I’m a fan of musicals.
There I said it, I’m completely 100% straight and wondering why I need to explain that .. but I love musicals, always have, always will.
Possibly because I used to watch them with my family, my Granda was a big Jolson fan, Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, Gene Kelly,. Then my mum from a later generation loved Calamity Jane, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Oklahoma etc..
My dad, a Sinatra fan loved anything Rat Pack related .. for example Pal Joey or On The Town .. not exactly a musicals .. more films with singing. He also loves West Side Story, possibly relating it to the gang related culture of his youth.
Musicals were a big part of my upbringing because of these family influences. I put this down to the escapism these films provide from the drab poverty of Glasgow slums. My folks watching these elegantly dressed singers and dancers in their perfect techni-colour worlds .. even although back then they only had black and white tv sets.
Last night, having watched the 10 minute feature on the latest musical La La Land on Now tv, I found the film on my Kodi box, the quality was excellent, but got to tell you .. and this might be unfair as I only watched the first 10 minutes .. I was bored.
It just wasn’t exciting enough and felt contrived and hard work. Continue reading “La La Land?”