8 Underrated Movie Musicals (1945-present)

Although movie musicals may not be directly related to a music blog, they do have songs, and that justifies this post! I'm obsessed with movie musicals. As a child, I grew up watching them, and the habit never stopped. So, throughout the years, I've stumbled on a few great musicals that I personally think don't get the credit they deserve. Everyone knows about "The Sound of Music," "Grease," and Moulin Rouge." But what about the indie musicals that never quite found a following, or the older movies that have slipped through the cracks? In order to keep things from getting too out of hand, I'm only going to be listing movies from 1945 to the present. These are some of my favorites, in chronological order.

1. "State Fair" (1945)

photo courtesy of houseofmirthandmovies.com

Although this seems to be a relatively well-known movie, everyone I've ever talked to about it has always preferred the 1962 version with Ann-Margaret and Pamela Tiffin. As a remake of a 1933 movie with the same name, "State Fair" has been through a motley of reincarnations, along with different stage productions. I fell in love with this movie at the opening song, "It Might as Well Be Spring," and sat enraptured until the very end. Composed by Rodgers and Hammerstein, it's a happy movie that can entertain all ages.

2. "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" (1949)

photo courtesy of britannica.com

Starring Bing Crosby and Rhonda Fleming, "A Connecticut Yankee..." is based off of Mark Twain's novel of the same name. Admittedly, I've never read the novel, but this movie has been one of my favorites for as long as I can remember, following a man going back in time to King Arthur's court, where he is labeled a monster, and almost burned at the stake. There aren't many songs, but the few that are in the movie are catchy and upbeat, like "Busy Doing Nothing," which is about exactly what the title implies.

3. "Funny Face" (1957)

photo courtesy of thesundaytimesmarket.com

Since no movie musical list can be complete without at least one Fred Astaire movie, I give you my favorite post-1945 number. Audrey Hepburn plays an intellectual bookshop worker whose store is taken over by Fred Astaire's character, a photographer, for a magazine shoot. While developing the film, Astaire notices her in the background, and hires her as a model, beginning a whirlwind romance in Paris. Audrey actually sings in this movie, unlike "My Fair Lady," and it only adds to the charm of her character.

4. "My Fair Lady" (1964)

photo courtesy of nighthawknews.wordpress.com

"My Fair Lady" is the film adaptation of the stage production, which starred Julie Andrews in place of Audrey Hepburn. It is based off of the play and movie adaptation of "Pygmalion." With Hepburn as a common flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, and Rex Harrison as Professor Higgins, a well-off speech professor, the movie revolves around their tumultuous relationship as Professor Higgins attempts to pass Eliza off as a duchess. This is my favorite movie of all time, and although it won eight academy awards, I feel it has been forgotten by my generation. With Marni Nixon dubbing Audrey's singing, this movie has one of the best soundtracks of any movie on this list, especially on "Show Me."

5. "Man of La Mancha" (1972)

photo courtesy of guardian.co.uk

I discovered "The Man of La Mancha" through my clarinet teacher, who told me that I would love it as much as I hated it. He was right. There are parts of this movie that are depressing, confusing, and slightly vulgar. But overall, it is the story of 2 men facing the greatest struggles they've ever faced. Although "Man of La Mancha" was a box-office failure, I believe it is a movie that must be seen.

6. "Grease 2" (1982)

photo courtesy of metro.co.uk

"Grease 2" is terrible. Honestly, it's one of the worst movies I've ever seen. That's what makes it so great. The sequel to "Grease," it stars Michelle Pfeiffer and Maxwell Caulfield in the campiest, strangest musical ever. She's a pink lady, he's a foreign exchange student, he falls in love, she's dating a greaser. He eventually woos her by learning to ride a motorcycle and driving her places while wearing a mask, so she never knows who he is. The songs are just as weird, with "Score Tonight," set in a bowling alley, and "Do It For Our Country," which takes place in a bomb shelter. The ridiculous soundtrack only adds to the movie's crazy factor, making this movie a must-see.

7. Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella" (1997 Made-for-TV)

photo courtesy of flixster.com

The all-star cast of this made-for-TV movie make this production extremely unique. With Brandy as Cinderella, Victor Garber and Whoopi Goldberg as the King and Queen, and Bernadette Peters as the evil stepmother, I have preferred this version to the Disney cartoon since I first saw it. With classic songs, adorable costumes and scenery, and an amazing cast, this movie is worth the search for a VHS of it.

8. "Les Chansons D'Amour" (2007)

photo courtesy of dansiella.wordpress.com

Entirely in French, "Les Chansons" is the story of a boy and two girls in a relationship. When one girl dies suddenly, the boy is left to piece his life back together into some form of normalcy in the arms of different people. The songs are haunting, and the first time I watched it, I was left crying, trying to figure out what had happened. It's truly a beautiful modern musical, with a story that just keeps breaking your heart.

Concert Recap - OK Go @ UCMusicFest, 9/11/10

As one of my favorite bands since 2006, OK Go has always seemed to avoid playing anywhere I could see them. On one tour, the closest they played was 2 states away, and on another, the venue was 18+.

Last May, they played at Bamboozle, a local music festival known for it's recent marketing to younger crowds. Tickets for 1 day are approximately $60, but for that you can see upwards of 100 bands. My mom and I paid for the tickets, and we drove for an hour and a half, arriving 2 hours early. I waited in front of the stage the entire time, dodging between people to finally get to the 2nd row by the time the 1/2 hour show started. Although it was an amazing show, the short set time, crowdsurfers, and killer heat all combined to make it an altogether annoying event.

If you will, jump forward with me 4 months. OK Go posts that they will be playing the Union County MusicFest, a free concert series and county fair located only an hour away. I was escstatic. So, my mom and I once again packed up and headed out, getting lost (as usual), but eventually finding our way to the park where the fair was held. After paying the $10 parking fee, we trudged up to the main stage, which was completely empty. I walked up to the barrier and claimed my spot, and began the 1 hour waiting game. By the time 7 p.m. rolled around, there was a huge crowd of people behind me, my mom was nowhere in sight, and the band was walking onstage.

The show was, once again, amazing. It was a 75 minute set, and because of the family atmosphere, there were no crowdsurfers or random drunk people freaking out over nothing. Damian, the lead singer, played "Last Leaf" off of their latest album, while in the middle of the crowd.

They also brought out handbells for an all-handbell rendition of "What To Do" from their first album.

The crowd was insane:

(I'm out of frame, 2 people to the left.)
photo courtesy of ok go.

When I left, I couldn't stop talking to my mom about how awesome the show was for basically only $5 each. The event is 2 days, and the headliner for the day we were there was Train. We got free stuff from all the sponsors' tables, and there was delicious vegetarian food for reasonable prices.

A few pictures:

Review - Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream"

While waiting in line to purchase the movie "The Band Wagon," starring Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse, a CD on sale caught my eye, if only for one reason.

It was cotton candy scented.

The CD in question was "Teenage Dream," by the now infamous Katy Perry, singer of quite a few popular ditties, such as: "California Gurls," "Hot 'n' Cold," "Ur So Gay," and "I Kissed a Girl." Proper spelling and dubious song titles aside, Katy has made a name for herself as a major player in the pop music scene. With "Teenage Dream," her sophomore album, Katy proves that she's not a one-hit wonder.

The album's cover is a painting of Katy lying in cotton candy, and the rest of the packaging seems to follow that theme, with photographs of her with candy crowns and cupcake-wrapper dresses. The lyrics booklet is indeed cotton candy scented, and the themed photos continue inside.

The music itself is a mix of guilty-pleasure pop and soul-searching ballads. With "Teenage Dream," the title track, Katy provides a pop song that you want to sing along to, even with lyrics like "We can dance until we die/You and I/We'll be young forever!" The follow-up song, "Last Friday Night" is a dance-y ode to getting drunk on Friday. "Firework" is the quintessential inspirational pop ballad, complete with cheesy lyrics and a building beat. "Circle the Drain" tries to be an angst-filled rock song, but the music doesn't stand up to the surprisingly powerful lyrics. "E.T." is about a new lover so strange that everyone thinks he's an alien. It's as terrible as it sounds. "Who Am I Living For?" has an interesting sound, similar to that of Kerli, but the song itself is nothing exciting. The next song, "Pearl," is one of my favorite songs on the album, a pop ballad that tells the story of a girl struggling to keep her head afloat in an overpowering relationship. "Not Like The Movies," the final track on the album, is possibly the best, driven by piano, that showcases the fact that Katy does indeed have an excellent voice and songwriting skills.

All in all, "Teenage Dream" is an excellent example of pop music. It has its high points along with its low, but overall it is just fun, upbeat music, and definitely worth the $10 price tag (even if just for the cotton candy scented booklet).