Music has been an important part of movies since they added sound. The film The Jazz Singer(the first full-length film with both music and spoken dialogue) contained six songs and music was instrumental to the plot. There were movies in the thirties that were nothing more than filmed records of elaborate musical stage shows.
Then came my least favorite type of movie, the musical. A story told with standard dialogue for the most part, then interrupted by someone breaking out in a song that relates to the moment somehow. I can accept unreality in movies, but I just find the the idea that a person or group of people will spontaneously break into song (and maybe dance) so ridiculous as to not appreciate the art form. Further, music from these types of shows are normally of a character so different from that of the particular era that I don't enjoy much of the music either.
(Of course, there are exceptions. Fiddler on the Roof has such a strong story and good songs. On the whole, however, I don't like them.)
There are a host of movies, however, that feature music in a way that makes sense. I wrote last week about That Thing You Do. A movie about a (fictional) rock band ought to have a lot of music in it and this one does. A Hard Day's Night was terrific and Help was okay.
One of my favorite movies from the seventies is Phantom of the Paradise. A truly quirky and campy movie, it contains quite a few songs, mostly parodies of certain styles. Parodies without quality is easy. SNL does it all the time and the results are quite forgettable. The parodies in Phantom, however, are really quite good and listenable. Fox Movie Channel has been playing it quite a bit recently, but I have not been able to find the music online.
Tomorrow: Mockumentaries and the quirkiest music movie of them all.
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
A Movie I Can Enjoy
When talking about Star Trek yesterday, I mentioned that I am not a movie critic. I am just not interested enough in movies to really study them (but if you want to talk about music...). I do, however, know when a movie has touched me or entertained me on multiple levels.
Tom Hanks has had a remarkable career, not only as an actor, but also as a writer, director, and producer; two Oscars for acting (plus three nominations); Emmys for writing, directing, and producing; and a bunch of Golden Globe nominations and wins. But my favorite Tom Hanks movie won him nothing: That Thing You Do.
This 1996 film about a fictional "one-hit-wonder" band from 1964 resonated with me on several levels. As a big follower of music, I got most of the small touches that others probably missed (no name for the bass player, the authenticity of the instruments and the actors' playing, the irony that so many in the music business don't understand music at all, the small scenes that mirror some real life event). And it was just fun. To follow these teen-agers (although because he was in the army, Guy must be a bit older than the rest) on a dizzying ride to the top of the pop charts is really enjoyable.
Though there are some mistakes and anachronisms in the movie (the IMDB page has a list), the movie is true to its era. The tour mixing has-been stars with new talent. The datedness of the jokes on the Hollywood Showcase. The clothing styles. The seedy side of the music business.
Knowing that Tom Hanks is behind every aspect of the movie--acting, directing, writing--and it seems clear to me that this movie is a labor of love for him. He wants the audience to like his characters (even Jimmy, who is often a jerk) and to like his story.
That Thing You Do is a fun movie, but even more so if you have an appreciation for the 60s era pop/rock bands. Tomorrow, I want to take a minute to talk about the music.
Tom Hanks has had a remarkable career, not only as an actor, but also as a writer, director, and producer; two Oscars for acting (plus three nominations); Emmys for writing, directing, and producing; and a bunch of Golden Globe nominations and wins. But my favorite Tom Hanks movie won him nothing: That Thing You Do.
This 1996 film about a fictional "one-hit-wonder" band from 1964 resonated with me on several levels. As a big follower of music, I got most of the small touches that others probably missed (no name for the bass player, the authenticity of the instruments and the actors' playing, the irony that so many in the music business don't understand music at all, the small scenes that mirror some real life event). And it was just fun. To follow these teen-agers (although because he was in the army, Guy must be a bit older than the rest) on a dizzying ride to the top of the pop charts is really enjoyable.
Though there are some mistakes and anachronisms in the movie (the IMDB page has a list), the movie is true to its era. The tour mixing has-been stars with new talent. The datedness of the jokes on the Hollywood Showcase. The clothing styles. The seedy side of the music business.
Knowing that Tom Hanks is behind every aspect of the movie--acting, directing, writing--and it seems clear to me that this movie is a labor of love for him. He wants the audience to like his characters (even Jimmy, who is often a jerk) and to like his story.
That Thing You Do is a fun movie, but even more so if you have an appreciation for the 60s era pop/rock bands. Tomorrow, I want to take a minute to talk about the music.
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