If you enjoyed the first part of the best musical scenes in cinema, you'll love this sequel! A list with more cult classics and hidden gems to get you moving, for those tired of Disney movies and the more classic side of Hollywood musical cinema. From Phantom of the Paradise to The Cable Guy, with a few surprises in between.
It's the same with these lists. No matter how hard you try, you always have to leave something out. So, because the previous musical cinema list didn't leave me as happy as I would have liked, here's an "appendix" of the best scenes that were left out. Remember, as always, these are MY favorite scenes. They may differ from the choices you would have made. That's fine, you can leave your recommendation in the comments, and we'll all have fun. Like last time: the most classic musicals, Disney movies, and anything we've already seen a thousand times have been left out for being obvious. Now let's dance!
Phantom Of The Paradise (1974) - Goodbye Eddie (The Juicy Fruits)
With this song begins Phantom of the Paradise, the forgotten classic by Brian De Palma, released just a year after The Rocky Horror Show. The song Goodbye Eddie (performed by the fictional band The Juicy Fruits) tells the story of a musician willing to do anything to save his sister, who will die unless she undergoes a very expensive medical operation. How can Eddie raise all that money? Thanks to the public's morbid curiosity, and the boost his career got after his suicide. So, in the first few seconds, Brian De Palma makes it clear what his film will be about: love, ambition, and tragedy. Like the Phantom of the Opera, but much more punk.
Top Secret (1984) - Tutti Frutti
Top Secret! is possibly one of the funniest movies of all time. It's one of those gems from the past that everyone knows. Along with the Naked Gun series and the two Airplane! films, it's surely making some alien connected to our old TV signals die of laughter, a few light-years away. This scene is the most memorable of all, in which the musician-turned-spy played by Val Kilmer lets his ego confuse him and ends up rocking a gala dinner in the Soviet Union. Thanks to reader Maquinangel for reminding me of this classic!
Forbidden Zone (1980) - Witch's Egg
The music of Forbidden Zone was composed by the great Danny Elfman (The Simpsons, A Nightmare Before Christmas), and that should be enough for you to deign to watch the video. The film, a beautiful, super experimental thing ahead of its time, was directed by his own brother Richard. It was an attempt to immortalize the essence of the theatrical ska band Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, created by the brothers in 70s California (here you can see some of their performances). As expected, the film has several musical scenes. Of all of them, my favorite is Witch's Egg, although they're all great, including the madness that is Bim Bam Bom and the fun Alphabet Song.
The Big Lebowski (1998) - Gutterballs
https://www.youtube.com/embed/FscKSB7Hh_wMore than a movie, almost a Bible. So good that it spawned its own religion, "Dudeism", of which I am an ordained minister since July 2005 (I can officiate weddings at home!). The Big Lebowski isn't a musical, but it has a scene in which the Dude, after being knocked out, dreams his perfect fantasy: women and bowling. The Coen brothers really know how to shoot a musical scene! That was confirmed in "Hail, Caesar!", with scenes like The Mermaid Ballet and No Dames. So much talent!
Young Frankenstein (1974) - Puttin' on the Ritz
Mel Brooks couldn't be missing from this extra list! Starring the excellent Gene Wilder (Willie Wonka), the film tells the story of Dr. Frankenstein and his monster, but only as Mel Brooks could tell it. One of the best parodies in cinema, which includes this musical scene, in which the doctor shows how his creation can follow instructions and even dance tap. More classic, impossible.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1973) - Time Warp
It was unforgivable that I didn't include it in the previous list, so here it comes to get its revenge. There are many songs I could have chosen from this super classic (if not all), but I think we'll all agree that Time Warp is the essential one. Though it would be a shame not to at least link to Sweet Transvestite and Science Fiction, Double Feature. Let's do the Time Warp again! (Thanks to reader MilanesaDeCarne!)
Barbarella (1968) - Barbarella in Excessive Machine
Barbarella (Jane Fonda) versus the Excessive Machine, a device capable of killing anyone who gives in to its melodies with pleasure. But not Barbarella, of course. Nothing is more lustful than she, not even the invention of this horny genius. It's not a musical per se, but... hey! It has Jane Fonda all excited and sweaty! Love, pure love.
Sarah Silverman: Jesus Is Magic (2005) - You're Gonna Die Soon
When Sarah Silverman was funny and knew how to laugh at everything, she made movies like this. Jesus Is Magic is a blasphemous hybrid of stand-up and musical, mocking everything: people with disabilities, dwarves, the Holocaust, and the homeless, among other topics of political incorrectness. In this scene, Sarah visits a nursing home and sings to all the old folks that they're going to die soon. Come back, Sarah!
Dead & Breakfast (2004) - We're Comin' Kill Ya (Zachariah & the Lobos Riders)
A well-deserved recommendation from reader Larz Nostromo in the previous article. I hadn't seen the movie and I must admit it's pretty good, but the best scene is this one. The heroes are holed up in a house, surrounded by zombies. And out of nowhere, Zachariah & the Lobos Riders (also zombies) appear, playing one of their classics, so all the undead start dancing in the best Thriller style.
The Cable Guy (1996) - Somebody to Love
What an underrated movie! One of Jim Carrey's best, super dark and disturbing, where you don't know whether to laugh or fear. Carrey's character reaches moments of such ambiguity that it's hard to know what game he's playing. It's one of those thrillers in the style of "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle", but it seems to come from a parallel dimension. In this scene, the Cable Guy is at his prime, though things are about to get much darker... Thanks Tercero Milenio for the recommendation!
Team America: World Police (2004) - I'm So Ronery
And here we have Trey Parker voicing Kim Jong Il, the evil tyrant of North Korea, who feels lonely, very lonely, poor thing.
Bonus Track
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008) - My Eyes
It goes as a bonus track because it's not a movie, but a web series that was later compiled (you can watch it here complete and subtitled). Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog was written and directed by Joss Whedon during the 2007-2008 American writers' strike. Joss is the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly, for more references. So imagine the quality of this little musical production. One of my favorite Dr. Horrible songs is My Eyes, sung in parallel by Neil Patrick Harris and Felicia Day.
Remember you can keep listening to music in the first installment of "the best musical scenes in cinema". Thanks for reading!
