A Prairie Home Companion (2006), 5

PG-13 | 1h 45min | Comedy, Drama, Music | 12 February 2006
A look at what goes on backstage during the last broadcast of America's most celebrated radio show.
Director: Robert Altman
Stars: Lily Tomlin, Meryl Streep, Woody Harrelson, Garrison Keillor, Kevin Kline, Lindsay Lohan, Virginia Madsen, John C. Reilly.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0420087/
Watched online, ok print.

46 songs in the Soundtracks.

Final film director credit for RA ('26-'06). I'm not a fan: of the 7 films I've rated, I gave them 4555666, while four of them have rating higher than 6.0. (Another is an anthology with multiple directors.)

I don't understand what people (especially critics) enjoy his work; this one has a metascore of 75, which is good.

I don't see the point of the "story" set at the final broadcast of APHC: a performer dies in his dressing room after being on-air, a mysterious woman (VM) wanders around backstage, visible to everyone, but is an angel (of death). She suggests a shortcut to the executive from the corporation who shut down the show, and he (presumably with his chauffeur) dies in the crash. KK plays a clueless security gumshoe who didn't even investigate VM, even though he was the first to meet her and he was attracted to her.

Viewing this once was more than enough.

Rated 6.8 (20,870)

distr. Picturehouse, dir. Altman; 5

High School Musical (2006), 6

TV-G | 1h 38min | Comedy, Drama, Family | TV Movie 20 Jan 2006
A popular high school athlete and an academically gifted girl get roles in the school musical and develop a friendship that threatens East High's social order.
Director: Kenny Ortega
Stars: Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel.
Charles Klapow ... choreographer
Kenny Ortega ... choreographer
Bonnie Story ... choreographer

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0475293/

10 songs in the Soundtracks.

Teen fluff. ZE (b. '87) is very young.

Lots of movement onscreen during dance numbers, but also lots of edits to show faces. That's a shame, because these kids can dance. I was especially impressed with LG's (b. '84) dancing, and he stays with these films, but his other musicals are tv series, so I won't see those.

Rated 5.3 (71,010)

Disney, dir. Ortega; 6

Hoodwinked! (2005), 6

PG | 1h 20min | Animation, Comedy, Crime | 16 December 2005
Little Red Riding Hood, the Wolf, the Woodsman, and Granny all tell the police the events that led up to their encounter.
Co-Writers/Directors: Cory Edwards, Todd Edwards (co-director), Tony Leech (co-director).
Stars: Anne Hathaway, Glenn Close, Patrick Warburton, Jim Belushi, David Ogden Stiers.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443536/
borrowed dvd

14 songs in the Soundtracks, 9 Written by Todd Edwards.

I'm surprised this is not tagged as Musical. It has enough songs performed by characters. I'm going to count it as one. [Wow, IMDb edit went through immediately.]
Genres: Animation | Comedy | Crime | Family | Musical | Mystery

Cute reworking of the classic fairy tale, adding a layer of a series of thefts to the story, then retelling events by each of the 4 principal ala Rashomon ('50).

C.track was annoying with writer/directors talking about the film as though it were live action (stunt men, wires, etc.) They never get around to explaining how they made the film, not even in the featurette entitled "How to Make an Animated Film". They show pencil drawings, and a screen of 3D animation, but not how one becomes the other. They claim it was the cheapest animated film ever made, and infer that they spent only $5k on 2 computers (plus multiple years of effort).

Rated 6.5 (51,668)

distr. The Weinstein Company, dir. Edwards, Edwards & Leech; 6

The Producers (2005), 8

PG-13 | 2h 14min | Comedy, Musical | 25 December 2005
After putting together another Broadway flop, down-on-his-luck Producer Max Bialystock teams up with timid accountant Leo Bloom in a get-rich-quick scheme to put on the world's worst show.
Director: Susan Stroman
Stars: Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Uma Thurman, Will Ferrell.
Warren Carlyle ... associate choreographer

James Hadley ... assistant choreographer

Christina Marie Norrup ... assistant choreographer 

Susan Stroman ... choreographer

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0395251/

20 songs in the Soundtracks, all Music and Lyrics by Mel Brooks.

Although I prefer Gene Wilder & Ken Mars for their roles in the '67 non-musical film, the musical numbers here compensate gloriously. This pleased me more today than for my prior rating. It's good to see an actual live-action musical that's easy to follow, and not just a film with music performance/creation in the story, or with story/character confusion.

Unfortunately, this is dir. SS's last film (of 3), and she's turning 65 this year.

Rated 6.4 (38,118)

Universal, Columbia & more, dir. Stroman; 8

Rent (2005), 6

PG-13 | 2h 15min | Drama, Musical, Romance | 23 Nov 2005
Film version of the Pulitzer and Tony Award winning musical about Bohemians in the East Village of New York City struggling with life, love and AIDS.
Director: Chris Columbus
Stars: Anthony Rapp, Adam Pascal, Rosario Dawson, Jesse L. Martin, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Idina Menzel, Tracie Thoms, Taye Diggs.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0294870/

28 songs in the Soundtracks, including 4 reprises; 26 Written by Jonathan Larson. Not listed: a brief quotation from Puccini's La boheme.

Although I know Puccini's La boheme pretty well now, that only helps me recognize the homage moments here, not to follow this story. This felt like too many characters of roughly equal importance. Perhaps I could have benefitted from reading a detailed synopsis beforehand. This has a lot of time singing songs, seemingly more than spoken dialog. Perhaps repeated viewing would help.

Interesting that 5 of the 7 principals were in the original stage cast a decade earlier.

After watching the doc'y on disc2, I appreciated more why there were so many characters: it was important to kill off enough of them to give us the feeling of the AIDS epidemic during the early 90s.

Rated 7.0 (45,702)

distr. Sony/Columbia, dir. Columbus; 6

Rachmaninov: The Miserly Knight (2005), 7

1h 14min | Music, Musical | TV (2005)
An impoverished knight is at odds with his rich but miserly father.

Stage Director: Annabel Arden

Conductor: Vladimir Jurowski

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1444282/

Watched online, ok print.

The dvd for Gianni Schicchi mentioned that they paired this opera with that, and it makes some sense. This is the tragic version, while that is the comedic.

First performance 1906

Place: England
The Middle Ages

I'm very confused by the acrobat hovering over the proceedings. Is s/he Death? No explanation found on the dvd or the pamphlet of "Aerialist".

Generic synopsis here.

Cast

Sergei Leiferkus (The Baron)

Richard Berkeley-Steele (Albert)

Maxim Mikhailov (The Servant)

Viacheslav Voynarovskiy (The Money-lender)

Albert Schagidullin (The Duke)

Matilda Leyser (Aerialist)

London Philharmonic Orchestra

Rated (none)

Glyndebourne Opera, cond. Jurowski; 7

Puccini: Gianni Schicchi (2005), 8

1h 14min | Music | TV Movie 30 May 2005
Greedy relatives scheme with a clever fellow to rewrite a newly-deceased miser's will.
Director: Annabel Arden
Conductor: Vladimir Jurowski

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8815616/

Although Amazon lists the dvd as 74min, the opera is only 57:24.

I should have shopped better and held out for the Triptych with operas Il tabarro and Suor Angelica, since all 3 are 1-acts. This is Puccini's only comic opera, and his penultimate opera, the last being Turandot which had to be finished by a colleague.

Time: 1299
Place: Florence

First performance at New York, December 14, 1918

Costumes here invoke the time of the premiere, not 6+centuries prior, despite the year being mentioned in the lyrics, and the penalty for fraud being medieval.

Played for comedy. Title character comes from Dante's Inferno.

The soprano trio is lovely.

I can't find any reference to this, but I'd swear that the music of Lauretta's aria is from Madama Butterfly or some other Puccini work. Maybe it's just a popular concert piece; I can find most lyric sopranos singing O mio babbino caro on YouTube.

Well-paired with Rachmaninov: The Miserly Knight. 

Cast: 

GIANNI SCHICCHI Baritone : Alessandro Corbelli
LAURETTA, his daughter Soprano : Sally Matthews
Relations of Buoso Donati:
    ZITA, his cousin Contralto : Felicity Palmer
    RINUCCIO, her nephew Tenor : Massimo Giordano
    GHERARDO, nephew of Buoso Tenor : Adrian Thompson
    NELLA, his Wife Soprano : Olga Schalaewa
    GHERARDINO, their son Contralto : Christopher Waite
    BETTO DI SIGNA, brother-in-law of Buoso Baritone or Bass : Maxim Mikhailov
    SIMONE, BUOSO’S cousin Bass : Luigi Roni
    MARCO, his son Baritone : Riccardo Novaro
    LA CIESCA, his wife Mezzo-soprano  : Marie McLaughlin
SPINELLOCCIO, a doctor Bass  : Viacheslav Voynarovskiy
AMANTIO DI NICOLAO, a lawyer Baritone or Bass  : Richard Mosley-Evans

Rated (none)

Glyndebourne Opera, cond. Jurowski; 8

Faerie Tale Theatre (1982–1987), 6 {nm}

50min | Adventure, Comedy, Family | TV Series (1982–1987)
Inspired by an earlier children's series, Shirley Temple's Storybook (1958), Shelley Duvall hosted this series featuring some of the best known actors in Hollywood performing adaptations of traditional stories.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0199214/

Watched the 10 episodes below today, focusing often on ones I found less familiar. I have 26 total; not the Grimm Party compilation episode that was lost then later found.

The appeal was the stars, but they didn't really bring enough to make these better than just ok to me.





The Tale of the Frog Prince (1982)
The Nightingale (1983)
The Princess and the Pea (1984)
Pinocchio (1984)
The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers (1984)
The Three Little Pigs (1985)
The Snow Queen (1985)
Puss in Boots (1985)
The Emperor's New Clothes (1985)
The Dancing Princesses (1987)

Rated 8.4 (1,654)

distr. Showtime; dir. various; 6

Kinky Boots (2005), 7

PG-13 | 1h 47min | Comedy, Drama, Music | 26 May 2006
A drag queen comes to the rescue of a man who, after inheriting his father's shoe factory, needs to diversify his product if he wants to keep the business afloat.
Director: Julian Jarrold
Stars: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Joel Edgerton, Sarah-Jane Potts.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0434124/
Watched online, good print.

21 songs in the Soundtracks, 9 performed by Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Unfortunately, this is not a film based on the B'way musical; rather, the B'way musical is based on the film, or its source material. The Music tag is because CE works as a chanteuse.

Well done drama with humor, heart, and sexual ambiguity.

IMDb trivia: Inspired by the true story of a traditional English men's footwear factory in Northamptonshire which turned to production of kinky boots for transvestites in order to save the ailing family business and safeguard the jobs of the local community.

Rated 7.1 (16,635)

Miramax & more, dir. Jarrold; 7

Thank You for Smoking (2005), 7 {nm}

R | 1h 32min | Comedy, Drama | 14 April 2006
Satirical comedy follows the machinations of Big Tobacco's chief spokesman, Nick Naylor, who spins on behalf of cigarettes while trying to remain a role model for his twelve-year-old son.
Co-writer/Director: Jason Reitman
Stars: Aaron Eckhart, Cameron Bright, Maria Bello, J.K. Simmons.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0427944/
Watched online, good print.

Kept running into this title while surf-shopping on eBay.

Very cynical and funny, with a satisfying ending. Kept me from wondering about the psychology of such a lobbyist.

Rated 7.6 (204,236)

distr. Fox, dir. Reitman; 7

Mrs Henderson Presents (2005), 6

R | 1h 43min | Comedy, Drama, Music | 17 February 2006
Laura Henderson buys an old London theater and opens it up as the Windmill, a performance hall which goes down in history for, among other things, its all-nude revues.
Director: Stephen Frears
Stars: Judi Dench, Bob Hoskins, Christopher Guest.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0413015/

13 songs in the Soundtracks.

Don't know if this theatre is the same as what is portrayed in the Rita Hayworth film Tonight and Every Night ('45), where the theatre also never closed, and performances continued through bombings in WW2. They have in common that a performer was upset, went across the street for a beverage and got killed by a bomb.

The nudity was during tableaus, so the nude models were completely still, as though they were paintings.

The c.track by the director was quite sparse and uninformative. He sounds dour and uninvolved with the production, like he's the hired hand. So skip the c.track.

Rated 7.0 (14,505)

BBC Films & more, dir. Frears; 6

Broadway's Lost Treasures III: The Best of the Tony Awards, 7

Great Performances (1971– )
1h 35min | Music | Episode aired 7 August 2005
Add a Plot »
Directors: Chris Cohen, Wayne Palmer

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0787451/

No songs listed in the Soundtracks. Because I typed all these in by scratch, it took more than 30 extra minutes to watch this. I won't add them to IMDb today.

Some of the performances in all 3 shows were from past years; perhaps these were the ones lip synced? That's the case here for Damn Yankees.

Great to have these performances; wish they'd compile more of these shows.


Songs performed:

1. 42nd Street/We're in the Money, from "42nd Street", Music by Harry Warren, Lyrics by Al Dubin, performed by Cast
2. Whatever Lola Wants, from "Damn Yankees", Music & Lyrics by Richard Alder, Jerry Ross, performed by Gwen Verdon
3. Medley, from "Into the Woods", Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, performed by Vanessa Williams & cast
4. She Likes Baseball, from "Promises, Promises", Music by Burt Bacharach, Lyrics by Hal David, performed by Jerry Orbach
5. America, from "West Side Story", Music by Leonard Bernstein, Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, performed by Debbie Allen & cast
6. Sing, Sing, Sing, from "Fosse", Music by Louis Prima, performed by original cast
7. Ol' Man River, from "Show Boat", Music by Jerome Kern, Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, performed by Michel Bell & cast
8. Step to the Rear, from "How Now Dow Jones", Music by Elmer Bernstein, Lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, performed by Anthony Roberts & cast
9. Where is the Life That Late I Led, from "Kiss Me Kate", Music & Lyrics by Cole Porter, performed by Alfred Drake
10. Medley, from "My Fair Lady" and "Camelot", Music by Frederick Lowe, Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, performed by Julie Andrews
11. I Can't Be Bothered Now, from "Crazy for You", Music by George Gershwin, Lyrics by Ira Gershwin, performed by Harry Groener & cast
12. Where You Are, from "Kiss of the Spider Woman", Music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb, performed by Chita Rivera, Brent Carver & cast
13. Indian Love Call, from "Rose Marie", Music by Rudolf Friml & Herbert P. Stothart, Lyrics by Otto Harbach & Oscar Hammerstein II, performed by Robert Goulet & Inga Swenson
14. T'ain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do, from "Black and Blue", Music by Peter Grainger, Lyrics by Everett Robbins, performed by Ruth Brown & Linda Hopkins, cast dancing
15. Comedy Tonight, from "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum", Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, performed by Zero Mostel
16. Medley, from "Girl Crazy", Music & Lyrics by George & Ira Gershwin, from "Call Me Madam", Music & Lyrics by Irving Berlin, from "Gypsy", Music by Jule Styne, Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, performed by Ethel Merman
17. My New Philosophy, from "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown", Music & Lyrics by Andrew Lippa, performed by Kristin Chenoweth
18. Caledonia, from "Five Guys Named Moe", Music by Louis Jordan, Lyrics by Fleecie Moore, performed by original cast
19. Ragtime, from "Ragtime", Music by Stephen Flaherty, Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, performed by original cast
20. The American Dream, from "Miss Saigon", Music by Claude-Michel Schonberg, Lyrics by Alain Boublil & Richard Maltby, Jr., performed by Jonathan Pryce & cast
21. Everything's Coming Up Roses, from "Gypsy", Music by Jule Styne, Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, performed by Angela Lansbury
22. The Happy Time, from "The Happy Time", Music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb, performed by Robert Goulet, David Wayne, Michael Rupert
23. She Could Shake the Maracas, from "Too Many Girls", Music by Richard Rodgers, Lyrics by Lorenz Hart, performed by Desi Arnaz

Rated 8.0 (24)

distr. PBS, dir. Cohen & Palmer; 7

The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005), 7+ {nm}

G | 1h 25min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy | 7 October 2005
Wallace and his loyal dog, Gromit, set out to discover the mystery behind the garden sabotage that plagues their village and threatens the annual giant vegetable growing contest.
Co-writers/Directors: Steve Box, Nick Park
Stars: Peter Sallis, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0312004/

I remember watching the early W&G shorts (just ordered them on disc), and liking them. This is my first time seeing this film, and it's really Gromit that gets to me. He never speaks, but those eyebrows and other body poses/movements are incredibly expressive.

The story is good, with the whodunit revealing nicely. Terrific chase scene to climax things. I'd bet if I saw this on the big screen, my rating would be even higher because of the chase.

Rated 7.5 (113,003)

Dreamworks & more, dir. Box & Park; 7+

Corpse Bride (2005), 6-

PG | 1h 17min | Animation, Drama, Family | 23 September 2005
When a shy groom practices his wedding vows in the inadvertent presence of a deceased young woman, she rises from the grave assuming he has married her.
Directors: Tim Burton, Mike Johnson
Stars: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Emily Watson.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0121164/
Watched online, good print, but dicey internet service.

7 songs in the Soundtracks, 5 Music and Lyrics by Danny Elfman with 3 of those having Additional Lyrics by John August.

I don't know why I'm supposed to care who or what this guy marries. We have a brief introduction to his arranged marriage, no knowledge of the characters, and he immediately makes this inadvertent unofficiated marriage. So I have to learn the rules of the dead marrying the living? I don't want to play.

I did doze off, and the dark monochrome images repelled my attention, so maybe it's better than I think. So I'll be generous, but skeptical.

Rated 7.4 (219,340)

Warner & more, dir. Burton & Johnson; 6-

Shopgirl (2005), 7- {nm}

R | 1h 46min | Drama, Romance | 4 November 2005
A film adaptation of Steve Martin's novel about a complex love triangle between a bored salesgirl, a wealthy businessman and an aimless young man.
Director: Anand Tucker
Writers: Steve Martin (novel, screenplay)
Stars: Steve Martin, Claire Danes, Jason Schwartzman.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338427/

Interesting coming-of-age for adult CD, aided by the attentions of emotionally remote SM, and parallel maturation of JS.

Very little happens in the film, yet each character transforms by examining their decisions and desires. Smart, well-crafted.

Rated 6.4 (22,540)

Touchstone & more, dir. Tucker; 7-

Roll Bounce (2005), 5+

PG-13 | 1h 52min | Comedy, Drama, Music | 23 September 2005
In the summer of 1978, a teenager and his group of friends face new challenges when their neighborhood roller-skating rink closes, forcing them to visit a different rink.
Director: Malcolm D. Lee
Stars: Shad Moss, Chi McBride, Meagan Good.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0403455/
Watched online, mediocre print.

28 songs in the Soundtracks.

Why the world needed a roller disco film 27 years late, I know not. The emotional subplot is that the displaced group leader is dealing with grief over his mother's death, which his father isn't handling well either. But we get oversimplified solutions and a skate competition. <eye roll> I suppose it beats the rap films that I'm just skipping altogether, but not by much.

Once was enough.

Rated 6.1 (6,113)

Fox & more, dir. Lee; 5+

Walk the Line (2005), 5

PG-13 | 2h 16min | Biography, Drama, Music | 18 Nov 2005
A chronicle of country music legend Johnny Cash's life, from his early days on an Arkansas cotton farm to his rise to fame with Sun Records in Memphis, where he recorded alongside Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins.
Director: James Mangold
Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0358273/
Watched online, ok print.

44 songs in the Soundtracks.

Since I don't like country music, but I do like JC's voice, it's a major disappointment that JP is singing all the JC songs. But I previously rated this 3/5 on Netflix, so I sat through it.

Based on book by JC. Drug abuse, violent property destruction that makes me fear physical abuse, childhood trauma (brother killed by table saw malfunction) all make for an unpleasant tale. Doesn't make me appreciate JC any more.

Avoid.

Rated 7.9 (208,720)

Fox & more, dir. Mangold; 5

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), 6

PG | 1h 55min | Adventure, Comedy, Family | 15 July 2005
A young boy wins a tour through the most magnificent chocolate factory in the world, led by the world's most unusual candy maker.
Director: Tim Burton
Stars: Johnny Depp, Freddie Highmore, David Kelly, Helena Bonham Carter, Deep Roy.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367594/

10 song in the Soundtracks, 5 with Music by Danny Elfman, Lyrics by Roald Dahl; one of them sounds very Oingo Boingo.

Prior version: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), 6-.

Good match: Roald Dahl, Tim Burton, JD. Much better fit than the "happy" version in '71. Some of the eliminations of the children in the factory are different than in that film, and we get the exit scene where are all are shown to walk out of the factory with their parent, some physically altered but living. Plus we get the motivation for the contest, and it makes sense.

JD (b. '63) is made up to look as facially androgynous as possible; he's very pretty, although sometimes his stubble shadow is visible. In the special features, he looks himself (but clean-shaven).

The special features are very enlightening. The replication of Oompa Loompas was more physical, less CG, than I expected. And all the trained squirrels... oh my.

I can't say I really like the film, but I appreciate it.

Rated 6.7 (379,753)

Warner & more, dir. Burton; 6

Don't Come Knocking (2005), 5

R | 2h 2min | Drama, Music | 19 May 2005
An aging cowboy movie star deserts a film set and tries to reconnect with his mother, whom he hasn't seen in thirty years, only to learn that he has a child he never knew about.
Director: Wim Wenders
Stars: Sam Shepard, Jessica Lange, Tim Roth.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0377800/
Watched on AmazonPrime.

14 songs in the Soundtracks, 13 Written by T Bone Burnett, a couple with a second writer, the title song by Bono & The Edge.

This has precious little to do with music; the unknown son is a singer (songwriter?) wannabe.

If they specified why actor SS bolted from the desert location where they were shooting a film, I missed it. He heads for a visit to mom, which is uneventful except for learning he has a child. Then he heads toward that location and renews his acquaintance with JL, mother of said child. The y.a. son is angry to meet him, and they do not bond. SS is dragged back to the film set. SS & JL might be headed back together, maybe not. I just don't care.

Boring. Avoid.

SS has writing credit for story (with dir. WW) & screenplay. Per IMDb: Lived with Jessica Lange from 1982 to 2009.

Rated 6.7 (6,868)

distr. Sony, dir. Wenders; 5

Elvis, The Mini-Series (2005), 6

2h 53min | Biography, Drama, Music | TV Mini-Series (2005)

A chronicle of the life of Elvis Presley (Rhys Meyers), from his humble beginnings to his rise to international stardom.

Director: James Steven Sadwith

Stars: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Randy Quaid, Antonia Bernath, Jack Noseworthy, Robert Patrick, Camryn Manheim.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0437714/

8 songs in the Soundtracks, all archive recordings by EP.

Hopefully this is my last biopic for Elvis. The rating is pretty high on IMDb, and the praise was it had the approval of the Estate, but was still more honest than others had been.

So it shows EP taking prescription drugs fairly early on (while courting Priscilla), and shows him unhappy with his career, but Col. Parker had him tethered financially, so the Vegas career was the compromise.

The series ends with the '68 comeback special, and a single title card explains the rest of EP's life.

I'd rather watch EP films than see another biopic.

Rated  7.4 (3,355)

distr. CBS, dir. Sadwith; 6

Pooh's Heffalump Movie (2005), 6-

G | 1h 8min | Animation, Comedy, Family | 11 February 2005
A Heffalump is heard trumpeting in the hundred acre woods. 
Director: Frank Nissen
Stars: Jim Cummings, Brenda Blethyn, Kyle Stanger.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0407121/
Watched online, good print.

7 songs in the Soundtracks.

As you can see by the poster, a heffalump is an elephant. The majority of the film is Roo + Heffa. Sweet, but boring; the hour really dragged.

Rated 6.4 (5,432)

Disney, dir. Nissen; 6-

Broadway: The American Musical (2004), 8

6h | Documentary, Music | TV Mini-Series (2004)

A six-part documentary about the Broadway musical.

Stars: Julie Andrews (narrator).

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0423623/

Note to self: on the extra features, Play All doesn't, it only plays all for that episode. Click on More to access the interviews for the 2nd episode on the disc.

I wonder if any university has a year-long course covering this topic. That would be a course I'd like to take, _if_ they had clips for illustration as this does.

Stole the descriptions below from IMDb, mostly for the chronology and the names dropped. Kudos to the plot author Huggo, who currently has 11,663 plot summaries on IMDb.

Give My Regards to Broadway: 1893-1927: At the beginning of the twentieth century, Broadway was dominated by two names: George M. Cohan and Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.. Cohan wrote and starred in his own shows. Ziegfeld pioneered the revue show, most notably The Follies fashioned after the Follies Bergere of Paris. His shows were an amalgam of American life at the time, most notably what was happening in New York. The show also borrowed heavily from musical theater of the period, namely vaudeville and minstrel shows. From these came many of Ziegfeld's biggest acts, such as Fanny Brice and Bert Williams, who broke the color barrier. But what the Ziegfeld Follies did more than anything was glorify the American girl by featuring them in exotic and flamboyant costumes. Two major composers emerged from this era of Broadway: Irving Berlin and Jerome Kern, who were based in an area of New York called Tin Pan Alley, the center of popular music. Kern in particular, with production by Ziegfeld and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, would lead Broadway into a new era with the 1927 stage production of 'Show Boat', the first Broadway story musical. But the advent of talking movies would usher in the new era of musicals to the American public.

Syncopated City: 1919-1933: The radical cultural changes that occurred in the 1920's were reflected in the Broadway musical. Musically, jazz ruled the Broadway musical stage. There was also a sense of liberation in the style of the performances, in part as a reaction to the supposed strictness of Prohibition. What ended up on stage were primarily musical comedies, still revue style, more often than not featuring stories of the newly liberated woman, often poor, who ends up with a rich husband. These stories reflected the newly mingling classes that spent time together in the speakeasies in New York, and the American fantasy of dreams coming true. Although the classes were mixing, colors still did not. However, black musicals were also featured on Broadway, such as composers Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle's 1921 show, "Shuffle Along", which did influence the big names of the time, such as Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. and Irving Berlin. Broadway musical stars of the time included singer Al Jolson, dancer Marilyn Miller and comedians The Marx Brothers. Another influential behind the scenes figure was producer/dancer George White, whose new dances, such as The Charleston, were all the rage. Young songwriting teams were emerging, such as composer George Gershwin/lyricist Ira Gershwin, composer Richard Rodgers/lyricist Lorenz Hart, and composer Ray Henderson/lyricists Buddy G. DeSylva and Lew Brown. Media of the time helped disseminate what was happening on Broadway to the American masses, most specifically through radio commentator and newspaper columnist Walter Winchell, who coined the nickname 'The Big Apple'. But the advent of talking motion pictures coinciding with the stock market crash ended what was the golden age of Broadway.

I Got Plenty o' Nuttin': 1929-1942: The Great Depression ushered in a new era of the Broadway musical. Gone were the frothy, nonsensical shows of the 1920s. Broadway musicals were now either reflective of the harsh times (such as "Americana" which featured the unofficial anthem of the era, 'Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?'), political (such as the Gershwin's satire "Of Thee I Sing", the first musical whose book won the Pulitzer Prize) or earthy (such as the Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess"). Shows even dared to have as the leads unsavory characters, such as in "Pal Joey". When the shows were lighter in fare, they were more glamorous and sophisticated, which was evidenced in the shows of the young, urbane composer, Cole Porter. The Broadway musical was also aided by the Federal Theater, designed to mount productions so that people could work. One of the most notorious of these productions was "The Cradle Will Rock". New stars of the era included Ethel Merman with her trumpet-like voice, Ethel Waters who could not read music but who could sing a variety of musical styles, and young dancers Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. The United States' entry into World War II was also reflected on Broadway, most notably in Irving Berlin's "This Is the Army", which featured real life enlisted soldiers and Berlin himself.

Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin': 1943-1960: Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II - a newly formed songwriting team due to Lorenz Hart's ill health - ushered in a new era of the Broadway musical with the revolutionary production of "Oklahoma!", in what was called the first integrated musical where the songs, musical score and choreography were all in support of moving the story forward. For Hammerstein, stories previously thought of as taboo were now ripe for transformation into Broadway musicals. Rodgers and Hammerstein were the premier songwriters of this form. What they also pioneered was the first act conditional ballad, where the romantic leads could sing about the scenario "what if we were in love". New teams were taking up the integrated musical form, including composer Leonard Bernstein, lyricists Betty Comden and Adolph Green and choreographer Jerome Robbins with their show "On the Town", and Frank Loesser/Abe Burrows' show "Guys and Dolls" (with choreography by Michael Kidd), which was renowned for its use of everyday language in its songs. Established composers also took up the form. Even Irving Berlin, who initially dismissed the storybook musical, entered the fray with "Annie Get Your Gun", which was produced by Rodgers and Hammerstein and which contained what has become the unofficial anthem of musical theater: 'There's No Business Like Show Business'. The notion of the required romantic pairing in musicals changed with composer Frederick Loewe and lyricist Alan Jay Lerner's production of "My Fair Lady". One of the most acclaimed musicals of the era came to pass when actress Mary Martin asked, solely by chance, Rodgers and Hammerstein to write a single song for a play in which she was working. That play and song were eventually transformed into "The Sound of Music". This would become Rodgers and Hammerstein's last collaboration before Hammerstein's passing.

Tradition: 1957-1979: The new innovative musical on Broadway starting this era was "West Side Story", the first musical to integrate dance movement into the everyday movement of the characters. The movement was matched by Leonard Bernstein's frenetic score. It also marked the start of the renown of the choreographer/director Jerome Robbins. The era also introduced a plethora of some of what are now considered the most popular but what would have then been also considered traditional musicals, such as "Bye Bye Birdie", "Camelot", "Funny Girl", "Gypsy", "Hello, Dolly!", "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying", "The Music Man" and "Fiddler on the Roof". Of these, the latter may have been the most profound in its subject matter - the breaking of tradition - as the Vietnam War and rock music had the effect of needing to rethink the presentation of the traditional musical. There were a few shows which embraced the culture of the time, most notably "Hair". But on the most part, Broadway musicals had been, and still were, geared toward the upper middle class. The parting of the cultures meant that Broadway was no longer the primary source for popular music. Shows morphed into direct or indirect commentaries of the times and that were brazen in their presentation, shows such as "Cabaret" and "Company". New behind-the-scenes names included: director/choreographer Bob Fosse, with such shows as "Pippin" and "Chicago"; composer John Kander/lyricist Fred Ebb, with such shows as "Cabaret" and "Chicago"; and composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim/director Harold Prince, with such shows as "Company", "A Little Night Music", "Pacific Overtures" and "Sweeney Todd". The latter pairing was renowned for taking unconventional stories, even deemed uncomfortable for the audience, and turning them into musicals. Undoubtedly, the most successful musical of the era and up to that time in Broadway's history was one that started out as an experimental project on the life of the dancer: Michael Bennett's "A Chorus Line".

Putting It Together: 1980-Present: It is fitting that "The Producers", an homage to the making of Broadway musicals, is one the biggest hits to end this era of Broadway musicals as the producer once again comes to the forefront. Three producers dominate the era. Nicknamed the Abominable Showman, David Merrick, who was at the tail end of his career, was known as the type of producer who would do anything needed to get what publicity he wanted for his shows. Cameron Mackintosh, the producer of four of the top six most successful musicals ever in "Cats", "The Phantom of the Opera", "Les Misérables" and "Miss Saigon", revolutionized the idea of bringing overseas productions to Broadway, which in turn brought them to the rest of the world via touring companies. And Michael Eisner brought the popular entertainment of the Disney Corporation's animated musical movies to the stage, which introduced the notion of corporate investment in Broadway itself. Other notable musicals of the era include "Sunday in the Park with George", the first collaboration between composer Stephen Sondheim and director James Lapine and whose development mirrors the story of the making of art; "La Cage aux folles", based on the movie La cage aux folles (1978), the stage production which is old fashioned in score but revolutionary in story as the first successful show featuring a gay romance at its core; and the Pulitzer Prize winning "Rent", the death of its creator, Jonathan Larson, on the day before the first preview echoing what was being presented on stage. Two events shape the era. The first is the AIDS crisis, which took the lives of many of those associated with Broadway. The second is 9/11, which had the initial effect of making Broadway a ghost town, but whose longer term effect has been the resurgence of the musical comedy and using recognizable titles for new productions, such as "Hairspray" and "Wicked", the latter which has the known connection for the public to The Wizard of Oz (1939).

Rated 8.6 (298)

distr. PBS, dir. various; 8

Reefer Madness (1936), 5 {nm}, Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical (2005), 6

PG | 1h 6min | Drama, Thriller | 1938
Cautionary tale features a fictionalized take on the use of marijuana. A trio of drug dealers lead innocent teenagers to become addicted to "reefer" cigarettes by holding wild parties with jazz music.
Director: Louis J. Gasnier
Stars: Dorothy Short, Kenneth Craig, Lillian Miles, Dave O'Brien.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028346/
Watched on AmazonPrime, colorized version; smoke is colorized too: green or red not gray.

Notorious for being a bad film serving up horribly wrong information, I only watched it as antecedent to the musical spoofing it.

Dave O'Brien (b. '12) is the only name and face I know, mostly from the series of short films under the Pete Smith Specialties banner, where he was a silent pratfall man illustrating "Pete Smith's" narration.

The only thing worse than heavy-handed propaganda is hhp that is wildly inaccurate. Here they treat "marihuana" intoxication as though it were cocaine's or PCP's. So this deserves the low rating is has. However, it does not deserve the attention it's gotten; it's more worthy of complete neglect.

Rated 3.8 (7,139)

indie, dir. Gasnier; 5

R | 1h 52min | Comedy, Drama, Horror | TV Movie 16Apr2005
An outrageous tongue-in-cheek musical comedy adaptation of the classic anti-marijuana propaganda film Reefer Madness (1936).
Director: Andy Fickman
Stars: Kristen Bell, Christian Campbell, Neve Campbell, Alan Cumming, Ana Gasteyer, Steven Weber.

Jamie Bishton ... assistant choreographer

Mary Ann Kellogg ... choreographer

Kristie Marsden ... choreography skeleton crew (uncredited)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0404364/

Watched on AmazonPrime.

14 songs in the Soundtracks. all Lyrics by Kevin Murphy, Music by Dan Studney; IMDb doesn't have any musicals by them since then. No dubbers are listed among the performers.

Since this is a parody of the ludicrous '36 film, they were shooting fish in a barrel. The film has plenty of energy, and I see enough potential in the songs that I went the extra meter to document the songwriters (not listed on the Soundtracks page).

Passing thought while the film was rolling: was this a successful part of changing the American attitude toward reefer, or was the attitude already so changed that the musical was now acceptable?

This followed the "plot" of the '36 film fairly closely, mocking it and exaggerating to communicate "comedy" rather than fear.

It was ok. The dancing may have been pretty good, but I just wasn't attracted. Perhaps it had too many songs that filled too much of the time.

Rated 7.1 (5,823)

Showtime, dir. Fickman; 6

Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School (2005), 6

PG-13 | 1h 43min | Comedy, Drama, Musical | 24 January 2005
A widowed man's life turns upside down when he embarks on a journey to find a dying man's long lost love.
Co-writer/Director: Randall Miller
Stars: Robert Carlyle, Marisa Tomei, Mary Steenburgen, John Goodman.
JoAnn Fregalette Jansen ... choreographer
Allen Walls ... assistant choreographer

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0409034/

Watched on AmazonPrime.

28 songs in the Soundtracks. NOT a Musical.

Sweet film. Not to be watched for the dancing, which is amateurs filmed up close to disguise complete lack of talent/skill. Tender and emotionally satisfying, but I would have cut the last few minutes as unnecessary content.

Rated 6.6 (2,560)

distr. Goldwyn, dir. Miller; 6

Update: 23Mar2022. Watched before checking IMDb. Had no memory of it. Agree that it's neither music/al. Agree that it's a 6, although I'd say lower than 6.6.. Amazing the rating is still 6.6 (3,223).

Bride & Prejudice (2004), 7+

PG-13 | 2h 2min | Comedy, Drama, Musical | 6 October 2004
A modern adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel, Pride and Prejudice, that features the lives of four unmarried daughters in an Indian family.
Director: Gurinder Chadha
Stars: Martin Henderson, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Nadira Babbar.
Saroj Khan ... choreographer

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361411/

14 songs in the Soundtracks; some lyrics are in Punjabi.

Delightful! Wish more Bollywood films had crossed my path, but I think this is the first. (On c.track, woman director, (b. '60) talks about growing up on B'wood films.) It has funding from US, UK & India, and all spoken dialog and most lyrics are in English. [Of the 112 feature films with keyword "bollywood" (1st in '73), only 1 has English before this, in 2002, from UK, low rating; only 7 have genres music/al.]

Story takes place in all 3 countries of funding, but characters only break out in song/dance in India. Costumes during dance routines are usually very colorful for women (and the cross-dressing men in saris.)

Really does contain elements of the novel about as closely as the other 2 P&P films I watched. Class is part of the prejudice issue, but cultural differences even more so. Within the Indian characters, culture gaps exist between India-raised versus British or American -residing ones, and especially the American Mr. Darcy. (Yes, several characters retain names from the novel.)

Rated 6.2 (18,845)

distr. Miramax, dir. Chadha; 7+

Chicago in the Spotlight: A Retrospective with the Cast and Crew (2014), 7 {nm}

2h 13min | Documentary | Video 11 February 2014
Stars, director and producers of Chicago (2002) are interviewed about the film with a decade of hindsight.

Director: Rob Marshall

Stars: Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6571026/

I've become a super-fan of the film, so 2+hours of talking heads is not too much for me; they do illustrate with film footage. They seem to have a lot of affection and pride for their work, and I like that.

Rated 8.3 (9)

LionsGate, dir. Marshall; 7

The Phantom of the Opera (2004), 5

PG-13 | 2h 23min | Drama, Musical, Romance | 22 Dec 2004
A young soprano becomes the obsession of a disfigured musical genius who lives beneath the Paris Opéra House. He kidnaps the soprano and forces the owners of the play to keep her as the lead role of the play.
Director: Joel Schumacher
Stars: Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum, Patrick Wilson.
Peter Darling ... choreographer

Gillian Lynne ... choreographer: stage

Lynne Page ... associate choreographer

Lisa Stevens ... choreographer

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0293508/

Watched online, ok print.

~29 songs in the Soundtracks, including reprises, 27 Written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Charles Hart, and Richard Stilgoe, 1 by ALW alone, 1 with a 4th credit.

Previously rated 5 on 2015-05-07, I'm still in that zone today. I didn't fall asleep, my mind wasn't consumed with anything compelling, I like opera, yet this does not attract my attention, much less hold it. I would rather be watching kiddie korn.

I think only 1 or 2 musical themes were familiar. The rest was not attractive to me. I thought at one point: well I suppose this music fits the story, but I don't like it.

That's part of the problem: this is a horror story, and I just don't care for that genre.

Read some of the FAQs on IMDb, and I didn't miss much of the plot. I just didn't want to follow the characters. Particularly grotesque: the flashback to Phantom's childhood, where he's tethered in a cage and a man beats him while an audience reacts with glee. 

Avoid unless another production seems promising.

Rated 7.3 (108,123)

Warner & more, dir. Schumacher; 5

Mulan 2 (2004), 6

G | 1h 19min | Animation, Action, Comedy | Video 31 Jan 2005

While preparing for their wedding, Shang and Mulan are suddenly sent off on a secret mission. Mushu starts to meddle, and a surprise attack by Mongolians doesn't help either.

Directors: Darrell Rooney, Lynne Southerland

Stars: Ming-Na Wen, BD Wong, Mark Moseley.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0279967/

Watched online, good print.

5 songs in the Soundtracks. Although this is tagged Musical, I wouldn't insist it needed that. I wouldn't fight it either.

Satisfying sequel. I think the original was slightly better, but had something that kept me from going to 7. This is ok, but not so good that it should rate better.

FYI, that is not Eddie Murphy voicing Mushu (little dragon) this time, but a remarkable likeness from a white guy who has several credits on other EM films.

Rated 5.7 (18,092)

Disney, dir. Rooney & Southerland; 6

Shall We Dance (2004), 7+

PG-13 | 1h 46min | Comedy, Drama, Music | 15 October 2004
A romantic comedy where a bored, overworked Estate Lawyer, upon first sight of a beautiful instructor, signs up for ballroom dancing lessons.
Director: Peter Chelsom
Stars: Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci.
Liz Curtis ... associate choreographer

JoAnn Fregalette Jansen ... choreographer: Paulina's party

John O'Connell ... choreographer

Fatima Robinson ... choreographer: Hip-Hop Club

Allen Walls ... assistant choreographer: Joanne Jansen

Andrew Zee ... choreography assistant: New York (uncredited)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0358135/

28 songs in the Soundtracks.

Sweet film with good dancing. I don't like competitive ballroom, so it's good for me that these are students, not pros.

The cast is effective: funny and melancholy too.

Now I want to see the Japanese original.

Rated 6.1 (39,902)

Miramax, dir. Chelsom; 7+

The Polar Express (2004), 5

G | 1h 40min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy | 10 Nov 2004
On Christmas Eve, a young boy embarks on a magical adventure to the North Pole on the Polar Express, while learning about friendship, bravery, and the spirit of Christmas.
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Stars: Tom Hanks, Chris Coppola, Michael Jeter, Peter Scolari.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338348/
Watched online, good print.

19 songs in the Soundtracks, 6 are new, Written and Produced by Glen Ballard and Alan Silvestri. Several others are old standards from the likes of Sinatra and Crosby.

The animation is creepy: the humans move like humans, but look like mannequins. The adventure is the stuff of nightmares, with the train going out of control, the kids crossing high places or flying without protection. I'm glad I'm not ready to sleep.

The story hinges on our Hero Boy (actual character name in IMDb) learning to believe in Santa. Why that involves all this physical danger is beyond me.

Avoid.

Rated 6.6 (151,778)

distr. Warner, dir. Zemeckis; 5

Raise Your Voice (2004), 5

PG | 1h 43min | Family, Music, Musical | 8 October 2004
A girl from a small town heads to the big city of Los Angeles to spend the summer at a performing arts high school.
Director: Sean McNamara
Stars: Hilary Duff, John Corbett, Rebecca De Mornay.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361696/
Watched online, ok print.

28 songs in the Soundtracks.

Teen flick: girl loses brother in a car accident, which makes her father even more protective than he was before, which was very rigid. So her aunt(?) RD arranges for her to come to California to attend the summer arts program. She struggles, partially because she's still grieving, and partially because her skills aren't formally developed like most others. But she pulls it together at the competition which her parents attend (there to retrieve her), although she doesn't win.

Whatever.

Rated 5.9 (25,085)

New Line Cinema & more, dir. McNamara; 5

Pride & Prejudice (2005), 6 {nm}, Pride and Prejudice (1940), 6 {nm}

PG | 2h 9min | Drama, Romance | 23 November 2005
Sparks fly when spirited Elizabeth Bennet meets single, rich, and proud Mr. Darcy. But Mr. Darcy reluctantly finds himself falling in love with a woman beneath his class. Can each overcome their own pride and prejudice?
Director: Joe Wright
Stars: Keira Knightley, Matthew Macfadyen, Donald Sutherland, Brenda Blethyn, Judi Dench.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0414387/
Watched online, good print.

Wanted to see what the Jane Austen novel was about before watching a Bollywood film loosely based on the same. This was the highest rated adaptation on IMDb.

I'm new to the story, and unfamiliar with the young members of this cast, but was able to follow the basics of the story, I think.

I was surprised to find no humor here. This is somber and anguished with no twinkle in any eye.

Probably should give it a 5.

Rated 7.8 (225,299) 

Universal & more, dir. Wright; 6

1h 58min | Drama, Romance | 26 July 1940
Mr. and Mrs. Bennet have five unmarried daughters, and Mrs. Bennet is especially eager to find suitable husbands for them. 
Director: Robert Z. Leonard
Stars: Greer Garson, Laurence Olivier, Mary Boland, Edna May Oliver, Maureen O'Sullivan, Edmund Gwenn.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032943/
Watched online, ok print.

This was the next-highest rated P&P film, and definitely within my comfort zone, although I don't like GG or LO.

This cast has offers the possibility of humor, and they deliver. It also has the "youth" parts played by actors at least a decade too old, but I forgot it most of the time; the older generation appears to be the right amount older.

This does have the same basic plot elements as the '05 film, so my understanding is confirmed, and I feel ready for the Bollywood edition. (I'm particularly interested in the criticism that Indian people/customs are portrayed unfavorably.)

Rated 7.4 (6,758)

MGM, dir. Leonard; 6

Broadway's Lost Treasures II (2004), 8

Great Performances (1971– )

1h 30min | Music | Episode aired 9 August 2004

A second collection of great performances from the Tony Awards. Some of the classics of the Broadway stage have been lost to history - except for the archives of the American Theatre Wing and its collection of films of the Tony Awards ceremonies. 

Director: Chris Cohen 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0420404/

13 songs in the Soundtracks; see list below. Those with lower case "performed" (bolded) were not yet in the Soundtracks. I'll not add them today.

This program attributed the performances to the Tony Awards programs.

All performances in the show are from Musicals, none from straight plays.

I didn't scrutinize the performances for lip syncing, and didn't notice any. The Coco performance by Hepburn automatically bumps this up to 8.

Songs performed (add 1 to get the chapter #):

1. Anything Goes, from "Anything Goes", By Cole Porter, Performed by Patti LuPone and ensemble 
2. Bosom Buddies, from "Mame", By Jerry Herman, Performed by Angela Lansbury and Bea Arthur 
3. I Believe in You, from "How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying", By Frank Loesser, Performed by Robert Morse 
4. La Vie en Rose, from "Piaf", Music by Louiguy, Lyrics by Edith Piaf and Mack David, performed by Jane Lapotaire
5. The Impossible Dream, from "Man of La Mancha", By Mitch Leigh and Joe Darion, Sung by Richard Kiley 
6. The Ladies Who Sing With the Band, from "Ain't Misbehavin'", by Fats Waller, Sung by Nell Carter and ensemble 
7. We'll Take a Glass Together, from "Grand Hotel", by Robert Wright and Chet Forrest (as George Forrest), Performed by Michael Jeter and Brent Barrett 
8. That's How You Jazz, from "Jelly's Last Jam", *by Luther Henderson, *adapted from "Salty Dog," by Ferdinand 'Jelly Roll' Morton, Lyrics by Susan Birkenhead, Sung and Danced by Gregory Hines and ensemble 
9. Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat, from "Guys and Dolls", by Frank Loesser, Sung by Walter Bobbie and ensemble 
10. We Are What We Are / I Am What I Am, from "La Cage aux Folles", By Jerry Herman, Sung by George Hearn and ensemble 
11. At the End of the Day / One Day More, from "Les Miserables", Written by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, *English lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer, Sung by Colm Wilkinson and ensemble 
12. You'll Never Walk Alone, from "Carousel", by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, Sung by Shirley Verrett and chorus 
13. All I Care About, from "Chicago", Written by John Kander and Fred Ebb, Performed by Jerry Orbach and girls 
14. Always Mademoiselle, from "Coco", Music by Andre Previn, Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, performed by Katharine Hepburn
15. Lambeth Walk, from "Me and My Girl", Music by Noel Gay, Lyrics and book by L. Arthur Rose and Douglas Furber, performed by Robert Lindsay & cast
16. The Name's LaGuardia, from "Fiorello", Music by Jerry Bock, Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, performed by Tom Bosley
17. Be Italian, from "Nine", Music & lyrics by Maury Yeston, performed by Kathi Moss
18. Medley from "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat", Music by Andrew Lloyd Weber, Lyrics & book by Tim Rice, performed by Bill Hutton & cast

not in this show, but in IMDb Soundtracks: A medley from "Sweet Charity", By Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields, Performed by Juliet Prowse and Chita Rivera 

Rated 8.0 (30)

distr. PBS, dir. Cohen; 8

Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper (2004), 6-

1h 25min | Animation, Comedy, Family | Video 28 Sep 2004

In her first animated musical featuring seven original songs, Barbie comes to life in this modern re-telling of a classic tale of mistaken identity and the power of friendship. Based on the story by Mark Twain, Barbie as The Princess and The Pauper features Barbie in a dual role as a princess and a poor village girl - who look amazingly alike. 

Director: William Lau

Stars: Kelly Sheridan, Melissa Lyons, Julie Stevens.

Shelley Hunt ... motion capture choreographer

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0426955/

borrowed dvd

7 songs in the Soundtracks, all Composed by Megan Cavallari, 4 with Lyrics by Amy Powers and Rob Hudnut, 3 with Lyrics by Amy Powers alone.

It's good to have versions of The Prince and the Pauper with genders reversed, although I have not rated (nor own) any of the 31 versions of the story listed on the Connections page. 

But these (not surprising) look-alike Barbies are competent, and assertive, each with a cat that aids the plot (and one actually plays a role in the rescue.

I don't like the animation, but they need to make the principals look like the doll, so they did a good job with that I suppose.

The songs got annoying. The dancing by the villain was good. I'd like to have learned how they did the animation, but no special features were included.

Rated 6.8 (3,943)

Mattel & more, distr. Universal, dir. Lau; 6-

Ray (2004), 7-

PG-13 | 2h 32min | Biography, Drama, Music | 12 Sep 2004
The story of the life and career of the legendary rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles, from his humble beginnings in the South, where he went blind at age seven, to his meteoric rise to stardom during the 1950s and 1960s.
Director: Taylor Hackford
Stars: Jamie Foxx, Regina King, Kerry Washington.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0350258/

~46 songs in the Soundtracks; includes duplicates. 5 say Performed by Jamie Foxx, 27 Performed by Ray Charles.

2h 32m is the length of the theatrical version. Watched the extended version; no idea how long that was, except it's too long. I know because the dvd takes a pause when accessing the extra footage. They all seem to be included on disc2 deleted scenes anyway.

JF is fabulous, and it's good to hear RC's music. The story ends when RC finished rehab at age 35. In the c.track, the director said it ends there because the next 40 years are boring, nothing but success. If he mentioned anything about RC dying (June) the year the film was released, I missed it. RC did participate in the development and production.

Rated 7.7 (125,039)

Universal & more, dir. Hackford; 7-

The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004), 6

G | 1h 53min | Comedy, Family, Romance | 11 August 2004
Now settled in Genovia, Princess Mia faces a new revelation: she is being primed for an arranged marriage to an English suitor.
Director: Garry Marshall
Stars: Anne Hathaway, Julie Andrews, Hector Elizondo, John Rhys-Davies, Chris Pine.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0368933/

1st film credit for CP; 6 films later: Star Trek ('09). They had him wearing narrow glasses in an early scene; his eyes are too important to obscure.

JA really did sing a tiny bit. Raven was onhand to obscure the limited nature of JA's voice, but she really did sing-speak a few notes.

Good resolution to ok story.

Rated 5.8 (65,595)

Disney, dir. Marshall; 6

Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers (2004), 5

G | 1h 8min | Animation, Action, Adventure | Video 16 Aug 2004
Mickey, Donald and Goofy are the French three Musketeers.
Director: Donovan Cook
Stars: Wayne Allwine, Tony Anselmo, Bill Farmer.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0371823/
Watched online, good print.

14 songs in the Soundtracks, all melodies from very famous (public domain?) classical works, and some with pathetic lyrics ("blah blah blah" is a direct quote).

These are not Athos, Porthos and Aramis, nor D'Artagnan. Just Mickey, Donald & Goofy, who want to be Musketeers because they were once rescued by some M's. Their dream is fulfilled by the evil captain of the M's, Pegleg Pete, who wants to be King of France. Minnie is princess, and his only obstacle. So he installs the MDG trio to guard her, confident his henchmen can kidnap Minnie while MDG are on the job. They rally their courage and defeat him. The End.

I've never liked MDG. All 3 of their voices irritate, and their personalities too. I don't think they did much of the singing. A narrator turtle got most of that.

This is the first MDG film I've watched (I watched a Goofy & son that was ok), and hopefully it's the last.

Rated 6.4 (6,322)

Disney, dir. Cook; 5

The Ten Tenors: Larger Than Life (2004), 6

1h | Music | TV Movie July 2004

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Director: Mark FitzGerald

Per the dvd artwork, the ten (Australian?) tenors in this concert are:

Craig Atkinson, Shannon Brown, Drew Graham, Craig Hendry, David Kidd, Liam McLachlan, Stewart Morris, Dominic Smith, Tod Strike, Jason Turnbull. (Note: the 10 Tenors website lists a completely different current cast.)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1493882/

Clearly cashing in on the 3 Tenors (Carreras, Domingo, Pavarotti) series of concerts. This is not necessarily their first dvd, and definitely not their first album, but I got this in a bundle with something else I wanted.

Their sound is somewhere between a boy band (dressed in matching black 3-piece suits) and a choir.

No songs listed in the Soundtracks, but 11 in the film. Here's the track listing (copied from bn, verified on the chapter menu):

1. Funiculi Funiculà [4:39]

2. Italian Medley: Torna Surriento/La Danza/Core 'Ngrato/Volare [7:17]

3. Thunder Point [4:31]

4. Nessun Dorma [3:27]

5. Por una Cabeza [3:03]

6. Opera Medley: La Donna È Mobile (Rigoletto)/Che Gelida Manina (La Boheme)/Va Pensiero (Nabucco)/Largo al Factotum (The Barber of Seville) [15:05]

7. Conquest of Paradise [3:54]

8. Stonde [3:38]

9. Water/Va Pensiero [4:04]

10. Australian Medley: Botany Bay/Moreton Bay/Waltzing Matilda [6:47]

11. Rawhide [3:13]

This is only an hour, and I was ready for it to be done well before the end. Partially to check the track list, but also because their voices are not as operatic as I was expecting. They sing Nessun Dorma and other arias, but this is not the way I want to hear such works. I'd even prefer to hear Frankie Laine sing Rawhide.

Rated (not enough votes yet)

distr. PBS, dir. FitzGerald; 6

She Hate Me (2004), 6 {nm}

R | 2h 18min | Comedy, Drama | 30 July 2004
Fired from his job for exposing corrupt business practices, a former biotech executive turns to impregnating wealthy lesbians for profit.
Director: Spike Lee
Writers: Michael Genet (story), Michael Genet (screenplay), Spike Lee.
Stars: Anthony Mackie, Kerry Washington, Ellen Barkin, Jim Brown, Woody Harrelson, Lonette McKee.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0384533/

It's a comedy, so throwing preposterous plotlines together is understandable.

Lead AM is quickly identified as the whistle-blower despite using a pay phone, and his bank accounts are frozen, so when his former girlfriend wants to pay him for sperm for herself and her lesbian partner, he has little choice. When she gets pregnant, other lesbians of color want what she got, so she brings them to him for a 10% finder's fee. The preposterous part: she brings them 5 women at a time.

In the c.track (and the cash graphics of the movie's opening and closing credits), SL justifies the union of these plotlines (the cash for sperm, and the misdeeds of AM's prior employer) by the commonality of $$.

This film has the SL signature heavy jazz music score by Terence Blanchard.

Rated 5.3 (6,840)

distr. Sony, dir. Lee; 6

De-Lovely (2004), 7

PG-13 | 2h 5min | Biography, Drama, Music | 6 August 2004
Inspecting a magical biographical stage musical, composer Cole Porter reviews his life and career.
Director: Irwin Winkler
Stars: Kevin Kline, Ashley Judd, Jonathan Pryce.
Francesca Jaynes ... choreographer

Maggie Rawlinson ... assistant choreographer

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0352277/

31 songs in the Soundtracks, all Music and Lyrics written by Cole Porter.

I remember saying to myself when I first watched this (rated 8 on 2006-01-02) that this was the best compilation and use of CP's music.

Today I find the story flat and unpleasant. All his relationships are made to appear casual, including his semi-open marriage (she doesn't appear to stray). The film doesn't really show how hard he worked at composing (which they discuss in at least one of the c.tracks). The aloof nature of CP might be historically correct, but I don't really like KK in the role.

I do like the soundtrack, and especially the use of contemporary singers delivering some songs (in nightclubs) in the style of CP's time. I always like when modern performers know and appreciate the old material.

Rated 6.6 (10,317)

MGM & more, dir. Winkler; 7

Cavedweller (2004), 5

R | 1h 41min | Drama, Music | 4 May 2004
A traumatic event sends a musician (Sedgwick) back to her hometown in an effort to reunite with the daughters she abandoned. To do so, she must confront her abusive ex-husband (Quinn), from whom she fled years ago.
Director: Lisa Cholodenko
Stars: Kyra Sedgwick, Aidan Quinn, Sherilyn Fenn, Kevin Bacon.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367587/
Watched on AmazonPrime.

1 song in the Soundtracks. No idea if it was performed more than once, or if other songs were in the film. Very little performing occurred.

An unpleasant tale conveyed at slow pace. Painful subject matter doled out painfully.

I don't remember Sherilyn Fenn in the film at all. 

KB dies at the wheel of his Porsche with a gf pawing him. Common law wife KS (except she was still married to AQ) decides to go back "home" to reclaim the daughters she abandoned years ago with KB. We finally learn that she left because AQ tried to kill her.

When she gets home, she finds her daughters living not with their father but with an old woman (acquaintance, I think), and  that AQ is dying and wants to stay at his home. So he gives KS official custody of the girls (now in hs but it's summer), and she tends to him while trying to repair her relationship with their 2 daughters, and the one from KB whom she brought along.

He dies. The End.

About the only good I saw coming out of their ordeal was the youngest daughter developed a little empathy.

Avoid.

BTW, I have no idea how the title relates to the story.

Rated 5.7 (557)

distr. Showtime, dir. Cholodenko; 5