseries called Backstairs at the White House, based on a book by a seamstress who worked under different administrations, from Hoover to Eisenhower. Her mother had been a maid there, going back to Taft's days in office. The miniseries aired on NBC in 1979 and was nominated for 11 Emmys. A ninth season episode of The Waltons chronicles the death of FDR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarshaKatz Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 Thanks, TopBilled for your posts. I remember watching the 4 part mini-series "Backstairs At The White House" starring Olivia Cole and Leslie Uggams. I watched every episode of the TV series "The Waltons", and remember the one chronicling FDR's death. And who can forget Robert Cummings reaction when seeing "Fala" in the White House in "Princess O'Rourke". Here are some more examples: Yankee Doodle Dandy - Great scene of James Cagney as George M. Cohan in the White House talking to FDR and his thank you speech after being awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and that marvelous dance down the staircase. All The President's Men - Richard M. Nixon George Washington - TV Mini-Series Eleanor and Franklin - Two-Part Mini-Series Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years Hyde Park On The Hudson - FDR During my search, I found "Hell-Bent for Election", a 1944 two-reel 13 minute animated cartoon short subject which is in the public domain. It was directed by Chuck Jones, who was one of the "moonlighting" animators who worked on the film which was one of the first productions of United Productions of America. The cartoon was specifically made to inspire viewers to register and vote for FDR, who was depicted as a modern streamlined locomotive called "The Win The War Special" pulling a high speed freight train of war material while Thomas E. Dewey, his Republican opponent, is depicted as an old creaky steam locomotive "The Defeatest Limited" numbered 1929 referring to the 1929 stock market crash. I had absolutely no knowledge of this cartoon and its existence. And there's a catchy tune written by E.Y. "Yip" Harburg. This was truly fascinating. Thanks for today's ClassiCategory post. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIPPER Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 "BACKSTAIRS AT THE WHITE HOUSE "(NBC 1979 TV miniseries) -- William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S Truman and Dwight Eisenhower "PT-109" (1963) --- John F. Kennedy "ANNIE" (1982) --- Franklin D. Roosevelt (not really about a president, but he is featured) "AMISTAD" (1997) --- (not about a certain president but John Quincy Adams and Martin Van Buren are featured) "THE DAY REAGAN WAS SHOT" (2001) --- Ronald Reagan "THE REAGANS" (2003) --- Ronald Reagan "W." (2008) --- George W. Bush 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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