Topic: July Movie Marathon: Musicals (Yes... You read right!)

[addicted2dvd]

Pete:
Movies- 43 (42 reviewed)
Episodes - 4

Danae Cassandra:
Movies - 39 (38 reviewed)
Episodes - 12

[addicted2dvd]

Move Over, Darling: Cinema Classics Collection (1963/United States) IMDb |Wikipedia |Trailer | Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (United States) Director: Michael Gordon Writing: Hal Kanter (Screenwriter), Jack Sher (Screenwriter), Bella Spewack (Original Material By), Samuel Spewack (Original Material By), Bella Spewack (Story By), Samuel Spewack (Story By), Leo McCarey (Story By) Length: 103 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, English: Dolby Digital: Mono, French: Dolby Digital: Mono, Spanish: Dolby Digital: Mono Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Doris Day as Ellen Wagstaff Arden aka Eva Swensen
James Garner as Nicholas Arden
Polly Bergen as Bianca Steele Arden
Thelma Ritter as Grace Arden
Fred Clark (1914) as Mr. Codd

Plot:
Say "I do" to "madcap comedy" (Box Office) and "exuberant farce" (Film Daily) in this feel-good romp about one groom, two wives and one delightfully daffy honeymoon! Starring Doris Day, James Garner and Polly Bergen, Move Over, Darling is "a funny, funny film!" (Hollywood Citizen News) that's the perfect union of "humor, romance and heart" (The Hollywood Reporter)!

Five years after losing his first wife Ellen (Day) at sea, Nick (Garner) is finally ready to have her declared legally dead, get remarried and settle down to a peaceful second marriage! But wedded bliss becomes marital mayhem when Ellen turns up alive – with a hilarious, hair-brained scheme to win back her husband, put a stop to the honeymoon and give first love a second chance...at happily-ever-after!

Extras:

My Thoughts:

While I don't know Iwould call it one... but both Netflix and IMDB calls this one a musical. There is a couple songs in it is all. But what I did find here is a fun comedy... I enjoyed it very much. Lots of laughs here and lots of familiar faces. This is one I feel comfortable recommending.

Rating:

[addicted2dvd]

The Stars are Singing
A 15-year-old Polish girl attempts to enter the U.S. illegally, setting off a major search by immigration officials. She is befriended by a struggling group of New York performers, who try to get approval for her to remain in the country.

My Thoughts:
I found this one on Amazon Prime. While entertaining enough I really didn't find anything special here. Just an average...maybe a little above average film. It is worth the time put in to watch it, but I won't be in any hurry to add it to my collection.

My Rating:

[Danae Cassandra]

Alice in Wonderland
Year of Release: 1951
Directed By: Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, Wilfred Jackson
Starring: Kathryn Beaumont, Ed Wynn, Richard Haydn, Sterling Holloway
Genre: Fantasy, Animation, Musical

Overview:
Experience the magic and majesty of this ultimate collector's dream. For the first time, Walt Disney's timeless classic bursts into brilliance in Blu-ray High Definition! Featuring Disney Enhanced Home Theater Mix, this remarkable digital restoration boasts pristine sound and unparalleled picture quality. Plus, bonus features including "Through The Keyhole: A Companion's Guide To Wonderland" and an exciting interactive game, "Painting The Roses Red," have been designed for this landmark release.

Join Alice as she chases the White Rabbit and journeys into a topsy-turvy world that gets "curiouser and curiouser" as her fantastical adventures unfold. Meet the Mad Hatter, March Hare, Tweedledee & Tweedledum, the Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts and more unforgettable characters, all set against a backdrop of awe-inspiring splendor.

My Thoughts:
Aptly captures a lot of the nonsense of Carroll's work while ultimately ignoring the true whimsy of it. Still, Disney's film is a lot of fun - colorful, silly and creative. I do wish the film struck more of a balance between the world of logic and rules and the world of imagination and nonsense. That's the one thing that the newer Alice films do better than this one, IMO.

Bechdel Test: Pass
Mako Mori Test: Pass

Overall: 3/5

[Danae Cassandra]

Peter Pan
Year of Release: 1953
Directed By: Hamilton Luske, Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson
Starring: Bobby Driscoll, Kathryn Beaumont, Hans Conried, Bill Thompson
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Musical, Animation

Overview:
Think of the happiest things as Peter Pan soars to spectacular new heights for the first time on Blu-ray—now more sensational than ever with digitally restored picture and brilliant high definition sound!

Bid your cares goodbye as Wendy and her brothers embark on fantastic adventures with the hero of their bedtime stories...Peter Pan! With faith, trust and Tinker Bell's pixie dust, Peter teaches them how to fly and leads them to the "second star to the right" and beyond...to Never Land!

My Thoughts:
This is still a fun little film, even if Peter's egocentrism doesn't come off as cool now like it does when you're a kid, and "What Makes the Red Man Red?" makes one cringe. The animation is top notch, and I've always liked the Crocodile. He's still my favorite, especially in his sly expressions and how happy he looks at the chance to eat Hook.

Still don't know why this is on blu-ray and we'll likely never see even a DVD release of Song of the South.

Bechdel Test: Fail
Mako Mori Test: Pass

Overall: 3/5

[Danae Cassandra]

Lady and the Tramp
Year of Release: 1955
Directed By: Hamilton Luske, Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson
Starring: Peggy Lee, Barbara Luddy, Larry Roberts, Bill Thompson, Bill Baucom
Genre: Romance, Animation, Musical

Overview:
Fall in love with Disney's Beloved Classic, Lady And The Tramp—now unleashed in glorious high definition for the first time ever on Blu-ray! Experience like never before the thrilling adventures of Lady, a lovingly pampered cocker spaniel, and Tramp, a freewheeling mutt with a heart of gold. This heartwarming tale now charms a new generation of families and fans with its exquisite animation, unforgettable songs, and immersive bonus that reveals the extraordinary making-of process behind one of the greatest love stories of all time.

This is the night to share a special bella notte with your family and introduce them to the film Janet Maslin of the New York Times News Service hails as "one of Disney's most enduring classics" — now more beautiful than ever through the magic of Blu-ray high definition!

My Thoughts:
This has long been one of my favorite Disney films. It's warm, romantic and engaging. I like all of the heroic characters, and the shot of Trusty under the wagon wheel has to be one of the most poignant in a Disney animated feature. If there are only two memorable songs here, that's hardly too much a fault in such a short film.

Bechdel Test: Fail
Mako Mori Test: Fail

Overall: 3.5/5

[Danae Cassandra]

Pete:
Movies- 44
Episodes - 4

Danae Cassandra:
Movies - 41 (40 reviewed)
Episodes - 12

[addicted2dvd]

Road to Bali
Two men travel to Bali to save the woman they have both fallen in love with from cannibals and other jungle dangers.

My Thoughts:
I found this one to be entertaining... a fun film. But it could have been better.  I found that some of the characters I just really didn't care about. But it did have a few scenes that got me laughing.

My Rating:

[Danae Cassandra]

Pagan Love Song
Year of Release: 1950
Directed By: Robert Alton
Starring: Esther Williams, Howard Keel, Minna Gombell, Charles Mauu, Rita Moreno
Genre: Romance, Musical

Overview:
Island girl Esther plans to leave Tahiti, but maybe she'll have a reason to stay when Howard Keel arrives. Gorgeous, frothy fun with pristine Hawaiian locations filling in for Tahiti.

My Thoughts:
This is a pretty average Esther Williams vehicle.  The singing - which is almost all on the part of Howard Keel - isn't bad, and the chorus of "The House of Singing Bamboo" is actually kinda catchy.  The plot is very standard - boy meets girl, boy makes assumptions about girl, girl makes fool of boy, boy and girl fall in love.  The highlight is the water ballet dream sequence, which is trippy but delightful.  

If the plot and characters are nothing special, the painful part of the film is the condensation with which the native characters are treated.  Yes, I know this is from 1950, and I do try to make allowances for that, but it's still painful to watch in this day and age.  

Bechdel Test: Pass
Mako Mori Test: Fail

Overall: 2.5/5

[Danae Cassandra]

Pete:
Movies- 45
Episodes - 4

Danae Cassandra:
Movies - 42 (41 reviewed)
Episodes - 12

[Danae Cassandra]

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Year of Release: 1968
Directed By: Ken Hughes
Starring: Dick Van Dyke, Lionel Jeffries, Sally Ann Howes, Heather Ripley, Adrian Hall
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Musical

Overview:
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls - start your engines.  You're about to take an incredible role with one of the most wonderful family  films of all time!  With its clever tunes (including the OSCAR-Nominated title song), marvelous cast and enchanting storylien, this delightful romp is lots of fun and simply "toot sweet" to pass up!  Dick Van Dyke stars as eccentric inventor Caractacus Potts, who creates an extraordinary car called Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.  It not only drives - but also flies and floats - as it leads him, his two children and his beautiful lady friend, Truly Scrumptious (Sally Ann Howes), into a magical world of pirates, castles and endless adventure.

My Thoughts:
There's a lot to like here.  The inventions are silly, the production values are excellent, and Dick Van Dyke is a very talented performer.  This is his show, however, and is a showcase for his talent, so if you aren't a fan this isn't a film for you.  

It's runtime is quite bloated, and the movie very much feels like it's two films shoehorned together.  It would have been a lot better, IMO, if the filmmakers had decided on one of the two plots and developed that, and edited about thirty minutes out of the film.  There are several songs that could have easily been trimmed for time and lost nothing to the film.  

That aside, I did enjoy the film and would recommend it if you like Dick Van Dyke and don't mind a long movie.

Bechdel Test: Fail
Mako Mori Test: Fail

Overall: 3/5

[Danae Cassandra]

Up in the Air
Year of Release: 1940
Directed By: Howard Bretherton
Starring: Frankie Darro, Marjorie Reynolds, Mantan Moreland
Genre: Comedy, Mystery, Musical

Overview:
This musical mystery takes place at a radio station where an unpopular singer and other performers are murdered at the station.  A page boy, and his friend, the janitor, begin investigating the deaths with hopes to find the killer and also to get a chance to perform on the air.

My Thoughts:
This isn't a terrible B-movie.  Sure the budget is low, and the 'mystery' isn't really a mystery - it would need more clues and foreshadowing for that.  The murder story is really just a set up for Darro and Moreland.  Moreland steals every scene he's in, and his character isn't so much stereotype as others.  He basically plays the same sort of character Lou Costello plays in the Abbot/Costello pictures.  He also has a little dance sequence that's fun to watch.  Darro has a blackface bit that's kinda cringeworthy, but it's nice to see a white/black buddy comedy of this age.

Bechdel Test: Fail
Mako Mori Test: Fail

Overall: 2.5/5

[Danae Cassandra]

Pete:
Movies- 45
Episodes - 4

Danae Cassandra:
Movies - 44 (43 reviewed)
Episodes - 12

[addicted2dvd]

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968/United Kingdom) Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (United States) Director: Ken Hughes Writing: Roald Dahl (Screenwriter), Ken Hughes (Screenwriter), Ian Fleming (1908) (Original Material By) Length: 145 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1 Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio: 7.1, English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Portuguese: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: DTS: 5.1, German: DTS: 5.1, Italian: DTS: 5.1, Russian: DTS: 5.1, Spanish: DTS: 5.1, Czech: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Polish: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Thai: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish

Stars:
Dick Van Dyke as Caractacus Potts
Sally Ann Howes as Truly Scrumptious
Lionel Jeffries as Grandpa Potts
Gert Fröbe [Gert Frobe] as Baron Bomburst
Anna Quayle as Baroness Bomburst

Plot:
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls – start your engines. You're about to take an incredible ride with one of the most wonderful family films of all time! With its clever tunes (including the OSCAR®-Nominated* title song), marvelous cast and enchanting storyline, this delightful romp is lots of fun and simply "toot sweet" to pass up! Dick Van Dyke stars as eccentric inventor Caractacus Potts, who creates an extraordinary car called Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. It not only drives – but also flies and floats – as it leads him, his two children and his beautiful lady friend, Truly Scrumptious (Sally Ann Howes), into a magical world of pirates, castles and endless adventure.

*1968, Original Song

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Feature Trailers
• Featurettes
• Gallery
• Interactive Games
• Interviews
• Sing-a-long version of the film.

My Thoughts:

This film was a lot of fun... I did enjoy it and would like to add it to my collection before too long. But I must say it was much longer then it needed to be. I think it would have made a better story if it was edited down about half an hour.

Rating:

[addicted2dvd]

There's No Business Like Show Business: The Diamond Collection (1954/) IMDb |Wikipedia |Trailer | (United States) Director: Walter Lang Writing: Lamar Trotti (Original Material By), Phoebe Ephron (Screenwriter), Henry Ephron (Screenwriter) Length: 117 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.55:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Ethel Merman as Molly Donahue
Donald O'Connor as Tim Donahue
Marilyn Monroe as Vicky Hoffman/Vicky Parker
Dan Dailey as Terence Donahue
Johnnie Ray as Steve Donahue

Plot:
Marilyn Monroe and an all-star cast are featured in Irving Berlin's tuneful depiction of the trials and triumphs of a veteran vaudeville family. The talented Donahue family has plenty of love to get them through the hard times - that is, until they cross paths with a rising starlet (Monroe) whose own ambitions may make or break them. Co-starring Ethel Merman and Donald O'Connor, this delightful classic delivers dazzling production numbers and masterful show tunes!

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Feature Trailers
• Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

This one... while entertining I didn't get into it as much as I would have hoped.I actually found myself drifting into sleep multiple times during the film. But to be fair... I did only get 4 hours sleep the night before. But I liked the story line and I liked the characters.... so I would recommend it.

Rating: