judy garland | The Film Magazine https://www.thefilmagazine.com A Place for Cinema Sat, 30 Sep 2023 23:27:37 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.2 https://www.thefilmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-TFM-LOGO-32x32.png judy garland | The Film Magazine https://www.thefilmagazine.com 32 32 85523816 10 Best Films of All Time: Sam Sewell-Peterson https://www.thefilmagazine.com/sam-sewell-peterson-10-best-films/ https://www.thefilmagazine.com/sam-sewell-peterson-10-best-films/#comments Sat, 30 Sep 2023 23:27:37 +0000 https://www.thefilmagazine.com/?p=37302 The 10 best films of all time according to The Film Magazine producer, podcaster and staff writer Sam Sewell-Peterson, who has selected a rich and diverse list.

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What makes a film one of the true greats? Critical acclaim? Innovation? How profoundly it affects you? It’s most likely a combination of all three criteria and more. Great art speaks to us, makes us think, makes us feel.

Film gets me where I live like little else and has done ever since I was a teenager. It’s almost impossible to pick just 10 films to stand in for over a century of my favourite form of artistic expression, so what follows are a combination of groundbreaking, ageless films and the most personally impactful cinematic works for me, today. 

Follow me on X (Twitter) – @SSPThinksFilm


10. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Review

This one’s a twofer. I love animation and I love superhero movies, and Spider-Verse is one of the finest examples of both to release in the last decade.

After being bitten by a radioactive spider, awkward teen Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is thrust into inter-dimensional superherodom when his universe’s Spider-Man is killed in action. Miles must overcome self-doubt and team up with the many very different spider-people from other realities to stop his, and all other worlds, from being destroyed. 

Animation is cinema, it has the potential to visualise anything you can imagine, and while I could have picked any number of films from Studio Ghibli, Laika, Disney or Pixar, nothing else was as revolutionary and influential to the medium’s aesthetic than Sony Picture Animation’s Spider-Verse in recent years. This didn’t look or feel quite like anything else, a living comic book packed with pleasing details and gags referring back to print mediums and constant movement and dynamism. 

Few adaptations of popular characters manage to sum up their very essence with a single perfect phrase, but this film distils it all with “anybody can wear the mask”. So many superhero movies get the basics fundamentally wrong, but this gets it just so right – Spider-Man has always had incredible powers but struggled to balance his superhero responsibilities with everyday ones, and the same goes if you’re a dual heritage teenager, a cartoon pig or a black-and-white detective voiced by Nicolas Cage.

Recommended for you: Spider-Man Movies Ranked




9. The Wizard of Oz (1939)

The titanic cultural influence of the MGM fantasy musical The Wizard of Oz is often criminally overlooked. Musicals speak to me as a form of extroverted expression I could never hope to take part in myself, but Oz also stands for the whole fantasy genre.

This rough adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s children’s fantasy novel follows young Dorothy Gale (instant star Judy Garland), a Kansas dreamer who is swept away to the magical land of Oz by a tornado where she is persecuted by the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton, still terrifying) as she quests to find her way home.

It wasn’t just the way film musicals were staged for decades it inspired, either. Next time you watch Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings Trilogy and see the orc armies marching past the gates of Mordor, think about how similar the blocking and the aesthetic is to the patrols outside the Wicked Witch’s castle.  Speaking of the Wicked Witch, you know the classic green-skinned, warty-nosed, pointy-chinned default look for such characters at Halloween? That comes from this film as well. And Margaret Hamilton’s all-timer of a baddie performance in contrast to the uncomplicated good of Dorothy and her companions is still one to behold. 

The “it was all a dream, or was it?” story structure is clichéd now, but this helped start it all. Startling Technicolor fantasy is kept entirely separate from sepia reality (the moment one world becomes the other still takes your breath away), but there is always that playful, winking final scene for you to hope that Dorothy perhaps has further adventures on her horizon. 

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There’s No Place like St. Louis at Christmas https://www.thefilmagazine.com/theres-no-place-like-st-louis-at-christmas/ https://www.thefilmagazine.com/theres-no-place-like-st-louis-at-christmas/#comments Sat, 18 Dec 2021 22:51:10 +0000 https://www.thefilmagazine.com/?p=30145 If 'The Wizard of Oz' taught us that there’s no place like home, 'Meet Me in St. Louis' taught us that, actually, there’s no place like St. Louis. Essay by Margaret Roarty.

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The shift from Halloween to Christmas often feels sudden and, for most of us, far too soon. One day, it’s all black cats and cauldrons. The next – and by next, I mean, literally, Halloween night at 7pm – the orange and green candy is promptly replaced with candy canes and gingerbread-making kits. We all get into the holiday spirit at different times. For some, it’s when the Christmas tree goes up. For others, it’s when their favorite channel starts their Christmas Movie Marathon. For me, that moment – the moment when it really, and truly feels like Christmas – is when I hear Judy Garland sing “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, the song she made famous by singing it in my favorite holiday movie, Meet Me in St. Louis. And as we near the end of December and the holidays creep closer, I have to admit: I haven’t heard the song once.

Okay, that’s not quite true. I have heard versions of the song. It’s a staple of the season – a holiday classic – and everyone from Ella Fitzgerald to Phoebe Bridgers has sung it. A single Spotify search yields more than 600 results. But not once over the last month – and I work in retail, so I know what I’m talking about – have I heard Judy Garland’s voice. Even the lyrics are different. According to a U Discover Music article, when Frank Sinatra was preparing the song for his upcoming album, he told the composer and lyricist, Hugh Martin and Ralph Blaine, that the song’s lyrics were too depressing, remarking, “The name of my album is A Jolly Christmas. Do you think you could jolly up that line for me?”

The original version of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” is melancholy. There’s a certain sadness to it that’s only heightened by Judy’s achingly beautiful and haunting vocals. Maybe, out of context, it doesn’t make much sense to casual listeners. Maybe the emotional weight of the song gets lost in translation. But to me, it highlights just how strange Christmas time really is. Though it is often joyful, it can be filled with sadness and loneliness too. Meet Me in St. Louis somehow manages to capture the contradictions of the holidays and of life itself. The film, with Judy Garland’s stunning performance at the forefront, has always felt like Christmas to me.

Technically, Meet Me in St. Louis, based on Sally Benson’s “Kensington Stories” is not strictly a Christmas movie. The film takes place over the course of a whole year in the lives of the Smith family, beginning in the Fall of 1903 and ending in the Spring of 1904, at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition or simply The World’s Fair. Inspired by Sally Benson’s own family, the film focuses on the exploits of the four Smith daughters: Rose, Esther, Tootie and Agnes as they navigate growing up at the turn of a new century, in a city that is headed for, as their father Alonzo puts it, “a boom that will make your head swim.”

The film begins with almost every character, from Agnes to Grandpa, to Esther and Rose, singing some sort of variation of the title song. It’s a song that seemingly everyone knows, a song that is just as much a part of the city as the people who inhabit it. The lyrics reference a fair – The World’s Fair. Everyone is buzzing with anticipation, the pride they feel for their hometown clearly and loudly on display. While taking a ride on the ice wagon, the youngest daughter Tootie informs the driver, Mr. Neely, that it’s pronounced St. Louis not ‘Louie’, and that it’s the greatest city in the world. “Wasn’t I lucky to be born my favorite city?” she asks, dreamily.

The only person who seems far less enthusiastic, and visibly annoyed, with all the singing and talking about the World’s Fair is their father, Alonzo. After coming home from a long day at the office, Alonzo begs Esther and Rose to stop singing, declaring that the fair doesn’t open until next year. This is a key element of Alonzo’s character, which becomes important later as the main conflict of the film comes to light. Alonzo is set in his ways. He’s uncompromising with things such as how long he takes a bath, or what time dinner is. The excitement everyone feels about The World’s Fair seems lost on him. He’s too busy answering phone calls that aren’t for him to stop and take it all in. For him, life can happen anywhere. But for his family, their lives are bound to St. Louis.

Meet Me in St. Louis is layered with details. The whole film feels magical, from the set decoration to the costumes and the lighting. The main set of the film – the large, Victorian-style house the Smiths live in – is filled with texture and vibrant colors. It feels lived in yet carefully curated at the same time. The chaos is so effortlessly controlled, each frame composed to showcase every detail that makes up their lives. Director Vincente Minnelli worked closely with all the art departments to establish the visual style of the film. According to thejudyroom.com, Minnelli would also, on occasion, raid the MGM props closet himself to personally select items for the set dressing. Minnelli was a perfectionist, something Judy Garland allegedly loved making fun of him for, and he was essential in making Meet Me in St. Louis the success that it was. His love of rehearsing produced scenes that are perfectly paced, the rhythm and flow of the family’s dynamic both hilarious and heartwarming.

It’s hard to believe that hiring Vincente Minnelli to direct was considered a gamble for MGM at the time. But producer Arthur Freed, who would go on to write lyrics for Singin’ in the Rain, as well as win the Oscar for Best Picture twice, clearly knew what he was doing. Even Judy Garland, who didn’t even want to be in the film and actively tried to get out of it, was inspired by Minnelli’s commitment. According to their daughter, Liza Minnelli, speaking during an interview for the release of the special edition DVD released in 2004, Judy showed up to set and started saying all her lines with ‘a wink and a nod’. Minnelli, says Liza, yelled cut and told Judy that she had to believe what she was saying – that everything she did had to be the most important thing that has ever happened to her. “You have to care passionately,” Liza says her father told Judy, “or the audience won’t.”

Esther Smith is my favorite character Judy Garland played. And I say that as someone who watched The Wizard of Oz religiously as a child. But Esther captures my heart in a way no other performance does. She’s young, but also confident and witty. Judy’s voice, effortlessly sliding up and down the scale, introduced me to so many classic, musical standards, such as “The Boy Next Door” and “The Trolly Song,” which I ended up singing myself during my college musical theater audition. She had natural talent, that much is obvious, but her technique was astounding, every choice clear and purposeful. No song ever feels out of place or unnecessary, thanks to her ability to truly capture her audience. Time seems to stop when Judy sings.

One of my favorite moments of Esther’s is when she’s sitting at her vanity before their brother, Lon’s, going away party, and proclaims to Rose that she’s going to let John Truitt kiss her that night. “If we’re going to get married, I might as well start it,” Esther reasons. Rose scolds her and says that nice girls don’t let men kiss them until after they’re engaged because they don’t want the bloom rubbed off. “Personally,” Esther says as matter of fact, “I think I have too much bloom.” It’s so honest that I often wonder if it’s not Judy herself saying the line, begging MGM and the world at large to take her seriously, to see her as more than just the quirky best friend who never gets the guy. As more than just a little girl. She wanted to grow up on the screen, to be desirable and glamorous, just as all the other major contract players were allowed to do. And I don’t know what it was in the end that made Judy give such a stellar performance. I don’t if it was Vincente Minnelli’s gentle push or her new makeover or the fact that she was falling in love during the time of filming. All I do know is that Meet Me in St. Louis is the freest Judy ever was on screen. Esther radiates happiness and confidence because Judy herself was feeling, for maybe the first time, happy herself. Maybe it was all this combined. But what I do know for sure is that, to me – as a child and now as an adult – Judy was grown up. And desirable and beautiful. To me, she was everything.

One of the most enduring aspects of Meet Me in St. Louis is Esther’s relationship with her youngest sister, Tootie. Esther is nurturing to Tootie, often humoring her, and going along with her schemes. In the first part of the film, Tootie gets Esther to perform a song with her at Lon’s going away party. The result is a charming number called “Under the Bamboo Tree”, with Esther gently guiding Tootie through the whole thing. It’s sweet and sets up their relationship perfectly. In the middle part of the film, a vignette that takes place during Halloween, Esther’s love and protectiveness over Tootie are made apparent when Tootie lies and implies John Truitt hit her, prompting Esther to run over to his house and beat the shit out of him. It’s hilarious, but Esther’s feelings are clear: mess with my sister, mess with me. And when it turns out that Tootie was lying to cover up the horrifying – and downright criminal – antics of her and her friends, Esther goes over to apologize to John, and they share their first kiss. Although some at MGM felt this part of the film didn’t advance the plot and should be removed, it was Vincente Minnelli who made the case for keeping it in. Although on the surface it seems like this section of the film is a detour from the main action, it’s vital to the story. Because it’s this part of the film that clearly shows why this family loves this city so much. It’s in this part of the film that Esther and John truly start their romance. It’s the beginning of something. That’s why it feels like such a crushing blow when Alonzo comes home and tells his family that his law firm has offered him a new position in New York. Although some of the family is excited, it quickly becomes clear what this move would mean. Everyone would be ripped away from their friends. Agnes would have to say goodbye to her cat. Tootie would have to dig up all her dolls from the cemetery. And Esther would have to leave John. And although everything feels somber, the section of the film ends with Alonzo and their mother, Anna, singing and playing the piano, the kids sitting around listening and eating their Halloween dessert. Esther lovingly feeds Tootie spoonfuls of cake. Despite the move, at least they’ll all be together. And that’s a luxury we don’t always have.



The final part of the film takes place during Christmas. Tensions are high. First, John doesn’t pick up his tux in time, making him unable to take Esther to her last dance in St. Louis. Lon and Rose argue over the people they’re in love with, Warren Scheffield and Lucile Ballard, who are going to the dance with each other instead of with them. Their lives are in boxes, their home is bare. However, things quickly turn around. At the dance, Lucile Ballard suggests they all pair off with the people they really want to be with – Lon with Lucile and Rose with Warren. John finally shows up and spends the rest of the evening with Esther. It’s a wonderful moment underscored by the simple fact that come morning, the Smith family will be on their way to New York, leaving it all behind. And when John proposes to Esther, it quickly becomes clear that they’re too young, too newly in love to make such a decision. But the alternative is being miles away from each other and instead of facing that reality, Esther runs into the house, leaving John to sulk by the blue light of the moon.

Inside, Esther sings Tootie a lullaby to make her feel better. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” is the culmination of both the film and Esther’s arc as a character. She’s pined for John for so long, planned their lives together before she even knew he loved her back. And there she is, only moments after crying herself – wondering if her relationship will survive their move to New York. But Esther sets aside her own feelings and tries to comfort Tootie instead, giving her the greatest Christmas gift you could give to someone: just being there.

Judy’s performance of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” is both comforting and dripping with sadness and yearning. Framed by a windowpane, overlooking their snow-covered backyard, her eyes convey a depth of meaning she tries desperately to hide for the sake of her sister. It’s clear that when she sings, “Someday soon, we all will be together/if the fates allow/until then, we’ll have to muddle through/somehow,” she’s not just trying to convince Tootie that everything will be okay – she’s trying to convince herself. And while Frank Sinatra’s subtle lyric changes may make the song more optimistic, it loses the gentle longing and emotion of Judy’s version. Her version is timelier than ever, given the loss and grief we’ve all experienced over the past few years. Our collective yearning has never been greater.

And when the song doesn’t work, when Tootie runs out and begins to destroy the snow people – it’s Alonzo that witnesses this. Seeing his daughters embrace and Esther finally break down and start crying too, makes him realize that perhaps life is not just about being together. Maybe it isn’t enough. Seeing the snow-people, now clumps of snow on the ground, reminds him that maybe there are some things you can’t take with you. Maybe where we are is just as important as who we’re with. And that the places we live, live inside of us, and make us who we are. If The Wizard of Oz taught us that there’s no place like home, Meet Me in St. Louis taught us that, actually, there’s no place like St. Louis.

Alonzo takes a moment to reflect, wandering around the darkened home. Their furniture, much like their lives, is wrapped up and ready to be shipped off someplace else. The walls are bare, leaving only the outline of where pictures and paintings used to hang. Their house isn’t just a house, isn’t just walls and boards and wood. It’s a part of them. Maybe this is what it truly means to be home for the holidays. Home with your family and home in the place you feel safe.

In a comical and hilariously unaware speech to his family, Alonzo makes it clear they won’t be moving after all. St. Louis is far better than New York. “This is a great town,” he states. “The problem with you people is that you don’t appreciate it because it’s right under your noses.”

“You never feel like you’re making a classic,” Margaret O’Brien, who plays Tootie, said recently in an interview for TCM. “You’re making a movie and you hope it’s going to be good. But you don’t realize it’s going to go on for generations.” For me, Meet Me in St. Louis is a deeply rich film about love, both romantic and familial, and the ties that bind us. It’s an exploration of what it means to be home. And despite it not being the most commonly sung version, Judy’s “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” will always be, for me, the definitive version. And during the holidays, when I’m stuck working eight-hour shifts, folding the same shirt over and over again, I’ll never stop hoping that when the song comes on, it’s Judy’s voice I hear.

By Margaret Roarty


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Judy (2019) Review https://www.thefilmagazine.com/judy-reneezellweger-judygarland-movie-review/ https://www.thefilmagazine.com/judy-reneezellweger-judygarland-movie-review/#respond Sun, 26 Apr 2020 15:28:14 +0000 https://www.thefilmagazine.com/?p=18298 "A biopic of the year", Rupert Goold's Judy Garland movie 'Judy', starring Renée Zellweger as icon of the stage and screen Judy Garland, is "simply spectacular". Francesca Militello reviews.

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Judy (2019)
Director: Rupert Goold
Screenwriter: Tom Edge
Starring: Renée Zellweger, Finn Wittrock, Jessie Buckley, Rufus Sewell, Michael Gambon

Critically acclaimed stage director Rupert Goold has moved from the stage to the big screen with Judy Garland biopic Judy, an examination of an all-time great stage and film presence that explores the deep rooted hurt that impacted the iconic figure so greatly before her premature death. Featuring an otherworldly, Oscar-winning performance from Renée Zellweger, Judy is one of the biopics of the year.

The film starts with a flashback that shows us Garland’s first steps into her acting and singing career as Dorothy Gale, the character from The Wizard of Oz that would come to make her popular but also be a cause of her mental instability. Judy wastes no time in establishing mistreatment in Garland’s youth as the reason for her issues in later life, her addiction to performing being presented with the implication that she was a star so in love with her craft and desperate to entertain that she sacrificed everything for it, even her life. Through the use of flashbacks, Judy paints a picture not only of the famous woman’s plight and struggles, but her almost incomparable talents too – Goold never loses touch of how and why the woman was and remains such an icon.

Featuring a number of close-ups that truly emphasise the quality of Zellweger’s performance, and a score that provides a rich underbelly for it, Judy not only captures the sadness and greatness of Judy Garland herself, but through focusing so tightly upon her also captures the incredible work of the make-up and costume design, each of which works to perfectly encapsulate the magic and optimism of the swinging sixties.

Despite obvious quality in these areas, Judy still very much remains a Renée Zellweger movie, much of the film’s impact coming from her performance. Not only is she a fantastic Garland, encapsulating the grace of the performer as well as her spontaneity and at-times child-like approach to things, but she provides a marvelous insight into the star from an empathetic point of view, achieving one of those great performances that not only honours the real-life person the actor is portraying but also reaches beyond that into something greater. She even performs the songs herself, and with an accuracy that seemed impossible to achieve, shaking the shackles of her more comedic work from her iconic role in Bridget Jones to provide a full embodiment of Judy Garland like nothing we’ve seen since the icon’s death – her acting alone is a good enough reason to watch this picture.

Rupert Goold’s contributions must not be dismissed as being invaluable however, the director leaving the “stage production” feel of his televised output – notably his “Richard II” episode of “The Hollow Crown” – to embrace wholly more cinematic storytelling techniques that Garland’s legacy felt worthy of, the most noteworthy moment coming in the final act when the director cuts between Judy and the audience in an emotive moment of connection that links the great star to each of us very effectively. Zellweger may have recreated Garland like never before, but Goold gave her the platform to appear so spectacular yet fragile.

It could be argued that this is one of the best biopics of the year, and it’s safe to say that Renée Zellweger certainly deserved her Academy Award for Best Actress at the 2020 Oscars. Never has Garland seemed so vulnerable, and so rarely has a biopic performance been so worthy of plaudits – Judy is simply spectacular.

22/24



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The Wizard of Oz – 80 Years of Social Relevance https://www.thefilmagazine.com/the-wizard-of-oz-80-years-of-social-relevance/ https://www.thefilmagazine.com/the-wizard-of-oz-80-years-of-social-relevance/#respond Thu, 12 Sep 2019 14:14:05 +0000 https://www.thefilmagazine.com/?p=15325 The impact of 'The Wizard of Oz', its context to politics at the time and the profound effect it had during the 2nd world war examined in the year of its 80th anniversary by Beth Sawdon.

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Wizard of Oz Retrospective

If you’re an avid follower of The Film Magazine, you will probably be aware that most of the team are nostalgic types. By that, I mean we’re each desperately clinging on to the shreds of our childhoods that we can still remember. Our very own Katie Doyle recently explored ‘The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance’; the new evocative series from Netflix and The Jim Henson Company. In her article, she wrote of how The Dark Crystal and other incredible nostalgia movies “encapsulate the iconic fantasy of the eighties”. In this piece, I’m going to take this nostalgia even further. Let me take you back eighty years to 1939. Social tensions were high, the internet was non-existent, and The Wizard of Oz had just been released. That’s right; 2019 marks the 80th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz. Oh my!

Victor Fleming’s ‘technicolour triumph’ soared in popularity through one of the most turbulent times in modern history. At the very beginning of the Second World War, The Wizard of Oz was one of the first Hollywood movies to be filmed in three-strip technicolour; a complex, timely and expensive process. However, the end product triggered a revolution for its studio MGM and the film industry at large. This new technology allowed movies to contain sound and colour, which of course we now realise the dynamic influence of. Looking at the film eighty years on, it is clear to see that colour was used as a medium of message, and that The Wizard of Oz is a prime example of the first hints of coloured symbolism (as we know it today) in cinema.

Colour in Wizard of Oz 1939

After surviving her twister ordeal, Dorothy opens her door to Munchkin Land, an incredibly vibrant world of colour and imagination. Her grey and sepia-toned life becomes rich and bright, her dress turns blue; her skin is white. Colour contrasts and differences are quickly established, with the “baddies” presented as green-skinned and dressed in black. These dissimilarities reflect the racial stereotypes and disputes that occurred in America in the early 1900s after the Civil War. Furthermore, the start of German conflicts in 1939 sustained this difference and extended it to more than just the colour of someone’s skin. In thought, could the whole Munchkin Land scene have in fact been a total mockery? Was it added purely to jest at height, facial features and tone of voice?

The seemingly magnificent Emerald City is another object of grandeur elicited by L. Frank Baum in his original novel, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”, which suggests tensions and difference in social class at the time. Baum believes the citizens of the Emerald City to be “selfish, stingy and false”, associating them with the colour “wealthy green”.  When Dorothy and her friends arrive at the Emerald City, a distinct difference is presented in character behaviour as well as colour. Our four protagonists are stared and pointed at by extravagant individuals all wearing green. We’ve already understood that green is a no-go in this movie, but surely these people can’t be baddies too? They’re all singing a lovely, happy song – so they must be friendly! Well, yes, nothing bad happens… but it is made clear that Dorothy and her friends do not belong. They are groomed and cleaned up to look ‘perfect’ in the eyes of the Emerald City. Buffed, polished and decorated in green ribbons, our characters look ready to sit under the Christmas tree. Underneath all this frivolity is a hidden segregation of rich and poor, and the desire to be of a higher social class. Even the lyrics to Harold Arlen’s “Merry Old Land of Oz” hint at a subtle affluent undertone with, “that’s how we keep you young and fair” and “that certain air of savoir faire”. The colour orientation within this scene and in Munchkin Land allows the audience to understand key relationships among the characters but, more importantly, it crucially influences the audience’s views of the world and society.

Wizard of Oz characters in Emerald City

One important message I’m sure we can all take from The Wizard of Oz is that “there’s no place like home”. While Dorothy’s journey was life-changing and wondrous, and she made new friends, her family came first above all, and home is the only place she wanted to be. It’s an admirable thing to want after a lousy day on the farm before the twister came along. But, reading into the movie’s iconic tagline, it’s not surprising that this gained so much recognition.

1939 was a desperate year. The conflicts between the Axis and Allies in the Second World War sent their citizens into turmoil. Tensions were high; fingers were being pointed left, right and centre. Society was falling apart. The war began in September 1939, one week after the US release of The Wizard of Oz on August 25th. When it was thought that all hope was lost, this magical story soared in and helped to spread a tiny bit of peace, bringing four vital qualities required to get through the war; courage, logic, love and hope. Dorothy’s adventures through Oz were not coincidental – she was the symbol of America. A young farm girl who is desperate to seek new worlds ‘over the rainbow’, finds herself lost and alone in a distant land, but becomes the epitome of true American patriotism. Journeying through the unknown, she becomes the saviour of her three new acquaintances, each of whom are searching for their missing piece; pieces which to her they already have. Upon meeting the real Wizard of Oz, the group find that they already possessed the qualities they believed they lacked. Scarecrow has just as much of a brain as a University scholar, Lion is deemed to be heroically wise and is awarded a medal, Dorothy discovers that her ruby slippers can transport her home, and Tin Man’s heart is proven to exist with The Wizard’s beautiful quote; “a heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others”. In a time of doom and gloom, Victor Fleming’s masterpiece was like a war cry; a heartfelt message to those suffering during wartime, and an encouraging push to keep calm and carry on.

In amongst all the chaos between 1939 to 1945, Dorothy and her companions became a small beacon of light in a world of darkness. “Gaiety! Glory! Glamour!” was a slogan that advertised this unforgettable spectacle – three words that took the world away from the hatred and disorder of war, at least for a few moments. Despite its underlying philosophies and meanings, the incredible story from L. Frank Baum was brought to life at a time when society needed it most; when we needed the courage of a cowardly lion, the brains of a stuffed scarecrow, the heart of a rusty tin man, and the hope of a young girl.

[DISPLAY_ULTIMATE_SOCIAL_ICONS]



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20 Vintage Movies to Warm Your Heart in the Winter Months https://www.thefilmagazine.com/20-vintage-movies-to-warm-your-heart-in-the-winter-months/ https://www.thefilmagazine.com/20-vintage-movies-to-warm-your-heart-in-the-winter-months/#respond Thu, 29 Nov 2018 16:56:52 +0000 https://www.thefilmagazine.com/?p=11443 Grab yourself a hot chocolate, lean back into your most comfortable chair, put your feet up and indulge in these 20 vintage movie to warm you up this winter. As presented by Beth Sawdon.

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Nights are getting colder, Michael Bublé is on the radio and the aromas from local Christmas markets are in the air. This can only mean one thing: December is upon us.

The colder and darker evenings are perfect for getting cosy on the sofa in front of a film with a cup of hot cocoa or mulled wine. For those of you who are stuck for something new to watch, we have compiled a list of some of the best vintage and classic films that are sure to warm you up in the Winter months.


All That Heaven Allows (1955)

sirk all that heaven allows

This 1955 drama starring Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman will have you dreaming of being in a quaint little log cabin in the woods with that special someone. The thought of a warm fireplace on a snowy night, love overcoming all obstacles, and the beautiful final image of a deer walking through the snow. Could you ask for anything more?


The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Judy Garland Wizard of Oz

This classic musical starring Judy Garland has taught generations that ‘there’s no place like home’. A wonderful family film that brings everybody together, The Wizard of Oz is timeless.


Modern Times (1936)

Modern Times Silent Classic

Directed, written by and starring the iconic Charlie Chaplin, Modern Times is relevant to its pre-WWII era but remains identifiable to this day. The highly-rated silent movie presents a strong lead character getting through rough times in life and pulling through all of his struggles with love. The setting of the industrial revolution gives a ‘stick it to the man’ attitude that radiates a feel-good tone.




City Lights (1931)

Charles Chaplin City Lights

Charlie Chaplin movies will never feel outdated, yet while City Lights can be watched any time of year, the warmth that Chaplin’s character presents and the love in his heart is sure to make you feel fuzzy like we all wish to feel in the coldest of months. This silent slapstick movie will also have you belly-laughing throughout.


Bringing Up Baby (1938)

Modern Classic Bringing up Baby

A rib-tickling comedy starring Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, a dinosaur and a leopard. I know what you’re thinking, but trust me, it works. Ridiculous and hilarious, if the laughs don’t warm you up, the endearing lead characters will.

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30 Greatest Musical Numbers From Movie Musicals https://www.thefilmagazine.com/30-greatest-musical-numbers-from-movie-musicals/ https://www.thefilmagazine.com/30-greatest-musical-numbers-from-movie-musicals/#comments Fri, 03 Jun 2016 14:18:40 +0000 http://www.thefilmagazine.com/?p=4621 The final list of the 30 Greatest Musical Numbers from Movie Musicals.

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In May we counted down the 30 Greatest Musical Numbers from Movie Musicals over on our Tumblr page. We posted 1 entry a day for 30 days and here is the final list. Make sure to check out our accompanying video available on our Youtube channel.

As with any of our countdowns, we set some criteria when making our decisions and for this list there were a lot of rules. We therefore felt we needed to share them with you:

1. It is as it says in the title the musical numbers had to come from Films classed as Musicals.

2. The list was judged on the song itself and its overall performance, so if you don’t see some of your favourite dance numbers here don’t worry that is for a different list.

3. There are no entries from Disney on this list whether live action or animated that is also for another list.

4. We stuck to once entry per film in order to keep it a fair fight.

That’s it, all you need to know. We hope you enjoy our count down. Let us know what you think.

30

Number 30: Getting To Know You – The King and I (1956)

Director: Walter Lang

29

Number 29: And I Am Telling You, I’m Not Going – Dreamgirls (2006)

Director: Bill Condon 

28

Number 28: Anything Goes – Anything Goes (1956)

Director: Robert Lewis 

27

Number 27: Dentist! – Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

Director: Frank Oz

26

Number 26: The Man That Got Away – A Star Is Born (1954)

Director: George Cukor

 25

Number 25: Keep It Gay – The Producers (2005)

Director: Susan Stroman

24

Number 24: Wouldn’t It Be Loverly? – My Fair lady (1964)

Director: George Cukor 

23

Number 23: Elephant Love Medley – Moulin Rouge (2001)

Director: Baz Luhrmann 

22

Number 22: Oh What A Beautiful Mornin’ – Oklahoma (1955)

Director: Fred Zinnemann

21

Number 21: Please Mr Jailer – Cry Baby (1990)

Director: John Waters 

20

Number 20: The Phantom of the Opera – The Phantom of the Opera (2004)

Director: Joel Schumacher 

19

Number 19: Falling Slowly – Once (2007)

Director: John Carney 

18

Number 18: A Little Priest – Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)

Director: Tim Burton

17

Number 17: Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas – Meet Me In St. Louis (1944)

Director: Vincente Minnelli

16

Number 16: One Day More – Les Miserables (2012)

Director: Tom Hooper

15

Number 15: You Can’t Stop The Beat – Hairspray (2007)

Director: Adam Shankman

14

Number 14: I’d Do Anything – Oliver! (1968)

Director: Carol Reed 

13

Number 13: Mein Herr – Cabaret (1972)

Director: Bob Fosse

12

Number 12: Don’t Rain On My Parade – Funny Girl (1968)

Director: William Wyler 

11

Number 11: Jailhouse Rock – Jailhouse Rock (1957)

Director: Richard Thorpe 

10

Number 10: All That Jazz – Chicago (2002)

Director: Rob Marshall

9

Number 9: America – West Side Story (1961)

Directors: Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise 

8

Number 8: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)

Director: Ken Hughes 

7

Number 7: Pure Imagination – Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (1971)

Director: Mel Stuart 

6

Number 6: Don’t Cry For Me Argentina – Evita (1996)

Director: Alan Parker 

5

Number 5: Summer Nights – Grease (1978)

Director: Randal Kleiser

4

Number 4: Sweet Transvestite – The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Director: Jim Sharman 

3

Number 3: Do-Re-Mi – The Sound of Music (1965)

Director: Robert Wise 

2

Number 2: Somewhere Over The Rainbow – The Wizard Of Oz (1939)

Director: Victor Fleming 

1

Number 1: Singin’ In The Rain – Singin’ In The Rain (1952)

Directors: Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen

 

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10 of the Best…Remakes https://www.thefilmagazine.com/10-of-the-best-remakes/ https://www.thefilmagazine.com/10-of-the-best-remakes/#respond Sat, 16 May 2015 14:50:15 +0000 http://www.thefilmagazine.com/?p=1522 With the release of the Mad Max: Fury Road this week, Becca Seghini is taking a look at 10 of the Best Remakes. Do you agree?

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girl with the dragon tattoo

Number 10: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011)

(Original – Män som hatar kvinnor/The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo – 2009)

Although many thought that this was a remake that was unnecessary after only a short time since the original was released, there is no denying the talent of David Fincher as a director. The original is great, and what David Fincher set out to do was bring it to an American audience with a movie that does not fall short. Like many Fincher films, The Girl With a Dragon Tattoo is very character and dialogue driven, and it is definitely not a film for everyone, but if you are a fan of the books, a fan of the original or simply just a fan of David Fincher it is definitely worth a watch. Many criticised this remake saying it was too Americanised, but the way I see it is if you remove it from its original and judge it as a stand alone film, then it is a great piece of film making from Fincher and deserves a spot on this list.

little shop

Number 9: Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

(Original – The Little Shop of Horrors – 1960)

The original Little Shop of Horrors was a little B Movie from 1960 and is now considered a cult classic. The story of the 1986 version is the same – a man eating plant from outer space – only this the 80s version had an incredible cast and was a musical. Again, the 1986 version has become somewhat a cult classic, but there is no doubt that it is an incredible film. The music is fun and and well written and the acting is brilliant, especially the little cameos from Steve Martin and Bill Murray. It is a film that will stay with you for a long time and one that you will keep going back to with a fondness. It has a heartfelt story with an insane sci-fi twist, and is simply good fun. Is it better than the original? Who’s to say really, as although they’re practically the same, the two are so different and fantastic in their own right.

a star is born

Number 8: A Star is Born (1954)

(Original – A Star is Born – 1937)

The 1954 version of A Star is Born is not the only remake of the 1937 film but it is the one I want to talk about. As good as the original is, what makes this version s special is Judy Garland as she completely steals the show with her voice and her acting ability. In the film she is mentored by an alcohol dependent actor and at the time it was Garland herself that had the drug and alcohol problem making this performance all the more poignant and impressive – the story on the screen and the real life story are completely intertwined and that only enhances the experience of watching this film. Although a musical, it is full of heartache and tragedy and it is an example of film mimicking reality in such a way that you feel everything from Judy Garland as she sings ‘The Man Who Got Away’; and it’s that which makes this version top the others.

the fly

Number 7: The Fly (1986)

(Original – The Fly – 1958)

The Fly is David Cronenberg body horror at its best. Horror is a genre that more often than not does not work as a remake but The Fly is an example of one that may be better than the original, although the 1958 version starring Vincent Price is definitely worth a watch. Advanced make up and special effects however help the remakes’ cause, and it because of this that it redefines the word ‘creepy’. It is an oddly perfect combination of romance and sci-fi horror, focusing on the relationship between Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis, something that is different from the original. Jeff Golblum gives and incredible performance, and he is able to act through the heavy make up and still convey great emotion. The Fly is more than just a gross out horror, it has a human relationship at its core and strong character development which is something that is extremely rare in this type of movie; it stands up as one of the greats in the sci-fi horror sub-genre.

oceans 11

Number 6: Ocean’s 11 (2001)

(Original – Ocean’s 11 – 1960)

This is a film that is hard to compare as both are probably equally as good. Let’s start with the original, an all star cast with the Rat Pack which focuses more on the characters; it is more about their lives and why they need the money after the war than how they get it. The 2001 version is a more slick and fun heist film, but that does not make it any less good. Let’s face it… with a cast of George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Julia Roberts, Casey Affleck and Don Cheadle (just to name a few), where could this film go wrong? The answer is, it couldn’t. Oceans 11  did exactly what it set out to do, to be a compelling and enjoyable film. Not to mention that it spawned two more films from its success. This is a brilliant remake and one of my personal favourites on this list.

funny games

Number 5: Funny Games (2007)

(Original – Funny Games – 1997)

Just like how George Miller has decided to remake his own film Mad Max, Michael Haneke did just that for Funny Games. He brought his dark and disturbing horror to a more American audience, and to date it’s his only English language film. The 2007 version of Funny Games is almost a shot for shot remake of the 1997 original, and it certainly lives up to the original in many ways thanks to the cast of Naomi Watts, Tim Roth, Michael Pitt and Brady Corbet, who each give outstanding performances. The 1997 Funny Games was shocking and disturbing, and some may ask how it’s possible to reacreate that shock a second time, but what Haneke did perfectly was transfer everything into a familiar environment for an American audience making everything that little bit closer to home – it is so easy to distance yourself from something ‘foreign’ but put that in a setting you recognise and it’s a whole different story. Funny Games does not stick to the normal conventions of horror, and in true Michael Haneke fashion the audio and visual storytelling is like no other (anyone who’s seen any of his other work will know exactly what I mean). He refuses to cater to expectations and the 2007 remake of Funny Games is no exception.

true grit

Number 4: True Grit (2010)

(Original – True Grit – 1969)

It is hard to think that an attempt to remake the John Wayne classic True Grit would work but if anyone was going to be successful in this challenge it was going to be the Coen Brothers, who can be considered some of the best film-makers of our time. It has all the elements of an old classic Hollywood western but for a modern era, it is beautifully shot and everything from the sets to the costumes looks authentic. You can really tell with this remake that the Coen Brothers are trying to do justice to its original. What really stands out, however, is the performances from the cast which are just incredible, and even earned Jeff Bridges and the young Hailee Steinfeld Oscar nominations. Not only did it do justice to the original 1969 film, it also acted as a revival for the Western genre that had been ignored by Hollywood for so long, earning its place at number four on this list.

ben hur

Number 3: Ben-Hur (1959)

(Original – Ben-Hur – 1925)

The 1925 Ben Hur was a silent movie and it was in fact the most expensive silent movie ever made, particularly because of its chariot race scene; sound familiar? In the 1959 remake this famous scene is an almost shot for shot replica. So what is good about the remake then? Well its 11 Academy Awards may be able to tell you. Ben Hur defines what an epic should be; it was a cinematic triumph of creativity and visual effects. Ben Hur was executing things that had never been done before in the history of film, and as a result cost a then record breaking $15 million ($127 million in today’s money) to make. What makes this film so incredible is that it was able to accomplish such complex and visually stunning action sequences without the use of any special effects, and when you watch the film it is not uncommon to think… ‘how was that even possible?’ They just don’t make films this way any more.

scarface

Number 2: Scarface (1983)

(Original – Scarface – 1932)

The Scarface remake and original were both films of their time. They had the same themes but were executed in very different ways. The remake could not be more of an 80’s gangster film if it tried, and the original has that classic slick talking Al Capone style that was the epitome of the 1930’s and 40’s. But, if you had to ask what was the one thing the remake has over the original, it would have to be Al Pacino giving the performance of a lifetime. There will be very few people who don’t know the line ‘Say hello to my little friend’, for example. The 1983 Scarface is by far more bloody and brutal, but like I mentioned before it is a product of its time; cinema had become far more daring since the original and therefore the remake was able to do something that the 1932 version never could. The Scarface remake has now become a modern classic and therefore sits proudly in the number two spot on this list.

the departed

Number 1: The Departed (2006)

(Original – Mou gaan dou/Infernal Affairs – 2002)

The Departed is the film that bagged Martin Scorsese his first ‘best director’ Oscar and is probably one of the greatest films of recent times. It was based on a film made in Hong Kong called Infernal Affairs, and the premise of the story is pretty much the same, with Scorsese making only a few tweaks to make it relevant to western audiences. This is the only film on this list that did not take its name from the original. The Departed combined a cast of young talent and long-established names to create characters that are simply brilliant. Every single person on screen, no matter how small their part, made a lasting impression; something that marks the sign of truly great writing, casting, and acting. The Departed is an outstanding film, I can not say that it is better than the original as both serve a very different purpose, but on its own it is simply spectacular. Scorsese took an already great story and developed it into a masterpiece… the best remake of all time.

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