Alembic Guitars Club
Connecting => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: lbpesq on April 13, 2020, 03:14:40 PM
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Since many of us have been spending more time in front of the tube than usual lately, I thought it might be fun to share some of our favorite music-themed movies with each other. No hard and fast rules, just movies where music is central. Concert films, documentaries, movie versions of Broadway musicals, Hollywood musicals, dramas, comedies, anything with lots of songs, instruments, singing, etc. So I’ll start off with two obvious ones that happen to be two of my all time favorites from opposite ends of the spectrum, as well as one lessor known but well worth the watch.
This is Spinal Tap
Singin’ in the Rain
20 Feet From Stardom
Bill, tgo
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Two scenes that stand out:
The absolute magic of using 'The Blue Danube Waltz' behind the Earth to Space Station and Space Station to Moon sequences from 2001, utterly inspired and so amazingly fitted; this and the second sequence going on to the moon (I couldn't find a similar quality clip from YouTube) knock me out every time I watch them.
So I'm a Turner Classic Movie fan. Over the years, with the recent Lady Gaga remake of 'A STAR IS BORN', it makes 4 times this movie (with the same basic plot updated for the time it was filmed) has been re-cast and re-made.
Of the 4, my favorite is the George Cukor directed 2nd version shot and released in 1953 and '54. When Cukor went with Judy Garland (who Hollywood was already holding at arms' length due to her struggles with her personal demons), he was able to enlist Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin for the music and lyrics for the soundtrack. It has its period correct big production numbers, but for me, the real, real deal is 'The Man That Got Away', framed as an after-hours jam. To watch her build this song, stand on it, then fade it down to the end is simply to watch a star at work. THAT's the kind of things most of us mortal are not able to tap into, and the few times I've been in the presence of master musicians or singers, their ability to conjure huge magic seemingly out of thin air is what separates them (or her, in this case) from the rest of us.
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A moment for Judy’s performance ________________.
When The Kids Are Alright was released my brother and I rode down to the Uptown Theater in our neighbors suburban with a US Bong. A great movie, certainly not my favorite musical themed movie, but the memory of it popped into my head, was the summer of 79, the end of (for me) the greatest decade. I was 16, everything was right with the world....
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The Kids are Alright is a great movie, being a big fan of the early Who I have seen many times.
Sun Ra's Space is the Place is a weird and fun movie with lots of music. Filmed here in Oakland, CA in 1971 during the period that Sun Ra and his Arkestra moved to California after Sun Ra was offered an artist-in-residence position at UC Berkeley.
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I'm never good at picking favorite anything.
Movie- "The Red Violin". Story of a haunted violin from the 1600's. Great soundtrack, if you like violin music. The plot is incredibly twisted. And it's subtitled, because the plot follows the 'life' of this fiddle around the world. If you're American, the only actor in it you've probably heard of is Samuel L. Jackson. I liked it a lot.
Here's the trailer:
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I liked Red Violin a lot too.
My favorite three "music-themed" movies: Immortal Beloved, Amadeus, Impromptu.
Another favorite is Eroica.
Recently watched the Music of Silence on netflix. The best part was the music.
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Oh, and this one:
For those of us 'of a certain age', Tom Hanks' remarkable 'THAT THING YOU DO' is utterly evocative and correct for how bands were in those days after Elvis and before the Summer of Love. I watch it an marvel at just how much he got right, and the music is spot on.
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I'm with the kids are alright, because I remember how pumped up I was after seeing it at 13...listening to 'that thing you do' just now, totally sounds like Adam Schlesinger, damn sad that he's now gone too; I'm kinda a sucker for good power pop...
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A Mighty Wind
Inside Llewyn Davis
Grateful Dead
Nashville (I think; I haven't seen it since it was in theaters)
Woodstock
Jersey Boys
That Thing You Do
Peter
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Another golden thread here....
A Mighty Wind is epic, love that cast. As much so a needed nod to Spinal Tap.
Eroica- didn’t know about that. We played several of the movements from that in a community orchestra and I recall how good it felt to play that, bet the movie is a treat.
Foo Fighters: Back and Forth is rather interesting or perhaps relatable as Grohl discusses the dynamics of different personalities within a band. I remember watching that part and declaring out loud “Yes, yes we had the same situation in such and such band!”.
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Lush Life, wit Jeff Goldblum and Forest Whittaker.
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... Eroica- didn’t know about that. We played several of the movements from that in a community orchestra and I recall how good it felt to play that, bet the movie is a treat ...
The focus of the movie is primarily on the performance of the music. The "story" is somewhat secondary, though it provides historical context that enhances appreciation of the revolutionary nature of the third symphony. The music is played on period correct instruments and the performance is wonderful.
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200 Motels
The Commitments
Quadrophenia
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Rockers
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Almost Famous.
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Almost Famous.
Some years back, I read that there was an Almost Famous "director's cut" with a lot more Stillwater performance time; I have yet to find it, but would love to.
Peter
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Definitely "This is Spinal Tap". While it is over the top it does great job of parodying the absurdities of being in a band and the music business.
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Definitely "This is Spinal Tap". While it is over the top it does great job of parodying the absurdities of being in a band and the music business.
For a movie that is not what one could call great, but is enjoyable, that does an even better job of capturing the internal dynamics of af a band , try Still Crazy (I would be surprised if anyone here doesn't recognize every character from their own experience).
Peter
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Another vote here for Almost Famous. I recently watched the movie Green Book. Loved it. It is music themed. Sort of.
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One I just remembered that is definitely worth a watch is 1993’s “Fear of a Black Hat”. Sort of the Hip Hop version of Spinal Tap. It follows the rise and fall of NWH - N***as With Hats. Very funny.
Bill, tgo
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Just watched "Cadillac Records" on netflix. It's the story of Chess Records, and the early careers of Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Willie Dixon, Howlin' Wolf, Chuck Berry, and Etta James. Glad I watched it; recommended.
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Just watched "Cadillac Records" on netflix. It's the story of Chess Records, and the early careers of Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Willie Dixon, Howlin' Wolf, Chuck Berry, and Etta James. Glad I watched it; recommended.
Thanks, Dave; I'll definitely check that one out!
Peter
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That sounds great David, thanks for the tip.
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Just finished watching the Grateful Dead Movie. Hadn’t seen it in years. Brought back a lot of memories - I was there four of the five nights. I was so high the final night that when Mickey Hart came out and joined the band, I didn’t know if there were two drummers and I was seeing double, or one and I was seeing quadruple - I saw four of ‘em! It scares me when I realize I was only 19 at the time.
Two of the largest Alembic logos gracing the stage. The extra large one on Mission Control, and a lesser but still oversize one on Wolf, which also sported the Wolf decal, pre inlay. As always, I love the part where the camera is interacting with Phil’s bass. Also love the quick shot of the bass’s innards.
Stay safe,
Bill, tgo
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Anyone here seen a movie called "The Soloist" ?
I read the book by the author many years ago, then later heard they made a movie of it, but I never saw it. I'm not that easily disappointed, so I'll have to put it on my wish list. (along with the Grateful Dead movie... still haven't seen that either)
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Grateful Dead movie is great. First saw it during the limited theatrical release in New York City when it was screened at only a few theaters around the country where they had sent in a better sound system. There was so much weed smoking in the theater that the fire marshalls raided the place and threatened to shut down the screenings if people didn't stop smoking in the theater due to the fire hazard. A couple of nights later I was playing a gig at a local club. We were on our break and doing whippets and smoking joints in the back room when the owner came in to warn us that the fire marshalls were raiding the club... he also commented that he figured we would be "up to something". Weird coincidence... the 70s were sure a different time.
The outtakes and bonus material on the DVD version of the Grateful Dead movie are really good, I almost enjoy those more than the movie itself.
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I was at Winterland at the show during much of the filming for the Grateful Dead movie ;) Such memories .
I was delighted with the animation as well !
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We were watching the nugs.tv Dead & Co. show. Boy, are they mellow! Seems every song is just at the line of being too slow, and a few cross the line. Just switched over to the 2nd bonus DVD of the GD movie, per Stephen’s suggestion. What a delightful difference!
Bill, tgo