Music based films

24 hour party people, a film about the manchester music scene in the late 70's early 80's, chronicles the rise and fall of joy division, factory records and the hacienda nightclub

Nice one
But what chance of anyone making a film about The Casino in Wigan

I saw and liked many of the films mentioned before. I would like to add:
- De-Lovely (Cole Porter, 2004)
- Stop making Sense (Talking Heads, 1984)
- Les Uns et les Autres (Claude Lelouch, 1981)
- Vem skall trösta knyttet? (Tove Jansson, 1980)
- Hair (Milos Forman, 1979)
- Allegro non troppo (Bruno Bozetto, 1977)
- Rock'n Roll Wolf (Ma-ma, 1976)
- Jezus Christ Superstar (Lloyd Webber, 1973)
- Fantasia (Disney, 1940)

"It goes to eleven!"

Great list, everyone. Some I've seen, most I haven't. My netflix queue just got a boost!

The Five Heartbeats and Almost Famous.

having lived with and roadied for a rock band I can say that the latter film is pretty much spot on as to the egos, groupies and.....um.....drug use.

Many a time I had to bang on hotel doors and sober up one of the band and get them to a show who was a damned mess all drunk, stoned or tripping. No Keith Moon stuff, but pretty close. Other times I have taken a punch in the head or mouth stopping one band member from ripping apart another.

But, I have to say, when it works, man oh man it is beautiful to see. The creative process the love and comradship and when a perfomance hits on all cylinders, you realize there is the center of the universe.

A band, a really fine one with good musicians is like a marrrige.

"Hail, Hail, Rock and Roll."
Good film. The nasty bitchfight between Chuck Berry and Keith Richards (about the intro to "Maybelline" I believe) is worth the price of the rental.

Mr B just mentioned, "The Great Rock and Roll Swindle" and "The Song Remains the Same" which was part of the basis for the Spinal Tap parody.

Some afterthoughts:
- Absolute Beginners (David Bowie and Sade, 1986)
- The Wiz (MJ and Diana Ross, 1978)
- Farinelli (1994)

Looking back over the list some of these are more 'musicals' than movies based on music/musicians. S'ok, I like musicals, but that list would be extensive.

Immortal Beloved (Beethoven)
The Great Caruso (Enrico Caruso)
Impromptu (Frederic Chopin)
Tous les matins du monde (Marin Marais)
Le roi danse (Jean-Baptiste Lully)

DeLovely.

Sign O the Times - Prince concert movie

Ah, nice, got a favorite?

Uh, actually, I've only seen two of those films: The Great Caruso and Le roi danse. I can't recommend either one. The Great Caruso is a typical 1950s Hollywood biopic (i.e. it gets everything wrong), and Mario Lanza was not a very good actor -- calling his acting style "wooden" suggests that there's something genuine about it; instead, it's more like fibreboard. Le roi danse has some stunning cinematography, but it's just a so-so film.

Ok, then I'll try Impromptu for the music.

From joe's list, I saw and enjoyed Immortal Beloved and Impromptu.

Great thread, J_B.

Not specifically a "music" film, Elvira Madigan was full of beautiful classical music. It even popularized Mozart's Piano Concerto #21!


http://www.essentialsofmusic.com/composer/67178.html

I saw the Gene Krupa Story many, many years ago.

So was "Kramer vs. Kramer. Full of beautiful classical music.
Sonata for Trumpet and String 2. Adagio 3. Presto
The Gordian Knot Untied 3. Rondo Minuet" and "Concerto in C Major for Mandolin & Strings 1. Allegro"

With only minor stretches to the definition, A Clockwork Orange could qualify as a music-based film.