The whole movie-into-musical trend was kind of cool, at first. I'm no Broadway expert (I've seen all of two live musicals in my life, much to my regret), but I'd argue that many of them really energized the Great White Way, especially the ones by Disney (we may soon find that a whole generation of Broadway composers were inspired by that infant exposure to The Lion King). Lately though, it's just become a race to see who can take the craziest concept and get people to buy tickets. Sometimes, it's hilarious (Evil Dead), but most of the time it's just ugly.

Perhaps the death knell has sounded with this one: Magnum Force, the musical. British singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock has plans to turn it into a stage musical, with MTV executive Bill Flanagan producing. Hitchcock has had a lifelong affair with the movie -- his most recent album Ole! Tarantula featured a song inspired by the Dirty Harry sequel. "It's a film that seemed to be on all the time when I was on tour," he told the Guardian. "By the fifth time [I saw it], I became addicted to it. It's taken a very strange hold on my life."



I wish I had the songwriting abilities of William Goss to take a mocking crack at this, but sadly I'm no lyricist. I do, however, think Hitchcock has the wrong Dirty Harry installment; The Enforcer is clearly the better choice because it's all about sexism. The scene where Callahan grills Kate Moore on police procedure, and rants against the hiring of women because its "stylish" is chock full of bombastic solos, don't you think? Kate Moore could have her own ongoing theme called "Don't concern yourself with me, Inspector!" Man, it just writes itself!

And if Hitchcock can convince Eastwood doppleganger and musical virtuoso Hugh Jackman to carry the Magnum 45, I would prebuy a ticket. It would have to be better than Cleo.