Top 10 Musicals With A Difference

Here I am with another of many Top Tens to come, and the recent success of the British produced Les Miserables at the multiplexes, it seemed apt to publish a list based on musicals. But, in true filmbore style, these aren't your run-of-the-mill singing pictures! Instead, I want to ensure we recognise the movies that are technically musicals but recognised in other genres so rarely included in many of the other "top whatever" musicals out there, and for the films that aren't as big as the more recognised pictures of this category but deserve selection through their unique approach to music and their brilliant songs.

Here was my dilemma however...I started out putting together a list of Top Ten Comedy Musicals, to bring the necessary air of difference to the top ten, which looked great. But then, I thought, there are other films that need to be recognised too, so I tried my hand at Top Ten Coolest Musicals, leaving me with two lists. Then, to make matters worse, I decided to attempt a Top Ten Darkest Musicals as well, leaving me in a state of uncertainty overall.

So, I've taken the executive decision to mix all three of them together for a Top Ten Cool, Dark And Comedy Musicals so each gets a fair shot...or Musicals With A Difference, as the tile above states. But more importantly, this is MY list of favourite musicals. I know many of you may disagree with my opinions here but that's fine, as I like a good debate.

For those of you who are interested in the original three however, near the bottom of this article I've included them as well, so you're getting 4 for the price of 1!

The criteria: Each film has to be able to fit into any of the three categories mentioned: Comedy, Cool or Dark. Also, they have to have enough songs within them to be classed as a musical, and not just have the odd musical moment (like the brilliant moment in Magnolia, where the cast sing to Aimee Mann's "Wise Up"). And finally, to be a true musical, either the story is driven by interlaced songs that narrate and guide the tale, or the characters themselves have to suddenly break into song amidst scenes (or both, in some cases).

WARNING! Some links ahead link to content with explicit language.

10. Krush Groove (1985)

As an ex-emcee myself, I can't ignore the old skool rap musicals out here (like Wild Style and Beat Street) but none are as enjoyable as the tongue-in-cheek story of the founding of Def Jam Recordings, including the careers of Run DMC, The Fat Boys, Sheila E and Russell Simmons himself (renamed Russell Walker). Cameoing some other great rap stars it still stands out for its joyous interlude of The Fat Boys All You Can Eat.

9. Once (2006)

One of the most original musicals you will ever see, Once tells the beautiful story of an Irish busker and a Czech immigrant who find a connection through song. Their relationship with music replaces the growing love usually felt in romantic dramas, building a refreshing look on the power of feelings and craft. Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, the film's stars, have collaborated in the past and wrote all of the music for this stand out success.

8. The Wizard Of Oz (1939)

I'm sorry, I can't help it! I know it's a famous musical but I'm a huge fan of this classic and there so much depth here which is usually ignored. There's incredible humour, some scary moments (flying monkeys people...FLYING MONKEYS!!) and so many memorable scenes that it stands tall in this list. Even more important are some classic film moments: the witch's boots curling, the switch to technicolour, the wonderful crane shot on Follow The Yellow Brick Road, the tornado effects and "I'm melting, I'm melting"....pure genius!

7. Wave Twisters (2001)

Based on DJ QBert's album of the same name, Wave Twisters is the first ever turntablist musical. Fully animated, it tells the tale of a dentist as a space travelling superhero out to save Hip Hop from the evil clutches of Lord Ook and his henchmen. You think that sounds crazy, wait until you see the film itself! There is no movie like this one, and it's a rare DVD too (which I fortunately have a copy of myself. I'm not lending it out!) so it's a prize if you find it.

6. Ill Manors (2012)

Another musical/album tie-in, Ben Drew a.k.a Plan B's screenplay & directorial debut has split audiences, but deep within is a truly harrowing but eye opening crime story based around a number of residents of Forest Gate, London. Each song, by Plan B too, narrates each thread together perfectly, creating the necessary links to the web of drug dealers prostitutes and misunderstood youths of today, and is proof that Drew has even more talent up his sleeve.

5. Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (1971)

The musical adaptation of Roald Dahl's classic proves the perfect symbiosis of music, comedy and darkness. You forget until you watch it again how many famous songs have come out of it (especially Pure Imagination), yet it's difficult for such numbers to stand up to the might of the Oompah Loompah songs strewn throughout, illustrating the perils of each of the child's errors...well, except for the frightening Wonderful Boat Ride!

4.  This Is Spinal Tap (1980)

Even though the simultaneously produced British equivalent Bad News (from Comic Strip Presents...) is ever so slightly better, there's no disputing the brilliance of Christopher Guest's masterpiece.  Following David, Nigel and Derek (and their doomed drummers) as a British metal band touring the US, trying to re-ignite their careers, this mockumentary has inspired many comedy TV shows and films over the years with it's dry, natural, satirical approach.

3. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)

Not only is this brilliantly more offensive than its small screen counterpart, but it's also a genuinely excellent musical. Keeping its trademark humour, each song has catchy melodies, big choruses and huge notes. Though full of profanity, Blame Canada still managed to gain an Oscar nomination, and rightfully so, but nothing demonstrates my point better than the medley La Resistance Lives On. 

 

2. Little Shop Of Horrors (1986)

A funk and soul musical is a rare thing, and even rarer it is to top this masterpiece of cool, darkness and comedy. Levi Stubbs from the Four Tops as Audrey II - cool. Flower shop boy help a man-eating plant from space get lunch - dark. One of the key songs To Be A Dentist - hilarious, with Steve Martin at the height of his game. It still stands up today and it's songs can be some of the biggest ear worms out there after just one watch!

And the winner is...

1. The Blues Brothers (1979)

Even though Little Shop... is perfectly balanced across all three of my musical sub-genres, it's a difficult task to overpower the behemoth that is the Saturday Night Live creation, The Blues Brothers.

Jake has just got out on parole and is met outside prison by his equally suited brother Elwood, sporting a new vehicle...The Bluesmobile. Taking their new chariot to the orphanage they grew up in, they learn that it's threatened by closure unless a tax bill of $5000 is paid in full. Following an epiphany, there's only one solution - get the band back together!

On their "mission from God" they pull together their old jamming buddies to put together a concert to raise the funds needed. Along the way they encounter angry country folk, a volatile weapons-heavy ex-girlfriend and modern Nazi's amongst the other crazy happenings on their adventure through music, culminating in the craziest car chase you will ever see.

Said car chase is one of the reasons this takes the top slot. Each of the songs from start to finish hold their own, stamping their right on the soundtrack, but the forgotten hero is the cataclysmic demolition derby through the Chicago Streets. Not only is this outrageously hilarious and completely preposterous, it's the final tune to the already jam packed score. Cars fly balletically over each other, to the melodies of police sirens and screeching tyres. The collisions get more incredible, as they build to a crescendo leading to the funniest car plummet you will ever see on celluloid.

Other elements to the film's humour is helped along by some great cameos from some of the biggest names at the time (can you spot a young Steven Spielberg?) but the cool element to The Blues Brothers is thanks to already mentioned soundtrack. It's the perfect compilation of blues and soul, raising your funk-o-meter to 11 (sorry Spinal Tap!), especially with the well known toe-tapper Everybody Needs Somebody To Love.

The fact that this is regularly missed out on so many Best Musicals lists is a travesty! Not only does it contain some of the best songs to come out of any film in existence, and that the band comprises of some of the greatest jazz musicians the US has ever produced, but it has soul royalty strewn throughout: Cab Calloway, James Brown, John Lee Hooker, Aretha Franklin and the legendary Ray Charles on the finest version of Twist It (Shake Your Tail Feather) out there. In fact, if I haven't said so already, all the songs in this movie are superb and I challenge anyone out there to find a funnier and most certainly cooler musical than this one!

Just missed out: The Commitments, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Labyrinth, Tommy, Fear Of A Black Hat, The Muppets (2011)

Other Top Ten musicals...


Comedy Musicals

1. This Is Spinal Tap
2. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
3. The Blues Brothers
4. Little Shop Of Horrors
5. The Muppets (2011)
6. Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory
7. Fear Of A Black Hat
8. School Of Rock
9. Cannibal The Musical
10. The Muppet Movie (1979)

Just Missed Out: The Commitments, CB4, The Artist, Labyrinth, The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Coolest Musicals

1. The Blues Brothers
2. Ill Manors
3. Wave Twisters
4. Once
5. Little Shop Of Horrors
6. Buena Vista Social Club
7. Tommy
8. The Commitments
9. Krush Groove
10. The Artist

Just Missed Out: West Side Story, Beat Street, Corpse Bride, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street, This is Spinal Tap.

Darkest Musicals

1.  Little Shop Of Horrors
2. Ill Manors
3. The Nightmare Before Christmas
4. Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory
5. The Wizard Of Oz
6. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street
7. Corpse Bride
8. Cannibal The Musical
9. Labyrinth
10. Repo! The Genetic Opera

Just Missed Out: The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Amadeus, West Side Story, Wave Twisters.

If you disagree, and have other suggestions, please post comments at the bottom of the post. Or, email me directly on topten@filmbore.co.uk.

And don't forget, you can tweet me @filmbore or post on my Facebook page here.