Hedwig and The Angry Inch
Feature: ‘The Commitments’ is good hearty fun, and gave lead singer Andrew Strong his break at a young age.
Another doc: ‘Good Rockin’ Tonight: The Sun Story’ with a number of people who since have passed on. Also some good covers of Sun material in it.
THE HARDER THEY COME. Amazing depiction of politics that form at the cross-roads of popular art, crime, and local government.
Gimme Shelter and not sure if this counts but Oh Brother Where Art Thou
All paintings are about music, too, and all great architecture.
All paintings are about music, too, and all great architecture.
Can’t Stop The Music, A Semi-biographic film about the Village People. Astounding.
Jazz on a Summer’s Day
Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach
The Music Lovers
Mahler
Song of Summer
Let’s Get Lost
RAY
BLUES BROTHERS
’ROUND MIDNIGHT
THE COMMITMENTS – Dublin kids formed a band and play soul music- the actors actually played and sang all the songs!
For music/ concert documentaries, not in order-
A Great Day in Harlem
Cocksucker Blues/ Sympathy for the Devil
WattStax
Message to Love: The Isle of Wight Festival
Standing in the Shadows of Motown
The Last Waltz
Otis Redding/ Jimi Hendrix- Monterey Pop Festival
Jazz on a Summer’s Day
Buena Vista Social Club
I haven’t seen it yet, but the film Moog looks really good… has anyone here seen it? I was curious what some other people thought. Also the documentary Scratch about turntablism is pretty good.
Velvet Goldmine!
I can’t help it.
Definitely Control. Hands down my favorite. I also love Gimme Shelter and DIG! There is a really cool little film called Sonic Youth: Sleeping Nights Awake that was shot by high school kids. I really dug that too.
Les Idoles.
Mo’ Better Blues. Though I wince through half of it. And Stop Making Sense is classic. Love the Byrne interviewing Byrne featurette on the DVD.
@DAVID E – Les Idoles – That’s one relentless musical piece. I still remember those wardrobes. Is this even on video?
I’m sorry but the question is very badly worded. Are you asking for a movie that is about a musical style? A musician? A fiction or non-fiction story? A movie about making music? A movie that talks about music? Music figurative or literal? I will give an answer anyway…
The Glen Miller Story
Amadeus (someone said a guilty pleasure…but I feel like there should be no such thing. And this film certainly doesn’t qualify)
“Let me take you to the seaaaaaaa of madness, I love you so much it’s gunna bring me sadnesssss!”
Shine
Amadeus
and despite its flaws, I really enjoy Immortal Beloved (that one scene where the nearly-deaf Beethoven plays part of the Moonlight Sonata….so good)
Possibilities:
Song to Remember about Chopin
Song of Love about Schumann
Amadeus about Mozart
Don’t Look Back about Dylan
Humoresque where John Garfied plays a violinist sponsored by Joan Crawford
Seventh Veil – pianist Ann Todd tormented by James Mason\
Deception – Paul Henreid as celleist betrayed by wife Bette Davis
Dangerous Moonlight – birth of the Warsaw Concerto
Diva
Aria
Tous les Matins du Monde
Syberberg’s Parsifal
Bergman’s Magic Flute
Mahler
Red Violin
Shine
Woodstock
Thirty-Two Short Films about Glenn Gould
Favourite? – Amadeus – or maybe Night at the Opera (depends on mood)
The Doors is underrated.
The Doors is overrated.
but seriously, I never liked a single thing that Oliver Stone did. I kind of always saw him as a psuedo-historical director who had a problem with either over-glorizing or simply, over essentializing largely complex or even sometimes unimportant facets of popular history. His last two films comes to mind, W and World Trade Center….
I admit this may be a bias though as I am admittedly commenting more on his portrayals rather than the technical context of his film-making. …what can I do, I majored in history so I’m automatically annoyed at misrepresentations.
You See Me Laughin’: The Last of the Hill Country Bluesmen
and Les Blank’s The Blues Accordin’ to Lightnin’ Hopkins
Todd Haynes. Superstar: A Karen Carpenter Story, Velvet Goldmine (already mentioned), and I’m Not There are all great.
“tous les matins du monde” and “thirty-two short films about glenn gould” as mr. stuntsman above mentioned, but also “the silence before bach”, which is beyond awe-inspiring, and bergman’s “to joy”.
A Hard Days Night, 32 Short Films about Glenn Gould, Dont Look Back, Gimme Shelter…
Hail Hail Rock & Roll is a personal favorite.
This is Spinal Tap and Gimmie Shelter
Coal Miner’s Daughter
Nashville
Songwriter
(I had to get some Country Music on the list.)
Almost Famous
Hustle and Flow
Funny Face
Amadeus
No T.Hanks
Hands down, bar none, no contest, Don’t Look Back by D.A. Pennebaker. Less of a documenary than it is a time-machine.
Also, while it’s been years since I’ve seen it, I thought The Clash: Westway To the World was pretty brilliant. Any other fans out there?