Manly Musicals

So about two months ago, I was sitting in my dorm room watching "It" (possibly the most terrifying movie ever for someone with a fear of clowns) with a couple of friends when the topic of conversation came to musicals. My friend Jordan is obsessed with them and she decided to make the argument that "The Blues Brothers" was a musical. Now Rabbi and myself were not too keen on her calling one of the greatest movies of all time a musical. Sure, there's singing and dancing in it. And the singing and dancing is performed by the main characters as well. But does that qualify it as a musical? This got me thinking on what the classical definition of what a musical is and here's what I came up with: a movie, play, etc. that has the main characters participating in songs and dancing throughout the course of the film in addition to their acting. Seemed to be really the only distinction that I could come up with and it seems to stand the test for a novice film buff as myself. Granted, there are myriad facets of categorization that I am probably missing here as a person with more knowledge than I has at their disposal. From this, I started to think about other movies that I absolutely loved that could technically be classified in the realm of "musical." So without further delay, I present to you the top 5 manly musicals.

1. The Blues Brothers: it simply does not get any better than this. At all. And if someone tells you that there is a better one out there, they are simply lying or attempting to see how manly you really are. This movie has everything: action, love, deceit, comedy, drama, James Brown. If that wasn't enough for you, throw in a little dash of Aretha Franklin followed by a sprinkle of Ray Charles. The star-studded cast features greats like John Belushi, John Candy, Dan Aykroyd, and Carrie Fisher working together seamlessly to put together a great film. For those few people not familiar with The Blues Brothers, Jake (Belushi) and Elwood (Aykroyd) are musicians who are attempting to save their old orphanage from being shut down by the Diocese. So "on a mission from God," they try to collect enough money to save the place. If this has not yet been seen, stop reading this article and go rent it. Now.

2. The Producers: whether you prefer the original with Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel or the newly revamped version starring Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane, it cannot be denied that this movie is hilarious. Directed and written by Mel Brooks, it details a scam of creating the most hideous play to ever be put onto Broadway. By having the play overproduced and it be a failure, nobody would be moving in to reap any of the revenue generated (as there wouldn't be any) and Bialystock and Bloom would make out like bandits with the leftover funds. Their quest begins by selecting the worst play, followed by the worst director (in the original, the director is played by Christopher Hewitt or Mr. Belvedere as I grew up knowing him), and then the worst cast. This is guaranteed to have you in hysterics throughout the film.

3. Across The Universe: if not a Beatles fan, and I don't know how that could be, you may just want to skip this one and proceed to #4 on the list. Provided that you're still reading this, this is a film that should be watched for nothing other than the interesting plays and twists that are done to some of the greatest music of our time. The story is centered around Jude, Lucy, and their group of friends and the misadventures that happen to them around the Vietnam War. The music is perfectly blended in with the tale created and some of the renditions were completely flawless, such as "Revolution" when performed by Jim Sturgess, or changed in an unforgettable way as executed with "I Want You (She's So Heavy)." Definitely worth seeing at least once, if not more just for the soundtrack itself.

4. Dr Horrible's Sing-Along Blog: yeah, I wrote it. I'm sure you're wondering what the hell it is as well. I just came across it the other day and have had it stuck in my head since. The plot consists of Dr Horrible (played by Neil Patrick Harris), a misanthropic sub-par supervillian on a quest to enter the Evil League of Evil and capture the girl of his dreams (Felicia Day). His only obstacle is Captain Hammer (Nathan Fillion) or "the corporate tool" as NPH so delecately describes him. As one would predict, Dr Horrible is foiled at the last moment consistently by the heroics of Captain Hammer or his botched creations in any and every way inaginable. The humor present had my sides hurting from laughing too much and was well put together. On a side note, the project was directed by Joss Wheton, the one responsible for Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Firefly to name a few.

5. Monty Python's Spamalot: this is what you get when you take Monty Python and the Holy Grail and throw music and dancing into it. Plain and simple with a select few deviations added to keep you on your toes. This is not a film yet, at least legitimate to the best of my knowledge so this one would require you to see it in the theatre and would be well worth it. Or just go and watch The Holy Grail...it has singing in it so it would be half way there.

So there you have it, the top 5 manly musicals. I sincerely hope that some who read this will go out and watch at least one from the list and try to gather an appreciation for a style that used to be so prevalent but has been swept away for reasons unknown. Should you feel brave after completing this list and are compelled to look for more, check out some older stuff with Frank Sinatra (can't get much manlier than him) like "Guys and Dolls" or "Anchors Aweigh," Gene Kelly in "Anchors Aweigh" as well or "Singin' in the Rain," and last but not least, Fred Astaire. Until next time, take care.