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"
La Bamba (1987)
6.8/10
Director: Luis Valdez
Starring: Lou Diamond Phillips, Esai Morales
The box office success story of Ritchie Valens, the Mexican-American farm labourer with a string of chart-busting singles who begins his climb to star... Read more
Little Shop of Horrors: The Director's Cut ( Blu-ray ) (1986)
6.9/10
Director: Frank Oz
Starring: Bill Murray, Christopher Guest, Ellen Greene, James Belushi, John Candy, Rick Mo...
The film of the off-Broadway musical of the horror movie spoof... an hilarious, tuneful story of a nerd and his man-eating plant starring Rick Moranis... Read more
Absolute Beginners (1986)
5.6/10
Director: Julien Temple
Starring: David Bowie, Patsy Kensit, Eddie O'Connell, Anita Morris, James Fox
When London was starting to swing, they called the first teenagers 'Absolute Beginners'. David Bowie stars in this film which charts the lives of two... Read more
Sunday in the Park with George (1986)
9.2/10
Director: James Lapine
Starring: Mandy Patinkin, Bernadette Peters, Frank Kopyc, William Parry
Based on Seurat's painting "A Sunday Afternoon On The Island Of La Grande Jatte", which depicts people gathering on an island in the Seine. This music... Read more
Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
6.9/10
Director: Frank Oz
Starring: Rick Moranis, Steve Martin, Ellen Greene, Vincent Gardenia, James Belushi, John...
The film of the off-Broadway musical of the horror movie spoof... an hilarious, tuneful story of a nerd and his man-eating plant starring Rick Moranis... Read more
Under the Cherry Moon (1986)
4.9/10
Director: Prince
Starring: Jerome Benton, Prince, Kristin Scott Thomas, Steven Berkoff, Alexandra Stewart,...
Prince stars as Christopher Tracy, an American musician on the French Riviera, living off the bank accounts of rich, bored divorcees. The next object... Read more
Follies in Concert (1985)
Director: Herbert Ross
Starring: Andre Gregory, Barbara Cook, Carol Burnett, George Hearn, Lee Remick, Mandy Pati...
At a reunion of the fictional musical revue The Weismann Follies, the long-retired players relive their careers. A 1985 recreation of Stephen Sondheim... Read more
That's Dancing! (1985)
7/10
Director: Jack Haley Jr
Starring: Gene Kelly, Liza Minnelli, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Ray Bolger, Sammy Davis Jr
Gene Kelly, Liza Minnelli, Sammy Davis, Jr., Mikhail Baryshnikov, and Ray Bolger take you on a tour of Hollywood musicals. Famous dance scenes from "4... Read more
Return To Waterloo / Come Dancing With The Kinks (1985)
Director: Julien Temple, Ray Davies
Starring: Kenneth Colley, Ray Davies
Ray Davies of the Kinks, well-respected as one of rock's best storytellers, makes his filmmaking debut in 'Return to Waterloo' starring Kenneth Colley... Read more
A Chorus Line (1985)
6.1/10
Director: Richard Attenborough
Starring: Michael Douglas, Audrey Landers, Gregg Burge
Richard Attenborough directs the film version of the long-running Broadway hit musical about an audition for a Broadway chorus line. A diverse cast of... Read more