If you think about it, most movie musicals are already a little weird. Sure, some incorporate music numbers organically (seeCabaret), but there is a slight disconnect from reality involved when the more traditional ones have people breaking into song. And that’s okay. It’s something you just have to go with, and honestly, it’s easy to pity the people who can’t get over such an obstacle, or otherwise find the musical, as a genre, simply too weird.
But what about those musicals that take a weird song (or, well, songs) andmake it (um, them) weirder? They’re definitely out there, and they’re pretty wild. The following are some of the weirdest, with some titles being notorious and kind of infamous, while others are overlooked and too interesting to ignore entirely, even if they themselves might be flawed.The following movie musicals do vary in quality and watchability, but are united by the fact that they’re all pretty damn strange.
10’Help!' (1965)
Directed by Richard Lester
A Hard Day’s Nightwas already a little offbeat and chaotic, as far as movies starring theBeatlesgo, butHelp!dialed the strangeness and psychedelic stuff up to a whole other level. This one is barely coherent, if you’re looking for a narrative, but therein lies some of its charm.A Hard Day’s Nightfeels like a heightened look at the life of the Beatles, whileHelp!feels like a parody of adventure moviesstarring the Fab Four as themselves.
The musical stuff comes in the form of some songs thatappeared on the album of the same name, with tunes thrown in as haphazardly as some of the wacky side characters and general situations the Beatles find themselves in throughout.Help!is absolute chaos, but it’s also kind of good at the same time, in contrast to some soon-to-be-mentioned movie musicals that are more comparable to train derailments.
9’The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T.' (1953)
Directed by Roy Rowland
It’s probably going to be hard to find too many people who sincerely thinkThe 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T.ranks amongthe very best musicals of all time, but it’s similarly hard to imagine it being left out of the conversation when talking about the most distinctive and unusual musicals. It’s about a young boy dealing with strife in his life, and disappearing into a fantastical world as a way to escape, kind of likePan’s Labyrinthwithout as much intentional horror…
…Or is the horror intentional?The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T.might seem like a kid-friendly movie on the surface, but there’s something really offabout how it looks and feels. It’s frightening in subversive and interesting ways, but then you read thatDr. Seusswrote most of it, and suddenly, the surreal nature of it all makes a little more sense.
The 5,000 Fingers Of Dr. T
8’Camelot' (1967)
Directed by Joshua Logan
The biggest obstacle to getting some kind of enjoyment out ofCamelotis its length. Atjust one minute shy of three hours, it feels borderline endless at certain points. On and on it goes, and it’s a shame, because this otherwise works as pure camp. If it had been maybe about half the length it actually was, it would be the sort of mess deserving of becoming a cult classic.
It’s theKing Arthurstory, but everything is extra theatrical and there are tons of hammy songs.You’ve got a miscast Franco Nero alongside Richard Harris who, despite the sometimes-terrible material at hand, actually manages to give a good performance, perhaps rather miraculously. And there’s an unearned air of prestige around the whole thing, which makes parts unintentionally hilarious… to a point. After a while, even with all the weirdness, you’ll probably just want it to end.
7’One from the Heart' (1981)
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
As you might’ve guessed from the title,One from the Heartis deeply sincere, and so picking on it or criticizing it always feels a little harsh.Francis Ford Coppolaput a great deal into the movie, and a botched release meant it failed pretty miserably when it first came out (and it barely came out, at least theatrically). Time’s been a bit kinder to it, but, like, should time be kind to it?
One from the Heartdoes indeed have heart, andthere’s a unique look and feelto the whole film, but it’s all in service of such a plodding plot. None of the actors seem on the same wavelength, and many of the musical numbers feel awkwardly done. There was effort put intoOne from the Heart, and from an undeniably talented director, but something went wrong along the way, because this one turned out to be a mess.Maybe even the greatest of chefs are allowed to leave things in the oven for way too long, on occasion(itbeats Coppola’s undercooked/lazier efforts, at least).
One From the Heart
6’The Apple' (1980)
Directed by Menahem Golan
Gonzo in both the best and worst of ways,The Applecan’t really be explained or broken down, but here goes nothing. It’s a fantasy/sci-fi movie where some of the humor seems intentional (maybe?), and centers around some kind of big music competition, sort of likeEurovisionbut on a cocktail of alarming substances. It is silly, unsettling, and unpredictable all at once.
The fact that itends on a seemingly upbeat note(with the sort of ending you’d expect in a more normal movie) arguably makes it all the more upsetting or hard to comprehend.The Appleis a bit of a nightmare, butif you’re after something weird, maybe it’ll scratch more of a food poisoning dream itch, rather than leaning into outright nightmarish territory. If you’re lucky? Who even knows.
5’Paint Your Wagon' (1969)
Clint Eastwoodgets to show off his musical side inPaint Your Wagon, which also works as a Western (a genre Eastwood is associated with far more often). LikeCamelot, it’s bloated and too long, but quite engaging in a bizarre sort of way in parts, with its narrative being about two men who try to strike gold (literally) in the Old West and, along the way, they also buy and share a wife.
Paint Your Wagontries to be funny, but if you’re going to laugh here, it’s more likely that you’re going to laugh at the film rather than with it. It’s an entirely self-indulgent movie musical that almost feels like it wasn’t edited, so poor is the pacing throughout.If you really want to seea rom-com Western musical starring Eastwood, well, here it is. Everyone else should steer clear, though.
Paint Your Wagon
4’Cats' (2019)
Directed by Tom Hooper
If you know aboutCats, then you’re probably well aware of what a surreal trip of a film it is, and how additionally unpleasant it is to endure.Some of that surrealism was probably intentional, but it seems unlikely thatCatswas supposed to be quite as horrifying as it ended up being, with the inconsistent effects, nauseating camerawork, and general gloominess of it all visually making this one hell of a trip.
It’s also got a reputation for beingone of the worst movies in recent memory, and that reputation is honestly well-deserved.Catstakes a very strange stage musical and pushes it all way too far, in turn becomingone of the weirdest movie musicals ever made. If you’ve got a strong stomach and are curious, though, go for it. Nothing else really feels like this movie (not necessarily a compliment).
3’Moonwalker' (1988)
Directed by Colin Chilvers, Will Vinton, Jerry Kramer
Undeniably,Michael Jacksonhad some ofthe best music videos of all time, and some of them can be found inMoonwalker. ButMoonwalkeritself, when judged as a film, is kind of misguided and all over the place. There are live music performances, music videos (some extended), and also a long segment that has a villain named Mr. Big (played byJoe Pesciin notone of his finest moments).
If you’re a big fan of Michael Jackson’s music, some stretches of this movie might be enjoyable, but even mega-fans are unlikely to find the whole thing consistently great.It is just such a weird watch, even to the point where calling it a musical doesn’t feel entirely accurate. It’s justMoonwalker, and not much else can be said, even if you’ve digested the whole thing.
Moonwalker
2’Lost Horizon' (1973)
Directed by Charles Jarrott
There’s a 1937 movie calledLost Horizonthat’s quite good, and a 1973 movie of the same name (that’s also a musical) which is pretty terrible. Both have the same basic premise, involving a hidden village being discovered in the Himalayas, but only the 1973 movie contains what would have to be some of thestrangest, worst, and most baffling music numbersof all time.
Honestly, every timeLost Horizontransitions into a musical number, it goes from feeling like an okay (if slightly unnecessary) update to an older film to an all-out offense to the senses (well, at least sight and sound). This makes it both a decently assembled fantasy epic anda genuinely awful musicalat the same time, andif you’re after camp, it honestly delivers more on that front than the likes ofThe Apple,Paint Your Wagon, andCamelot.
Lost Horizon
1’Finian’s Rainbow' (1968)
Of all the movies mentioned here,Finian’s Rainbowmight well be themost psychedelic and comparable to a fever dream. This is another Francis Ford Coppola-directed musical, but it’s much less polished thanOne from the Heart. That one saw Coppola being in control (and misfiring nonetheless), whileFinian’s Rainbowhas very little to indicate it was directed by the guy who went on to sort of dominatethe 1970s, starting just a few years later.
None of Finian’s Rainbow comes together. Everything feels like a trip. It’s somewhere between a must-watch and a must-avoid-at-all-costs.
As for whatFinian’s Rainbowis about? Uh… there’s a leprechaun, there’s some stolen gold, there’s magic that makes a prejudiced man change races, there’s romance, there are very strong Irish accents, and there’sFred Astaire.There are also so many other things. None of it comes together. Everything feels like a trip. It’s somewhere between a must-watch and a must-avoid-at-all-costs; it’s just very hard to put one’s finger on where exactly it lies on such a scale.
