
A month of musical madness!
A month of musical madness!
Find perfect harmony this July with a collection of melodic delights, including Bohemian Rhapsody, available to buy on the Virgin Media Store
Find perfect harmony this July with a collection of melodic delights, including Bohemian Rhapsody, available to buy on the Virgin Media Store
There’s one surefire way to make a feelgood film into an even more feelgood film – add some songs into the mix
The Must See Movies – Musicals Collection, available until Monday 29 July on the Virgin Media Store
We all love watching a movie that makes us feel a little better about the world, and if we get to belt out some incredible tunes while it’s on, so much the better! Good news then, that some of the best musical movies in recent years are available to buy on the Virgin Media Store in the Must See Movies – Musicals Collection!
From the sublime, spirit-lifting songs of Abba in Mamma Mia! and its hit sequel to the anthemic rock of Queen in Bohemian Rhapsody and the soaring, inspirational harmonies of The Greatest Showman, this is a film collection that will make you laugh, cry, dream and above all, sing like nobody’s listening.
And with some of the biggest movie stars around featured, including Hugh Jackman, Meryl Streep and Bradley Cooper, you know you’re guaranteed a good time. So clear your throat, do your vocal warm-ups and treat your neighbours to a stellar performance from these magical musical marvels…
Mamma Mia!
There truly is something for everyone in this global smash that kicked off the recent trend for feelgood musicals. Whether it’s the riotous plot about a young woman discovering her paternity, the gorgeous Mediterranean scenery or the evergreen Abba tunes, you’ll be feeling seriously uplifted by the time the credits roll. All this and Pierce Brosnan crooning too.
Standout song: The wonderful trio of Meryl Streep, Julie Walters and Christine Baranski make “Dancing Queen” an exuberant celebration of friendship, romance and unadulterated FUN.
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
There was only one way to top the effervescent cocktail of delight that was Mamma Mia! – basically, do the whole thing again, but with added Cher. Defying age, logic and reality itself to play Streep’s mum despite the two being pretty much the same age, the legendary hitmaker added another layer of gleeful fantasy to the series with a scene-stealing performance that helped the sequel repeat the first film’s huge success.
Standout song: As soon as you realise Andy Garcia’s character is named “Fernando”, you know what’s coming. Cher doesn’t disappoint, with a sultry rendition of the epic ballad that’s as memorable as any of her solo hits.
The Greatest Showman
Songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul won an Oscar for La La Land’s “City Of Stars”, but their, ahem, “greatest” triumph was to follow. The Greatest Showman was a huge hit but its soundtrack was even bigger, topping charts around the world. The story of PT Barnum (Hugh Jackman) and his rise from poor street boy to world-conquering showbiz impresario is glorious – but it’s made transcendent by its accompanying catalogue of absolute bangers.
Standout song: “Never Enough” is the most fun to sing along to, but for visual inventiveness, choreography, wit and the sheer charisma of Jackman and Zac Efron, it’s got to be “The Other Side”.
A Star Is Born (2018)
This fourth version of the quintessential rags-to-riches story was viewed with some trepidation ahead of its release – but in the hands of first-time director (and star) Bradley Cooper, it turned out just great. With Lady Gaga captivating in the role of an up-and-coming singer mentored by Cooper’s washed-up rocker, A Star Is Born tugged on the heartstrings of audiences everywhere… and also gifted us a fantastic singalong soundtrack.
Standout song: In a film full of musical high points, the Oscar-winning “Shallow” is the highest of all – a soaring, powerful duet between Gaga and Cooper that’s sure to leave you totes emosh.
Bohemian Rhapsody
The story of Queen took an age to come to the screen and had a challenging production, so it’s even more impressive that the film was both (a) a massive global hit and (b) brilliant. It’s helped by a hugely impressive cast, including Aidan Gillen, Lucy Boynton and of course Rami Malek’s Oscar-winning turn as Freddie Mercury, but the real stars of the film are Queen’s timeless songs. From “Killer Queen” and “Don’t Stop Me Now” to “Another One Bites The Dust” and “The Show Must Go On”, the classics are all here, and they all sound fabulous.
Standout song: You might assume it’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”, but actually… yes of course it’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”. What else could it be? It’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” for goodness’ sake!
School Of Rock
Idiosyncratic director Richard Linklater (Dazed & Confused, Boyhood) delivered his biggest hit with this rollicking rock show, featuring Jack Black in a role tailor-made for his outsized talents. Failing musician Dewey Finn (Black) is so desperate for cash that he poses as a substitute teacher and ends up inspiring a class of kids to embrace their talents, seize the day, and generally stop worrying and start being awesome. It works thanks to its heart, great performances from its young cast, full-on commitment from Black and plenty of kick-ass tunes.
Standout song: The soundtrack features stone-cold rock classics from The Who, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin and many more, but when the cast mix all those killer influences into the movie’s title track – as performed at the film’s inevitable Battle of the Bands – it hits a dizzyingly epic high.
Pitch Perfect
The world didn’t know it needed a musical comedy about competitive a cappella singing until Pitch Perfect came along. But with its mix of pseudo-sporting drama, romance, hilarious scenes involving regurgitation (honest), star-making turns from Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson, and some genuinely jaw-dropping musical performances, it proved to be, well, perfect – and it spawned two just-as-entertaining sequels, both of which are also included in this collection.
Standout song: Amid the abundance of entertaining mash-ups and medleys, it was Kendrick’s version of the mournful 1930s song “Cups (When I’m Gone)” that was the surprise breakout hit.
Still need more singing?
You can discover even more musicals and singalong smash hits in the Must See Movies – Musicals Collection, now available on the Virgin Media Store until Monday 29 July.
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The Must See Movies – Musicals Collection: Offers end Monday 29 July 2019. Normal price of Mamma Mia!: £7.99. Normal price of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again: £10.99. Normal price of The Greatest Showman: £9.99. Normal price of School Of Rock: £7.99. Normal price of Pitch Perfect: £7.99. Normal price of La La Land: £10.99.
Virgin Media Store: Separate terms and conditions apply to the Virgin Media Store service. DVD included for movie purchases only. Purchases must be made on the website or set top box. Virgin TV subscription and our latest Virgin TV V6 box required to buy and watch via set top box – Store is not available on other boxes. Compatible device & browser required. Max 5 registered devices. Max 2 devices can stream content simultaneously. Stream and download in UK only (or while temporarily in the EU).