New Year, New You: Films That Will Beat The January Blues!

Last year I think I spent far too much time being serious and probably a bit gloomy. I know that a lot of that was due to Erin’s birth and the complications that went with it. However, this year I am determined to let go of that feeling and the saying New Year, New You is what I want to stick to.

In order to do this, I want to lighten up a bit more and watch more fun films. My guilty pleasure really is musicals. I have quite a nice collection but I recently realised that there are quite a few I haven’t seen. If you feel like trying something different and following the New Year, New You statement, why not head to Amazon to see what you can find.

These are what I plan to watch over the next couple of months!

Bodyguard

The Bodyguard stars Houston as a pop-music diva (now there’s a stretch) and Kevin Costner as the stern bodyguard who is assigned to protect her after the singer receives some nasty death threats. Pop star and bodyguard don’t hit it off at first, but they wear down each others’ defenses, and before long Houston is baring her tonsils with a rousing rendition of the Dolly Parton chestnut “I Will Always Love You.”

A Star is Born

A remake of the 1937 classic, this time as a musical about a Hollywood couple going through bad times. Would-be singer Esther Blodgett (Judy Garland) finds herself taken under the wing of fading star Norman Maine (James Mason) when she saves him from making a drunken fool of himself on stage. Changing her name to Vicki Lester, Esther becomes a star, and is soon married to Norman. However, as Vicki’s star rises, so Norman’s falls. Harold Arlen/Ira Gershwin songs include ‘The Man That Got Away’.

Annie Get Your Gun

Long unavailable due to legal complications with the estate of Irving Berlin, this classic MGM musical stars Betty Hutton as backwoods sharpshooter Annie Oakley. Plucked out of obscurity by Buffalo Bill (Louis Calhern), the rough-edged Annie is groomed for a leading role in Bill’s world famous Wild West show. However, Annie has a rival in the form of rifleman Frank Butler (Howard Keel), a man she soon falls in love with. Features the songs ‘Anything You Can Do’ and ‘There’s No Business Like Show Business’.

Calamity Jane

Doris Day stars in this lighthearted musical about the famous female sharpshooter, who would rather hit targets than chase men – until she falls for ‘Wild Bill’ Hickok (Howard Keel), who would rather shoot Indians than chase after a tomboy like Calamity Jane.

Gypsy

The Jule Styne/Stephen Sondheim musical follows the career of Gypsy Rose Lee from a young woman to 1930s burlesque headliner. Louise (Natalie Wood) is the young girl who is forced into the limelight by her theatrical mother Rose (Rosalind Russell) and becomes the celebrated stripper Gypsy. Karl Malden won a Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Herbie, a man who falls in love with Rose – and later regrets it.

I can’t wait to kick off the New Year with one of these. Do you have any recommendations for which I should start with?

Disclaimer: We will receive these DVDs for the purpose of this post. All opinions are our own. 

22 thoughts on “New Year, New You: Films That Will Beat The January Blues!”

  1. Calamity Jane is up there with my all time favourites – although I’ve not seen any of the others… looks like ill have to get them on the list!

  2. I haven’t seen any of these films! I keep meaning to watch the bodyguard but never got around to it, I think that will be one of the first ones I watch.

  3. I’m hoping to catch up on some Netflix movies this year, especially with a new baby coming along – maybe lots of bedtime feeds and movies! I don’t think I’ve watched these either, can’t believe I’ve never seen the Bodyguard!

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