Beach Blanket Bingo (1965)

Cinema Sweetheart's Rating: 10 out of 10

Director: William Asher

Starring: Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, Deborah Walley

Rated: Not Rated

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Chick Flick, Musical

Run Time: 97 minutes

Sequel: How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965)

Frankie (Avalon) and Dee Dee (Funicello) are the cutest couple on the beach, but when singing sensation Sugar Kane (Linda Evans) drops right out of the sky and is saved by Frankie, Dee Dee can’t help but feel a little bit jealous.  To make matters worse, when the couple decides to try out skydiving lessons, and Dee Dee finds herself with yet another rival to deal with.  This time, it’s Bonnie Graham (Walley), a too-cute skydiving instructor who decides to make Frankie her new romantic interest.  Meanwhile, the gang’s friend Bonehead (Jody McCrea) falls in love with Lorelei (Marta Kristen), a mysterious girl who saves him from drowning.  Add Sugar’s crafty manager Bullets (Paul Lynde), a biker gang led by none other than the “infamous” Eric Von Zipper (Harvey Lembeck), skydiving instructor Big Drop (Don Rickles), Buster Keaton as his assistant, and lots of music and fun; and you have Beach Blanket Bingo.

One thing I will say is that this movie is incredibly corny.  I don’t say that to be mean.  In fact, I just LOVED it!  But, it is very corny.  It’s obvious that it’s very dated.  However, even though it might not be enjoyable for the same reasons as in the 1960s, that doesn’t mean you can’t still have a good time watching it.  What might have been considered “cool” back then is perhaps a bit “corny” now, but that makes it funny, and who doesn’t enjoy a good laugh?  This is a film that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and I love that!

Avalon and Funicello are of course the principle love interest of this film, but to be honest, I think that Dee Dee should have ditched Frankie before the first half of the film had even finished.  I’m not going to sugarcoat it; the boy is such a player!  Yes, he’s a cutie, and yes, the girls seem to love him, but really, he should show a bit more respect for the girl he already has!  Whether he’s hanging off the arm of Sugar Kane, or “helping” Bonnie with her skydiving gear, Frankie is always putting the moves on the ladies, whether he realizes it or not!  Plus, his rather juvenile comments about Dee Dee’s desire to learn skydiving (a girl’s place is in the kitchen, not jumping out of a plane) should be enough to earn him a good tongue-lashing for his insolence).

I personally thought the romance between Bonehead and Lorelei was just adorable.  In case you couldn’t guess from his unfortunate nickname, Bonehead is certainly not the most observant young man.  However, when Lorelei catches his eye, he really starts to pay attention.  McCrea was super sweet, and downright adorable; and of course, the viewer instantly feels for him.  Not only does he fall in love with a mermaid, but no one believes him!  And of course, Marta Kristen was beautiful; what a perfect mermaid!

The Rats (a biker gang) were obviously meant to be the main comic force.  Led by the slapsticky Eric Von Zipper, with his “Mice” Puss and Boots (Alberta Nelson and Myrna Ross, respectively), and the dastardly South Dakota Slim (Timothy Carey), they always manage to provide plenty of laughs.  (Although, I’m not going to lie; it’s pretty corny stuff).

All in all, this was a fun movie.  It may not be an Oscar-winning performance, or anything, but it was good enough.  This is not the kind of movie someone watches expecting some greater truth to be revealed, or that they will be treated to award-winning acting or the greatest cinematography of the decade.  They expect music, bikini-clad girls, and a lot of fun.  And that’s what they get.  No more, no less.  I guess it’s one of those films that you have to go into with certain expectation in mind.  But, if you want something light-hearted and fun for a nice summertime diversion, then you should be sure to check this out, “bubbie”!

Sweeney Todd in Concert (2001)

Cinema Sweetheart's Rating: 10 out of 10

Director: Lonny Price

Starring: George Hearn, Patti Lupone, Neil Patrick Harris, Timothy Nolen

Rated: Not Rated

Genre: Musical, Drama, Crime, Horror

Runtime: 150 minutes

Other Versions: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1982), Sweeney Todd (2007)

Initially performed on PBS, this is a wonderful production of a story that is as tantalising and forbidding as Mrs. Lovett's meat pies:

After he is wrongly imprisoned for life by a corrupt judge who wishes to seduce his wife, Benjamin Barker (Hearn) returns to London under a new name: Sweeney Todd. He joins forces with a pie maker, Mrs. Lovett (Lupone) to kill all those who wronged him. Sweeney, a barber, slits the throats of his victims while shaving them, while Mrs. Lovett turns the bodies into meat pies to hide the evidence. 

Despite the production's dark premise, this truly is an amazing musical.  George Hearn brings depth and passion to the character, making Sweeney more of an anguished anti-hero than a cold, heartless villain.  Deep emotion can be seen in just a glance or in an expression on his face.  Hearn's Sweeney provides just the right amount of bloodlust and human feeling; it almost seems that he is justified in his dark killing spree....almost.  Instead of a dark, sinister murderer, we are shown a man in the greatest pain; his wife Lucy is dead and his daughter Johanna is in the custody of the same man who had him imprisoned and drove Lucy to suicide 15 years earlier.  Of course, its not surprising that Hearn's performance is so powerful; he played the role of Sweeney once before in the 1982 film production Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street alongside Angela Lansbury.

Patti Lupone's performance as Mrs. Lovett is simply delicious.  She brings the perfect combination of humor, suspense, and drama to the part.  Her Mrs. Lovett is not only devious, but she seems completely competent, as though there is something wrong (the woman makes meat pies from human flesh!) but its hidden under the guise of a benevolent pie maker.  She is a fascinating person to watch perform, as she's so dynamic, and works perfectly alongside Hearn.

The two of them were supported by a great cast, including Neil Patrick Harris as the young Tobias Ragg (Toby), Davis Gaines as lovestruck sailor Anthony Hope, and Victoria Clark as the crazy beggar woman.  I have to say though, that probably the best supporting actor (apart from NPH, who defines awesome in every production he does) would have to be Timothy Nolen as the wicked Judge Turpin.  His character was dark, troubled, and multi-layered.  In Judge Turpin, we see almost as much conflict as in Sweeney himself, even to the point where both men give into their respective temptations.  Just as Sweeney is not totally a villain, but has his lighter, more sympathetic moments, so does the judge, who, though clearly the villain of the piece, has moments where he is very human and almost relatable.  Its hard to fully hate Nolen's Turpin, because he's so human.

A wonderful, wonderful production that I cannot recommend highly enough.  Must be seen to be fully appreciated, as I cannot do it justice on my own.

**This movie has 1 bonus feature!**

**This movie has 1 bonus feature!**

**This movie has 1 bonus feature!**

Hello Dolly (1969)

Cinema Sweetheart's Rating: 8 out of 10

Director: Gene Kelly

Starring: Barbara Streisand, Walter Matthau, Michael Crawford

Rated: G

Genre: Musical, Comedy, Romance

Runtime: 146 minutes

Hello Dolly is the story of Ms. Dolly Levi, a widow and matchmaker who has decided that she's going to marry her rich client Horace Vandergelder.  Several plots all overlap with each other when Dolly is supposed to take Horace's niece Ermengarde to New York to keep her away from her poor artist boyfriend who wants to marry her against her uncle's wishes.  The plot soon expands to accommodate several subplots as Dolly tries to match up the cast's multiple couples.

This is a wonderful, feel-good sort of musical, with upbeat songs and lots of fun plot twists.  Besides that, you have a wonderful cast, including Michael Crawford, who was the original Phantom of the Opera on Broadway and in London.  Of course, his character, the bumbling clerk Cornelius Hackl is very different from the dark and brooding Phantom, showing the wide range of Crawford’s acting skills.  Walter Mattau is delightfully stubborn as Horace Vandergelder, and of course, Barbara Streisand is a charming, beautiful, and clever Dolly Levi.

All in all, I would recommend this film very highly.  The music is lots of fun and the choreography is BRILLIANT!  However, it is very long, and there did come a point where I was dying to get up and walk around a bit, even though I was enjoying the movie.  Also, I did find the characters of Irene Molloy and Minnie Fay to be a bit annoying; but of course, not enough to make me want to stop watching.  And of course, I’m sure that I’m in the minority on this; Irene/Cornelius and Minnie/Barnaby are often considered the cutest couples in the film.  Speaking of couples, I also found the pairing of Joyce Ames and Tommy Tune as Horace’s niece and her boyfriend, to be a comical choice, since at 6’6 ½”, Tommy towers over tiny little Joyce.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1999)

Cinema Sweetheart's Rating: 10 out of 10

Director: David Mallet

Starring: Donny Osmond, Maria Friedman, and Richard Attenborough, Joan Collins

Rated:Not rated

Genre: Musical, Religious, Family

Runtime:78 minutes

This is one of my favorite movies.  I've loved Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat since I was in THE FOURTH GRADE, and even now, this is a movie I treasure.  It's cute, quirky, and fun, with music that makes you want to get up and dance!  I can't even remember how many times I've seen this film.....but at least 20, to give a conservative estimate.

This is based off of Andrew Lloyd Webber's first musical: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, written in collaboration with Tim Rice. It retells the Biblical story of Joseph (Osmand), son of Jacob (Attenborough), and his eleven jealous brothers.  Joseph is his father's favorite, and when Jacob buys him a brilliant coat of many colors so that everyone will know how much his father cares about him, his brothers decide they've had enough of being second best, and decide to get rid of him.  While a slave in Egypt, Joseph gets falsely accused, thrown in prison, and eventually rises though the ranks to become second in command to the Pharaoh, who needs him to interpret his dreams.

This is a movie that the whole family can enjoy; not just the adults or just the kids.  Most of the entries on this blog will be geared toward teens and adults since those are the kinds of movies I choose to watch, however, this is one of the few films that is for everyone.  Full of fun songs such as "Go, Go, Go Joseph," "Benjamin Calypso," and "Any Dream Will Do".

Yes, this production is a bit cheesy, but that's a part of the charm.  Just trust me on this.  So, get some popcorn, a friend, or the whole family, and enjoy this wonderful, energetic film!

Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)

Cinema Sweetheart's Rating: 3 out of 10

Director: Norman Jewison

Starring: Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson, Yvonne Elliman

Rated:G

Genre: Musical, Religious, Historical

Runtime:108 minutes

Other Versions:Jesus Christ Superstar (2000)

Because I had just watched the 2000 version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's classic "rock opera," I thought it was time to review this one as well.  Jesus Christ Superstar is a musical sensation that details the last few days of Christ's (Neeley) life through the eyes of Judas Iscariot (Anderson).

I had quite a few issues with this version of the film.  Although I love the music, and enjoyed the "Millennium" edition quite a bit, this movie was greatly lacking.  It takes place in the deserts of Palestine, where a group of actors drive up in a bus and proceed to act out the story of Christ's passion.  There were minimal set pieces, but lots and lots of expansive sand, which was very boring after a while.

My biggest issues were with the acting.  Not to be mean, but Ted Neeley cannot sing.  At least, not well enough to play the role of Jesus.  Also, I felt as though his performance was greatly lacking in emotion; he was very flat.  Carl Anderson's Judas was better, but even his singing was not the best.  Joshua Mostel, who played King Herod, some sort of creepy bi-sexual beach bum with a mixed harem of guys and girls covered in paint and body glitter.  In my opinion, the only actors who sang well were Bob Bingham as Caiaphas, Yvonne Elliman as Mary Magdalene, and Barry Dennen as Pontias Pilate.

While the 2000 version of Jesus Christ Superstar focused on Judas as the main character, this movie pushed him into the background, making it hard to understand what his motivation was for his betrayal.  Jerome Pradon's Judas was distressed, overwrought, and easy to sympathise with.  You could understand his motives, whether you agreed with him or not.  Anderson's performance left me scratching my head, wondering what his justification was, seeing as I didn't understand it myself.  Whereas Pradon seemed to be doing everything for the greater good when Jesus wouldn't listen to him, Anderson just seemed to be smoldering in his own jealousy of what Jesus had.

All in all, I found this whole film to be a huge disappointment. If you're interested in this rock opera, I would suggest staying away from this production and watch the 2000 version instead.  It's so much better!

Jesus Christ Superstar (2000)

Cinema Sweetheart's Rating: 5 out of 10

Director: Gale Edwards, Nick Morris

Starring: Glenn Carter, Jerome Pradon, Renee Castle

Rated: Not Rated

Genre: Musical, Religious

Run Time:107 minutes

Other Versions: Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)

Based off of Andrew Lloyd Webber's famous "rock opera" of the same name, Jesus Christ Superstar is an epic musical production.  The story details the last week of Jesus' (Carter) life through the eyes of Judas Iscariot (Pradon), his best friend and right-hand man, who will later betray him.  Although a delight to watch, this movie is filled with Biblical inaccuracies, portraying Jesus as a self-centered, ignorant young man who has allowed his new-found popularity to go to his head, while Judas is the level-headed apostle who tries to keep him on the right path.  The setting is more modern than its 1973 counterpart, with revolutionaries and gangs instead of hippies.

I enjoyed this movie, however, there were quite a few things that bothered me.  First of all, I don't agree with how Jesus was portrayed as naive, oblivious, and a conceited drama queen.  Plus, I was not a fan of how they overly sexualized his  relationship with Mary Magdalene.  Also, Carter has a wonderful voice, but he launched into falsetto tones far too many times, and at parts that didn't need falsetto.  The chief priests, especially Annas (Michael Shaeffer), besides looking like a cross between The Matrix and the Spanish Inquisition, were absolutely demonic (but wonderful), making it nearly impossible to understand why Judas would go to them to betray his friend.
 

Speaking of Judas, I have to say that next to Ben Vereen, Jerome Pradon is my favorite Judas.  His performance is powerful, moving, and emotional, making the viewer really sympathise with him.  I loved his role, and honestly, Pradon made the movie for me.

All in all, an okay movie.  Not the best I have seen, but enjoyable, and reminiscent of Donny Osmand's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.  Although, I have to say that I preferred Godspell to Jesus Christ Superstar.  However, if you enjoy the works of Andrew Lloyd Webber, I would say that this film is worth it.  If musicals really aren't your thing, then I'd suggest looking for a different movie.

Godspell (1973)

Cinema Sweetheart's Rating: 8 out of 10

Director: David Greene

Starring: Victor Garber, Lynne Thigpen, and Katie Hanley

Rated: G

Genre: Musical, Religious

Run Time: 103 minutes

Godspell is a modern interpretation of the life of Jesus Christ based off the Gospel according to Matthew.  A group of New Yorkers are approached by John the Baptist (David Haskell) who encourages them to come and follow the words of Jesus.  Soon, the group of eclectic misfits, dressed like hippies in bright colors with painted faces begin to retell the Gospel of Matthew through stories, songs, and performances that they put on for Jesus and for each other.  A fun, feel-good movie, with unforgettable songs such as "Day By Day" and "Turn Back, O Man".

In all honesty, I found this movie to be a bit strange.  I'm a Catholic, and so I was a bit perturbed about some of the representations of Jesus (like why is he wearing pompoms on his shoes, face paint, and a superman shirt with suspenders?  He looks like a clown).  But, I think the reason that it was done this way was to show through the hippie movement that Jesus was counter cultural.  He was not like everyone else; he went against the grain.  Also, I felt that the film portrays Jesus as gentle, caring, and fun.  He seems like someone you'd want to hang out with and who would be happy to just spend time with you and be silly. This Jesus is not too serious, which I kind of liked.

All in all, I thought this was an incredible movie with great music and a great cast.  Sometimes, however, I will say that I thought it was a bit over-the-top in how silly they made it, but still, I would happily recommend it. 

The Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

Cinema Sweetheart's Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Director: Brian de Palma

Starring: Paul Williams, William Finley, Jessica Harper, and Garrit Graham

Rated: PG

Genre: Horror, Musical, Cult Classic

Run Time: 92 minutes

A disfigured, Phantom-esque anti-hero, a Faustian deal, and a trade straight out of The Picture of Dorian Gray; add a some awesome 70s music, a transvestite rock star, and black leather, and you have The Phantom of the Paradise. After his life's work is stolen by a demonic music producer and his face crushed in a record press, timid composer Winslow Leach sells his soul to ensure that the woman he loves will be able to sing his rendition of Faust at the opening of Swan's new music hall, The Paradise.

To be completely honest, I didn't think I was going to like this movie when I first started.  In fact, I thought it looked pretty dumb.  Mostly, I was watching it because of the Phantom of the Opera ties, and I just love POTO.  Looking at the trailer online, though, I couldn't help but think it was a nasty cross-over between POTO and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.  But, The Phantom of Paradise is so much more!

Finley portrays a wonderfully sympathetic protagonist, Winslow Leach; tormented, abused, and eventually destroyed by Swan (Williams).  Besides his heart-wrenching portrayal of a 1970s American version of Leroux's classic character Erik, he also had really awesome makeup and a cool costume.  Its not too often that you see a Phantom dressed in black leather and donning a silver helmet instead of just a mask.  He was by far my favorite character in the movie.

As for the villainous Swan, Paul Williams was perfect!  Definitely one of the best "devils" I've seen in films.  His aura of mystery in the beginning leaves the audience in the dark just as much as Winslow, but the more we learn the more devious he becomes.  This is the first Paul Williams movie I've seen, and I'm very impressed with his acting.  He doesn't over act.  His character is powerful, devious, and harboring a dark secret, but he seems pretty cool with that.  Nothing worries him because he's already attained eternity.

Even though the movie was only rated PG, one must remember that PG-13 was not yet a rating, and honestly, I would not show this film to any children.  Its definitely PG-13.  The topics are too heavy for younger audiences, and the double unmasking at the end is going to be a little too intense.  That being said, the makeup was amazing for both of the unmaskings (although a little graphic); and (I believe) provided the desired effect. 

The best scene in the movie, though, without a doubt, had to be the shower scene when Winslow, in the guise of the Phantom, confronts rock-star Beef (Graham).  I'm not going to say too much, but it does involve a plunger. ^_^

If you're a POTO fan, you might enjoy this film, although I will say that its not as true to the story as some of the other versions are; in fact, apart from a disfigurement, a mask, an "opera house" (in this case a rock hall), and a character very loosely based on Christine, its not very POTO at all.  There's no Raoul, the manger is the villain, and the Phantom actually works for him!  Finley's Phantom is much more timid and weak than most of the others; you would never see Lon Chaney's cowering from an unarmed man who's over a foot shorter than him!  (6'4"/5'2")  But even so, I'd recommend this movie to anyone who's curious about it; its well worth it to check it out.  If nothing else, at least listen to the amazing soundtrack.  Most of the songs are written by Paul Williams (Swan).

**This movie has 2 bonus features!**