With the help and assistance of my Ladyfriend's father, I put up a wall in the basement today. The wall is legitimately framed and has drywall on it. This earned me enough man points for to admit the following:
I like musicals. Yes, movies with music. Most men aren't supposed to give musicals a chance. They are supposed to say, "What? A movie where people break out into song and dance? Where's the mutilation and tits?" (Side note: I really hate that word. It may be the most crude of all crude genitalia slang. Thoughts?)
My Texan College Roommate went to the movie Chicago thinking it was a gangster movie. No one is quite sure how he went to Chicago thinking this, seeing as it was a fairly famous play and endlessly advertised movie at the time. He came back from the theater ranting and raving and decided he hated the movie. Why? Because it was a musical. Nevermind that Chicago is a great movie.
I can understand people not liking musicals that break up a normal narrative with a song and dance routine. It can be distracting. However, I don't understand how generally these people cite, "That would never happen," as their reasoning when their favorite movies feature aliens invading the Earth, small Hobbit creatures, and/or future robots with Austrian accents.
With that, I've decided to give you a list of my seven favorite musicals. Why seven? I had more than five I wanted to include, and ten would have made the blog too long. It's late, and I built a wall today. I'm tired. Cut me some slack.
7) My Fair Lady-Audrey Hepburn is gorgeous, even when she's a slummed out hobo girl.
6) Singin' in the Rain-Legitimately funny and charming. Holds up incredibly well today.
5) Chicago-It would probably be better if it were a gangster movie, but the whole dream sequence/song technique was pretty neat.
4) Across the Universe-A musical that consists entirely of Beatles songs. If it weren't for the inclusion of my one of my least favorite Beatles's songs (I am the Walrus) sung by one of my least favorite people (Bono) it would easily be #2 on this list. Watching this movie shows you how great the Beatles are (people who say they don't like them should be shot dead on principle) and how absolutely creative some people can be.
3) Moulin Rouge-One of two movies with Nicole Kidman in it where I didn't want to punch her in the face (the other being the Others). This movie proved Ewan McGregor should probably make more quirky musicals about whorehouses than crappy Star Wars prequels.
2) Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street-There is absolutely no good reason this movie isn't nominated for Best Picture this year. It's better than the four candidates I've seen. (I'd say combined on the end of that sentence if Juno weren't really really good). You actually feel bad for a character who murders innocent people in a barber's chair and has his mistress bake them into pie's. It's grotesquely beautiful as well.
1) Once-I think this movie should be nominated for best picture this year too. It's an interesting approach to a musical-two people falling in love while writing music together. It's a nice way to have the music be an organic part of the movie. The music itself is GREAT, and the plot is wonderful.
It should be noted that I didn't include Disney musicals, all of which are superb for the most part (the Tarzan/Hercules/Hunchback era sucked pretty hard).
For those questioning my masculinity right now, it should be noted that I'm watching Cool Hand Luke as I type. Inexplicably I haven't seen it until just now.
Two blogs in two days, that might be the first time ever. I might actually pull a threepeat too. I plan to see Michael Clayton tomorrow (the last of the Best Picture candidates I haven't seen yet), and afterwards I'll tell you the REAL five best movies of 2007.
Also, I have a weird mixture of physical exhaustion and an inability to sleep right now, as I've drank one liter of Diet Pepsi tonight. I's gots to make good on my Lentin' with the Lord.
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