My post on Stop Making Sense got me thinking of music in films. I am not talking about musicals like Singin’ in the Rain, or documentaries like Woodstock, but movies where musical performances push the story forward and show us something about the characters we haven’t seen before. Here is a chronological list of some of my favorites. Please add to it or tell me I am full of it.
PeterH
The Beatles- Can’t Buy Me Love from Hard Days Night. Great sequence of them in the field goofing off.
The Yardbirds- Blow Up. They tear it up in a scene critical to the film- they tear it up, literally. A really young Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck trade licks on Train Keeps a Rolling.
The Monkees in Head. Yes, The Monkees. Jack Nicholson co-wrote this film. Worth it to see The Monkees on acid. There are some good Peter Tork and Mike Nesmith compositions. I like Circle Sky.
The Who- Rock and Roll Circus. Their performance of the “mini opera” A Quick One While He’s Away steals the show. The distributors wanted to rename the film The Who’s Rock and Roll Circus. They blow the Stones away. Look for Pete nudging his microphone up with his nose.
Tim Burton as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in Rocky Horror Picture Show. Sweet Transvestite- great song, great performance- Dammit Janet!
Diane Keaton singing Seems Like Old Times in Annie Hall. Great performance and the song really frames the whole film.
Dexter Gordon in Round Midnight. It takes a French man, Bertrand Tavernier, to make a great film about the American music form- Jazz. Great performances
Spinal Tap- Big Bottom and others. I love the scene where they open for a puppet show.
Meryl Streep singing the late, great Shel Silverstein’s (A Boy Named Sue) song, I’m Checkin’ Out. A key song to the character Streep plays in Postcards From the Edge.
Jack Black and The School of Rock covering AC/DC at the end credits of School of Rock. It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You want to Rock and Roll). They cast kids who were real musicians, not actors to play the roles. They are really playing and singing.
