Air-Guitar Picks and Pans: Movies About Rock Bands
I was a teenage Runaway wannabe. Growing up, I copied Cherie Currie's shaggy
feathered hair and dreamed of having a band like The Runaways. But, as
usual, reality spoils the fantasy and if I’d sneered “Hello daddy, hello, mom!” my parents would have told me to quit being a goofball and go clean my
room. So, as The Runaways --the biopic on the long-overlooked ‘70s teen rocker chicks--opens in
selected theaters this week, I’m hoping Hollywood won’t break my
still-adolescent heart. Can Dakota Fanning hold a torch to the real Cherie? Is
Kristen Stewart too one-dimensional as Twilight’s Bella to be a decent Joan Jett?
We’ll soon see. Until then, here’s a look at a few faux rockers who didn’t
disappoint – and some that barely struck a chord.
- The Doors: In this 1991 film by director Oliver Stone, a svelte Val Kilmer plays the late Jim Morrison and bears an eerie resemblance
to the singer, who died in 1971. Say what you will about Stone's heavy-handed treatment of the '60s in some of his films, this one holds a few surprises, such as Crispin Glover as the best Andy Warhol
ever.
- Sid and Nancy:
Gary Oldman is the goofily, drugged-out Sex Pistols bassist Sid
Vicious in this 1986 film directed
by Alex Cox. Chloe Webb gives a
memorable performance as Sid’s screeching girlfriend Nancy Spungeon (best quote: “I look
like @$#*$) Stevie Nicks!”). The tragic tale of the ill-fated lovers is marked
by ethereal cinematography – and it’s also worth watching for a glimpse of a pre-plastic surgery
Courtney Love as one of Nancy’s punker pals.
- Buddy Holly Story: Long before Gary Busey’s stint on Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew, he received a Best Actor nomination for this 1978 tale of rocker Buddy Holly. Holly’s blooming career was cut short in a tragic plane crash that also took the lives of fellow stars Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson in 1959. Valens was later memorialized by Lou Diamond Phillips in 1987’s La Bamba.
- Hysteria: The Def Leppard Story: My friend Jim owns a DVD of this made-for-VH1 movie. “It’s pretty bad,” he said, popping it into the DVD player. So I braced myself for the worst. No, this tale of the UK's metal rockers is GREAT-bad in the same way that Showgirls is GREAT-bad. Why it hasn't become a cult classic is beyond me.
Control: As a major Joy Division fan, I thought Sam Riley did a brilliant job as Ian Curtis, lead singer of the influential British band who took his own life in 1980. I was cynical at first, but director Anton Corbjin won me over quickly by staying remarkably true to his subject.
-
Ray: Jamie Foxx took home an Oscar for his electrifying performance as Ray Charles in this 2004 biopic which chronicles the life and struggles of the blind singer/pianist. I'd always thought of Foxx as just this funny guy from TV, but he's earned his stripes as an actor – even going so far as to wear prosthetic eyelids in order to relate to his blind character.
Here are a few more biopics worth noting that overlap the country, R&B and rock boundaries. For a music lover, that's a great thing.
- Jacksons: An American Dream: After the death of Michael Jackson, this 1992 TV
miniseries can now be considered a time capsule of sorts. It's interesting to watch
family patriarch Joe (played Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs AKA Freddy “Boom Boom’
Washington to us Welcome Back, Kotter kids) in light of his actions
since his son's death. With Angela Bassett as mom Katherine and Billy Dee
Williams as Berry Gordy.
- Walk the Line: Reese Witherspoon won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of June
Carter Cash in this 2005 film about the life of singer Johnny Cash (played by
Joaquin Phoenix – before he got weird).
- Coal Miner’s Daughter: Michael Apted directed Sissy Spacek in her Oscar-winning role in this 1980 tearjerker bio of country singer Loretta Lynn.
- What We Do Is Secret – As a longtime Germs fan, I couldn’t wait to see this
movie. I was sorry when I finally watched the DVD. Shane West (E.R.’s Dr. Ray
Barnett) growls and thrashes his way through this otherwise boring mess as late
singer Darby Crash. It's difficult to tell what's on Bijou Phillip’s head (maltese? bichon frise?) as she mangles her role as bassist Lorna Doom.
--Francine Ruley
- Jacksons: An American Dream: After the death of Michael Jackson, this 1992 TV
miniseries can now be considered a time capsule of sorts. It's interesting to watch
family patriarch Joe (played Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs AKA Freddy “Boom Boom’
Washington to us Welcome Back, Kotter kids) in light of his actions
since his son's death. With Angela Bassett as mom Katherine and Billy Dee
Williams as Berry Gordy.
OmegaMan on March 21, 2010 at 12:15 PM
End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones should be on your list. The greatest rock and roll band. If you disagree, then you never saw them...
Dave on March 21, 2010 at 12:23 PM
Does it have to be a real rock band? That Thing You Do is a great movie, very witty writing and one of the most realistic looks at the music industry of any movie.
Jim on March 21, 2010 at 12:27 PM
What about the Country Bears? An overlooked gem.
Achilles on March 21, 2010 at 12:51 PM
No list of movies about rock bands would be complete without Rob Reiner's classic documentary This is Spinal Tap. The Special Edition DVD is available from Amazon for only ten bucks.
Marc Johnson on March 21, 2010 at 01:16 PM
How about "Almost Famous"?
dthistle on March 21, 2010 at 02:07 PM
The Commitments.
Rob Miller on March 21, 2010 at 02:09 PM
I recommend (if you can find it) 'Cocksucker Blues' , the unreleased movie done about the Rolling Stones 'Exile On Main Street' tour.
It is the truest and most honest depiction on film I've ever seen on what it's really like to be in a touring rock band...which is probably why Mick and the boys made sure it stayed buried.
Also, re: 'Spinal Tap'..some of you may not be aware that a lot of the episodes in that movie actually happened in real life, mostly in the early Black Sabbath,Uriah Heep deep Purple etc. tours.
Greg Toombs on March 21, 2010 at 04:55 PM
Hard Day's Night.
Denny on March 21, 2010 at 05:19 PM
The Commitments. I defy anyone to remain seated during the last fifteen minutes of that movie. Awesome, uh, as the kids say.
RT on March 21, 2010 at 06:59 PM
This list should have The Kids are Alright at the head of it.
Tragic Christian on March 21, 2010 at 09:06 PM
Let's not forget the now forgotten "Light of Day": Michael J. Fox as a blue-collar Cleveland factory worker/rock band guitarist, with Joan Jett as his troubled single mom sister, also in the band. It's a little gem.
JSC on March 21, 2010 at 09:42 PM
New York Doll isn't on here? Granted it's more about 1 member than the whole band, but it's still an excellent movie.
iPad Keyboard on March 23, 2010 at 04:36 AM
Thanks for the links of music albums. I was looking some cool albums to buy as I wanted to gift it to my younger brother. He is a great music lover and he used to play guitar.
JAS on April 21, 2010 at 11:48 AM
Good list! I link to it at http://www.bitterbalcony.com! :)
怀淰＠＾过厾 on August 17, 2010 at 06:39 PM
I recommend (if you can find it) 'Cocksucker Blues' , the unreleased movie done about the Rolling Stones 'Exile On Main Street' tour.
It is the truest and most honest depiction on film I've ever seen on what it's really like to be in a touring rock band...which is probably why Mick and the boys made sure it stayed buried.
Also, re: 'Spinal Tap'..some of you may not be aware that a lot of the episodes in that movie actually happened in real life, mostly in the early Black Sabbath,Uriah Heep deep Purple etc. tours.
sensations on October 21, 2010 at 11:52 PM
In his eighty-second year, still a human dynamo, Mr. Baruch talks not of the past but of present problems and the future, deploring our ignorance of history, economics, and psychology.
sensations on October 21, 2010 at 11:52 PM
In his eighty-second year, still a human dynamo, Mr. Baruch talks not of the past but of present problems and the future, deploring our ignorance of history, economics, and psychology.
guitar picks on April 01, 2011 at 02:55 AM
I agree with Marc. Almost Famous is pretty amazing. As a guitar-player, it made me think about how to live like a famous rock star.
air conditioning on July 13, 2011 at 09:19 PM
I didn't really like almost famous myself. It didn't make me think at all, lol.
alaskan cruises on January 12, 2012 at 01:17 AM
You should watch the documentary about the history of metal music. Title of the docu was Headbanger's Journey.
that lung on March 21, 2012 at 08:38 PM
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