yeah, the film
Bodyguard is weird cuz Houston is obviously "playing herself" and yet the suspense/killer storyline is completely ridiculous with no basis in reality afaik
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:07 (five years ago) link
Crossroads is about Britters roadtripping to LA for a record audition, close enough.
― Siegbran, Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:08 (five years ago) link
wait what? I thought you were referring to this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossroads_%281986_film%29
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:08 (five years ago) link
Man you're in for a treat.
― Siegbran, Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:10 (five years ago) link
haha oh dear
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:10 (five years ago) link
Another thinly veiled reality plot point is that she falls for a shifty dude who looks like a homicidal maniac.
― Siegbran, Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:12 (five years ago) link
Of the ones I've seen, 8 Mile, although I enjoy Purple Rain. I love the Flame soundtrack. Not really much interested in the 50 Cent movie, and everything I've heard about the Paul Simon movie suggests it's a pretty crap affair.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:12 (five years ago) link
the Lou Reed scenes alone are worth the price of admission
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:16 (five years ago) link
I know tyler is at least w me on this one
Who do I need to bribe to get Deep Blue Sea included?
― Siegbran, Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:17 (five years ago) link
This thread really makes me wish David Lee Roth's Crazy From The Heat movie had gotten made.
Bob Dylan's done two of these - Renaldo and Clara and Masked and Anonymous - I don't know anybody who's seen either one.
― shared unit of analysis (unperson), Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:17 (five years ago) link
Deep Blue Sea I mean, ppl think “my hat is like a shark’s fin” is original to the movie, but it’s really the key that unlocks the secret of his character
― blokes you can't rust (sic), Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:19 (five years ago) link
I like to think that it's based on LL's experience doing odd jobs before is comeback.
― Siegbran, Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:20 (five years ago) link
Renaldo and Clara is more like a tour documentary and Masked and Anonymous is too fantastical/surreal to really be considered semi-autobiographical imo. I really kinda like Masked and Anonymous tbh, it's a deeply strange film, the live performances are fantastic, and at least a couple of the scenes are genuinely affecting. The overall plot/story/characters are paper-thin nonsense though.
xp
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:20 (five years ago) link
purple rain is enjoyable as a piece of camp, though i can't argue that it's a good film on its own merits. the performances are obviously spectacular.
― voodoo chili, Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:21 (five years ago) link
I mean, Bob doesn't do shit in this scene but you know he wrote the story the kid tells and it is great
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EV3bv0bY8h0
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:22 (five years ago) link
so is the rule here that the lead character has to be named something different than the actual musician? like, "space is the place" doesn't count because sun ra portrays the fictional character "sun ra" in the film?
― Jaki Liebowitz (rushomancy), Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:22 (five years ago) link
also, speaking of disasters, there's Cam'ron's Killa Season
― voodoo chili, Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:24 (five years ago) link
so is the rule here that the lead character has to be named something different than the actual musician?
nah, the name doesn't matter, it's that the story is depicting the actor/musicians' actual life story (to varying degrees)
that being the case, I would say "Space is the Place" doesn't count - it isn't really about Sun Ra's life story (he would probably say it was about his mythstory)
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:28 (five years ago) link
never heard of this but yeah I excluded direct-to-video and TV stuff
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:29 (five years ago) link
This is less rare than you'd think, there's all those Elvis movies too, Jailhouse Rock for example.
Xtina's Burlesque definitely counts.
― Siegbran, Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:34 (five years ago) link
Desperately Seeking Susan, although she doesn't sing there's clearly not meant to be any difference between her real life artist persona and the character.
― Siegbran, Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:35 (five years ago) link
Elvis is usually not playing himself, I'm hard pressed to think of an example where he is
I suppose it wouldn't be a poll thread w out someone constantly complaining about the voting options tho
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:37 (five years ago) link
ive seen 4 of these, will take Honeysuckle Rose over OTPony (both 1980 btw)
― a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:38 (five years ago) link
"Renaldo and Clara" was on Channel 4 once but fuck sitting thru 4 hours of the thing.
― Do you like 70s hard rock with a guitar hero? (Tom D.), Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:38 (five years ago) link
Burlesque is not about Xtina and DSS isn't really about Madonna iirc
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:38 (five years ago) link
to be clear my criteria wasn't just "musician appears on-screen as themselves" it's that they actually *act out some version of their real lives on-screen*
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:39 (five years ago) link
https://www.movieposter.com/posters/archive/main/145/MPW-72910
― get your hand outta my pocket universe (morrisp), Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:43 (five years ago) link
haha yeah that definitely qualifies
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:44 (five years ago) link
The singer from the German band Rheingold played a pasty-faced Gary Numan clone called R - so far so good - in a film called "The Fan" in 1982 but, as far as I am aware, he was never killed and dismembered by an obsessive fan.
― Do you like 70s hard rock with a guitar hero? (Tom D.), Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:45 (five years ago) link
Does The Harder They Come count?
― shared unit of analysis (unperson), Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:55 (five years ago) link
ooh, yeah!
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:55 (five years ago) link
that's a serious omission on my part :(
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:56 (five years ago) link
Really? I didn’t think any of the stuff in that movie happened to Jimmy Cliff (besides recording a song)
― get your hand outta my pocket universe (morrisp), Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:57 (five years ago) link
the shitty parts of purple rain are so good tho
― billstevejim, Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:57 (five years ago) link
that's true - a lot of it is standard folk-hero stuff - but the struggling musician angle is p close, no?
Horsemouth Wallace in Rockers might qualify, in a similar (and less sensationalistic) vein
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 16 April 2019 21:58 (five years ago) link
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/54/Cool_as_Ice_poster.jpg
― PaulTMA, Tuesday, 16 April 2019 22:05 (five years ago) link
Does The Jazz Singer count? The one with Neil Diamond. I never saw it, but I recall from the ads that it appeared to be a full-on Diamond experience.
― henry s, Tuesday, 16 April 2019 22:44 (five years ago) link
of all the films included in the poll that I've seen none cleaves particularly closely to the actual biography of the musician
― findom haddie (jim in vancouver), Tuesday, 16 April 2019 22:55 (five years ago) link
I like to think that it's based on LL's experience doing odd jobs before is comeback.don’t call it that!! 👿
― blokes you can't rust (sic), Tuesday, 16 April 2019 23:11 (five years ago) link
yeah they all take liberties, which is one of the things I find fascinating about this sub-sub-genre. The idea that it might be fun (and profitable!) to re-create your life on-screen but, y'know, change some stuff to make it cooler or "less about you" or provide some plausible deniability that it isn't *really* a total vanity project...
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 16 April 2019 23:23 (five years ago) link
cuz they also all definitely draw on readily identifiable details from their respective subjects' real lives - where Eminem grew up, Paul Simon going through a nasty divorce/being a holdover from the 60s folk scene, 50 Cent getting shot, Prince having a frustrated musician dad, etc.
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 16 April 2019 23:26 (five years ago) link
Music superstar Bud Parks, along with his statuesque wife, Alice, and their approximately eight-year-old daughter, Terri Jo, return to his small hometown, fictional Doak City, Indiana, for his paternal grandfather's 80th birthday. Initially, the visit is light-hearted and Bud receives a hero's welcome from many of his relatives and fans. But what is supposed to be a three-day visit of fun quickly turns into much more.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falling_from_Grace_(film)
― ... (Eazy), Tuesday, 16 April 2019 23:31 (five years ago) link
http://www.impawards.com/1984/posters/hard_to_hold.jpg
― a large tuna called “Justice” (C. Grisso/McCain), Tuesday, 16 April 2019 23:37 (five years ago) link
I feel like George Strait(!) did one of these.
*heads to Wikipedia...*
Yep!
The film Pure Country featured George Strait in the lead role as Dusty Chandler, a famous country singer who strays too far from his country roots and traditional sound. It provided the opportunity for Strait to branch out from his own traditional country sound for a more rock-and-roll approach. The film saw little success at the box office, taking in only $15 million, but the soundtrack, also called Pure Country, produced several hit singles for Strait, and has become his best-selling album to date.
― shared unit of analysis (unperson), Tuesday, 16 April 2019 23:42 (five years ago) link
are Madness the only band to play flat-out undisguised versions of themselves in a straight-up biopic?(notwithstanding 36-yo Rowetta cameoing as 26-yo Rowetta amongst the actor-played Happy Mondays in 24HPP)(and the likes of A Hard Day’s Night or Head not being biopics)
― blokes you can't rust (sic), Tuesday, 16 April 2019 23:54 (five years ago) link
Mark E Smith and Vini Reilly show up too
― PaulTMA, Wednesday, 17 April 2019 00:00 (five years ago) link
Smith doesn't play himself (though he can't act, per se), nor does Paul Ryder; Devoto is a meta joke of his real self, not playing his younger self, who is in the same shot. I'm pretty sure it's a younger, healthier person playing Reilly, but my DVD is on another continent.
― blokes you can't rust (sic), Wednesday, 17 April 2019 00:42 (five years ago) link
Yeah 24hrPP does not apply, all those cameos are meta in-jokes
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 17 April 2019 01:14 (five years ago) link
Not sure what Madness appearance you were ref’ing tho
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 17 April 2019 01:15 (five years ago) link
I'm always amazed just how little-seen One Trick Pony is in the UK. For a long time it was unavailable on VHS, and as-good-as-never on tv. I mean even for a flop movie it was hard-to-find, and DVD copies seem scarce too. Must be some weird rights issue or somethin.
Is this as close as he got to a Steely Dan sound? Surely it must be.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sFjElo4Aww
― piscesx, Wednesday, 17 April 2019 01:21 (five years ago) link
Nothing about this makes you want to see it, what an ugly looking thing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwsM_27GgLU
― piscesx, Wednesday, 17 April 2019 01:23 (five years ago) link
the only band to play flat-out undisguised versions of themselves in a straight-up biopic?
not called Flat-Out Straight-Up: The Madness Story though
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwWvKnU9zCE
― blokes you can't rust (sic), Wednesday, 17 April 2019 02:11 (five years ago) link
for zing types and future archaeologists: that's a legit youtube posting of Take It Or Leave It, a biopic about Madness' first 2-3 years, filmed during their 5th year, starring themselves
― blokes you can't rust (sic), Wednesday, 17 April 2019 02:13 (five years ago) link
I believe the bit where he's in the studio with a bratty singer, played by Paul Nicholas(!), who is recording a punk version of "Love on the Rocks"(!!) is based on his experience working with Mike Nesmith in the Monkees. Other than that, don't think so - I don't know if this ever happened:
https://alchetron.com/cdn/The-Jazz-Singer-1980-film-images-647f42f0-a04e-4e4b-9126-eceb608df93.jpg
― Do you like 70s hard rock with a guitar hero? (Tom D.), Wednesday, 17 April 2019 06:50 (five years ago) link
I'm always amazed just how little-seen One Trick Pony is in the UK.
I don't think the US is much different tbh. Never would have seen it at all if it hadn't gotten a cheapo MGM DVD reissue a few years ago.
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 17 April 2019 16:23 (five years ago) link
It existed as a butt-ugly VHS copy at my Blockbuster for years.
― recriminations from the nitpicking woke (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 17 April 2019 16:24 (five years ago) link
was coming here to mention that Strait film but unperson beat me to it.
http://www.nashcountrydaily.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/1446/2017/05/Pure-Country-Movie-DVD.jpg
― omar little, Wednesday, 17 April 2019 16:33 (five years ago) link
Rockers is also great, a really exceptional film if only for capturing its specific place and time, but it's also pretty entertaining and the music is amazing.
― omar little, Wednesday, 17 April 2019 16:35 (five years ago) link
Springfield entry looks hilariously terriblehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gE4gjWuRCGk
the girl in the band plays... hand puppet?
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 17 April 2019 16:42 (five years ago) link
Gawd, I need to see more of these.
That Madness thing is pretty good. Judging by the first half anyway...
― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Thursday, 18 April 2019 01:56 (five years ago) link
It is, yes.
Also, was dancing around the shop when I found the box version (CD plus DVD) of "Slade in Flame" in Fopp for £2 !
― Mark G, Thursday, 18 April 2019 13:58 (five years ago) link
INCOMING!!! St. Vincent and Carrie Brownstein wrote a tour comedy about "heightened versions of themselves"
https://news.avclub.com/st-vincent-and-carrie-brownstein-wrote-a-tour-comedy-a-1834124293
― bendy, Friday, 19 April 2019 14:00 (five years ago) link
Does 'Stardust' belong here? Haven't seen it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stardust_(1974_film)
― Jeff W, Saturday, 20 April 2019 11:31 (five years ago) link
I hope it wasn't autobiographical for David Essex's sake. But, seriously, I don't think it belongs here. Adam Faith is really good in it iirc.
― Do you like 70s hard rock with a guitar hero? (Tom D.), Saturday, 20 April 2019 12:22 (five years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Sunday, 21 April 2019 00:01 (five years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Monday, 22 April 2019 00:01 (five years ago) link
A piece in Mojo a few years back suggested that That'll Be The Day (the film before Stardust about the same band) referred to The Beatles story much more than people would assume; all sorts of little 'incidents' that occur are based on the Hamburg years and such like. I think Stardust itself was more a 'generic 70s band' story.
― piscesx, Thursday, 25 April 2019 23:57 (five years ago) link
Hard to Hold is not a good movie but "Love Somebody" is a slammin song.
― Pontius Pilates (Ye Mad Puffin), Friday, 26 April 2019 14:01 (five years ago) link
btw Honeysuckle & 1TP were made by actual good filmmakers
― a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Friday, 26 April 2019 14:22 (five years ago) link
Oh, I should have posted in this thread about Jacques Demy's last film, the very weird 'Three Seats for the 26th'. It stars French singer Yves Montand as Yves Montand, a french singer who returns to Marseille to star in a musical based on the life of Yves Montand. The scenes from the play are quite biographical, but then it's mixed with a weird melodrama that ends with Yves Montand having sex with his own daughter. Very very weird last film from Demy, and his eighties music isn't quite as charming as it was in the sixties.
― Frederik B, Friday, 26 April 2019 14:28 (five years ago) link
Credible showing by Slade, seeing as they were up against Prince!
― Mark G, Friday, 26 April 2019 22:58 (five years ago) link
Crossroads does not, that doesn't star any prominent musicians playing a version of themselves iirc?
Steve Vai plays a hired gun stunt guitarist (if the devil's), tbf.
Seriously, more than one currently teenaged boy who plays guitar has positively referenced this film ime, which is simultaneously O_O and reassuring.
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Saturday, 27 April 2019 03:52 (five years ago) link
(1986 Crossroads obv)
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Saturday, 27 April 2019 03:53 (five years ago) link
still can't figure out what Flame issurely not this? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flame_(1996_film)
― We were never Breeting Borting (President Keyes), Friday, 3 May 2019 12:34 (five years ago) link
the top result for Slade in Flame
― blokes you can't rust (sic), Friday, 3 May 2019 14:07 (five years ago) link
Songwriter starring Willie Nelson (basically playing himself) and Kris Kristofferson m/l playing Waylon is definitely worth your time. also features an excellent Rip Torn as a grizzled seedy promoter. solid B+
― A-B-C. A-Always, B-Be, C-Chooglin (will), Friday, 3 May 2019 14:19 (five years ago) link
i remember watching Hard to Hold on like Betamax at a friend's house when i was about 7. his older sisters (prob in jr high) were out of control. (i think?) it briefly shows Rick's ass and i thought they were going to pass out.
― A-B-C. A-Always, B-Be, C-Chooglin (will), Friday, 3 May 2019 14:28 (five years ago) link
Pete Townshend's White City: The Music Movie might qualify. He plays a musician named "Pete," and is referred to by another character as "yer famous friend." It's basically videos/performances of the White City songs interspersed with dramatic sequences, but it works fairly well. Only released in 1985 on VHS and Laserdisc, never reissued.
https://youtu.be/7iFtg4JFgzE
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Friday, 3 May 2019 14:38 (five years ago) link