Today’s episode of Sounds of Cinema featured music from movies that rock. Some titles were rock and roll movie musicals and others were pictures in which rock or similar music plays a role in the movie. Here are some titles that weren’t mentioned on today’s show:
8 Mile
This film was loosely based on Eminem’s biography. “Lose Yourself” became the first rap song to win the Oscar for Best Original Song.
Across the Universe
A musical set in the 1960s and featuring covers of Beatles songs. The plot works through all of the familiar beats of stories set at that time (Vietnam protests, LSD trips, etc.) but director Julie Taymor creates some extraordinary set pieces.
American Graffiti
George Lucas’ second directorial feature is set on a summer night in 1962 and follows various characters as they cruise around town. The soundtrack is a very important part of the movie and features a sampling of most major rock and roll acts from that time.
The Blues Brothers
This movie was not a hit at the time of its release but The Blues Brothers has since become a classic and it features performances by James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Booker T. & the M.G.s.
The Doors
This biopic of Jim Morrison is one of the purest examples of the Hollywood rags-to-riches-to-drugs-to-dead formula. It also plays on the blurred line between rock star reality and popular mythology.
Head
The Monkees ended their tenure with a strange psychedelic feature film. The plotless and random nature of the movie is indicative of what was going on behind the scenes.
Hustle & Flow
A pimp attempts to get his rap career off the ground by turning a room in his house into a recording studio. The film takes what ought to be an unlikeable character and makes him very empathetic.
Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar began as an album, was later turned into a stage production, and finally became of motion picture released in 1973 (the same year as Godspell). The film is a rock and roll retelling of the story of Jesus from the point of view of Judas.
Pirate Radio
Although highly fictionalized, this tale about the origins of rock and roll radio in the U.K. is a lot of fun. It was released internationally with the title The Boat that Rocked.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Another film that wasn’t very successful when it was first released, The Rocky Horror Picture Show became one of the great midnight movies and it has a dedicated cult following.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Music is an important part of Edgar Wright’s movies and Scott Pilgrim vs the World brought the songs to the forefront in the tale of a guitarist who must fight the seven evil exes of the woman he loves.
Sid and Nancy
A biographical story of Sid Vicious, bassist with British punk group the Sex Pistols, and his girlfriend Nancy Spungen.
That Thing You Do!
A fictional story of a manufactured pop band in the mid-1960s. The title song was issued as a single and became a hit.
The Wall
Based on Pink Floyd’s album, this film tells the story of a boy who grows up to become a rock star and is crushed by the pressures of show business and his own psychological eccentricities. There hasn’t been a Hollywood film like The Wall made since, which is a loss to all of us.
Yellow Submarine
The Beatles participated in a series of movies with United Artists. Years later the surviving members of the band spoke favorably of this title.