There’s something both magical and powerful when music and film are combined together. It can make us laugh, make us cry, and definitely have us singing the tune long after the movie is over. Here’s a short list of my favorite musical numbers from film, some are from conventional musicals, and others aren’t. Some you’ll totally agree with and others will make you say “Marc, what the f*@k were you thinking?” Let’s go.
So…. lets get the shameful guilty pleasures out early. Teen Witch is movie about a nerdy teen that finds out she’s a Witch and uses are powers to turn herself into the most popular girl in school. About midway through the film, her mousy sidekick confesses her love for the school’s resident badass, and by badass we mean he listens to rap music. The two girls come across the douche… I mean badass with his crew as they’re rapping… in front of their parents’ house. Mousy wishes she were cool (the term is used loosely) enough to rap like that. Ms. Teen Witch uses her pagan powers to make it so. The rest is cheesy 80’s hilarity. This scene is so bad it’s awesome.
On it’s face, The Spike Lee Joint, School Daze isn’t a musical per se, but it does contain two full out musical numbers, this one is my favorite. School Daze takes place at a fictional HBCU (Historically Black College or University) during the 80’s and it follows a group of students as they go through their lives, dealing with social issues, Greek Life, love, and rivalries, each with varying results. This particular scene depicts the Gamma Rays, the most popular Sorority on campus performing at the school talent show. Why the movie is on my list is because it’s connected to a lot of positive memories for me. I remember being a child and watching my older cousin stand in front of the TV and reenact this, I was in charge of grabbing the “microphones” (hairbrushes) and making sure they made it back to their proper places, I would have made such a good roadie. This number blends the elegance of 60’s girl groups and 80’s fashion. I would totally buy this on iTunes.
If you are a fan of any of the creations of Trey Parker and Matt Stone, it wouldn’t surprise you that Trey has an extensive background in music and musical theater, made evident by all the little catchy original songs you can find in their iconic show, South Park. When it came to the feature length debut of the foul-mouthed foursome, Trey combined his songwriting and crude humor with awesome results. The set-up for “Up There” is priceless. You have Satan, one of the most vile and disgusting figures on earth, who so happens to be the lover of Saddam Hussein (who arguably is more evil that the devil himself) look at his kingdom full of torture and fire and then precedes to sing this sweet song that could easily stand its own against anything on Broadway. It demented, twisted, and charming all at the same damn time.
Yes Chicago is a new classic and many people love it. However I would venture to say that if you were to ask those people what is there favorite number, I doubt many would say “Mama”. I live for this number because I literally could not get it out of my head, and I mean that in the best way possible. There was plenty of memorable music in Chicago, for some reason “Mama” planted itself in my brain and did not want to leave. Funny story, I’m cleaning my room one day and “Mama” pops into my head, so I begin to sing. Now I’m cleaning, singing and shimmying to my hearts content all to turn around and find my Dad standing in my doorway. To call the moment awkward would be an understatement.
So I won’t spend a lot of time talking about this one because I’m always talking about this one. Plus, I already spoke about this scene in detail in my Top 5 Movies That Make Me Cry post. If I had to choose one character in all of cinema history that I most relate to, it would be Shug Avery and this song is a large reason for that.
Here we are at number one. Skid Row is hands down my favorite number from my favorite musical. The movie features some killer talent; you got the Broadway belter, Ellen Greene as Audrey and Iconic R&B and Soul music pioneer, Levi Stubbs as Audrey II. But who steals the spotlight from these two legends is one Ms. Beatrice Reading. Now Beatrice isn’t in the movie for long, but she makes the most of her 3 minutes of screen time. She starts off the song with a voice as clear as a bell that captures your attention when she sing “Alarm goes off at 7…” then mama takes us to church with her run on “uptown”. After reaching to the heavens with her voice, Reading reaches for the depths of her lower register. Did I mention she does all of this in the span of 30 seconds? Simply amazing. Unfortunately, Little Shop would be Beatrice’s last major movie role before passing away in 1991, but she had a very long and extensive career in the South and major success on Broadway earning her a Tony Award, a legacy anyone would be proud of.