'La di da': The 11 musicals I can't deny loving

Cabaret

Musicals are far from my favorite film genre.

It's not that I'm some sort of snob, I just think they work better on the stage than the screen.

I can always appreciate the craftsmanship of the elaborate sets and the catchiness of a lovely song, but there's something very inauthentic about most musicals to me, and it's not just because they feature people randomly bursting into song.

That said, there are a few films of this kind that have punctured my psyche. Typically, the musicals that work for me are the ones that have a little darkness or at least edge to them.

It's almost embarrassing to admit to liking these kinds of movies because their reputation is so incredibly cheesy, and unless you're a musical theater nerd who is comfortable belting out show tunes at the drop of a dime, they can be alienating.

My list is by no means expansive -- I've never seen all of Fiddler on the Roof, or dozens of other beloved musicals. But these are the few I can say I really like:

The Wizard of Oz (1939) - This feels more like a fantasy film than a musical and yet it's packed wall-to-wall with very endearing numbers. I find it to be an almost trippy visual delight. The colors are so vibrant and the tone is so note-perfect. It never seems corny or dated, even though it's an outright fairy tale. Judy Garland is probably most responsible for making it all work so well.

The Blues Brothers

An American In Paris (1951) - A beautifully shot travelogue as well as a sophisticated backstage drama. Gene Kelly is terrific and incredibly charismatic as an artist who gets sucked into an unhealthy relationship with an older, wealthy woman who seeks to control him. The dynamite dance numbers here are some of the best ever committed to film.

Singin' In the Rain (1952) - Arguably the greatest movie musical ever made, this Gene Kelly vehicle is also a very funny satire of behind-the-scenes Hollywood. The film is helped by the fact that it's wholly original (not a Broadway show transferred to a movie set), so it feels fresher and less old-fashioned than some of the other musicals of its era. While it's light-hearted, it does have something to say about the film industry.

West Side Story (1961) - This highly stylized ethnic update of the Romeo and Juliet tragedy may be the most influential movie musical ever made. It's certainly one of the fiercest, and its soundtrack was definitely a staple of my childhood. The movie won't win any awards for a subtle depiction of race relations, but it definitely has a heavy dose of "cool" -- which is uncommon for the genre.

Cabaret (1972) - Bob Fosse's brilliantly edited look at Germany during the rise of Nazism really changed the game as far as this genre was concerned. Liza Minnelli gives her most iconic performance in this sophisticated story which touches on bisexuality and a lot of other themes that movie musicals didn't dare touch in the past. When people talk about Fosse's signature style of choreography, they are most likely thinking of this exciting movie.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) - I enjoy this movie on its own terms, although having had the midnight movie experience I can attest to the power of seeing it with a rowdy audience of revelers too. Tim Curry gives one of the most magnetic performances in movie history is this utterly bizarre mash-up of monster movies and pure campy comedy. And Susan Sarandon has never looked sexier.

Pennies From Heaven

All That Jazz (1979)/Pennies From Heaven (1981) - I'm counting these two as one because they're both remarkably similar. Both films are dark, unconventional musicals that contrast a death and depravity themed real world with bright, flashy and terrifically staged dance numbers. They are very emblematic of the Hollywood era in which they were released (although neither did the business of the mainstream Grease). Both films take a creative approach with risky material and succeed wildly.

The Blues Brothers (1980) - A comedy classic featuring the John Belushi-Dan Aykroyd partnership at its peak. Unfortunately the movie has been sullied by the unnecessary latter day sequel, but viewed on its own terms it's a wonderfully quirky madcap riot, as well as a sincere homage to the culture of the blues. For all their goofy posturing Belushi and Aykroyd were in awe of the black performers featured here and Ray Charles, James Brown, and Aretha Franklin (just to name a few) don't disappoint.

Chicago (2002) - It's sort of unhip to like this movie now, but people forget what a revelation it was when it first came out. This movie jumpstarted a brief musical renaissance by casting stars with surprising musical talent (Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere for example) and tweaking the traditional musical structure (the numbers take place in the characters' imagination). Did it deserve to win best picture? Maybe not. But it was a hell of a lot of fun to see.

Dreamgirls (2006) - I'm a sucker for all things Motown and this gaudy throwback musical brilliantly recreates that label's heyday. While the story is pretty simple -- it's got virtually every backstage melodrama cliche you can imagine -- the music is anything but. Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson in particular rise above the material with sensational performances that are lively and lived in. I still think Murphy was robbed of the Academy Award.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) - Of all the Johnny Depp-Tim Burton collaborations since Ed Wood, this is the only one that's really worked for me. Burton has the perfect eye for this kind of material and Depp gives a less winking performance than usual here. The material is very bizarre for the genre, we're asked to root for a murderer and laugh at cannibalism, but the movie works as a visual and aural whole.