top 10 musicals that don’t suck

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Clockwise: Phantom of the Paradise, Sweet Charity, The Happiness of the Katakuris, Team America World Police

With Rock of Ages coming out today and Les Misérables in production for release in December, musicals are the trend that won't go away. If you love musicals, it can be very hard getting friends or even a boyfriend to watch them for you. So we came up with an eclectic list of ten musicals that by general consensus "don't suck". Perhaps some of your favorites like Moulin Rouge or Rocky Horror are not on the list, thats because in the background we heard taunts of "lame". We have included some tips on how to get even the snobbiest of friends to make the popcorn and push play.

1. Happiness of the Katakuris - Japanese cult director Takashi Miike, is known for his surreal horror movies and satire. This film follows his tradition, only with a karaoke style sing a long, more tongue in cheek gore and frontal nudity free.

2. Meet the Feebles - Before Peter Jackson become the ruler of geeks, he was known for this underground gem that shows the seedy side of show business (with puppets of course) including a dog that gets drugged to make porn, a hippo going on a gun rampage, a rabbit with STDs, and a flashback parody of the The Deer Hunter. Perfect for Jim Henson fans who always wanted the Muppets to get a bit racy.

3. Phantom of the Paradise - Your snobby cinephile friends like Brian De Palma, you like Phantom of the Opera, easy to trick them into watching this one.

4. The Wicker Man - Although dubbed by many as the greatest horror film ever made, the haunting folk arrangement including "Willow's Song" plays a key role to the pagan plot. Debate is still going on as to classify it as a musical or not, but without the songs there wouldn't be girls jumping through the fire or the maypole dance that develops the plot.

5. Tommy - Director Ken Russell and a singing Oliver Reed lead the way to making the silver screen version just as memorable at the ultimate concept album.

Clockwise: Former teen porn prodigy Traci Lords in Cry Baby, Oliver Reed in Tommy, The Wicker Man

6. Sweet Charity - What most people don't know about this film, including your Federico Fellini loving friends, is this is an American remake of Nights of Cabiria. Once the lights are off and this Bob Fosse musical begins, it will be too late for them.

7. Cry Baby This teen parody musical that includes Iggy Pop, Patty Hearst, and Johnny Deep, reminds us all why it was better growing up in the 90's before the high school musical crap.

8.Velvet Goldmine - Obi-Wan Kenobi f*cking Batman, thats all you have to say to garner interest in this musical. Christian Bale follows up his musical debut in Newsies, with this glam rock inspired musical with eclectic costumes and electric colors.

9.Team America World Police - Or the film where Kim Jong Il stole everyone hearts. You will even get your non-verbal teenage male cousin to watch this one with you.

10. Hedwig and the Angry Inch - An East Berlin transexual's rock band tours the redneck towns of America. If you are a  liberal that happens to listen to Miley Cyrus, then this ones for you.

Clockwise: 8 Women, The Young Girls of Rocherfort, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls

Honorable mentions:

The musical phenomenon isn't limited to the American, Brits, and Japanese, even our sophisticated cousins, the French, have made advances with their icon Catherine Deneuve in 8 Women and The Young Girls of Rocherfort with a cameo by Gene Kelly that makes the French tap dancing skills look like a bunch of lame ducks.

The San Fernando Valley, home of the dumb blonde, makes it's appearance in both Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (written by film critic Roger Elbert) and Earth Girls are Easy with a young Jim Carrey. Hands up if you remember Julie Brown's Cause I'm a Blonde!

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2 Responses to "top 10 musicals that don’t suck"

  • Cady
    July 25, 2012 - 3:32 pm

    I love this list! Some I’ve seen – but many I haven’t and plan to track down.

  • [...] and neither did Les Misérables (guess not everyone is a fan of musicals, check out our list of 10 Musicals That Don't Suck). However, other films to mention that didn't quite make the final list are Killing Them Softly, [...]

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