Lights, Camera, Rock!
Ever since the dawn of celluloid, music has played an integral part in the world of film. Imagine, if you can, Saturday Night Fever without the Bee Gees. Further, the infamous ear cutting scene in Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs would have been even more sinister had it not been juxtaposed with the palatable folk-rock strains of Steeler’s Wheel.
It is in this spirit that we at the Dwarf have compiled for you, dear reader, some of the best movies about music. So, strap yourselves in and buy some overpriced popcorn as we take to through (in no particular order) some of the greatest moments in musical movie history.
This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
Dir. Rob Reiner
The granddaddy of them all. This classic fly-on-the-wall mockumentary about the greatest band that never was, Spinal Tap, is still up there as one of the funniest films of all time…let alone one about music. It provides the perfect send up of the massive glut of hair and cock rock bands that seemed to flood our airwaves during the late 70’s and early 80’s with aplomb.
The songs are worth the price of the film alone. With titles such as Big Bottom, Sex Farm, and Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You Tonight, how can you go wrong?
Writer Christopher Guest made somewhat of a successful career with the documentary style (Best in Show, Waiting For Guffman etc) but none of them, in my opinion, even come close to the majesty of rock that is This Is Spinal Tap. Also, it’s the only film I know of that goes to eleven.
The Rude Boy (1980)
Dir. Jack Hazan/David Mingay
First of all, let me say that this tale of a young London punk who wants to roadie for seminal UK punk band The Clash, is pretty much the most poorly constructed, confusing and flat out ordinary film I can remember seeing. ‘Then why is it included in this list.’ I hear you ask. Well for one simple reason. The Rude Boy features some of the most exquisitely shot live footage ever committed to tape. Cinematographer Jack Hazan managed to capture all of the frenetic energy of a live Clash show and you almost get the feeling that you are pogoing along with the best of them. Crap film, great live footage.
The Harder They Come (1972)
Dir. Perry Henzell
The Harder They Come has the honour of being both the greatest Reggae film ever, and the only English language film to have subtitles - the latter coming from the thick Jamaican Patois spoken throughout.
The film tells the story of Iavnhoe Martin (played by Reggae legend Jimmy Cliff) who moves to the ‘big smoke’ to make it as a reggae star, but instead finding himself as Jamaica’s most wanted man. The result is a gritty urban drama with a surprisingly good performance from Jimmy Cliff. Supposedly based on a true story, The Harder They Come also features one of the best soundtracks to ever accompany a film, and a seminal Reggae record to boot, with some classic tracks from Jimmy Cliff, Toots and The Maytalls, and Desmond Dekker.
Some Kind Of Monster (2004)
Dir. Joe Berlinger
This documentary on metal stalwarts Metallica reveals just how bloated, self important, and just plain petulant rock stars can be.
Following the band through the recording of their St Anger album, SKOM is a revealing portrait of a band with more money than sense. You almost get a sense of life imitating art with this film. The very fact that the band hired a ‘counsellor’ at $40,000 per month could have come straight out of the aforementioned This Is Spinal Tap. C’mon Lars and James, just how seriously can two guys take themselves.
Aside from all that, Some Kind of Monster is a truly great documentary that serves as a cautionary tale for bands everywhere of what not to become.
The Fearless Freaks (2005)
Dir. Bradley Beesley
This is possibly one of the most thoroughly absorbing rock and roll documentaries ever made. The Fearless Freaks charts the evolution of The Flaming Lips, and I could almost guarantee that if you hate the Lips going into this film, by the end of it you will have at least some affection for Oklahoma’s favourite indie rock sons.
Filmed lovingly by Bradley Beesley from the bands early beginnings in Oklahoma to taking on the world stage with shows that one reviewer described as ‘a rich kids birthday party.’
Beesley, a long time friend of lead Lip Wayne Coyne has had his camera trained on the band since its inception – and it shows. There is enough information about the Lips contained in this film to kill a small horse. Childhood Christmases (even ones on Mars) birthdays, recording sessions, in-depth interviews, starkly honest accounts of drug addiction…it’s all there.
This is a truly great rock and roll documentary.
The Doors (1991)
Dir. Oliver Stone
This rather excessively hallucinogenic retelling of the life and times of The Doors probably would have been cod ordinary had it have been handled by anyone other than Oliver Stone.
While this is more of a biopic of Jim Morrison rather than of the Doors, the fact is, love him or loathe him, he WAS the Doors.
With an eye for all things ‘trippy’, Stone takes the viewer on a veritable magic carpet ride through the sixties and through the highly unpredictable life of the head Door.
While maybe not Stone’s finest hour, it would come close to being Val Kilmer’s who turned in a scarily authentic performance as Morrison as he warbles with pinpoint accuracy through their back catalogue and shakes his Lizard King thing with gay abandon.
Disco Godfather (1979)
Dir. J. Robert Wagoner
What do you get when you cross New Jack City with Saturday Night Fever, and throw in a generous helping of Blaxploitation legend Rudy Ray Moore? You get Disco Godfather. Ohhh yeahhh.
Coming from the so bad it’s good category, Disco Godfather tells the story of a retired cop who, quite rationally, becomes the DJ at the Blueberry Disco. It’s all good in the hood until his nephew freaks out on some bad PCP. From here, everything pretty much goes pear shaped with the Disco Godfather vowing to take the ‘muthas’ down who are dealing the PCP.
This is one truly crazy film with plenty of funky disco grooves to be had along the way. In the words of the great Disco Godfather himself “put a little slide in yo’ glide”. Keep an eye out for this one in bargain bins everywhere. Ohhh yeahhh.
The Filth And The Fury (2000)
Dir. Julien Temple
This is the second time Mr Temple has directed a Sex Pistols film (the first being The Great Rock And Roll Swindle), but The Filth and The Fury is THE definitive last word on the seminal punk band. Like the afore mentioned Fearless Freaks, The Filth And The Fury is a highly personalised and often hilarious account of one of popular music’s most mythologised bands. Here, Temple has obviously used his long association with the remaining members of the band to get starkly honest accounts of what actually went on behind all the spit and safety pins – from the band’s beginnings to the death of bassist Sid Vicious, Temple leaves no stone unturned. This is documentary film-making at its finest.
Honourable Mentions
24 Hour Party People (2000)
Dir Michael Winterbottom
Madchester madness!! From Joy Division to the Happy Mondays – the turbulent history of the Factory Records label as seen through the eyes of Factory boss Tony Wilson. Absorbing.
Almost Famous (2000)
Dir. Cameron Crowe
A Schmaltzy yet satisfying semi-autobiographical tale, from one time Rolling Stoner Crowe, of a young music writer fulfilling his dream of touring with a successful rock band.
Rock and Roll High School (1979)
Dir. Allan Arkush
Hey Ho! Let’s go with some pure Ramones Rock and Roll craziness. Gabba Gabba Hey!
Leningrad Cowboys Go America (1989)
Dir. Aki Kaurismäki
Easily the best Finnish rock and roll road movie ever!
Another State of Mind (1984)
Dir. Adam Small/Peter Stuart
Snappy punk rock documentary following burgeoning US bands Social Distortion and Youth Brigade as well as the wider US punk rock scene of the late 70’s and 80’s.
So there you have it, folks. Happy viewing!
