Musicals
As soon as sound was introduced to the movies, the movie musical was born. The musical was one of the most popular movie entertainments from the 1930s through to the 50s, before falling out of favour at the end of the 60s for audiences now being weened on Vietnam, race riots, political assassinations, flower power and psychedelia. The musical still continued onwards, albeit in a different form, with various efforts such as "Cabaret", "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", "Grease", "Hair", "All That Jazz" and "The Blues Brothers" appearing over the next decade. More recently, "Moulin Rouge" and particularly "Chicago" hark back to the glory days of the musical.
Right: Liza Minnelli does "Cabaret"
West Side Story ( Blu-ray ) (1961)
7.6/10
Director: Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise
Starring: George Chakiris, Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Rita Moreno, Russ Tamblyn
Leonard Bernstein's classic musical updating of "Romeo and Juliet" stars Richard Beymer and Natalie Wood as Tony and Maria, the doomed lovers caught u... Read more
What A Way To Go! (1964)
7/10
Director: J Lee Thompson
Starring: Shirley MacLaine, Dick Van Dyke, Gene Kelly, Paul Newman, Dean Martin, Robert Cu...
This exuberant '60s comedy stars Shirley MacLaine as Louisa May, a woman who, despite her best efforts to marry for love, always winds up with a man w... Read more
White Christmas (1954)
7.6/10
Director: Michael Curtiz
Starring: Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney
Timeless holiday classic stars Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye as a pair of merry veterans who become famous song-and-dance men after World War II. Soon, t... Read more
Wild In The Country (1961)
6.5/10
Director: Philip Dunne
Starring: John Ireland, Hope Lange, Elvis Presley, Tuesday Weld, Millie Perkins
A red-neck youth (Elvis) is desperate to become a respected writer! A real curiosity with good performances by Tuesday Weld and Hope Lange. Read more
Wild Rose (2018)
7.3/10
Director: Tom Harper
Starring: Jessie Buckley, Sophie Okonedo, Julie Walters
Fresh out of prison, a Scottish woman juggles her job and two children while pursuing her dream of becoming a country music star. She soon gets her ch... Read more
Wild Zero (2000)
6.6/10
Director: Tetsuro Takeuchi
Starring: Guitar Wolf, Drum Wolf, Bass Wolf, Masashi Endo, Kwancharu Shitichai
When aliens start turning the population into flesh-eating zombies, only rock fan Ace and his favourite band, Guitar Wolf (and they're a real band!) h... Read more
Willie Nelson and Friends: Angels & Outlaws (2004)
Starring: Al Green, Bob Dylan, Jerry Lee Lewis, Keith Richards, Willie Nelson, Kid Rock, T...
The new live album from Willie's Network Special features Willie performing with some of his closest friends and biggest legends making music today in... Read more
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
4.4/10
Director: Mel Stuart
Starring: Jack Albertson, Peter Ostrum, Gene Wilder, Roy Kinnear, Julie Dawn Cole
One of the most memorably strange children's films ever made, equally influenced by the dark underpinnings of Roald Dahl's original book ("Charlie and... Read more
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory ( Blu-ray ) (1971)
4.4/10
Director: Mel Stuart
Starring: Gene Wilder, Jack Albertson, Peter Ostrum, Roy Kinnear, Julie Dawn Cole
One of the most memorably strange children's films ever made, equally influenced by the dark underpinnings of Roald Dahl's original book ("Charlie and... Read more
Words and Music (1948)
6.5/10
Director: Norman Taurog
Starring: June Allyson, Perry Como, Judy Garland, Lena Horne, Gene Kelly, Mickey Rooney, A...
The renowned songwriting team of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart is spotlighted in this musical biography that features an all-star cast performing th... Read more