Subgenre Sampler

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Carmen (2023): Dir. Benjamin Millepied
Feat. Melissa Barrera, Paul Mescal, Rossy de Palma…; Melissa Barrera (In The Heights) and Paul Mescal (Normal People, Aftersun) star as strangers who become shackled to each other's fates after a tragic…
Elvis (2022): Dir. Baz Luhrmann
Feat. Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Richard Roxburgh; Baz Lurhmann is back with his first feature film since “The Great Gatsby” (2013) exploring the life and music of Elvis Presley in his own…
I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody) (2022): Dir. Kasi Lemmons
Feat. Naomi Ackie, Stanley Tucci, Ashton Sanders…
Annette (2021): Dir. Leos Carax
Feat. Adam Driver, Marion Cotillard, Simon Helberg…; A magnificent musical–drama which marks the English language debut of French director Leos Carax (HOLY MOTORS). Adam Driver gives another…
In The Heights (2021): Dir. Jon Chu
Feat. Anthony Ramos, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace…; Dazzling musical drama from director Jon M. Chu (CRAZY RICH ASIANS) based on the Broadway musical of the same name by Hudes and Lin–Manuel…
Respect (2021): Dir. Liesl Tommy
Feat. Jennifer Hudson, Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans…; Musical biopic starring Jennifer Hudson as singer Aretha Franklin in the first two decades of her life, culminating with the recording of her…
West Side Story (2021): Dir. Steven Spielberg
Feat. Rachel Zegler, Ansel Elgort, Ariana DeBose…; Steven Spielberg's dazzling adaptation of the 1957 musical, an American fairy tale of doomed love and the rivalry between Puerto Rican and white…
Man in the Hat, The (2020): Dir. Stephen Warbeck, John-Paul Davidson
Feat. Ciaran Hinds, Stephen Dillane, Maïwenn …; Road–trip comedy–musical about a man who sets off from Marseilles in a small Fiat 500, with five angry men in a Citroën Dyane…
Daffodils (2019): Dir. David Stubbs
Feat. Rose McIver, George Mason, Kimbra; Ambitious screen musical based on the stageplay of same name that threads a bittersweet romantic narrative over several decades through a setlist of…
Ema (2019): Dir. Pablo Larrain
Feat. Mariana Di Girolamo, Gael Garcia Bernal, Santiago Cabrera…; A bold and distinctive film from director Pablo Larrain (NO), with newcomer Mariana Di Girolamo playing a young dancer who is coping with an adoption…
Judy (2019): Dir. Rupert Goold
Feat. Renee Zellweger, Jessie Buckley, Finn Wittrock; Renee Zellweger's thoroughly committed and well–researched portrayal of Judy Garland elevates this biopic set in 1968 during the last year of…
Rocketman (2019): Dir. Dexter Fletcher
Feat. Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden…; Musical biopic with Taron Egerton playing Elton John, capturing the flamboyant and troubled extremes of his life. Set in his early years when he was…
A Star is Born (2018): Feat. Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper, Sam Elliott…; Bradley Cooper debuts impressively as director while sparking the right chemistry in front of the camera with real–life pop…
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018): Dir. Bryan Singer
Feat. Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Ben Hardy…; A stonking, irrepressibly popular chronicle of Freddie Mercury and the band Queen's ascension to popular music royalty through the years leading up…
Greatest Showman, The (2017): Dir. Michael Gracey
Feat. Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Michelle Williams…; Unashamedly cheesy and infectious musical with Hugh Jackman leading an all–star cast. Inspired by the story of P.T. Barnum (Jackman), the…
La La Land (2016): Dir. Damien Chazelle
Feat. Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, Rosemarie DeWitt…; The wunderkind director of WHIPLASH fashions another bold, contemporary love letter to the Jazz age, this time as a widescreen, technicolor romantic…
Miss Saigon (2016): Spectacular 25th Anniversary Gala Performance of an acclaimed new stage production by Boublil & Schonberg that tells the tragic tale of a young…
Chi-Raq (2015): Dir. Spike Lee
Feat. Nick Cannon, Wesley Snipes, Teyonah Parris…; Brilliant Spike Lee musical transposing the classical Greek play Lysistrata by Aristophanes into the setting of a Chicago neighbourhood beset by gang…
London Road (2015): Dir. Rufus Norris
Feat. Olivia Colman, Tom Hardy, Anita Dobson…; An audacious but audience–dividing musical devised around the unlikely premise of Ipswich community members who are drawn together to come to…
God Help the Girl (2014): Dir. Stuart Murdoch
Feat. Emily Browning, Olly Alexander, Hannah Murray…; Belle & Sebastian's Stuart Murdoch writes and directs this 60s–inspired musical set in Glasgow about an emotionally troubled young woman whose…
Into the Woods (2014): Dir. Rob Marshall
Feat. Anna Kendrick, Meryl Streep, Chris Pine…; Stephen Sondheim's exuberant musical gets the gleaming big screen treatment from dir. Rob Marshall (CHICAGO, NINE), with Meryl Streep as the witch…
That Day We Sang (2014): Dir. Victoria Wood
Feat. Michael Ball, Imelda Staunton, Christopher Jordan; TV adaptation of the beloved musical written and composed by Victoria Wood, who also directs. Set in 1969 and based on a true story, the plot…
Romeo and Juliet: A Love Song (2013): Dir. Tim van Dammen
Feat. Derya Parlak, Christopher Landon; The Bard's most iconic play is performed with colloquial gusto in this inventive musical transposing of the tale of star–crossed lovers to an…
Sunshine on Leith (2013): Dir. Dexter Fletcher
Feat. Antonia Thomas, Peter Mullan, Jason Flemyng…; Bouncing off the solid catalogue of hits from died–in–the–wool Scots popsters The Proclaimers, this jubilant musical inspires with…
Imaginaerum by Nightwish (2012): Dir. Stobe Harju
Feat. Marianne Farley, Quinn Lord, Francis X McCarthy; Based on the album of the same name by Finnish metallers Nightwish. A coma sends an old man into his childhood's sinister fantasy world, where he…
Joyful Noise (2012): Dir. Todd Graff
Feat. Dolly Parton, Queen Latifah, Keke Palmer…; Bright, uplifting show choir musical from the dir. of CAMP concerns the rivalry between two big–voiced divas (Parton and Latifah) who must work…
Les Miserables (2012): Dir. Tom Hooper
Feat. Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway…; Victor Hugo's classic novel set during the French revolution receives its latest big screen musical adaptation courtesy of dir. Tom Hooper (THE…
Smash (TV Series) (2012): Feat. Debra Messing, Jack Davenport, Anjelica Huston…; A superior, adult–minded alternative to GLEE, this focuses on the creative talent both on–stage and behind–the–scenes of a…
Beloved (2011): Dir. Christophe Honore
Feat. Chiara Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve, Ludivine Sagnier…; An expressive, cosmopolitan musical about the life and loves of a mother and daughter spanning four decades, played by the Real McCoy, Catherine…
Hunky Dory (2011): Dir. Marc Evans
Feat. Minnie Driver; Feel–good period drama plays it safe in its rose–tinted remembrance of the '70s, where an earnest drama teacher (Driver) brings together…
Burlesque (2010): Dir. Steve Antin
Feat. Christina Aguilera, Cher, Eric Dane…; Christina Aguilera plays a small–town singer transformed into a diva by Cher, the owner of a glamorous L.A. nightclub in this flamboyant…
Butterfly Crush (2010): Dir. Alan Clay
Feat. Courtney Hale, Hayley Fielding, Sally Kelleher; Poppy local drama packed with tunes has the titular song and dance duo thrown into turmoil when one member becomes ensnared in a cult.
Chico & Rita (Chico and Rita) (2010): Dir. Tono Errando, Javier Mariscal, Fernando Trueba; A date move with a difference, this sensuous animated tale for adults traces the love affair of a big–dreaming piano player and a gifted singer…
Fame (2009): Dir. Kevin Tancharoen
Feat. Kay Panabaker, Naturi Naughton, Kherington Payne; Surprisingly savvy remake of the 1980s original, centered around the passionate young students of the New York Academy of Performing Arts. Easily…
Heart and Soul (TV Series) (All the Small Things) (2009): Feat. Sarah Lancashire, Neil Pearson, Sarah Alexander; Novel musical drama set in small town England after her husband – the local choir master – leaves her for choir's soprano, a woman and…
Marc Pease Experience, The (2009): Dir. Todd Louiso
Feat. Jason Schwartzman, Ben Stiller, Anna Kendrick…; Remorseless comedy of the deluded with Schwartzman as a sad–sack limo driver desperate to relive his glory days as a high school music star.…
Moonlight Serenade (2009): Dir. Giancarlo Tallarico
Feat. Amy Adams, Alec Newman, Moon Bloodgood…; A piano player discovers that the lovely girl at the coat–check of a jazz club has the voice of an angel, and persuades her to form a musical…
Nine (2009): Dir. Rob Marshall
Feat. Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz…; A stonkingly glamorous screen musical based on FELLINI'S 8 1/2, with famous film auteur Guido Contini struggling to realize his cinematic masterpiece…
Sister Smile (2009): Dir. Stijn Coninx
Feat. Cecile De France, Sandrine Blancke; The poignant, still resonant true story of 60s popstar The Singing Nun, vividly played by actress Cécile de France.
Our Beloved Month of August (Aquele Querido Mês de Agosto) (2008): Dir. Miguel Gomes
Feat. Sonia Bandeira, Fabio Oliveira; Beautifully idiosyncratic film blending documentary with drama, from distinctive Portuguese director Miguel Gomes (TABU). A summery and romantic…
Paris 36 (Faubourg 36) (2008): Dir. Christophe Barratier
Feat. Gerard Jugnot, Clovis Cornillac, Kad Merad; This period 30s French drama is set in a struggling music hall that seems destined for closure until a new star comes along to save the day. A love…
Across the Universe (2007): Dir. Julie Taymor
Feat. Evan Rachel Wood, Jim Sturgess, Joe Anderson…; Thirty–three tunes from the Beatles songbook are excitably re–constituted for this lavish 'jukebox' musical that threads together a story…
Crazy (2007): Dir. Rick Bieber
Feat. Ali Larter, Waylon Payne; Unlikely musical biopic of legendary guitarist Hank Garland, charting the instrumentalist’s career highs, troubled relationships and personal…
Stomp the Yard (2007): Dir. Sylvain White
Feat. Columbus Short; A stomping ghetto melodrama that follows a gangbanger's transformation into a champion hip–hop krump dancer, set in a fictional all–black…
Dreamgirls (2006): Dir. Bill Condon
Feat. Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles, Eddie Murphy…; Dazzling musical numbers and sassy performances jive in this acclaimed Motown musical charting the rise of fictional girl group, 'The Dreamettes', in…
Prairie Home Companion, A (2006): Dir. Robert Altman
Feat. Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Tommy Lee Jones…; Reviving the musical scope of his 70s watermark NASHVILLE, Robert Altman’s last film lovingly dramatizes the backstage quandary of a live radio…
TranSylvania (2006): Dir. Tony Gatlif
Feat. Asia Argento, Birol Unel, Amira Casar; Tony Gatlif tones his freewheeling musical romanticism down a notch, but doesn’t discard the ramshackle sensuality of his earlier films, in this…
Lackawanna Blues (2005): Dir. George C. Wolfe
Feat. S. Epatha Merkerson, Mos Def, Delroy Lindo…; An evocative series of linked vignettes set around the memories of playwright Ruben Santiago–Hudson, about a New York boarding house in the…
Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School (2005): Dir. Randall Miller
Feat. Robert Carlyle, Marisa Tomei, John Goodman…; Old–fashioned melodrama, shading into elegaic whimsy, in which a widowed baker (Carlyle) helps and learns the story of a car crash victim…
Mrs Henderson Presents (2005): Dir. Stephen Frears
Feat. Judi Dench, Bob Hoskins, Christopher Guest…; Set in the grey drabness of 1930s England, this charming wee feel–gooder tells the true story of an eccentric, somewhat difficult dowager…
Rent (2005): Dir. Chris Columbus
Feat. Rosario Dawson, Taye Diggs, Anthony Rapp; An ambitious and mostly comfortable adaptation of the 1990s Broadway update of Puccini's LA BOHEME, in which a multi–racial mixture of New York…
U-Carmen Ekhayelitsha (2005): Dir. Mark Dornford-May
Feat. Pauline Malefane; An inspired contemporary rendition of George Bizet's classic opera, with events relocated to the rich cultural hotbed of modern day South Africa.…
Walk the Line (2005): Dir. James Mangold
Feat. Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Patrick; Better–than–expected biopic of iconic American country singer Johnny Cash (Phoenix), especially focusing on his intense relationship with…
De-Lovely (Delovely) (2004): Dir. Irwin Winkler
Feat. Kevin Kline, Ashley Judd, Jonathan Pryce; Refined and dandy musical biopic of legendary tunesmith Cole Porter, who composed some great music while leading a gay double–life during his…
Phantom of the Opera, The (2004): Dir. Joel Schumacher
Feat. Gerard Butler, Minnie Driver, Miranda Richardson…; An opulently kitschy version of the amazingly successful Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, in which the shadowy, disfigured 'phantom' (Butler) tries to…
Wayward Cloud, The (2004): Dir. Ming-liang Tsai
Feat. Kang-sheng Lee, Shiang-chyi Chen; Eye–popping musical numbers burst forth from this outré Tsai Ming–liang offering, which couples the Taiwanese director’s usual…
Kal Ho Naa Ho (Tomorrow May Never Come) (2003): Dir. Nikhil Advani
Feat. Shahrukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta; Sporting a string of hit songs and featuring a troika of India's most popular stars, this giddy swirl of romantic comedy, musical, family melodrama…
Saddest Music in the World, The (2003): Dir. Guy Maddin
Feat. Mark McKinney, Isabella Rossellini, Maria de Medeiros…; Another stunning tableaux from dir. Maddin's ongoing series of fantasies inspired by the musty, spectral qualities of early cinema, this time setting…
Singing Detective, The (2003): Dir. Keith Gordon
Feat. Robert Downey Jnr., Robin Wright, Jeremy Northam…; A not unthoughtful remake of Dennis Potter's iconic 1980s TV Series, in which a psoriasis–afflicted crime writer hallucinates mystery plots and…
Chicago (2002): Dir. Rob Marshall
Feat. Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere…; A screen adaptation of Bob Fosse’s 1970s smash hit stage musical that measures up to the legendary director–choreographer’s exacting…
Swing (2002): Dir. Tony Gatlif; The latest excursion into the music–rich culture of Europe's 'gypsy' population from dir. Gatlif (GADJO DILO), this time set around its…
Crying... Silicon Tears (Klama) (2001): Dir. Thanassis Papathanassiou; One of the biggest hits of recent Greek cinema, this is a lavish parody of 1960s Greek movie melodramas, mixing musical, comedy and suspense into a…
Lagaan (2001): Dir. Ashutosh Gowariker
Feat. Aamir Khan, Gracey Singh, Paul Blackthorne…; Bollywood epic that broke through to international awards and audience with its ‘test–match’ running–time, lavishness and periodic…
One Night the Moon (2001): Dir. Rachel Perkins
Feat. Paul Kelly, Kaarin Fairfax, Kelton Pell; A unique short feature, which tells the story of a true 1930s mystery using the songs of Paul Kelly, who also stars. A young girl disappears one…
Dancer in the Dark (2000): Dir. Lars Von Trier
Feat. Bjork, David Morse, Catherine Deneuve; The third successive ‘masterpiece’ from the Danish wunderkind, who has that rare gift of being able to consistently realise the wildly ambitious…
Groove (2000): Dir. Greg Harrison
Feat. Mackenzie Firgens, Lola Glaudini, Denny Kirkwood; A night out at a San Francisco rave, evoking with dope–fuelled delirium the chaos as various party–goers either groove, burnout, get lost…
Little Voice (1998): Dir. Mark Herman
Feat. Jane Horrocks, Brenda Blethyn, Michael Caine…; The creator of BRASSED OFF trumps up another salty, crowd–pleasing musical of aspirations, survival and opportunism in the English…
Brassed Off (1997): Dir. Mark Herman
Feat. Tara Fitzgerald, Ewan McGregor, Pete Postlethwaite; Witty and warm–hearted comedy set in a Yorkshire mining community threatened with closure. Leading the town colliery brass band, Tara…
On Connait la Chanson (Same Old Song) (1997): Dir. Alain Resnais
Feat. Pierre Arditi, Sabine Azema, Jean-Pierre Bacri…; A winner of seven Cesar awards, this light–hearted homage to Dennis Potter applies his musical–cinematic ideas to the…
Sweeney Todd (1997): Dir. John Schlesinger
Feat. Ben Kingsley, Joanna Lumley; Based on the true story of the demon barbers of Fleet Street, Ben Kingsley and Joanna Lumley attend this gruesome tale of the esteemed barbershop in…
Evita (1996): Dir. Alan Parker
Feat. Madonna, Antonio Banderas; The Broadway Extravaganza, complete with Madonna, wall–to–wall songs and political melodrama, is bravely swallowed whole by Hollywood. …
Kansas City (1996): Dir. Robert Altman
Feat. Jennifer Jason Leigh, Miranda Richardson, Harry Belafonte; An all–star cast jam out on the multiple storylines of Robert Altman's homage to the 30s jazz–mecca of Kansas City. The old master stirs…
Mr. Holland's Opus (1996): Dir. Stephen Herek
Feat. Richard Dreyfuss, Glenne Headly; A would–be composer who settled for a career in teaching reflects on an inspirational life's work. Though steeped in nostalgic sentiment,…
Lush Life (1994): Dir. Michael Elias
Feat. Forest Whitaker, Jeff Goldblum; Forest Whitaker and Jeff Goldblum bring this modest jazz film to vibrant life as top session horn players whose lives come to a cross–roads,…
Backbeat (1993): Dir. Iain Softley
Feat. Stephen Dorff, Sheryl Lee, Ian Hart; A fascinating insight into the enigma that was the 'fifth' Beatle, Stuart Sutcliffe, who threw in the musical towel to pursue art and love.…
Gypsy (1993): Dir. Emile Ardolino
Feat. Bette Midler, Peter Riegert, Cynthia Gibb; Fresh screen version of the Broadway perennial set during the dying days of Vaudeville. Bette Midler was born for the part of obsessive…
Sarafina! (1993): Dir. Darrell James Roodt
Feat. Whoopi Goldberg; Screen version of the anti–apartheid stage musical posits Whoopi Goldberg as a Soweto school–teacher who liberates an impressionable…
Newsies (1992): Dir. Kenny Ortega
Feat. Christian Bale, Bill Pullman, Ann-Margret…; Disney musical based loosely on the 1899 New York City Newsboys' strike, in which the young newspaper hawkers of the city rose up to demand fair…
Doors, The (1991): Dir. Oliver Stone
Feat. Val Kilmer, Kyle MacLachlan, Meg Ryan; Val Kilmer gives an extraordinary visual and aural imitation of Jim Morrison in this spell–binding biopic of America's most influential rock…
For the Boys (1991): Dir. Mark Rydell
Feat. Bette Midler, James Caan; Bette Midler portrays the ebullient Dixie Leonard, a brassy cabaret–style performer who helped raise the spirits of American troups through…
Mambo Kings, The (1991): Dir. Arne Glimcher
Feat. Armand Assante, Antonio Banderas; Armand Assante and Antonio Banderas play sibling Mambo freaks who spin out of the fast lane en route to the American Dream. The dance sequences are…
Mo' Better Blues (1990): Dir. Spike Lee
Feat. Denzel Washington; This male flipside to Lee's SHE'S GOTTA HAVE IT sees talented musician caught between two women and his passion for jazz. A cinematic feast for the…
Bird (1988): Dir. Clint Eastwood
Feat. Forest Whitaker, Diane Venora, Keith David; Eastwood's biopic tribute to legendary jazz saxophonist Charlie 'Bird' Parker. His turbulent and extraordinary life is sympathetically characterised…
Crossroads (1986): Dir. Walter Hill
Feat. Ralph Macchio, Jami Gertz, Joe Seneca…; Great Ry Cooder music peps this light drama in which Ralph Macchio seeks lost blues tunes in the Deep South.
Singing Detective, The (TV Series) (1986): Dir. Jon Amiel
Feat. Michael Gambon, Joanne Whalley, Patrick Malahide…; Ground–breaking fantasy–drama from the unique genius of Dennis Potter. Michael Gambon is brilliant as a bed–ridden, frustrated…
A Chorus Line (1985): Dir. Richard Attenborough
Feat. Michael Douglas; Michael Douglas plays the cantankerous Broadway director in Sir Richard Attenborough's perfunctory adaptation of the highly successful stage musical.…
Amadeus (1984): Dir. Milos Forman
Feat. Tom Hulce, F. Murray Abraham; Academy–award winning biopic of Mozart's illustrious but brief existence that spawned much of the greatest music ever written. A humourous yet…
Beat Street (1984): Dir. Stan Lathan
Feat. Rae Dawn Chong, Guy Davis; Key film in the history of hip–hop culture, this urban musical may show its age and derivation (SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER), but still comprises an…
Breakdance - The Movie (Breakin’) (1984): Dir. Joel Silberg
Feat. Lucinda Dickey, Adolfo Quinones, Michael Chambers; The excellent, highly athletic breakdance performances will be the prime value to hiphop enthusiasts in this FLASHDANCE–clone, which now has a…
Breakdance 2 - Electric Boogaloo (Breakin' 2) (1984): Dir. Sam Firstenberg
Feat. Lucinda Dickey, Adolfo Quinones, Michael Chambers; Less–hokey sequel to BREAKDANCE, with a storyline centred on a group of teens and dancers who try to save a community rec–centre from a…
Cotton Club, The (1984): Dir. Francis Ford Coppola
Feat. Richard Gere, Diane Lane, Gregory Hines…; Richard Gere heads the ensemble for Coppola's glossy musical melodrama set in the thick of New York's glitzy gangster culture of the 1930s.
Footloose (1984): Dir. Herbert Ross
Feat. Kevin Bacon, John Lithgow, Christopher Penn…; Rock'n'roll city kid Kevin Bacon fights for his right to party in the face of small town conservatism in this infectious, under–rated musical…
Flashdance (1983): Dir. Adrian Lyne
Feat. Jennifer Beals; Glossy mid 80s musical has Jennifer Beals holding down the day–job as a welder, so as to realise her dreams dancing to hits like Flashdance and…
Staying Alive (1983): Dir. Sylvester Stallone
Feat. John Travolta, Cynthia Rhodes; Engagingly tacky sequel to SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, fashioned by dir. Sylvester Stallone as a ROCKY–style vehicle for John Travolta, who juggles…
Yentl (1983): Dir. Barbra Streisand
Feat. Barbra Streisand; Barbra Streisand directs herself in this musical/drama as an Eastern European woman at the turn of the century who masquerades as a boy in order to…
Fame (TV Series) (1982-1987): Feat. Lori Singer, Debbie Allen; Based on the 1980 hit movie, this series charts the ambitions, joys and heartbreaks of assorted dance and music students and teachers at New York's…
Honkytonk Man (1982): Dir. Clint Eastwood
Feat. Clint Eastwood, John McIntire, Verna Bloom; One of director–star Eastwood's more unusual efforts, playing a TB–stricken country singer in the Great Depression, who tries to make one…
One from the Heart (1982): Dir. Francis Ford Coppola
Feat. Frederic Forrest, Teri Garr, Raul Julia; A lavishly mounted curiosity loosely following the romantic plight of an estranged couple, set against an impressively stylised backdrop of Las…
Starstruck (1982): Dir. Gillian Armstrong
Feat. Jo Kennedy; A fabulous, overlooked Aussie musical in which an ambitious barmaid lives out her dreams to be a singing star in the new wave–inflected early…
Les Uns et Les Autres (Bolero) (1981): Dir. Claude Lelouch
Feat. James Caan, Geraldine Chaplin, Robert Hossein…; Sprawling extravaganza of questionable taste is not without its devotees. It charts the impact that music has made on the lives of four…
Pennies from Heaven (1981): Dir. Herbert Ross
Feat. Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, Christopher Walken…; Dennis Potter’s provocative, 1930s–set melding of drama and musical is spot–on in this US version of the BBC TV–series, which…
Pippin: His Life and Times (1981): Dir. David Sheehan
Feat. Ben Vereen, William Katt, Leslie Denniston; TV movie adapted from the 1972 musical, itself an adaptation of the Bob Fosse Broadway production. Music and lyrics are by Stephen Schwartz and book…
Breaking Glass (1980): Dir. Brian Gibson
Feat. Hazel O'Connor, Phil Daniels, Jon Finch…; Grievously under–rated and singular rock music drama from the post–punk era offers more than just nostalgic interest, with an impassioned…
Coal Miner's Daughter (1980): Dir. Michael Apted
Feat. Sissy Spacek, Tommy Lee Jones; Biopic of country legend Loretta Lynn.
Fame (1980): Dir. Alan Parker
Feat. Irene Cara; Young wannabees get ready for their big break at a New York performing arts college. Funny how none of the cast have since achieved it.
One Trick Pony (1980): Dir. Robert M Young
Feat. Paul Simon, Blair Brown, Rip Torn…; Interesting tale of rock–star, played by Paul Simon, undergoing personal crises.
Xanadu (1980): Feat. Olivia Newton-John, Gene Kelly; Diabolical disco–kitsch with a plot as thin as a plastic–wrapper. Designer Michael Beck is visited by ethereal muse Olivia…
All That Jazz (1979): Dir. Bob Fosse
Feat. Roy Scheider; Audacious, some would say self–indulgent, musical–comedy – a semi–autobiography of celebrated New York choreographer and…
Elvis (1979): Dir. John Carpenter
Feat. Kurt Russell, Shelley Winters, Bing Russell…; Made just two years after Elvis's death, the king of rock 'n' roll's life is traced from dirt poor beginnings to becoming the most loved entertainer…
Quadrophenia (1979): Dir. Franc Roddam
Feat. Phil Daniels, Michael Elphick, Ray Winstone…; Brilliant portrait of alienated youth, inspired by The Who's concept album, focuses on a young Mod's personal crises and his gang's violent agenda…
Rose, The (1979): Dir. Mark Rydell
Feat. Bette Midler; Bette Midler's acting debut was this raunchy rock biopic based loosely on the antics of Janis Joplin. She is given plenty of room here to display her…
Buddy Holly Story, The (1978): Dir. Steve Rash
Feat. Gary Busey; An exceptional Hollywood biography of the seminal rock 'n'roll star, with an uncanny lead performance from Gary Busey.
FM (1978): Dir. John A Alonzo
Feat. Michael Brandon; No static at all, and no commercials either (well, not too many) if the liberal, music–dedicated broadcasters get their way over the interests…
Pennies From Heaven (Mini Series) (1978): Dir. Piers Haggard
Feat. Bob Hoskins, Cheryl Campbell, Gemma Craven…; The original television version of Dennis Potter's acclaimed and much–remembered musical drama, set around philandering sheet–music…
New York, New York (1977): Dir. Martin Scorsese
Feat. Robert De Niro, Liza Minnelli; This imaginative yet famously abrasive tribute to the Hollywood musicals of the 1940s focuses on the tumultuous relationship between a saxophonist…
A Star Is Born (1976): Dir. Frank Pierson
Feat. Barbra Streisand, Kris Kristofferson, Paul Mazursky…; The third screen version of an eminently watchable story, this time set in the fickle rock music scene with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson…
Nashville (1975): Dir. Robert Altman
Feat. Lily Tomlin, Keith Carradine, Geraldine Chaplin…; An American classic, 70s watermark and widely considered Altman's masterpiece. Story of 24 characters gathered for a political rally in the country…
American Film Theatre - Lost in the Stars (1974): Dir. Daniel Mann
Feat. Brock Peters, Melba Moore, Raymond St. Jacques…; The innovative 1930s musical collaboration between Maxwell Anderson and Kurt Weill was ambitiously adapted in this American Film Theatre…
Stardust (1974): Dir. Michael Apted
Feat. David Essex, Adam Faith, Larry Hagman…; Musical biopic of fictional 60s British popsters The Stray Cats (the name later adopted by 80s rockabillies) and their invasion of America. 70s pop…
Jesus Christ Superstar (1973): Dir. Norman Jewison
Feat. Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson; A screen adaptation of Lloyd–Webber's stage musical which retains the original score but adds an extra sheen of kitsch to the much maligned…
Cabaret (1972): Dir. Bob Fosse
Feat. Liza Minnelli, Michael York; Scintillating musical with Liza Minnelli as the American showgirl caught up in the phony glitter of pre–war Berlin. Eight–time Oscar…
Harder They Come, The (1972): Dir. Perry Henzell
Feat. Jimmy Cliff, Carl Bradshaw; A classic that has found lasting significance as a music film, political film, and above all as a unique, authentic product of Jamaica. A young,…
Change of Habit (1969): Dir. William A. Graham
Feat. Elvis Presley, Mary Tyler Moore, Barbara McNair…; Elvis Presley's final acting role was this musical drama in which he plays a doctor who falls in love with Mary Tyler Moore, playing one of three…
Oh! What a Lovely War (1969): Dir. Richard Attenborough
Feat. John Rae, Corin Redgrave, Maurice Roeves…; Powerful anti–war musical adapted from the play by Charles Chilton, which depicts the mass blunder of WWI through the experiences of the poor…
Trouble With Girls, The (1969): Dir. Peter Tewksbury
Feat. Elvis Presley, Marlyn Manson, Nicole Jaffe…; Behind the misleading title, this atypically quirky late Elvis movie sees him running a 1920s travelling circus sideshow, with an excellent…
Young Girls of Rochefort, The (Les Demoiselles de Rochefort) (1967): Dir. Jacques Demy
Feat. Catherine Deneuve, Francois Dorleac, Gene Kelly; The carrot of love is dangled in Jacques Demy's positively radiant follow–up to UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG: an unbridled, colour–saturated…
I Could Go on Singing (1963): Dir. Ronald Neame
Feat. Judy Garland, Dirk Bogarde, Jack Klugman…; A successful singer visits her estranged son while on tour in England. Teary melodrama was Garland's last film and featured arguably her best acting.
Live it Up! (Sing and Swing) (1963): Dir. Lance Comfort
Feat. David Hemmings; Low–budget, but historically fascinating musical wraps some great mid–60s pop music around its slender plot. Hemmings plays a…
Bells are Ringing (1960): Dir. Vincente Minnelli
Feat. Judy Holliday, Dean Martin, Fred Clark…; Winning musical rom–com from Vincente Minnelli (MEET ME IN ST LOUIS), with Judy Holliday playing a fictionalised version of real–life…
Cloud-Capped Star, The (1960): Dir. Ritwik Ghatak
Feat. Supriya Choudhury; The kind–hearted daughter of a middle–class refugee family from East Pakistan sacrifices her own happiness for her unappreciative family,…
Expresso Bongo (1960): Dir. Val Guest
Feat. Cliff Richard, Laurence Harvey; Brash and colourfully classic 'beat' musical with Cliff Richard as a struggling bongo–playing nightclub act who is snatched from obscurity by a…
Give a Girl a Break (1953): Dir. Stanley Donen
Feat. Debbie Reynolds, Marge Champion, Gower Champion…; Musical comedy about three unknown actresses who are all competing for Broadway stardom after a temperamental performer walks off the set of a major…
Story of Gilbert and Sullivan, The (1953): Dir. Sidney Gilliat
Feat. Robert Morley, Maurice Evans, Eileen Herlie; Spirited biopic of the careers of W.S. Gilbert, a barrister turned–comic–writer, and Arthur Sullivan, a classic composer (converted…
Young Man With a Horn (Young Man of Music) (1949): Dir. Michael Curtiz
Feat. Kirk Douglas, Doris Day, Lauren Bacall…; Sharp biopic based on legendary jazz trumpeteer Bix Beiderbecke (played here by Kirk Douglas), who rose from obscurity to possess one of the most…
Red Shoes, The (1948): Dir. Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
Feat. Anton Walbrook, Moira Shearer, Marius Goring…; Beloved dance classic is a strikingly realised story of a young ballerina who, in an echo of the Hans Christian Andersen story, becomes torn between…
Man I Love, The (1946): Dir. Raoul Walsh
Feat. Ida Lupino, Robert Alda, Bruce Bennett…; Romantic drama about a New York lounge singer who becomes homesick and decides to visit her siblings on the West Coast, where she unexpectedly falls…
Hard Way, The (1943): Dir. Vincent Sherman
Feat. Ida Lupino, Dennis Morgan, Joan Leslie; Musical drama based on a story by Irwin Shaw, which was reportedly inspired by Ginger Rogers' first marriage to Jack Pepper. Joan Leslie plays a…
Orchestra Wives (1942): Dir. Archie Mayo
Feat. Ann Rutherford, George Montgomery, Lynn Bari…; Swing–era musical featuring the Glenn Miller orchestra, with Miller himself playing the leader of a band. When the trumpet player…
Ziegfeld Girl (1941): Dir. Robert Z. Leonard
Feat. James Stewart, Judy Garland, Hedy Lamarr…; A star–sudded MGM musical melodrama featuring musical numbers staged by Busby Berkeley, highlighted by "You Stepped Out of a Dream". Set in the…
Alexander's Ragtime Band (1938): Dir. Henry King
Feat. Tyrone Power, Alice Faye, Don Ameche…; Irving Berlin contributes over two dozen songs as well as the screenplay for this rousing story of the history of (white) jazz music from ragtime to…
Great Waltz, The (The Life of Johann Strauss) (1938): Dir. Julien Duvivier
Feat. Fernand Gravey, Luise Rainer, Lionel Atwill; The lIfe story of Johann Strauss is given a rich if somewhat corny treatment in this otherwise well–mounted musical biopic.
Roberta (1935): Dir. William A. Seiter
Feat. Irene Dunne, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers…; An unsuccessful American Football player inherits his Aunt's Parisian fashion house. One of the weaker Rogers/Astaire efforts.
Blonde Venus (1932): Dir. Josef von Sternberg
Feat. Marlene Dietrich, Cary Grant, Herbert Marshall…; Director Josef von Sternberg reunites with muse Marlene Dietrich in this sweeping melodrama about a German chanteuse turned struggling housewife who…
Applause (1929): Dir. Rouben Mamoulian
Feat. Helen Morgan, Jack Cameron, Joan Peers…; Early sound musicial about a fading burlesque queen who sends her daughter to a convent in an attempt to remove her from the sleazy theatre world she…
Blind Husbands / The Great Gabbo (1919-1929): Dir. Erich von Stroheim, James Cruze
Feat. Erich von Stroheim, Gibson Gowland, Sam De Grasse…; Two feature films on one disc featuring visionary Austrian–American silent filmmaker and actor Erich von Stroheim. Blind Husbands (directed…

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