The best music movies throughout history.
There are few films that have brought me as much pleasure as 1987's anthology of short cinematic wonders called Aria. I have repeatedly viewed the film: as an escape, as an elevation of the spirit, as a perfect and complete entertainment--it exemplifies all that the cinema is. Dream-like, surreal, a fantasia blending sound and image with utter and complete rapturous affection. To say that it is perfect is perhaps overstating things; but, only a little. It is damn near perfect.
You would be hard pressed to find a music industry story as strange or twisty as that of Ike White. A man once viewed by music industry insiders as the heir to Jimi Hendrix, Ike White found mostly obscurity after making a splash in prison. Yes, I said prison. Ike White was an inmate in a northern California correctional facility when he was discovered by a prisoner who shared his talent with a music producer friend.
Miles Davis: The Birth of the Cool is a somewhat in depth look at the life of Miles Davis. There is so much information in this film that one has to wonder what they left on the cutting room floor when they made this documentary. It seemed like there was a lot of information was missing and they could have went into depth on so many different things but the runtime of the film held them back. It's a tough to balance entertainment, information and runtime when making documentaries like this.
The Sound of Metal has a premise unlike any other I can recall seeing in a mainstream feature. The film stars Riz Ahmed as a man who loses his hearing. He goes from being a heavy metal drummer to being almost completely deaf in a matter of days and it is a harrowing tale. This would be traumatizing for just about anyone but a musician losing their hearing suddenly and without warning, the trauma is almost unimaginable.
Dolly Parton: Here I Am is a ninety-minute documentary that should have been called Dolly Parton: Queen Of Country. The documentary takes the shallowest of dives into her life and where she came from.
G-Funk is an exclusive YouTube documentary that came out back in 2017. I kind of wish that more people knew about this documentary because they tell us things that really needs to be told. There are a bunch of stories in there that might not be well known that should be known because of its unsung heroes.
Carry the music everywhere you go. Music brings people together. Julie and the Phantoms is a 2020 Netflix series. Having given up music after the death of her mother, Julie meets three musical ghosts who have been dead for 25 years. Agreeing to help one another, they become the band that they always dreamed to be. While Julie is starstruck, the ghosts are caught in a dilemma of their own.
Who am I? That is the question that pops into my head when I watch Break The Silence: The Movie, a documentary movie that shares about a popular K-pop group, Bangtan Sonyeondan (BTS) while they were on tour last year.
In life, Michael Hutchence was an Australian rock icon: the lead singer of INXS, our first true international Rock Star. By most media accounts he lived a life of fame and excess. Yet there was far more to Michael Hutchence than the often one-dimensional look-in that the media gave us.
Most people get annoyed when a song gets stuck on repeat in their heads every single second of every single day. It's enough to make you take up the sounds of silence. I've been trained, however, to notice whatever goes through the mind as some kind of message from the Universe, so I listen a little more closely than others do.
What is it about American pop stars? Why is it always so awkward when they step up and attempt to say something important? I have a theory: it’s our fault. We, the audience, the consumer, the fan, demand that our pop stars be relatable, they need to have themes that resonate on the widest possible spectrum. If an artist takes a confident stand on an issue, we become uncomfortable.
When it comes to Ben Platt, I have always admired him and his work since seeing him as Benji in "Pitch Perfect". Then I was in complete awe at his voice during his starring role in the hit broadway show "Dear Evan Hansen". Finally, I fell in love with his artistry when he released his debut album "Sing to Me Instead" was released. Therefore, I was fairly excited when Netflix announced it would be releasing one night only recording of his Radio City performance, the final on his album tour.