Ross Bonaime, Staff Writer
Last Wednesday, Michael Jackson’s final concert opus, This Is It, was released to rave reviews and sold-out showings.
On Nov. 13, Pirate Radio will be released. It’s a movie starring Philip Seymour Hoffman about DJs going out to sea to broadcast illegal rock and roll radio to ‘60s England.
With this recent rise of music in movies, here are the top-ten movies about music:
10. School of Rock
What would happen if Jack Black took over a private school’s music class?
The film shows the educational power that all types of music can have on children and that Black would make a pretty great music teacher.
9. 8 Mile
At the height of Eminem’s musical career, Marshall Mathers made his stunning film debut appearing as underground rapper B-Rabbit. The film builds around his constant struggles until finally they burst into a breathtaking musical performance that hits viewers as hard as life has hit B-Rabbit. With “Lose Yourself,” Mathers won an Oscar for best song.
8. I’m Not There
Todd Haynes decided to take a spin on typical rock biographies like Ray and Walk the Line by having six different actors play Bob Dylan in different points of his life, including a fantastic performance by Cate Blanchett. This unconventional film is a refreshing look at the folk singer’s career and the personas he created for himself.
7. Yankee Doodle Dandy
James Cagney performs as patriotic songsmith George M. Cohan. His performance is widely considered to be one of the greatest musician biographies of all time. Cagney shines as the charismatic musician and makes this one of the most classic music movies ever.
6. DiG!
Documentarian Ondi Timoner followed two bands, The Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre, for seven years. What resulted was the success of The Dandy Warhols, the downward spiral of BJM, the destruction of the friendship between the two bands and a movie depicting just how far some will go to make the great music they want.
5. The Jazz Singer
“You ain’t heard nothin’ yet!” Al Jolson proclaimed as the first words heard in “talkie” films. He was completely right. Jolson plays the son of Jewish parents who want him to follow his father’s footsteps as a Jewish cantor, but Jolson wants to be a song-and-dance man. This film finally made it possible for audiences to not only see but hear what was going on in the great musicals.
4. Moulin Rouge
Baz Luhrmann’s spastic take on turn-of-the-century France takes a look at the popular club that features the revolutionaries of Bohemian art nightly. Satine, played by Nicole Kidman, is the beautiful courtesan with whom young playright Christian, played by Ewan McGregor, falls in love.
Luhrmann brings new life to the City of Lights in this tragic tale by using modern pop songs such as “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “Like a Virgin.”
3. This is Spinal Tap
Rob Reiner’s mockumentary about a ridiculous metal band is great not just because it’s hilarious, but also because it’s similar to the actual bands of the time.
Reiner documents Spinal Tap as they go on their latest tour. What follows is one of the worst tours ever and one of the funniest comedies of all time.
2. High Fidelity
Record store owner Rob Gordon (John Cusack) has just been dumped by his girlfriend Laura, leaving him to create his list of top-five girlfriends of all time. Gordon ponders which came first for him, the music or the misery, as his vast record collection—and the lessons he’s learned from them—help him cope with the loss of his latest love in this romantic comedy.
1. Almost Famous
The story of underage journalist William Miller, who starts writing for Rolling Stone and starts touring with up-and-coming rock band Stillwater, is actually based on the childhood events of director Cameron Crowe as he followed various rock bands in his youth. William’s love for the music brings him to meet legendary “Band-Aid” Penny Lane (Kate Hudson). Crowe beautifully shows young love, not only for Penny, but also for the music in this lovely look at the legendary rock music of the ‘70s.
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