You could also argue that what I call Science Fiction, others would call Hard Core Science Fiction. But I have read enough good Science Fiction, I think, to recognize a special element that sets it sufficiently apart from other story telling to deserve a proper genre tag,

an exploration of the possibilities of technology, and the effects it has on society, ways of living, people, our brains and more

Is the Blues Brothers Sci-fi?

Is that not a theme, rather than a genre or a setting?

No, that is a musical.

Fuck off.


Wait, do I think it's a musical, or do I not think it's a musical. I forget.
I know Grim... is wrong about this though, so I think the opposite of what he thinks.

we went to shout at DJ Al about it being in a musical round and Craster started out arguing that it was correct so I just shrugged and argued the opposite.

It was like being online, BUT IN REAL LIFE.

Why isn't Blue Brothers a musical?

I always thought it was a musical

A musical would be have plot-advancing songs. Blues Brothers just has people singing now and then.

Here's a question though. Is Mamma Mia a musical?

If you took the songs out of Blues Brothers, like just chopped them out, the plot would still make sense. If you did that to Oliver, say, it would be a confused mess.

Blues Brothers is not a musical.

A musical would be have plot-advancing songs. Blues Brothers just has people singing now and then.

Is Pitch Perfect a musical?

A musical would be have plot-advancing songs.

Banhammer? Or banwurst? On a skewer.

I watched Serenity today. I enjoyed it. I'll be yoinking Firefire next, I hope I've done this in the right order...

When did this get defined? Did I miss a memo?

Hardly definitive, but Wikipedia says "The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing." which (a) seems just as reasonable a definition to me and (b) definitely includes Blues Brothers.

That's pretty much what DavPaz said, though. And it only includes The Blues Brothers because of Think.

The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing.

The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate "production numbers".

No, not just Think. To further quote Wikipedia:

Which would include all the songs in The Blues Brothers. Again, Wikipedia is hardly definitive, but I think that's a common-sense definition.

I think 'Musicals' should be defined as films where the lyrical content of the song acts either as narrator (to advance plot) or dialogue between characters (to advance plot as part if the dramatic play).

This provides distinction between movies where songs are confused with plot advancement simply because they are part of a story about a band.

That's not a given definition anywhere I've seen (though I've never looked) but perhaps clearer defines what I think of as a musical.

The plot advancement and carry of story through (sung) dialogue alone is opera. Musicals have those key factors of opera but with periods of spoken dramatic dialogue/narration.