Judy by the Numbers: "When You're Smiling"

I know, I know. I'm cheating again. Last week I presented you a picture with no singing, and this time I present you singing with no picture! However, the difficulty of a short series devoted entirely to musical numbers from TV & film is that it ignores the vast breadth of a performer's capability. Last week was devoted to Judy Garland's acting ability, a talent overshadowed by her incredible musical gift. This week is about Judy Garland the performer, an entertainer who captivated audiences live and via vinyl. This week, I have just one question:

When is the first time you heard Judy At Carnegie Hall?

The Album: Judy at Carnegie Hall (Capitol Records, 1961)
The Songwriters: Larry Shay, Mark Fisher and Joe Goodwin
The Cast: Judy Garland, Mort Lindsay and the orchestra

The Story: When it was released in November 1961, Judy At Carnegie Hall went gold. Not only was it Judy's highest-selling record, it also won her 4 Grammy awards the next year, including Best Concert Album. In the ensuing decades, it would inspire copycats, homages, and new generations of fans. 

If you have an opportunity today, I encourage you to listen to the full album. It's a mix of new songs and classics. For Judy fans, it definitely lives up to the hype of "the greatest night in showbiz history." On a stage stripped bare of sets or ornate costumes, Judy sang a full set of two dozen songs in peak form. But it's more than form or technique or Judy's sparkling voice. It's the emotional power of her performance. Judy doesn't speak a lot between numbers - though the anecdotes she does share are amazing - but she communicates her gratefulness, sadness and joy through each song. An album with such emotional range is a good companion no matter what your mood.

Monty (1998-2016)

Our first photo together in December 1998, before The Film Experience existed. I lost my furbaby today (apologies that scheduled blog events are delayed). You knew him as a highly elusive cat pundit (he was most active in the prediction game from 2010-2012) but he was never easy to pin down on movies and Oscars.

Some of his classic posts:
Bridesmaids
127 Hours, Conviction, and Never Let Me Go
Hitchcock 
Olaf from Frozen 
Jennifer Aniston in Cake 

He did love a few movies unreservedly including Microcosmos (1996), Dancer in the Dark (2000), and Paddington (2014) but mostly he ignored them, preferring to imagine he was my only love. I already miss him terribly.

Beauty Break: Jeff Bridges in 1984

by Murtada

We know the origin of the  current fetishization of luxurious facial hair, that’s been going on for quite sometime. No it’s not Oscar Isaac, or any of the Marvel guys. Its origin is 1984 and Jeff Bridges in Against All Odds. Behold.

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Team Experience: The Olympics in IMAX 3D

We've been hoping to return to our group posts from our fabulous Team Experience, so what better way to return than this: Team Experience is going to the Olympics!

Well not literally. But like many of you, we've also been glued to the games in Rio. As with any Olympic year, the games have been filled with spectacle and showmanship - but the increasing production values and drama  is simply too much for our television sets to contain. So what if we could watch the Olympics on the biggest screen?

Top 10 Olympic Moments We'd Like to See in IMAX 3D 

Coming up on #OlympicLateNight @Lesdoggg!!!!!! #YAAAAS #USA https://t.co/Eo2y7Kopta

— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 14, 2016

Honorable Mention
Leslie Jones Olympic Tweets
Tweets so good, even NBC had to give her a gig. Can we get a full IMAX Olympics documentary narrated by her? - Chris

10. Gisele Bundchen's strut
Can you imagine that leggy 5'11" beauty sky high? Attack of the 75 foot woman! That dress was the shiniest shiny but Gisele's joy was even more radiantly blinding. - Nathaniel

9 more after the jump

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Stream This: No Country For Freddy's Happyness

I trust you're all Netflixing today to prepare for Hit Me With Your Best Shot: "The Get Down" tonight. We've missed Baz Luhrmann, haven't you? Netflix hasn't announced its September availabilities yet but here are a few things that just arrived as well as a few you'll need to watch quickly, if you have any desire, as they expire shortly. Let's freeze frame them at random places and see what turns up, shall we?

NEW TO NETFLIX

She will now lay her eggs - eggs with a truly remarkable destiny.

Flight of the Butterflies (2012)
That sounds uneccessarily dramatic, like it's a tagline for a butterfly blockbuster. This is, you guessed it, a documentary on butterflies. Pretty pretty.

(seven more movies after the jump)

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