Your 5 Favorite Rock & Roll Movies/ Documentaries (not concert video), and 1 or 2 honorable mentions
brianlux
Posts: 42,025
in Other Music
I'm kind of stealing this idea from another site, only with the caveat that the lists here be for rock and roll movies (like "A Hard Day's Night) or documentaries (like "Rolling Thunder Review"), but not films that are mostly concert videos (like the oh so great Dinosaur Jr's "Bug, Live at the 9:30 Club").
That said, my favorite rock movies/documentaries are:
Control; The Tragic Tale of the Singer of Joy Division
End of the Century; The Story of the Ramones
New York Doll
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers; Runnin' Down a Dream
When You're Strange; A Film About The Doors
Honorable mentions:
American Hardcore
We Jam Econo; The Story of the Minutemen
Control; The Tragic Tale of the Singer of Joy Division
End of the Century; The Story of the Ramones
New York Doll
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers; Runnin' Down a Dream
When You're Strange; A Film About The Doors
Honorable mentions:
American Hardcore
We Jam Econo; The Story of the Minutemen
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.
0
Comments
*Edit
I would like to add: Sublime: Stories, Tales, Lies, and Exaggerations to my list. Thank you.
Detroit 2000, Detroit 2003 1-2, Grand Rapids VFC 2004, Philly 2005, Grand Rapids 2006, Detroit 2006, Cleveland 2006, Lollapalooza 2007, Detroit Eddie Solo 2011, Detroit 2014, Chicago 2016 1-2, Chicago 2018 1-2, Ohana Encore 2021 1-2, Chicago Eddie/Earthlings 2022 1-2, Nashville 2022, St. Louis 2022
Does The Last Waltz quality?
The Song Remains the Same.
Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Thru The Never because it actually has a story to it, lol.
Dirt.
Single Video Theory gets Special Mention.
Pleasure & Pain
Seven Worlds Collide
Single Video Theory
Adding these..completely forgot about them
Meeting People Is Easy
I am Trying to Break Your Heart
Still haven't seen Get Back...but I've heard it's amazing
www.cluthelee.com
www.cluthe.com
Blur - Starshaped
Radiohead - Meeting People Is Easy
Buena Vista Social Club
Dave Chappelle's Block Party
Shout Out to the Summer of Soul. Questlove made it about a 196 Harlem Woodstock. Its badass. That new Velvet Underground doc is something to behold as well.
Sorry, no, it mostly a concert video. But worthy of mention, that's for sure!!!
Trick or Treat
This Is Spinal Tap
Decline of Western Civilization ( the punk one )
The Kids are Alright
Another State of Mind
Decline of Western CIv almost made my list, edged out by American Hardcore. Both, of course, excellent!
Electric Apricot.
I loved it (I'm easily amused and love les claypool)
Jerry lives
Whoa! How cool is that!
When "Once" was being screened in L.A. back in the 2000's, Glen and Marketa played songs from the film at the screening.
stop making sense
bittersweet motel
Festival express
Letters to a porcupine
Runnin Down A Dream - still trying to get it on DVD.
Foos - Back And Forth was great. Beat PJ20 IMO.
History Of The Eagles was cool as.
If Sound City counts that too. Loved it.
Will think of more later I'm sure but yeah. Doubt many here would have seen the Shihad one so wanted to chuck that in. The name change part was fascinating.
Wellington 1998
London 2007
Brisbane 2009
Stockholm 2012
EV Dublin 2017
Milan 2018
Padova 2018
Boston 2 2018
Auckland 1 & 2 2024
Rattle and Hum
Purple Rain
Her Smell
Pink Floyd: The Wall
The Rose
Tommy
Love and Mercy
The School of Rock
Rock 'n' Roll High School
Rush - Beyond the Lighted Stage
1991: The Year that Punk Broke
PJ 20
I Called Him Morgan (Lee Morgan)
Honourable Mentions:
Hard Core Logo
Gift (Perry Farrell 1993)
And that was THE show that led to that film! (Plus another show in Amsterdam, apparently.) If only I'd have known..... Love that album!
And I'd put Summer of Soul in my top 5 right now. Still emotional about the Mavis/Mahalia exchange & Nina Simone's set!
The Future is Unwritten (Joe Strummer)
Summer of Soul - Unbelievable live music footage, ridiculously amazing lineup of artists, really interesting history behind it and why/how it wasn't seen until now, and great mix of personal stories, history, and NYC history and politics too. And Make sure you watch that very very last few moments with Stevie!
Amy (Amy WInehouse doc) (heartbreaking!)
And for 5th, for this moment, both "Fyre Festival" docs (Netflix & Hulu). To be clear, I didn't actually ENJOY them as entertainment, but I found the human & social media dynamics that allowed for that clusterf**k to happen FASCINATING.