Scapp70's Top 10 Rock and Roll Movies and Musicals
Mar 18 '06 (Updated Apr 06 '07)
The Bottom Line Boom Boom Splat!
Rock and roll movies have been around since the beginning of rock and roll in the 50s. I'm not too hip with the old Elvis movies, or the Frankie Avalon/Annette Funicello beach movies. All I know are the movies that most people know. The cult favorites are from the 70s and 80s pretty much, and these are the ones I'm most familiar with. Having said that, I realize that these movies aren't for everybody. I love them, and can't get enough of the genre, yet after the 20th or so viewing, some people around me get aggravated for some reason. I don't understand why people can't get into these types of films. Rock and roll movies have a certain passion through song that cannot be found in any other genre. If the right lyric is sung against the right music chord, then it's magic. Rock and Roll movies arouse a certain animal in you that other films cannot, and for the people that don't understand the love for the genre, well, I suppose they prefer to let that animal remain sleeping.
I must admit, it was a huge task to put these in order of the 10 best, I'm still not sure I have it right. These numbers seem to change for me often.
10. The story for Tommy (1975) suffers, but the songs are great. I am one of the few people that love the movie soundtrack better than the original album from The Who. Yes, The Who, this is a Pete Townsend story told through song. I'm guessing that this is the first rock opera ever. The album was originally released in 1967, a couple of years before any of the big rock operas that soon followed. This movie has an all-star cast besides the members of The Who. Oliver Reed and Ann Margaret play Tommy's parents. Jack Nicholson plays Tommy's shrink. Elton John plays Tommy's competition. Tina Turner plays Tommy's drug pusher/prostitute. Paul Nicholas plays Tommy's cousin Kevin. Eric Clapton plays Tommy's evangelist healer. I cannot watch the movie through to be honest. I can watch it through from the Overture up until Christmas, when Tommy is still a little boy. After that I'll skip around a bit. The "story" is about a boy, who through a traumatic witnessing of his father being murdered, closes up his sense of sight and hearing, and he no longer talks. Tommy could only allow himself to see only his own reflection in a mirror. He stumbles upon a pinball machine and becomes rich and famous by playing pinball. The world loves their new deaf, dumb and blind messiah. But once he regains his senses, and the corruption set in his empire. Best songs: Overture, Do Ya Think It's Alright?, Amazing Journey, 1951/What About the Boy? Christmas, Cousin Kevin, Pinball Wizard and I'm Free
9. I watch A Hard Day's Night (1964) to see the Beatle performances throughout the film. So most of the time when I pop it in the old DVD player, I'll skip to the songs. Watching it straight through isn't bad though. There are many funny parts, especially the scenes with Paul's uncle. The movie is a comedy, with performances of The Beatles thrown in basically. The movie is in Black and White to give it that classic look, and it is a classic. I view this more as a Spinal Tap type except not as funny. Usually there is a subplot of a love story in a rock and roll movie. There is none here in the movie, but behind the scenes, this is where George Harrison met Patti. This one makes the list although I watch it almost strictly for the performances. I mean you don't get much better soundtrack-wise than this. Soundtrack Highlights: If I Fell, A Hard Day's Night, I Should Have Known Better, And I Love Her.
8. The Idolmaker (1980) must be an obscure film because every time I mention it to someone, they have no idea what I am talking about. This is a movie, based in Brooklyn in the early 60s about a man named Vincent (Richard Sharkey). He is a songwriter with aspirations for stardom. He feels that the right songs coupled with the right look and image is the formula for success. The only thing is that he feels that he doesn't have the right look. So he finds the guys who have the right look and turns them into superstars.
He first recruits a musician from a Jersey bar band named Tommy Dee (Paul Land). After that falls through because of impatience of Tommy Dee's fault, Vincent finds Caesare (Peter Gallagher), a diamond in the rough, a busboy at his friend’s restaurant. Caesare has to be taught to sing and dance, but Vincent is determined because Caesare has that right look. That situation also falls apart for Vincent, because although he is a huge star, his forced reclusiveness is too much to bear for Caesare. The story is OK, but the songs that are included are great. There are only four performances, two from each actor, but they make the whole movie. Paul Land did not perform the songs, he lip-synched to Jesse Frederick's voice, but Peter Gallagher sang his own songs and he was amazing.
Best songs: Baby, However Dark The Night, and Sweet Little Lover.
7. Xanadu (1980) may get a few sneers here, but this could be classified as a Rock and Roll movie, I mean why not? Electric Light Orchestra provided half the songs for the movie, and they're a certified rock band, plus they perform the songs that they wrote, except for the title track Xanadu. Even The Tubes make an appearance and perform a song for the movie. Olivia Newton John stars along with Michael Peck (The Warriors). She is a muse named Kira, a daughter of the Greek god Zeus, and she is inspiration for music-related stuff I suppose. She is here on a mission to inspire Sonny (Michael Peck) into a new business venture with Danny (Gene Kelly), an older guy who used to play clarinet for the big swing bands from the forties and fifties. It turns out that Kira was Danny's muse way back when as well. The inspiration turns out to be just a roller rink with alcohol and loud music, but that's not the important part. It is also a love story between Sonny and Kira. He asked Zeus to make her mortal, and Zeus said OK, so they lived happily ever after. The soundtrack is amazing. John Ferrar provided one half and ELO kicked in the other half. I personally like the songs from John Ferrar more, but ELO has some shining moments as well.
Best songs: Whenever You're Away From Me, Xanadu, Suddenly, Magic, Don't Walk Away
6. Jesus Christ Superstar may not have won any converts to be saved, but I'm sure he indirectly recruited some fans with this film. Jesus is hardly the Messianic fulfillment in this movie, he's more of a misunderstood rock star here. All sacrilege aside, the songs are great, and you don't get a better story than the greatest story ever told. Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber gave their greatest effort with this album, and the movie brought to us by director Norman Jewison handled the visualization aspect for us. The story is told through the eyes of Jesus-betrayer/best friend Judas. The movie shows a one-sided love affair with Jesus and Mary Magdalene, as Mary doesn't know how to recognize the kind of love she feels for her Rabbi. There's no Resurrection depicted here, but like I said, this film is not about God, it's about a man named Jesus. There are some great musical moments here, actually there are very few boring scenes. Ted Neely portrays Jesus, and he out-screeches Ian Gillan on those numbers. The late Carl Anderson was an amazing choice for Judas, as his voice is one of the best I've heard.
Best songs: Heaven On Their Minds, Gethsemane (I Only Want To Say), Simon Zealottes, Trial Before Pilate, Judas' Death, Damned For All Time/Blood Money.
5. The Jazz Singer (1980) is a remake of Al Jolson's movie from 1927. I do not know too much of the original, or the one from that came out in the 50s, but I love this movie. The soundtrack is amazing, and it was written almost entirely by Neil Diamond. The movie stars Neil as Yussell Rabinovitch, a fifth generation Jewish Canter who lives in Brooklyn NY. He is married to Rifka, and they live with his father, Pop (Lawrence Olivier). Yussell does like his life, but his aspirations are for something different. He is a songwriter, and writes songs for his friends group, he cuts demos and sends them to record companies, but all on the sneak, because his father and wife do not approve of "that other life." They know that if "that other life" ever grabbed hold of Yussell, it would take him away from them. They were right too, because when a big pop star decides he wants to record one his songs, Love On The Rocks, he's on the next plane to LA. He ends up meeting Molly (Luci Arnez), and stays at her house while she showcases Yussell, who now goes by the name of Jess Robin. He ends up making it big, and Rifka doesn't want any part of it. Jess turns to Molly, and they hook up intimately, and she ends up pregnant. His stardom grows to a national level, but he remains estranged from his father. Only the sixth generation Rabinovitch could reunite the family. Soundtrack Highlights: Love On The Rocks, Hello Again, You Baby, America, Hava Nagila, Hey Louise.
4. Backbeat (1993) is proof that the one band with the greatest story belongs to The Beatles. This movie only spans two years in the life of The Beatles, and it's before they ever made it big. The story really focuses on the character of The Beatles original bassist Stuart Sutcliffe, and his relationship with John Lennon. The music soundtrack does not include any original material from The Beatles (except one quick second in a rehearsal), instead it shows the famous covers that The Beatles were forced to record for their earlier albums. This is a very emotionally powerful movie, and although Beatle fans are aware that Stuart Sutcliffe died very young in 1962 of a brain hemorrhage, we still hold our breath for a second and wonder what happens next. There should more dramas made about The Beatles, as long as they're done right like this one was. Soundtrack highlights: Twist And Shout, Money (That's What I Want), Please Mr. Postman and Slow Down.
3. The Doors (1991) is the greatest rock and roll drama based on true events of a real rock band. Director Oliver Stone took the initiative and opportunity to create some awesome imagery for some great Doors music. Val Kilmer was cast as the late Jim Morrison, and he does a fantastic job. Morrison is portrayed of being in a perpetual altered consciousness. I don't think there's one scene where Jim Morrison isn't tripping on some drug or stinking drunk. The surviving members deny that this was even close to the truth. Some of the greatest scenes include tripping in the dessert to the tune of The End. Also, the convert where Jim nearly causes a riot during a concert and the scene ends with Jim leading a sort of conga line through the crowd while he and The Doors are performing Break On Through. The movie always had death almost chasing Jim Morrison, in the form of a naked Indian, and finally catching up with him in Paris, France in 1971. Some soundtrack tracks: The End, Light My Fire, Riders On The Storm, Five to One, Break On Through.
2. Of course you cannot have a Rock and Roll movie list without including This Is Spinal Tap (1984). It's more in the comedy genre than anything else, but the movie has its rocking moments as well. This was the brain child of Harry Shearer, Michael McKeon, Rob Reiner (director), and especially Christopher Knight. They wrote all the songs that are in the movie, they perform all the songs and they're all that early 80s metal category. Actually the story covers the history of Spinal Tap from the mid sixties to present, (1984). They are a band that has changed with the times as the movie shows, first an early Rolling Stones-type, then flower power hippies, then hard rock. They are trying to make a successful comeback tour and it isn't going so successfully. They end up playing airport lounge areas, or opening for a puppet show. The movie is hilarious, as it portrays the touring life of aging prissy English rock and rollers. You probably saw it, if you didn't you should. Also, with this upgraded DVD that was released a couple of years ago, watching the DVD with the commentary on adds a whole new set of belly laughs to enjoy.
Best songs: Sex Farm, Big Bottom, Stonehenge, Cups and Cakes, Hell Hole and Lick My Love Pump.
2a. Purple Rain (1984) had such an impact on me, the way it did a couple of other million people. I remember the trailer for this, and I thought that the trailer was the coolest thing I've ever seen. The press always attached the tagline - semiautobiographical, but I'm not sure how much of that is true. Prince's character, Kid, was a misunderstood genius that got the hottest tail in town. He played the best guitar, he played the best songs, he blew everybody off the stage, yet the people didn't dig him, Morris Day thought that he was above the Kid, and First Avenue club owner Billy thought he was going to give The Kid his walking papers. No one in the movie understood the genius of The Kid, the audience finally warmed up to him after he played an emotive ballad, Purple Rain. You sheep! Didn't The Kid just perform Computer Blue, Darlin' Nikki and The Beautiful Ones a couple of nights ago? Those songs are just as good, or better than Purple Rain. Oh well, it's the movies anyway isn't it? I like the fact that no one got The Kid, it made the struggle to be accepted as the rock god of First Avenue that much more exciting in the end. Best songs: All of them?
UPDATED -
1. Rent (2005) was an album I avoided for half of the 90s, and then I forgot all about the musical until it aired on my satellite channels. This, in my opinion is the best musical of them all. Most musicals suffer from poor plots except for a small minority, but Rent comes off half way decent. The main draw of the musical is obviously the music, but here also the characters. Almost instantly we grow to care about the characters, especially Roger (Adam Pascal) and Mimi (Rosario Dawson). Since I first saw the film, there is not a morning that goes by where I find myself not singing along to one of the songs already playing in my head.
Best songs: Another Day, Light My Candle, Tango:Maureen, Will I, Without You, Life Support, Rent, Season of Love, One Song Glory, Goodbye Love
Some honorable mentions:
Help!, Godspell, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Yellow Submarine, Hair and The Wall
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scapp70
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Member: Michael Scapp
Location: NYC
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