Top 10 Favorite Broadway Musical Movies (5-1)

Welcome back to the list of my Top 10 Favorite Broadway Musical Movies. Let's continue on and get to the Top 5:

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#5: Little Shop of Horrors – You guys remember the duo that wrote the songs for “Aladdin,” “The Little Mermaid,” and “Beauty and the Beast?” Do you know what those two made BEFOREHAND? Well, look no further than “Little Shop of Horrors.” Much like with the process “Hairspray” went through, the original “Little Shop of Horrors” was a B film from the 60's, made by Roger Corman, and featured Jack Nicholson in his debut as a supporting character. It's about a flower shop employee named Seymour, who helps get the shop on it's feet in business, with a mysterious plant he bought at a flea market. He calls the plant Audrey II, after his co-worker/crush, and finds out that to keep the plant growing big and strong, he has to give it human blood to stay healthy. Soon it's hunger grows more, leading Seymour to find a different alternative, which you can probably guess where that goes.

It's interesting to see the kind of tunes that Alan Menkin and Howard Ashman made before Disney, and just seeing the kind of care and attention that the remake was given for it. The remake was directed by Frank Oz, better known for his work on the Muppets, with Jim Henson. The kind of skill he had given to this film was just perfect. I really like how they had the plant being done with puppets and anima-tronics. If this film were done today, the plant would have obviously been CGI, and the thought of that makes me shiver with fear. Levi Stubbs as the voice of Audrey II really suited the character nicely, being one of those voices that could fit for either a male or female, something he'd pass onto his role of Mother Brain in “Captain N: The Game Master.”

Rick Moranis as Seymour was an ideal choice of casting. At the time, playing a nerdy little guy was a given type-cast for him, but he always gave it his A-Game. He may have the squeamish attitude, but at the same time he can bulk up when the timing calls for it. Plus, his singing voice is very good, which makes me wonder why he didn't try for other musical roles later on. But, hey, I'll take what I can get.

We then have Ellen Greene as Audrey, Seymour's co-worker. While she is very cliched, being a woman who's very naive, ditsy, and dating one of the villains, she does her best to keep us interested. Because of how the film and play are done, you do want to see her and Seymour end up together, just as much as she dreams it. And while her voice can be grating at times, you manage to get used to it after a while.

Then we get to Steve Martin as Orin Schrivello...DDS, the second villain of the film. Oh my god, where do I begin with him? It's such an over-the-top character, with possibly the best song in the entire movie, and Steve Martin just chews the scenery to the very last bit of it. This was still in the height of Steve Martin's popularity, and it's one of his absolute best performances. It really does make me sad when he's killed off, but the impact he leaves is still fantastic. We also manage to receive cameos from John Candy, Jim Belushi, Christopher Guest, and even Bill Murray in the Jack Nicholson role.

While the ending is severely different from the play, with it all ending happily instead of the dark and twisted one, which they originally did, it takes nothing away from the film in any way. Plus, it was the only way for the film to actually get released, because some people just couldn't handle a dark ending. However, I enjoy it both ways, and the ending is available to view on the DVD, so no loss there.

It may be a little shop, but the excitement is big.

#4: Les Miserables – The musical epic, based on Victor Hugo's long series of novels. The film tells the story of Jean Valjean, a convict who breaks his parole and tries to live a new life. He tries to redeem himself by caring for the child of a factory worker who passes away, all the while being chased by Inspector Javert. Now he fights for both his and the child Cosette's safety, during the times of a revolution between the people of Paris and its government.

“Les Miserables” is regarded as many as the best musical ever made, with it's tremendous ambition, the songs by Claude-Michel Schronberg all being memorable from “Look Down” to “I Dreamed A Dream,” and “One Day More,” as well as throwing emotions all over the place. It is among one of the top five most acclaimed musicals ever made, and I understand why. It's big, it's depressing, it's a Broadway epic.

As for the movie, it has pretty much everyone split down the middle. Some say it's good, some say it's bad, some are torn in-between. I'm on the side of people who adore this film. I love the production design of the film, I love the style and look of Europe centuries ago, and I love the given atmosphere of the film. Sure there are multiple differences from the story with some bits cut out from the show, but then again the stage show cut out things from the thousands of pages that Hugo wrote, so it's not like this is something new.

Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean really sells it, showing much passion for the character as anyone else would. Being a musical performer in the past, Jackman has described Valjean as the Holy Grail to him, a character he has so desperately wanted to play for so long, and now he's got the chance he's been waiting for. Valjean was his dream, and it's good to know that he was able to accomplish that goal. Russell Crowe as Javert...oh boy. He's been the most controversial part of the entire film, mostly due to his singing voice, which I didn't really mind that much. How he portrays the character what really caught my eye, being one who has seen both sides of the law, yet is conflicted with the characteristics that Valjean has in him. That sense of doubt on whether or not criminals CAN change for the better, always floating about in his mind, it's such a brilliant conflict.

Anne Hathaway does a marvelous job in the film, playing the fallen and broken Fantine. Despite her short time on-screen, she takes advantage of how much time she has, and boy is it powerful. This was definitely a performance worth Best Supporting Actress, and I'm glad she won. I was also impressed with Amanda Seyfried as Cosette, the child of Fantine. I mean, after suffering through the train-wreck that was “Mamma Mia,” as well as several other films, I was really skeptical about her being in this movie, but she managed to surprise me. Her singing was better, and even the performance was very touching to watch, especially when she's working off of Jackman and Eddie Redmayne. And Redmayne was very good in the film too, playing the courageously conflicted Marius, who has to make the decision to either die with his friends or live life with a girl he's fallen in love with. I also loved the chemistry between him and Aaron Tveit as Enjolras, as you do believe the friendship between them. Surprisingly enough, not too many people talk about Samantha Barks as Eponine, which is kind of sad, because she was just as good as the rest of the cast. Having her deal with the irony that she was the child of a couple who abused Cosette before Valjean came along, and now Cosette has stolen the heart of the one she loves, you do feel the emotions she goes through. Despite it all, she'll still stood by his side, whatever the cost maybe. I kind of expected her to be in competition with Hathaway for the Oscar, but what can you do?

There's so much to go over throughout the entire show, that it's amazing it could find it's way into film. I recommend watching it for yourself, because this is an epic that's worth your time if you're interested. But trust me, what I've talked about isn't enough to do this film justice.

Do you hear the people sing? Because I sure do.

Now one thing that “Les Miserables” did throughout its marketing was that they kept saying that the singing was done live on set, like it was the first and only film to do it...not true. The three last films on this list had live singing in them as well, two of which were before the release of “Les Miz,” so what could I have loved more than it? Well, here they are:

#3: Jersey Boys – This film's barely a year old, and yet I already think it deserves to be on my list. This rags to riches tale is based on the true story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, from their rise and fall with fame in the 60's. Clint Eastwood's take on this story is like “That Thing You Do” meets “Goodfellas,” but in a way that works.

The film also does something that not many musicals do: they put the focus on the story, with some of the songs being pushed to the side, with only a select few getting their time. If you were to show someone this film, they wouldn't even know this was based on a musical. Don't forget, the musical is also a bio, so it makes sense to focus on the people who got their success, and not just the success alone. I actually do miss rock n' roll bands like these, and I'm hoping more bio-pics like these will remind us of a time when music was at its prime.

Another thing that I love is that in the cast, they got actors who worked on “Jersey Boys” beforehand to play the Four Seasons. All except Tommy DeVito, played by Vincent Piazza, and yet he gave the best performance in the entire film. That intervention scene is probably where he shines best, because you can tell in his facial expressions that he's pretty much lost and he knows it.

I've gone on and on about this film in my review of it back last year, as well as among my favorite films of that year. I still think it was criminal of them to snub this movie at the Oscars, just to make room for “American Sniper”...don't get me wrong, I liked that film a lot, but I felt like “Jersey Boys” was better.

Everyone remembers it the way they need to, and that's how I like it.

#2: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – Again, I've talked about this film plenty with my review of it last October, so I'll try not to talk about this too much. Tim Burton's adaptation of the Sondheim musical is one of his finest accomplishments. And like I said, was an adaptation that came before “Les Miz” that had the singing done live, which was done on Burton's decision. Johnny Depp's performance as Todd is definitely one of his best, and one that deserved its Oscar nomination. That cold and lifeless stare he gives tells you automatically that he's seen some heavy stuff. His singing also manages to deliver on the menacing side, something that was carried nicely onto his work in “Into the Woods."

Supporting characters like Helena Bonham Carter's mischievous Mrs. Lovett, Alan Rickman's corrupt Judge Turpin, Timothy Spall's slimy and unsettling Beadle Bamford, and Jamie Bower's young and rebellious Anthony, are equally fantastic. Each of them knows how to make the scene their own, and when they're on screen together, it's hard to keep your eyes off of either one of them.

Not only that, but I just love the look of the film, from the cinematography to the designs of the town. The shadows, the angles, and the gloomy weather make it have just the perfect atmosphere. The look of old timey London is just fascinating to look at, even if it was a tough time to live in.

This still remains one of my favorite Burton films, and I doubt anything will change my mind about that. It's dark, gory, whimsical, enchanting, it's just brilliant.

Now I know what you're thinking, what could possibly top a Sondheim musical? Well, it has to be a musical that I've loved ever since I listen to the soundtrack, watched the show, and revisited it on the big screen. Something that no matter what people say about it, I continue to love it with every fiber of my being, and one that inspired me the most. And that film is this:

#1: The Producers – Some of you may know this, but for those who don't, “The Producers” is my all time favorite musical, with a great film to showcase that. After “Little Shop of Horrors,” but before “Hairspray,” Mel Brooks took a page from the formula, and turned his film that nobody saw until it won the Oscar, into one of the biggest and most iconic Broadway smashes of all time.

The story centers around big name Broadway producer, Max Bialystock, who falls from grace after his lastest show bombs terribly. However, when he meets Leo Bloom, an accountant who says that a producer could make more money with a flop than with a hit, the two team up to concoct the biggest scheme of all time: the worst written play, directed by the worst director, acted by the worst actors, invested on $2 million. From that point on, you've got a work of mastery that deserved all the Tony awards it won...which was in every category (except revival).

It really bugs me that when people talk about the Best Broadway shows ever made, “The Producers” hardly comes up into conversation. I mean, you'd figure for a show like that to get as much high praise as it did, it still gets overshadowed by dozens of other musicals, some of which are even more obscure than most. Around the time when the film based on the musical came out, it sadly flopped, which could be one of the reasons why people don't talk about it. A lot of complaints come from it being directed like it was a stage show than an actual movie, complaints about the Nathan Lane and Matthew Broadrick not being as good as Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder, and other things like that.

So why do I love it so much, especially more than the previous nine on the list? Well, that's simple. This was the musical and film that made me want to become an actor. I grew up on listening to the soundtrack endlessly, watching the behind-the-scenes look of the show when it was coming to Broadway, and was singing it constantly to pass the time as a kid. Watching the film when it came out, I fell in love with it all over again and wanted to escalate that passion even further. It was always something that brought a smile to my face and is what introduced me to the works of Mel Brooks, and watch his other masterpieces like “Spaceballs,” "Young Frankenstein," and “Blazing Saddles.” Even to this day, I'll watch the film every now and then, and still be happy with what they were able to do with it.

You can make the argument that it's nostalgia blinding me, but doesn't everybody have that with something? Whether it'd be a movie, tv show, or even a particular actor, everyone will have nostalgia blinding them. Even with that in mind, I still enjoy the film for what it is, as it isn't necessarily something that other films have done in this day and age, directing the film like it was on stage. And just to remind you, the singing was done live on set, which is further proven when you watch the special features.

Argue all you want, you won't change my mind.

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Well, those were my Top 10 Favorite Broadway Musical Movies. Hope you found something to like about it, and I'll see you next time.

Cheers!