A Hard Day's Night (1964)Originally conceived to cash in on the Beatlemania "fad" before it ended, The Beatles' first feature film was way better than movies of that genre had a right to be. Unlike 99.9% of its predecessors, it is actually a well-made flick and smart--innovative direction by Richard Lester with the undeniable charisma, irreverent wit, and irresistible music of the Fab Four. In short, it's a highly sanitized but endlessly entertaining look at what it's like to be the biggest rock stars in the world. (Of course, 1968's animated Yellow Submarine, recently restored with a stunning 5.1 digital audio soundtrack, is a classic too.)
Don't Look Back (1967)Directed by D.A. Pennebaker (Monterey Pop), this fascinating cinema-style documentary of Bob Dylan's 1965 British tour is the flipside of A Hard Day's Night--a gritty, revealing, and occasionally unflattering view of its subject at a time when he was on the verge of his transformation from folkie darling to rock god. In this must-see film, Dylan is young, cocky, humorous, articulate, arrogant, brilliant, and totally compelling. The eternally cool opening sequence--the promotional clip for "Subterranean Homesick Blues," featuring beat poet Allen Ginsberg in the background--is worth the price of admission alone and is, for my money, vastly superior to most of the rock videos that followed. If anyone who wasn't there is still scratching his/her head concerning what the Fuss was all about, start here and then buy Columbia's 2-CD Bob Dylan Live 1966: The "Royal Albert Hall" Concert.
The T.A.M.I. Show (1964)Before rock festivals came along, the only way to see a large number of pop's biggest stars on one stage was the "package" shows of the '50s and '60s, where up to as many as a dozen artists would perform a few songs each to screaming teens, and all for only a few bucks. (Ah, those were the days.) And the T.A.M.I. (Teenage Awards Music International) Show, filmed in late '64 at L.A.'s Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, had to be one of the best ever Imagine seeing The Beach Boys, Chuck Berry, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Supremes, Lesley Gore, The Rolling Stones, and the one and only James Brown (whose showstopping set is one of the most thrilling and unforgettable performances ever captured on celluloid) in their collective prime on one bill. Yes, it's as good as it sounds. Will someone please release this on home video??
The Girl Can't Help It (1956)One of Hollywood's early attempts to exploit the then-fledgling rock 'n' roll phenomenon may not be the greatest movie in the world, but it is certainly one of the most fun. The basic story line is simple enough: a gangster hires a washed up, alcoholic talent agent (played by Tom Ewell of Seven-Year Itch fame) to turn his talentless, but breathtakingly sexy girlfriend (Jayne Mansfield, whose too-perfect hourglass shapeliness pops many an eyeball) into a recording star. The humor is dumb, but dumb in the best and funniest sense. And we're treated to killer performances by Little Richard, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, Fats Domino, The Treniers, The Platters, and Julie London (et al) along the way, all in glorious Technicolor!
American Graffiti (1973)Okay, this cinematic classic may not be about rock per se, but it is about what it was like to be young during the early '60s, which would have been unimaginable without rock (the "innocent" Camelot chapter before the decade turned into the turbulent, violent, social change-laden era for which it is remembered). To punctuate that point, director George Lucas uses smartly chosen timeless oldies as an aural backdrop in virtually every scene, and quite effectively too--there has never been a better executed and more masterful mix of yesteryear's pop music with on-screen scenery than is shown here. Even if you're too young to remember or you weren't even alive when the movie takes place, it has a ring of authenticity that is totally missing from the likes of Grease. Plus you get to see a buncha stars before their careers took off--Ron Howard (post-Opie Taylor/pre-Richie Cunningham/director mogul), Harrison Ford, Cindy Williams, Richard Dreyfuss, Mackenzie Phillips, and Suzanne Somers, with Wolfman Jack thrown in for good measure.
Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock'N'Roll (1987)The one rockumentary in which the interview segments (Little Richard, Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bruce Springsteen, Chuck himself, etc.) and behind-the-scenes footage (particularly Berry and Keith Richards getting under each other's skins during band rehearsals) upstages the concert--an all-star musical celebration of the legend's 60th birthday back in'86--on which the movie is based.
Monterey Pop (1968)Monterey Pop's more famous cousin Woodstock (also an excellent movie) was, overall, at least as much a social phenomenon as it was a concert. But 1967's Monterey Pop Festival, the very first rock gathering of its kind and the ultimate happening during the Summer of Love, more consistently delivered the goods where it counts: the music. Jimi Hendrix, Otis Redding, Janis Joplin, and The Who are among the highlights. As musician/actor/rock historian Marshall Crenshaw wrote so appropriately in his book, Hollywood Rock: A Guide To Rock'n'Roll In The Movies, "(Monterey Pop is) The T.A.M.I. Show on acid."
The Kids Are Alright (1979)One of the most entertaining rockumentaries of all time, The Who is shown in their artistic prime to great effect. There is no narration or real chronology. Refreshingly, the music and the archival interview snippets tell the story instead. If there is any doubt that the band was one of the greatest live rock acts ever back in the day, one need look no further. Watch Pete Townshend permanently lose a good portion of his hearing when Keith Moon's drums explode right next to the former's ear during the frenzied finale to "My Generation" on The Smothers Brothers Show!
Mystery Train (1989)Jim Jarmusch (Down By Law, Ghost Dog) directs this fictional, low-budget, unconventional, surrealistic ode to Memphis, arguably the birthplace of rock 'n' roll. Three separate and seemingly unrelated stories unfold until they all eventually converge, a device also used by directors Robert Altman and Quentin Tarantino. Like American Graffiti, the music is used as a backdrop to set the mood as opposed to being the focus of the film itself. Of course, the otherworldy presence of Elvis, appropriately portrayed both reverently and irreverently at the same time, hovers throughout and Mystery Train (named after one of Presley's classic Sun Records sides) captures the King's spirit way better than any of his own movies. Features The Clash's Joe Strummer, plus priceless scene-stealing appearances by the late Screamin' Jay Hawkins as the manager of a seedy motel where much of the action takes place, as well as cameos by Rufus Thomas and Tom Waits. Too hip.
Stop Making Sense (1984)Talking Heads are captured on film at the top of their game in this brilliantly performed and directed (the latter courtesy of Jonathan Demme) concert movie. One of the very few flicks of its kind that works, it's not to be missed, particularly for David Byrne's classic live performance of "Once In A Lifetime" in that now-famous oversized suit.
Subscribe to Feed
