The Directory in DK Canada’s The Movie Book continues to introduce me to classic films I haven’t seen, and today they introduced me to the Oscar winning film, The Red Shoes. Taking home awards from the Academy for Art & Set Direction as well as Best Music, the story follows the life and career of…
Tag: dance
Cinderella (1899) – Georges Melies
I delight in the films of Georges Melies, and I love when I get to watch them for the blog. So despite the fact that it’s a short, barely clocking in at six minutes long, I was more than thrilled to watch it for DK Canada’s exceptionally enjoyable book Monsters in the Movies by director…
Miami Vice (1987) – Down for the Count Part 1 & 2
We dive into a two-parter this week that sees John Diehl bowing out of the series, wanting to pursue other options, and leave an underwritten character, that of Larry Zito behind. Airing as two parts, unlike the series opener, and season two opener, Dick Wolf penned the teleplay from a story he created with John…
Grease (1978) – Randal Kleiser
The joyous, infectious, and iconic screen adaptation of the classic stage musical is the next stop in the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film as I return to the musical chapter of the book. Grease, Saturday Night Fever, Jaws, Star Wars, these and a few select other films were staples of the 1970s. You…
Billy Elliot (2000) – Stephen Daldry
The final recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book for my viewing of West Side Story isn’t necessarily a musical, but it definitely shares the same love of dance. Billy Elliot, which has since inspired a stage musical perfectly captures joy in dance and simultaneously juxtaposes the ordinary events of day…
West Side Story (1961) – Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins
Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins direct the film that brings me back to the musical genre in the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book. Stephen Sondheim pens the lyrics for this Academy Award winning musical (including Best Picture) that is an updated retelling of Shakespeare’s beautiful tragedy Romeo & Juliet with Richard Beymer…
La La Land (2016) – Damien Chazelle
From its opening, marrying classical screen musical tropes and modern times, Chazelle’s film proves that not only is the big screen musical still alive, it is in fact a vibrant event. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling star as two Hollywood dreamers, Mia and Sebastian. She’s an aspiring actress, he’s a jazz pianist who dreams of…
Singin’ in the Rain (1952) -Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly
For me, screen musicals don’t get any better than Singin’ in the Rain. It’s my favourite. It combines great music, with a fun look at Hollywood on the cusp of transitioning to talkies, and features some wonderful sequences and a completely charming cast in the form of Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor and Debbie Reynolds….
Sing Street (2016) – John Carney
Sheer joy. There were no other words to express my experience with John Carney’s latest film. Sometimes a film comes along at just the right time in your life, and serves to reminds you of something you’ve always known but you kind of need that obvious callback. And music does that. It doesn’t matter…
Ziegfeld Follies (1945) – Lemuel Ayers, Roy Del Ruth, Robert Lewis, Vincente Minnelli, George Sidney, Merrill Pye and Charles Walters
An all-star cast including William Powell as the legendary Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. bring this showcase musical to life. Being a recommended title from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book for my screening of Top Hat, I was ready to dive into it, but had no idea the epic size of the…
The Mind Reels 