Musical Madness

Tapping troubles away!

Having danced myself from the age of 2, I have always enjoyed watching Musical Movies.

Unlike most children these days, I spent my time watching Singing In the Rain and My Fair Lady. These movies excited me far more than Postman Pat or Peppa Pig.

What makes a musical so popular?

Well I have created a check list of what is needed in a musical to make it pop!

• Large ensemble numbers.
• Heart- warming solo ballad.
• Lovers Duet.
• Quirky best friend character.
• Dancing in the street.

These are just a few of the must haves!

60 years and counting…

Personally, the some of the best musicals were made in the 1950s-1960s. This was a time in Hollywood when stars could do it all- Act, Dance and Sing! One of my favourite excerpts from a movie is a scene from Singing in the Rain. “Make them laugh” performed by Donald O’Connor is a masterclass on showmanship. With very little edits and no body doubles, O’Connor’s performance is spot on. With dozens of jumps, falls and 2 backflips, physically the piece is incredibly difficult. O’Connor was a chain-smoker and it was said was bedridden with exhaustion after the shoot.

 

Modern musicals such as “La La Land” and even the Disney hit “High School Musical” use ideas, stagecraft and inspiration from the Hollywood Classics.

I leave you with a small list of movies that any budding musical fans will enjoy!!

• La La Land (2016)
• The Sound of Music (1965)
• Chicago (2002)
• Cabaret (1972)
• Into The Woods (2014)

 

It’s back, Pitches!

In less than a month its Christmas, the festive holidays be in full swing and for me, most importantly… the long anticipated movie Pitch Perfect 3 is being released.

Its been over 4 years since the first movie invaded our screens with a lovable all-girl a cappella university troupe competing for the Championships. Anna Kendrick and Brittany Snow were among the star-studded cast who transformed the public opinion of a cappella and have made this third movie the most anticipated movie of 2017 for millions of fans.

What is Pitch Perfect?

The trilogy follows the Barden Bella’s, an a cappella group who, due to a public embarrassment, had to start again and recruit a less polished version of their once superior troupe.

Anna Kendrick’s plays sarcastic freshman “Becca” who accepted her place at Barden due to her fathers influence in the school however wants to do and produce music in New York. With her father leaning over her shoulder to join clubs and make friends, Becca begrudgingly joins the Barden Bella’s and then the fun begins!

Acca-believe it, how do they do it? 

After such a successful first movie, grossing over $113,042,075 world-wide, Pitch Perfect made a cappella more popular than ever with TV competitions and rising stars such as Pentatonix becoming main stream music.

The reaction to the first film was extremely positive and had a large following from the start. When they announced a second film, the fans waited with baited breath to see if the producers could follow such a massive success. Yet they did.

Pitch Perfect 2 was released in 2015 and was an instant hit in the box office, grossing $287,506,194 world-wide. Fans were not disappointed with new foot-tapping tunes and witty banter from the cast who all came back to reprise their roles.

The last song?

The cast have confirmed this last instalment of the Pitch Perfect movies shall be the last. Boo! Understandably the cast are eager make different movies and have trouble with scheduling to continue the films however it will be sad to see the end of this musical triumph.

With that said, Pitch Perfect is left their fans with new knowledge of music, relatable characters and fantastic mashups of songs.

We thank you Pitch Perfect, and can’t wait to see what’s in store for the girls in the finale.

 

 

Animation Creation

The man behind it all!

When Walt Disney started Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio in 1923 with his brother Roy, little did they know it would the multibillion dollar media conglomerate that is Disney!

This is the mouse that started it all. Mickey was created 1928 and quickly became the logo and mascot for Disney’s work. With films, TV shows, rides, t-shirts, mugs, pens… the list could go on with the amount of merchandise Mickey Mouse is on.

He is a household name and every kids dream to meet!

 

Snow White to Coco

Disney’s first feature length animation was the timeless Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs released in 1937. Following was 56 Animated Movies made by or in partnership with Disney.

Over the years, animation has changed dramatically. As new technology developed, so did the methods of creating this moving cartoons. Gone were the days of drawing the cartoons by hand and projecting. Everything was done on computers and appears so life like.

Here is a short video explaining where animation started with Disney.

 

As you can see it was a lengthy process and a lot of manual labour. In this next video is the behind the scenes development of the Disney hit of 2016, Moana. As you can see the technology, has transformed animation however still has the essence and love that Walt Disney created almost 100 years ago.

 

 

I am leaving you with a list of my favourite Disney movies that will always cheer my up.

• Frozen (2013)
• Moana (2016)
• Peter Pan (1953)
• The Jungle Book (1967)
• The Aristocats (1970)
• Hercules (1997)
• Finding Nemo (2003)
• Toy Story 1,2 and 3 (1995, 1999 & 2010)

Top 5 Modern Classics

Best of the last 20 years!

Movies are subjective to the viewer so to start my blog I have decided to give you an insight into my movie choices. So here they are: My top 5 Modern Classics.

Lets first discuss what makes something a “Modern Classic”?

It is always difficult to know if the movie is going to stand the test of time. The phrase almost contradicts itself as a classic is defined:

Classic.

a. Belonging to the highest rank or class.

b. Serving as the established model or standard: a classic example of colonial architecture. 

c. Having lasting significance or worth; enduring

However, modern is defined as recent and new therefore the phrase would mean lasting work in the recent years.  A “Modern Classic” is it’s own niche for the current generation to distinguish for themselves. With that said, everyone has their own opinion of what should be a classic, but for fun here is mine!

   1. Frozen (2013)

The Disney animated blockbuster was released in 2013 and was an instant success, becoming the 5th highest grossing film of all time with a whooping $1.219 Billion in box office sales. The franchise has a developed to a stage show and sold millions of merchandise which means by my definition, its going to be around in the future.

2. The Revenant (2015)

This is  director Alejandro González Iñárritu ‘s  gruelling tale of a man’s search for his son in 1820s America won 3 Oscars including a first for the A list actor Leonardo DiCaprio. The scenes shocked the audiences, including the infamous Bear attack. The film engrossed us in the beauty of the land with wide camera shots and panning views and left the audience on the edge of their seats as the fight scenes captured the battles with brutality and realism.

3. Mean Girls(2004)

“On Wednesdays we wear pink” is now one of the most recognised quotes in the millennial culture and why? This film became a cult hit instantly. Directed by Tina Fey, this high school drama lives up to its name with cliques such as “The Plastics” being recognised and relatable in some way to every high school experience. With the stage show out this year and still screenings around the world, I have no doubt this movie will be around in years to come.

4. 12 Years Of Slave (2013)

This movie is an adaption of a adaptation of the 1853 slave narrative memoir by Solomon Northup. Directed by Steve McQueen on a budget of $17 million the film grossed over $187 million. The film follows a free man from upstate New York who is kidnapped and sold as a slave. Winning 3 Oscar including best picture with the best picture win making McQueen the first black producer ever to receive the award and the first black director of a Best Picture winner. The film opened the eyes of audiences as it delved into truth of the Slavery in America and how important it is to the history of the Country and the world.

5. Bridesmaids (2011)

You might wonder why this is here. As a rom-com goes, this movie is one of the most watched Comedies in the 2010s. Grossing over $288 million worldwide and being nominated for 2 Oscars, this movie was a first in its kind with mainly female cast and crude humour. Everyone can relate to one of these characters that are portrayed in the movie and for me personally, enables woman to be honest with loads of feminine passion. The woman in this movie aren’t all models or “Hollywood leading ladies” shown in the past but real and funny. How could I not add this movie when it inspires so many to laugh and come together.