For the seventh week of 2018 as part of Wandering Through the Shelves' Thursday Movie Picks series hosted by Wanderer. We venture films that feature moments where characters break into songs in a scene that isn’t a musical. Moments that are often funny or just out of place but still fun. Here are my three picks:
1. Step Brothers
If anyone doesn’t think this is one of the best comedies of the 21st Century so far, then go fucking die. Adam McKay’s anarchist comedy includes a hilarious sing that introduces one of the biggest assholes in film who decides to show off his singing skills by singing an acapella version of Guns N’ Roses’ Sweet Child O’ Mine. It shows the air of smugness that is carried with an extra ounce by Adam Scott’s son who gets a solo as he sings it as if he’s Justin Timberlake or something. It’s that kind of smugness where I feel like it if a kid is starting to act like a little shit, then you have my permission to kick the shit out of the little motherfucker. It’s one of the funniest scenes ever that’s inspired a lot of Internet parodies.
2. Holy Motors
From one of the finest and more overlooked films in recent years comes Leos Carax’s tribute to cinema that revolves a man playing different personalities to fit in with a certain environment. There’s a couple of musical scenes in the film yet it is the scene with international pop icon Kylie Minogue singing the original song Who Were We that is a big standout. It’s an intensely emotional moment in the film that showcases Minogue’s talent as a vocalist as well as what her character is doing for this particular scene with Denis Lavant’s character watching.
3. Rush Hour 3
The third and possibly final film of the series from Brett Ratner is definitely the weakest of the three films so far. It tries to be a lot of things despite its cast but it ends up trying too hard. Yet, there is a great musical sequence in which Chris Tucker tries to save a performer from a Chinese triad gang and then sings The Closer I Get to You as he’s later joined by Jackie Chan who can fucking sing. It’s a brief moment in the film but it’s such a joy to watch just because of Chan and Tucker singing together.
© thevoid99 2018
10 comments:
I haven't seen any of these but Holy Motors is on my watchlist.
Yay you chose Step Brothers too! I love that movie so much.
You've just made me pull out my earphones at work, because your descriptions are just too good - I simply must accompany them with the songs. So good.
p.s. Is that really Jackie Chan singing?
Oh geez I haven't seen any of these but I've been meaning to see Step Brothers and I saw it mentioned elsewhere. I'll have to seek it out.
Until I started looking through these I hadn't realized how many movies there are with people breaking into song. It took me a while to think of three.
Adventures in Babysitting (1987)-When Chris Parker (a phenomenal Elisabeth Shue) agrees to babysit the Anderson kids after her date cancels at the last minute she has no idea that she is embarking on the rollercoaster ride of her life thanks to her friend Brenda (a hilarious Penelope Ann Miller) being stuck at the bus station in the city. Going to help against her better judgement she and the kids have one harrowing madcap adventure after another including an unexpected but spirited impromptu performance in a jazz club. Disarming and just plain fun.
The First Wives Club (1996)- At the funeral of one of their college roommates who committed suicide when her ex-husband married a younger woman three women (Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, and Diane Keaton) reunite for the first time in nearly 30 years. When they realize the reason for their friend's suicide, they discover a common bond-all of their ex-husbands have taken them for granted as well-they decide it's time for revenge and unite to get back at their exes. Scheming and chicanery topped by a musical number follow.
My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)-Julianne Potter (Julia Roberts) panics when her best friend Michael (Dermot Mulroney) calls out of the blue and tells her he is getting married the next weekend to pert, ultra-wealthy Kimmy (Cameron Diaz). Once upon a time Julianne and Michael had made a pact to marry each other if they hadn’t found someone by their 28th birthday, with this news she decides Michael is the man for her and sets out to stop the wedding against the advice of her other best friend George (a scene stealing Rupert Everett). Hilarity and an unexpected musical number ensue. Disarming romantic comedy with Roberts’s superstar charisma totally responsible for making her rather contemptible character someone you almost root for.
That scene in Rush Hour 3 was funny. The premise was kind of out there, but it's a good popcorn flick.
I have to admit I really disliked Holy Motors, but I absolutely loved one of the musical scenes. It doesn't involve singing, but the accordion jam in the church was GOLD.
Love the Step Brothers scene. Not a big fan of Rush Hour 3 but that was a solid moment. Haven't seen Holy Motors.
I haven’t seen any of these but Step Brothers sounds good and I am intrigued by that film with Kylie Minogue. One day I’ll see Rush Hour 3 when it’s on tv
@Sonia Cerca-See it! It is truly an experience.
@Brittani-BOW-BOW, MY NAME IS DEREK! I CAN SING HIGH!!!!!
@assholeswatchingmovies.com-Yes, that is Jackie Chan singing. In China/Hong Kong, he has a very successful singing career.
@joel65913-Ah, all three very good choices.
@Big Screen Small Words-Yeah, it's a messy film but that scene is so awesome.
@keith71_98-I love that accordion jam as well.
@Wendell-Holy Motors is out there but definitely a love-letter to cinema.
@Birgit-Kylie's role in the film is brief but it does play into this grand world of cinema told by a filmmaker who doesn't get enough exposure no matter how weird or confrontational he is.
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