The Music Man was made at a time when we still had films that felt like genuine events. Not to disparage the modern state of the industry (which is still producing films of an exceptional quality regularly), but we’ve gone past the point where standalone films could be considered major moments in cultural history. Much…

There are many elements that persist throughout the incredible career of Jacques Demy, which make them easily recognizable – amongst them are often vivid colours, familiar actors and stories that pay tribute to a particular time in the history of his native France. A few of his best-known works are musicals, with The Umbrellas of…

As far as movie musicals go, there are few images more iconic than that of three sailors in pristine white uniforms gleefully leaping off their ship in the harbour and setting off into the Big Apple, while singing about what a wonderful town New York City is. The images contained in On the Town essentially…

I’ve always appreciated comedy above nearly every other genre, specifically when it comes to looking at a cultural landscape. Few other genres are capable of capturing the true spirit of a time and place, as well as the people who occupied it, more than those works that aim to make audiences laugh. Sometimes viewing these…

Whether or not you find his particular brand of filmmaking effective, there are few names that evoke the idea of quality quite as much as Vincente Minnelli, whose career is filled to the brim with every kind of film, ranging from big-budget musicals to lush melodramas, intimate character-studies and barn-burning extravaganzas that have solidified their…

There are many reasons I (like many people) enjoy going to the movies – great performances, beautiful filmmaking and strong stories are a difficult combination to beat, especially when they’re done well. They make every trip to the cinema an immersive, powerful experience that certainly lingers on with the viewer when they’re done right. Without…

For most, the name Jonathan Larson may not be entirely familiar, since he is mostly associated with the stage, having been the creative mind behind Rent, the cultural sensation that swept the world asunder and presented audiences with one of the most raw and visceral documents of the experience of simply being alive in a…

John Carney has had quite a fascinating career, having made two absolute masterpieces in the form of Once and Sing Street, intimate musical dramas set in his native Ireland, focusing on characters using the power of music to express themselves in a world that doesn’t understand them. Sandwiched between these two fantastic films is a…

When looking at the many films that have been labelled as “cult classics”, one of the easiest examples to dissect is The Rocky Horror Picture Show, since all the qualities that have led it to become one of the most cherished works of musical cinema are very clear. It’s a subversive look at sexuality, framed…

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is not a film that is going to break any boundaries. The adaptation of the successful but relatively simple musical of the same name (in turn inspired by the real-life Jamie Campbell, whose life was covered in a well-received documentary several years ago) is a charming but minor affair, the kind…