Movie Recommendations

Among the better Astaire-Rogers musicals. This time around, Fred is tap dancer Pete Peters—AKA Petrov, a world-famous ballet dancer. When the media links him with singer/dancer Linda Keene, Petrov decides to make the fictitious romance a reality. Great Gershwin songs and some nifty dancing help hide a weak plot.

Rollicking story of one band’s aspirations to bring soul music to the hard-working Northsiders of Dublin. Knockout performances (both dramatically and vocally) infuse this toe-tapping treat.

Though not the best Astaire-Rogers effort, Carefree offers enough fun moments to make the film worthwhile.

Michael Keaton pulls off a surprisingly good take on the Bruce Wayne/Batman split personality, and the tone as a whole is welcomely dark, not campy. A pity the obligatory romance falls so flat.

Slightly uneven Capra take on media cynicism and human redemption is nonetheless an entertaining and thought-provoking film.

Wonderful film of a young Swedish boy coming to terms with tragedy while finding the joy in life with help from the country relatives who take him in.

The first full-length animated movie is, in many ways, still the best. The lush artwork, individual characters, and wonderful songs coalesce into a near-perfect work.

Checking over Off-Off-Off-Off-Broadway producer Zero Mostel’s accounts, nebbishy Gene Wilder gets a crazy idea…become rich by producing a flop. Mel Brooks’s first bigscreen hit.

A top musical, albeit suffused with a colonial mindset that modern viewers may find disturbing. Yul Brynner is superb in his signature role as the King of Siam, and Deborah Kerr is very good indeed as the British governess/tutor for his many children. Beautiful Rodgers and Hammerstein score.