Feature films about musicians

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How many can you name?

MickMccarthy

― MickMcCarthy, Monday, 29 November 2004 18:37 (twenty-one years ago)

ray

― Felonious Drunk (Felcher), Monday, 29 November 2004 18:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Real musicians or fictional ones?

Amadeus
The Buddy Holly Story
Great Balls of Fire
Light of Day
Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains!
Satisfaction
Backbeat

That's a good start . . .

― Phil Dennison (Phil D.), Monday, 29 November 2004 18:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Bird

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 29 November 2004 18:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Are we talking like bio-pics, or do documentaries count too?

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 29 November 2004 18:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Eddie & the Crusiers
Purple Rain
Mo Better Blues
The Cotton Club
Sid & Nancy
The Great Rock n Roll Swindle
Sympathy for the Devil
Ronaldo & Clara

― LSTD (answer) (sexyDancer), Monday, 29 November 2004 18:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Bound for Glory
Buckaroo Banzai
The Rose
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Crossroads

― Phil Dennison (Phil D.), Monday, 29 November 2004 18:51 (twenty-one years ago)

The Bodyguard.

― Huk-L, Monday, 29 November 2004 18:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Just feature films/biographical... I'm surprised no-one has mentioned the worst one yet - Oliver Stone's THE DOORS!

MickMcCarthy

― MickMcCarthy, Monday, 29 November 2004 18:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Yellow Submarine
The Muppet Movie

― LSTD (answer) (sexyDancer), Monday, 29 November 2004 18:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Monday, 29 November 2004 19:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Litzomania
El Mariachi
Rock & Rule
American Pop
Masked & Anonymous

― LSTD (answer) (sexyDancer), Monday, 29 November 2004 19:03 (twenty-one years ago)

La Bamba
Spiceworld: The Movie

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 29 November 2004 19:07 (twenty-one years ago)

(haha, "musicians")

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 29 November 2004 19:07 (twenty-one years ago)

That Thing You Do
Beach Boys: Endless Summer
Birth of the Beatles
Can't You Hear the Wind Howl? (Robert Johnson)
Testimony (Shostakovich)
Immortal Beloved
Rock Star

― Bumfluff, Monday, 29 November 2004 19:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Er, "This is Spinal Tap" anyone?

Also, the less good "Still Crazy"

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 29 November 2004 19:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Still Crazy was rather disappointing. For rock docs, what about one directed by the man who gave us Ray, Hail, Hail Rock and Roll?

― Ken L (Ken L), Monday, 29 November 2004 19:39 (twenty-one years ago)

umm, Dogs In Space! also Garage Days, proving that Australia has a lock on fictitious musicians on film

― Morley Timmons (Donna Brown), Monday, 29 November 2004 19:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Selena

― Leelee, Monday, 29 November 2004 19:44 (twenty-one years ago)

The Rose

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Monday, 29 November 2004 19:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story

― LSTD (answer) (sexyDancer), Monday, 29 November 2004 19:51 (twenty-one years ago)

the best ever made was "the benny goodman story" starring steve allen as a nice young man in search of that hot jazz sound. classic classic classic.

some other classics that have gone unmentioned so far:

"sweet dreams"
"coal miner's daughter"
"your cheatin' heart"

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 29 November 2004 20:26 (twenty-one years ago)

"topsy-turvy"

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 29 November 2004 20:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Sweet & Lowdown

― Huk-L, Monday, 29 November 2004 20:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Blank Generation

― e--- s------ and don't i know it, Monday, 29 November 2004 20:45 (twenty-one years ago)

my heart goes on (gets points for illana douglas and the use of a sonic youth track for a girl group beach ballad!)

― chris andrews (fraew), Monday, 29 November 2004 20:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Spider-Man 2
http://www.spiderfan.org/audio/friends/images/cover.jpg

― Huk-L, Monday, 29 November 2004 20:47 (twenty-one years ago)

"24 hour party people"

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 29 November 2004 20:47 (twenty-one years ago)

"josie and the pussycats"

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 29 November 2004 20:48 (twenty-one years ago)

oh, snap! how could I have forgotten a movie w/2 separate MES appearances? (xpost though MES in "Josie/Pussycats"'d be awesome)

― Morley Timmons (Donna Brown), Monday, 29 November 2004 20:49 (twenty-one years ago)

The Gene Krupa Story, starring Sal Mineo.

http://ia.imdb.com/media/imdb/01/I/78/96/46m.jpg

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 29 November 2004 20:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Gigantic's on Sundance Channel as I type this.

― maria b (maria b), Monday, 29 November 2004 21:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Does The Commitments count?

― jocelyn (Jocelyn), Monday, 29 November 2004 21:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Gigantic's on Sundance Channel as I type this.

had a nap during Gigantic, woke up during the Elliott Smith short shown directly afterward, still disoriented from unexpected splicing

― Morley Timmons (Donna Brown), Monday, 29 November 2004 21:36 (twenty-one years ago)

5,000 Fingers of Dr. T
CB-4
The Jazz Singer

― LSTD (answer) (sexyDancer), Monday, 29 November 2004 21:47 (twenty-one years ago)

"8 mile"
"tougher than leather"

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 29 November 2004 21:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Laurel Canyon (with Folk Implosion playing a Britpop band with Sparklehorse-penned tunes!)

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Monday, 29 November 2004 22:03 (twenty-one years ago)

DIG! (Which I Tivo'd off of Sundance last week, and which was fantastic.)

― Phil Dennison (Phil D.), Monday, 29 November 2004 22:50 (twenty-one years ago)

I thought so too a few weeks ago, and came here to ILM after googling Ned's comments on Brian Jonestown. Then I tried to watch it a second time, but couldn't take it.

― Ken L (Ken L), Monday, 29 November 2004 23:00 (twenty-one years ago)

'American Hot Wax'
'Rock 'n' Roll High School'
'Rockers'
'Loving You,' 'Jailhouse Rock,' 'King Creole,' etc.
'One Trick Pony'
'Round Midnight'
'Rude Boy'
'The Phantom of the Paradise'
'Payday'
'Nashville Rebel'

Chris means 'Grace of My Heart,' by the way. Ileana Douglas *is* great in this!

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Monday, 29 November 2004 23:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Who is Harry Kellerman...?

― Doobie Keebler (Charles McCain), Monday, 29 November 2004 23:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Jazz Doc: Straight, No Chaser
Pre-Rock Biopic: Yankee Doodle Dandy

― Ken L (Ken L), Monday, 29 November 2004 23:16 (twenty-one years ago)

'Bye Bye Birdie'
'A Star is Born' (Garland or Streisand)
'The Man With the Golden Arm'

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Monday, 29 November 2004 23:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Man w/ GA a good one.

What about the very first A Star Is Born with Janet Gaynor and Fredric March?

Nico Icon! (! mine)

― Ken L (Ken L), Monday, 29 November 2004 23:19 (twenty-one years ago)

'The Girl Can't Help It'
'Go, Johnny, Go'
'Teenage Millionaire'
'A Hard Day's Night'
'Help!'
'Head'
'Immortal Beloved'
'Get Crazy!'

Ken, it's been so long since I've seen the Gaynor one that I couldn't remember if she played a singer!

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Monday, 29 November 2004 23:20 (twenty-one years ago)

'The Hours and Times'
'200 Motels'
Did anyone mention the Prince films?

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Monday, 29 November 2004 23:23 (twenty-one years ago)

anyone mention the Prince films?

someone mentioned purple rain. has anyone ever SEEN any of the others?

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 29 November 2004 23:25 (twenty-one years ago)

A Star Is Born
Busted! You're right she's not a singer so doesn't belong on list. Still a good movie though. Should Singing In The Rain be included, since everybody is a-singing and a-dancing? But that would open floodgates for any backstage musical.

How about the Robert Frank directed stuffed-with-cult-music-figures movie about a wannabe musician looking for a legendary guitarmaker, Candy Mountain? Which will of course prompt somebody to say...

― Ken L (Ken L), Monday, 29 November 2004 23:27 (twenty-one years ago)

I saw 'Parade,' and actually liked it. Saw SOTT, but not 'Graffiti Bridge.'

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Monday, 29 November 2004 23:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Does "Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey" count?

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 29 November 2004 23:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Was that a Prince flick, too?

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Monday, 29 November 2004 23:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, duh. Obviously.

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 29 November 2004 23:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Lady Sings The Blues - with Dianna Ross as Bilie Holday - eh
Stars & Stripes Forever - With Clifton Webb as John Philip Souza - !!

― jim wentworth (wench), Tuesday, 30 November 2004 04:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Made

Roy Harper plays a "boring old folk singer"! Script by Howard Barker!

― We Buy a Hammer For Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 30 November 2004 11:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Back to the Future?

― LSTD (answer) (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 30 November 2004 14:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Performance by Nicolas Roeg.

Lisztomania by Ken Russell.

Both great movies, imho.

― Salvador Saca (Mr. Xolotl), Tuesday, 30 November 2004 20:05 (twenty-one years ago)

"Blues Brothers" - my favorite movie about music with the best car chase scene ever.

― beaty (beaty), Tuesday, 30 November 2004 20:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Not a rock film, not even in English but worth finding:

Madreselva, from Argentina in the 30's. The plot is something like this: struggling singer meets and then loses macho but ultimately decent man. Goes to Europe to mend broken heart, becomes huge singing star, feted and celebrated in all major capitals. Some time later returns home, somehow concealing presence, where her former paramour is now marrying her sister. Hiding behind a curtain she provides the singing voice (singing title song "Madreselva"?- now a beloved tango) for a puppet show at sister's wedding, causing aged father to drop dead on the spot (because he recognized her voice?), before she has had a chance to pop out from behind curtain to embrace him. Sings about the madreselva (honeysuckle) one more time and somehow they all live happily ever after.

― Ken L (Ken L), Tuesday, 30 November 2004 21:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Impromptu, wherein Hugh Grant plays Chopin.

― jocelyn (Jocelyn), Tuesday, 30 November 2004 21:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Diva

― Doobie Keebler (Charles McCain), Tuesday, 30 November 2004 22:11 (twenty-one years ago)

The Piano
Hillary & Jackie
The Fabulous Baker Boys
Black Orpheus
Georgia

― LSTD (answer) (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 30 November 2004 22:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Blues in the Night -- Cool early movie about roving jazz punks. Elia Kazan is in it, and the leader of the band is named "Jigger Pine".
The Rat Race -- Tony Curtis as down & out trumpeter. Worth watching for Don Rickles as an evil pimp.
The Glenn Miller Story -- This chokes me up, for some reason. James Stewart had to play trombone for the part, and I read that he asked Louis Armstrong for advice on how to treat a sore lip: "Man, when you get home, have your wife sit on your face!"
Sweetwater
Honeysuckle Rose
The Country Bears
W.W. & the Dixie Dancekings
Quite a number of Elvis films, and thousands of old musicals. This thread could go on forever.

― briania (briania), Tuesday, 30 November 2004 22:21 (twenty-one years ago)

The Fabulous Baker Boys

god i loved that one. in a way it was the template for "behind the music." could easily be remade as "the fabulous gallagher boys" or "the fabulous van halen boys" without too much work.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Tuesday, 30 November 2004 22:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Cisco Pike

― Doobie Keebler (Charles McCain), Tuesday, 30 November 2004 22:23 (twenty-one years ago)

i second (and third and fourth) "the glenn miller story"

and i add "little voice"

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Tuesday, 30 November 2004 22:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Black Orpheus is genius. How about stretching for a film about aspiring song-and-script-writer William Fisher, Billy Liar? You have to admit "Twisterella" is a catchy tune.

― Ken L (Ken L), Tuesday, 30 November 2004 22:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Dingo, that 1990 flick with the real Miles Davis in it - and that fictional young trumpeter ("that chap from Water Rats"), etc...

Oh! The Hot Spot!

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Tuesday, 30 November 2004 22:41 (twenty-one years ago)

The Hot Spot? Don Johnson starring, Dennis Hopper directing? Good movie, good music, but does he play a musician in that one?

― Ken L (Ken L), Tuesday, 30 November 2004 22:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Krush Groove !

― Ken L (Ken L), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 03:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Some Like It Hot.

― Bruce S. Urquhart (BanjoMania), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 04:05 (twenty-one years ago)

It's gonna take us a month just to click off the recent and obvious, like Velvet Goldmine.

― briania (briania), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 04:55 (twenty-one years ago)

five years pass...

Hysteria: The Def Leppard Story

― Lazarus Niles-Burnham (res), Saturday, 25 September 2010 19:50 (fifteen years ago)

just watched I'm Not There and it's cool, still sinking in. It's fictionalized like Velvet Goldmine with different characters/actors for the various stages of Dylan (young folkie, Voice of a Generation, rocker, etc). don't know how it would go over with those who don't know his story already but way better than a straight biopic (which could have easily turned into The Doors movie cheese).

― Aqua Buddha (herb albert), Saturday, 25 September 2010 20:12 (fifteen years ago)

two weeks pass...

I definitely recommend the film Crossroads - here's a blog post I just put together on the 'Ten Must-See Films for Musicians' might give you a few more ideas!
http://www.themusiciansguide.co.uk/blog/08/five-ways-to-learn-about-music-promotion-without-compromising-your-songwriting-time/

― marcustaylor, Sunday, 10 October 2010 20:03 (fifteen years ago)

Grand Theft Parsons

― earlnash, Sunday, 10 October 2010 23:08 (fifteen years ago)

There's a fantastic moment in the Buddy Holly Story, where we see Buddy in the studio during the recording of 'Raining in My Heart' dashing off the part for the waiting Orch. and two Cherman classical dude are seen poring over it: 'Ist ferry Clefer, he hass ze shtrings playink pizzicato - like ze raindrops on ze vindow!' (something like that anyway)

― sonofstan, Sunday, 10 October 2010 23:20 (fifteen years ago)

nine years pass...

let's get lost, directed by bruce weber, about chet baker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PGeOZqvISk

i loved it, but know going in that it's gonna glorify a person who left a trail of despair, basically because he was so handsome and charismatic

but dang, so handsome and charismatic, and what a trail, and you can view the film as a version of what it might have felt like to fall under that spell

― Peaceful Warrior I Poser (Karl Malone), Thursday, 28 November 2019 05:47 (six years ago)

101 Dalmatians

― Siegbran, Thursday, 28 November 2019 06:19 (six years ago)

People who sign their posts on internet forums: where are they now?

Chinaski

― Life is a meaningless nightmare of suffering...save string (Chinaski), Thursday, 28 November 2019 15:31 (six years ago)

Pretty sure this wasn't me, would like to think it's the real Big Mick.

― éminence rose et jaune (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 28 November 2019 15:40 (six years ago)

I have an unfortunate affinity for Let's Get Lost tho Karl is right about it

― éminence rose et jaune (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 28 November 2019 15:42 (six years ago)

finally watched Be Here to Love Me, thought it did a really nice job of noting TVZ's particular genius without romanticizing or diminishing the extent and impact of his alcoholism on those who cared about him.

― Simon H., Thursday, 28 November 2019 15:47 (six years ago)

four years pass...

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/30/movies/blank-generation-amos-poe.html

Amos Poe lost control of his documentary Blank Generation about the music scene that spawned artists like Blondie and Talking Heads after a dispute with Ivan Kral, the guitarist who made the movie with him.

That's an article from 2020. Does anyone know whether the streaming versions of Blank Generation are the original version with credit to Poe and Kral, or the more recent Kral estate version with Poe's name deleted and the film ending changed ?

― curmudgeon, Thursday, 22 February 2024 20:39 (two years ago)

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