Comments on: Singin’ in the Rain (no 4)

By: Ron Tennant

Ron Tennant — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 15:01:49 +0000

How dare you say P.J. Proby is long forgotten!! He’s just started a big 2010 Spring tour of the U.K. & in the Autumn will be part of a 60′s tour visiting 40 U.K. towns & cities. You’re right on one thing….his interpretation of “Maria” (& countless other songs ) is second to none!

By: Sam Juliano

Sam Juliano — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:55:10 +0000

I have no further comment on this subject.

By: Allan Fish

Allan Fish — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 14:50:09 +0000

well, you said “well, that’s a amasterpiece”, or “that’s an absolute masterpiece”, or “that’s a shattering masterpiece”, so sorry, old man, I thought that meant you thought it was a masterpiece. My mistake, I thought we were using English here, not doublespeak.

By: Sam Juliano

Sam Juliano — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 14:09:21 +0000

I NEVER used the word ‘masterpiece’ in describing those 57. That is your own embellishment.

Actuallt 1/2 is a stretch, by my rating system, as a five star designation could well eclipse 4 1/2 by quite a distance. There is no limit on 5.

By: Allan Fish

Allan Fish — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:41:22 +0000

You said “are not masterpieces by a stretch”

Didn’t realise ½ a star was a stretch.

As for masterpieces, it was the other night, when I counted 57 certainties for your 25…IN YOUR OWN WORDS…

By: Sam Juliano

Sam Juliano — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:23:51 +0000

I NEVER made a statement that implied that EVERY film in contention for my decade listing was a “masterpiece.” That is YOUR designation. OLIVER get 4.5 of 5. That is NOT a MASTERPIECE, but rather a near-masterpiece.

AN AMERICAN IN PARIS comes close.

Congratulations on your comedic flourishes with Kermit and company.

By: Allan Fish

Allan Fish — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 12:32:41 +0000

Hang on, you said Oliver is in contention for your best of the 60s lists, despite mentioning at least 60 films from the 1960s only a few days ago that you DID consider masterpieces. What gives?

Here’s your quote…

“I couldn’t quite sneak AN AMERICAN IN PARIS into my comepetitive Top 25 of the 50’s, but OLIVER at least contends for the upcoming 60’s poll.”

And you say above An American in Paris is not a masterpiece by a long shot, yet here you say you couldn’t quite sneak it in. That’s pure contradiction, old boy.

Unless of course by your definition of “in contention” means “it was first seen between January 1st 1960 and December 31st 1969″. Another example of being seen to agree with everyone, whether you actually do or not. By those rules, Dr Sex, The Creeping Terror and The Curious Dr Humpp are in contention. Let’s have a few votes for Russ Meyer’s masterpiece Mondo Topless while we’re at it.

If this was The Muppet Show, you’d be Kermit the Frog, and the rest of us in the main cast. Thank God I’m up there with Tony in the balcony playing Statler and Waldorf.

By: Sam Juliano

Sam Juliano — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 11:48:52 +0000

I DO NOT rate “most musicals” as masterpieces. OLIVER, AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, OKLAHOMA, SOUTH PACIFIC, THE KING AND I, MARY POPPINS, CAROUSEL, CAMELOT, SEVEN BRIDES, THE MUSIC MAN, GUYS AND DOLLS, and so many others are NOT masterpieces by a stretch. I like some of these, and am indifferent to others among them, but the MASTERPIECE label goes to some of the ones I mentioned the other day, including WEST SIDE STORY, MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS, CABARET and SINGIN IN THE RAIN.

R.D. SWEENEY TODD deserves your attention, especially since the reviews it received were overwhelmingly favorable. You may have come across a few that were in the extreme minority. It’s very well-done.

By: Allan Fish

Allan Fish — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 07:26:50 +0000

Sam rates most musicals as masterpieces, to be fair this one isn’t bad. Burton isn’t capable of producing a great film, but this one is probably alongside Edward Scissorhands, his best. ***½ for me.

Depp and Bonham Carter are good.

By: R. D. Finch

R. D. Finch — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 06:06:07 +0000

Sam, I didn’t see it. The cast and director sounded intriguing, but what I read about it was so tepid that I didn’t feel inspired to go out of my way to see it. If you’ve seen it, what did you think? Should I watch it if I get the opportunity?