Movies for Wednesday January 3rd, 2018

On January 3 in 1987 Aretha Franklin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame... so the theme for today is women and music. There are a number of films that have come out which feature strong female characters who are also great entertainers. When musicals are done well they can be a really enjoyable experience to take in. Please find my top picks and hope you enjoy!

1 Cabaret (1972) Bob Fosse
Liza Minnelli is a triple threat in this academy award winning film... shows what kind of talent she had before she became a headline of tabloid fodder.

2 Funny Girl (1968) William Wyler
Streisand is mesmerizing as real life Fanny Brice and Omar Sharif is fantastic as the love of her life...

3 The Blues Brothers (1980) John Landis
Highly entertaining film starring John Belushi and Dan Akroyd cruising through Chicago Blues scene... amazing cameos throughout including Aretha Franklin with an unforgettable rendition of "Think".

4 Victor Victoria (1982) Blake Edwards
A struggling singer becomes a male female impersonator to make ends meet. Julie Andrews garnered an Oscar nomination for her performance, as well as Robert Preston as her manager and Lesley Ann Warren as gun moll-James Garner is also charming as Andrews love interest...

4 Phantom of the Paradise (1974) Brian De Palma
Great rock opera featuring songs by Paul Williams and Jessica Harper as Phoenix who steals the show with her performance of "Our Love".

5 Before Sunset (2004) Richard Linklater
One of the few sequels that I preferred over the original film "Before Sunrise" about two people who meet and fall in love while traveling through Europe. Even though "Before Sunset" is not a musical, it deserves a mention for one of the most moving musical sequences in a movie by Julie Delpy... sweet and touching love story.

I hope you find these picks enjoyable and I look forward to your input.
Dianezy
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