WILKOMMEN! BIENVENUE! WELCOME! -- There's more reasons to watch the 1972 musical masterpiece Cabaret than you think, kids! For example, it was selected by the United States National Film Registry in 1995 as being deemed "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant" (but we always knew that, didn't we?). And the American Film Institute ranked it as #5 on its list of best musicals in 2006 -- preceded in 2004 with the song "Cabaret" positioned as #18 on the AFI's list "100 Years...100 Songs." And later in 2007, the film was voted #63 on AFI's list of the 100 Greatest American Movies!! (Thank goodness for AFI validating what we always believed about this super flick!) But the main reason to watch it, of course, is for the superb performances all around by a dream cast whose equal in movie musicals has yet to be matched. Liza Minnelli was originally denied the Broadway stage role (boy, I bet they were sorry!). Joel Grey reprised his stage role for the film. Boyishly handsome (still is!) Michael York was hand-picked by director Bob Fosse. And Marisa Berenson turns in a fab performance too -- as she transforms from department store heiress caught up in the world of social etiquette to a woman who finally finds love on the eve of darkness in anti-Semitic Germany. Though it won eight Academy Awards, it was upstaged for Best Picture of the Year by The Godfather. Rightfully, it won seven BAFTA Awards (including Best Film -- yes!) and won the title of Best Motion Picture (Musical/Comedy) at the Golden Globe Awards. So, put down the knitting, the book and the broom -- it's time to watch Cabaret!!
