Thompson on Hollywood

Now and Then: The Long, Slow Death of the Movie Musical

Reviews

It's been 60 years since the musical's prime — when Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, those sorcerers of sound, joined forces on "Singin' in the Rain" — so you'll forgive me if this week's theatrical screenings in honor of the anniversary feel less like a celebration than an obituary. The musical is dead at 83, from complications of creative neglect.

By Matt Brennan
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July 16, 2012 4:30 PM
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'Magic Mike' The Musical Heading to Broadway

News

Wasting no time, Steven Soderbergh and Channing Tatum are taking "Magic Mike" to the stage, where the film will be adapted into a musical...

By Sophia Savage
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June 29, 2012 12:01 PM
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LAFF: Jonathan Demme Talks 'Passion for Filming Real Life,' Neil Young as 'Wandering Troubador' in 'Journeys' (VIDEO)

Features

New York flmmaker Jonathan Demme is showing at LAFF the latest film in his Neil Young concert trilogy, "Neil Young Journeys" (June 29), which debuted at Toronto. Demme likes alternating the long gestation and production periods necessary for fiction films with micro-budget documentaries. But good features are hard to find. "I can't dream up tentpole movies," he says. "I see these movies, many of them wonderful, like 'Iron Man.' I could never do that! It's a question of the necessity and passion for filming real life."

By Anne Thompson
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June 19, 2012 2:18 PM
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Watch: Paul McCartney's Short 'My Valentine' Stars Portman & Depp; Screening with 'The Intouchables'

Video

Paul McCartney's debut short film (aka music video), "My Valentine," stars Johnny Depp and Natalie Portman and will screen in front of all showings of the Weinsteins' "The Intouchables," which opens this weekend.

By Sophia Savage
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May 25, 2012 11:49 AM
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Coming to Theaters This May: 1964 'The Beatles: The Lost Concert'

News

Screenvision presents "The Beatles: The Lost Concert," a new documentary featuring the first Fab Four concert in the U.S. as its centerpiece. The concert at D.C.'s Washington Coliseum is the only complete Beatles’ concert available to fans; its footage hasn't been seen by movie theater audiences across the nation for over 47 years.

By Maggie Lange
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April 26, 2012 1:31 AM
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David Lynch's 'Crazy Clown Time' Music Video is 'Intense Psychotic Backyard Craziness' (Video)

Video

Check out the music video for David Lynch's "Crazy Clown Time," which he directed himself for his debut solo album. The video isn't for your kids. Described by Lynch as “an intense psychotic backyard craziness, fueled by beer,” it boasts tits-a-plenty. Watch below or on Noisey's YouTube page.

By Sophia Savage
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April 2, 2012 3:44 PM
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SXSW: 'Re: Generation Music Project' Available Now on Hulu; Download the Tracks

News

Hulu will distribute the "Re: Generation Music Project" exclusively on its ad-supported site for free. The film became available Monday and is currently playing in SXSW's Special Events category.

By Sophia Savage
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March 13, 2012 1:47 PM
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Watch: Jake Gyllenhaal, Psycho Killer in The Shoes' 'Time to Dance'

Video

Jake Gyllenhaal's acting in the music video for The Shoes' "Time To Dance" (directed by Daniel Wolfe) may be his best in years...

By Sophia Savage
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March 12, 2012 12:29 PM
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WATCH SXSW CLIP: Buzzed Music Doc 'Marley'

Video

One of the films with great advance word at SXSW, which opens Friday, is Kevin Macdonald's "Marley," which screens at SXSW on Sunday. It debuted well in Berlin, where Magnolia Pictures scooped it up. (I skipped the advance vimeo link in favor of a live audience at the Paramount.) Magnolia will release "Marley" in theaters and on VOD April 20, 2012.

By Anne Thompson
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March 8, 2012 4:40 PM
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Composer Alan Menken Over-Achieving in March with Three Broadway Musicals and (Woeful-Looking) 'Mirror Mirror'

News

Though Relativity Media's "Mirror Mirror" looks like an embarrassing made-for-the-Disney-channel movie from the mid '90s, the film's original score still marks composer Alan Menken's fourth accomplisment in March...