Posts Tagged ‘backstage’

Mighty Wind, A (2003)

Friday, June 5th, 2009
Genres: Comedy | Music
Countries: USA
Actors: Jim Moret | Stuart Luce | Mary Gross | Marty Belafsky | Michael Baser | Jared Nelson Smith | Ryan Raddatz | Todd Lieberman | Matthew Joy | Laura Harris | Brian Riley | Harry Shearer | Michael McKean | Eugene Levy
Directors: Christopher Guest
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When folk icon Irving Steinbloom passed away, he left behind a legacy of music and a family of performers he has shepherded to folk stardom. To celebrate a life spent submerged in folk, Irving’s loving son Jonathan has decided to put together a memorial concert featuring some of Steinbloom’s best-loved musicians. There’s Mitch and Mickey, who were the epitome of young love until their partnership was torn apart by heartbreak; classic troubadours The Folksmen, whose records were endlessly entertaining for anyone able to punch a hole in the center to play them; and The New Main Street Singers, the most meticulously color-coordinated neuftet ever to hit an amusement park. Now for one night only in New York City’s Town Hall, these three groups will reunite and gather together to celebrate the music that almost made them famous.

Chicago (2002)

Friday, June 5th, 2009
Genres: Comedy | Crime | Drama | Musical
Countries: Germany | USA
Actors: Taye Diggs | Cliff Saunders | Catherine Zeta-Jones | Renée Zellweger | Dominic West | Richard Gere | Jayne Eastwood | Bruce Beaton | Christine Baranski | Roman Podhora | John C. Reilly | Colm Feore | Rob Smith | Shawn Wayne Doyle | Steve Behal | Robbie Rox | Chita Rivera
Directors: Rob Marshall
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Fame hungry Roxie Hart dreams of a life on the Vaudville stage, and spends her nights jazzing it up in the bright lights of Chicago, continually hoping that she’ll find her lucky break, and be shot into 1920’s stardom, so able to flee her boring husband Amos. In awe of seductive club singer Velma Kelly (who is subsequantly arrested for the murder of her husband and sister - after discovering their affair), Roxie meets Fred Cassely a man who convinces her he can ‘make her showbiz career take off’. However after Roxie has undergone the ‘casting couch’ treatment, and Fred has had his wicked way with her, he reveals that he has no more connections in showbusiness than she does. This is the final straw for Roxie, and her constant anger at rejection explodes. She shoots Fred Cassely and kills him. Upon discovering her infidelity, Roxie’s husband Amos refuses to take the blame for the murder and Roxie is sent to jail, pending hanging. In jail she finally meets tabloid darling Velma Kelly, currently receiving huge media attention for the double murder she committed earlier in the tale. Sharing the clink with Velma, are a collection of other sly females, all awaiting trial for the murders of their own partners. Velma is aloof to Roxie, however the prison Warden Mrs Morton offers Roxie the opportunity of representation by slick Chicago lawyer Billy Flynn. Billy is more a showbiz P. R agent than a legal lawyer and minipulates the tabloids into thinking Roxie is no more than an innocent ‘good time girl’ who took the wrong path, than a scheming murderess. The tabloids go crazy for the new girl on the cell block, and Roxie finally becomes a star. However due to Roxie’s new found fame, Velma is forgotten about. She is forced to approach Roxie with an offer of a part in her Vaudville act (filling the gap left by her murdered sister), but Roxie turns down her offer flat, thinking she needs no support in topping the bill. However, just as Velma’s star fell, so does Roxie’s, when Go-to-hell Kitty arrives at the jail on a multiple murder charge, the press forget Roxie and now she and Velma are in the same boat. With one more trick up her sleave Roxie manages to bring the media attention back onto her, and her day in court arrives. Billy is now ready to play the ultimate showman!

Team America: World Police (2004)

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009
Genres: Action | Adventure | Animation | Comedy
Countries: Germany | USA
Actors: Matt Stone
Directors: Trey Parker
Download: DivX iPod 

Team America follows an international police force dedicated to maintaining global stability. Learning that power hungry dictator Kim Jong Il (Parker) is out to destroy the world, the team recuits Broadway star Gary Johnston (Parker) to go undercover. With the help of Team America (Stone, Miller, Masasa, Parker, and Norris), Gary manages to slip into an arms dealer’s hideout to uncover the plan to destroy the world. Will Team America be able to save the world?

Chariots of Fire (1981)

Thursday, May 14th, 2009
Genres: Drama | History | Sport
Countries: UK
Actors: Nicholas Farrell | Nigel Havers | Ian Charleson | Ben Cross | Daniel Gerroll | Ian Holm | John Gielgud | Lindsay Anderson | Nigel Davenport | Cheryl Campbell | Alice Krige | Dennis Christopher | Brad Davis | Patrick Magee | Peter Egan
Directors: Hugh Hudson
Download: DivX iPod 

The story, told in flashback, of two young British sprinters competing for fame in the 1924 Olympics. Eric, a devout Scottish missionary runs because he knows it must please God. Harold, the son of a newly rich Jew runs to prove his place in Cambridge society. In a warmup 100 meter race, Eric defeats Harold, who hires a pro trainer to prepare him. Eric, whose qualifying heat is scheduled for a Sunday, refuses to run despite pressure from the Olympic committee. A compromise is reached when a nobleman allows Eric to compete in his 400 meter slot. Eric and Harold win their respective races and go on to achieve fame as missionary and businessman/athletic advocate, respectively.

Center Stage (2000)

Thursday, May 14th, 2009
Genres: Drama | Music
Countries: USA
Actors: Amanda Schull | Zoe Saldana | Susan May Pratt | Peter Gallagher | Donna Murphy | Debra Monk | Ethan Stiefel | Sascha Radetsky | Julie Kent | Ilia Kulik | Eion Bailey | Shakiem Evans | Elizabeth Hubbard | Victor Anthony | Christine Dunham
Directors: Nicholas Hytner
Download: DivX iPod 

After auditions, 12 young dancers make it to the American Ballet Academy. They’ll prepare for the student showcase to determine who will be asked to join the American Ballet Company. Tensions mount between Jonathan, the company’s aging choreographer, and Cooper, his best dancer, who also wants to choreograph. The brilliant Maureen seems poised for success, but she discovers that life is passing her by. Jody, whose body may be the wrong type and whose technique is ragged, elicits Cooper’s interest. The edgy, smart-mouthed Eva loves to dance but seems destined to be stuck in the back of the chorus. The showcase will decide their fates.

The Sting (1973)

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009
Genres: Comedy | Crime
Countries: USA
Actors: Paul Newman | Robert Redford | Robert Shaw | Charles Durning | Ray Walston | Eileen Brennan | Harold Gould | John Heffernan | Dana Elcar | Jack Kehoe | Dimitra Arliss | Robert Earl Jones | James Sloyan | Charles Dierkop | Lee Paul
Directors: George Roy Hill
Download:  DivX iPod 

Johnny Hooker is a young con-man who is being taught by Luther. One day they pull one of their con jobs and net themselves a huge roll. What they don’t know is that the man they conned is the courier for a numbers runner. And it turns out that the boss, Doyle Lonigan, considers it an attack on him and orders all the people involved terminated. Hooker is shaken down by a crooked cop, Snyder, who threatens to turn him over to Lonigan unless he pays him off. Hooker pays him, he then tries to warn Luther but is too late. He then goes to see Henry Gondorf, a friend of Luther’s and a one time great con-man, who has had a bit of bad luck. After hearing what happened to Luther and seeing how hungry Hooker is for payback, he assembles a gang and decides to con Lonigan. While everything seems to be going ok, there is just the problem of the hit on Hooker and Snyder, whom Hooker paid off with counterfeit money.

Designing Woman (1957)

Friday, January 16th, 2009
Genres: Comedy | Romance
Countries: USA
Actors: Gregory Peck | Lauren Bacall | Dolores Gray | Sam Levene | Tom Helmore | Mickey Shaughnessy | Jesse White | Chuck Connors | Edward Platt | Alvy Moore | Carol Veazie | Jack Cole | Jan Arvan | Rodney Bell | Otis Bigelow
Directors: Vincente Minnelli
Download: DivX iPod 

On a vacation, sports journalist Mike meets designer Marilla. They fall in love and marry right away. However back at home they realize that they’re living in different worlds and know nothing about each other and exes and angry mobsters get in the way of their happily ever after though.

Flower Drum Song (1961)

Monday, January 5th, 2009
Genres: Comedy | Musical | Romance
Countries: USA
Actors: Nancy Kwan | James Shigeta | Benson Fong | Jack Soo | Juanita Hall | Reiko Sato | Patrick Adiarte | Kam Tong | Victor Sen Yung | Soo Yong | Ching Wah Lee | James Hong | Miyoshi Umeki | George Chakiris | Eugene Chan
Directors: Henry Koster
Download: DivX iPod 

A Chinese woman and her father illegally enter San Francisco to marry her fiance. While in San Francisco, she meets another man and falls deeply in love with him and the American way of life; to her father’s disapproval.

42nd Street (1933)

Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008
Genres: Drama | Musical | Romance
Countries: USA
Actors: Warner Baxter | Bebe Daniels | George Brent | Ruby Keeler | Guy Kibbee | Una Merkel | Ginger Rogers | Ned Sparks | Dick Powell | Allen Jenkins | Edward J. Nugent | Robert McWade | George E. Stone | Harry Akst | Wallis Clark
Directors: Lloyd Bacon
Download: DivX iPod 

The source from which all modern musicals flow: An ailing Broadway director returns to produce one final show, but his leading lady is injured and must be replaced by a novice. Call it dated, but it’s aged to perfection, and the final twenty minute sequence will leave you tapping your toes, with a smile on your face and a song in your heart. Movies—never mind musicals—just don’t get any better than this.

Fame (1980)

Friday, December 19th, 2008
Genres: Drama | Music
Countries: USA
Actors: Eddie Barth | Irene Cara | Lee Curreri | Laura Dean | Antonia Franceschi | Boyd Gaines | Albert Hague | Tresa Hughes | Steve Inwood | Paul McCrane | Anne Meara | Joanna Merlin | Barry Miller | Jim Moody | Gene Anthony Ray
Directors: Alan Parker
Download: DivX iPod 

At the New York City High School for the Performing Arts, students get specialized training that often leads to success as actors, singers, etc. This movie follows four students from the time when they audition to get into the school, through graduation. They are the brazen Coco Hernandez, shy Doris Finsecker, sensitive gay Montgomery MacNeil, and brash, abrasive Raul Garcia.