20. Best Music Films 2
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- DirectorJames MangoldStarsJoaquin PhoenixReese WitherspoonGinnifer GoodwinA chronicle of country music legend Johnny Cash's life, from his early days on an Arkansas cotton farm to his rise to fame with Sun Records in Memphis, where he recorded alongside Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins.
- DirectorStephen WoolleyStarsLeo GregoryPaddy ConsidineDavid MorrisseyA chronicle of the sordid life and suspicious death of Rolling Stones co-founder Brian Jones, who was found in the bottom of his swimming pool weeks after being let go from the band.
- DirectorRick MinnichA musical romp through the Ozark Mountains with a handful of rascally modern-day hillbillies.
- DirectorRobert AltmanStarsLily TomlinMeryl StreepWoody HarrelsonA look at what goes on backstage during the last broadcast of America's most celebrated radio show, where singing cowboys Dusty and Lefty, a country music siren, and a host of others hold court.
- DirectorAndrew ShapterStarsBonnie RaittElvis CostelloLes PaulWith outstanding performances and revealing interviews Before the Music Dies takes a critical look at the homogenization of popular music with commentary by some of the industry's biggest talents like Eric Clapton, Dave Matthews, Elvis Costello, Erykah Badu, Branford Marsalis, Bonnie Raitt and more. Using historic footage the film looks at the evolution of American music and the artists who created it and pulls back the curtain (in a very creative way) to expose the sad truth behind today's "artificial" music stars. "The reality is that superficiality is in," says Marsalis. "And depth and quality is kind of out." Inspired by the death of his brother, director Andrew Shapter and his crew traveled thousands of miles, visiting dozens of cities, speaking with hundreds of fans, journalists, record executives and musicians while searching for "real" American music. What they found were mega-talents without a major label, including one artist Eric Clapton believes is "the real thing."
- DirectorDavid LeafJohn ScheinfeldStarsJohn LennonYoko OnoStew AlbertA documentary on the life of John Lennon, with a focus on the time in his life when he transformed from a musician into an antiwar activist.
- DirectorAJ SchnackStarsKurt CobainEvan FortinNathan StreifelIn this visual essay style documentary, intimate audio of journalist Michael Azerrad's interviews with Kurt Cobain is played over more recently photographed footage of Cobain's Washington state homes and haunts.
- DirectorBill CondonStarsBeyoncéJamie FoxxEddie MurphyA trio of black female soul singers cross over to the pop charts in the early 1960s, facing their own personal struggles along the way.
- DirectorJim BrownStarsJoan BaezJohnny CashBill ClintonInterviews, archival footage and home movies are used to illustrate a social history of folk artist and activist Pete Seeger.
- DirectorTodd HaynesStarsChristian BaleCate BlanchettHeath LedgerRuminations on the life of Bob Dylan, where six characters embody a different aspect of the musician's life and work.
- DirectorJohn SaylesStarsDanny GloverLisaGay HamiltonYaya DaCosta1950. Rural Alabama. Cotton harvest. It's a make-or-break weekend for the Honeydripper Lounge and its owner, piano player Tyrone "Pine Top" Purvis. Deep in debt to the liquor man, the chicken man, and the landlord, Tyrone is desperate to lure the young cotton pickers and local Army base recruits into his juke joint, away from Touissant's, the rival joint across the way. His plan to hire a guitar legend goes awry and Tyrone is forced to take drastic action in a final scheme to save the club.
- DirectorPeter BogdanovichStarsNeil ArmstrongMick AvoryRon Blair"Runnin' Down A Dream," a film directed by cinema legend Peter Bogdanovich, is the story of one of America's great rock and roll bands told as never before.
- DirectorSteven SebringStarsPatti SmithLenny KayeOliver RayAn intimate portrait of poet, painter, musician and singer Patti Smith that mirrors the essence of the artist herself.
- DirectorNeil YoungBenjamin JohnsonStarsDavid CrosbyStephen StillsGraham NashThe war in Iraq is the backdrop as the Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young "Freedom of Speech Tour" crisscrosses North America. Echoes of Vietnam-era anti-war sentiment abound as the band connects with today's audiences.
- DirectorDenny TedescoStarsBrian WilsonDick ClarkCherA celebration of the musical work of a group of session musicians known as "The Wrecking Crew", a band that provided back-up instrumentals to such legendary recording artists as Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys and Bing Crosby.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsMick JaggerKeith RichardsCharlie WattsA career-spanning documentary on The Rolling Stones, with concert footage from their "A Bigger Bang" tour.
- DirectorJerry ZaksStarsAlessandro NivolaDavid OyelowoChi McBrideThe life story of legendary record producer Leonard Chess, founder of Chess Records, the label that helped popularize Blues music during the 1950s and '60s.
- DirectorDarnell MartinStarsAdrien BrodyJeffrey WrightBeyoncéChronicles the rise of Chess Records and its recording artists.
- DirectorTom DiCilloStarsJohnny DeppJohn DensmoreRobby KriegerA look at the late '60s and early '70s rock band The Doors, including rare exclusive footage.
- DirectorRichard CurtisStarsPhilip Seymour HoffmanBill NighyNick FrostA band of rogue DJs that captivated Britain, playing the music that defined a generation and standing up to a government that wanted classical music, and nothing else, on the airwaves.
- DirectorJohn ChesterStarsRobert KnightJeff BeckSlashA documentary about rock 'n' roll photographer Robert M. Knight and his mission to find the world's best new guitar player.
- DirectorAng LeeStarsDemetri MartinHenry GoodmanEdward HibbertA man working at his parents' motel in the Catskills inadvertently sets in motion the generation-defining concert in the summer of 1969.
- DirectorSam Taylor-JohnsonStarsAaron Taylor-JohnsonKristin Scott ThomasAnne-Marie DuffA chronicle of John Lennon's first years, focused mainly in his adolescence and his relationship with his stern aunt Mimi, who raised him, and his absentee mother Julia, who re-entered his life at a crucial moment in his young life.
- DirectorScott CooperStarsJeff BridgesMaggie GyllenhaalColin FarrellA faded country music musician is forced to reassess his dysfunctional life during a doomed romance that also inspires him.
- DirectorFloria SigismondiStarsKristen StewartDakota FanningMichael ShannonA coming-of-age biographical film about the 1970s teenage all-girl rock band The Runaways. The relationship between band members Cherie Currie and Joan Jett is also explored.
- DirectorShane Dax TaylorStarsVal KilmerKris KristoffersonHilary DuffA man who left home 40 years earlier to become a country singer returns home to the tattered remains of his broken family and a grandson who is desperately trying to escape the family curse.
- DirectorJacob HatleyStarsLarry CampbellJay CollinsElizabeth DankoA documentary on Levon Helm, a founding member of The Band, at home in Woodstock in the midst of creating his first studio album in 25 years.
- DirectorStephen KijakStarsDon WasWill.i.amJack WhiteA look at the creation and impact of the 1972 Rolling Stones album "Exile on Main St."
- DirectorBruce McDonaldStarsRita ChiarelliRita Chiarelli's exploration of Louisiana's Angola Prison, its inmates and the blues music tradition they perform with her.
- 20101h 56mNot Rated7.6 (1.9K)68MetascoreDirectorJohn ScheinfeldStarsGerry BeckleyLee BlackmanPerry Botkin Jr.The life and work of the enigmatic folk rock singer-songwriter.
- DirectorKenneth BowserStarsSalvador AllendeErik AndersenJoan BaezFrom civil rights to the anti-war movement to the struggles of workers, folksinger Phil Ochs wrote topical songs that engaged his audiences in the issues of the 1960s and 70s. In this biographical documentary, veteran director Kenneth Bowser shows how Phil's music and his fascinating life story and eventual decline into depression and suicide were intertwined with the history-making events that defined a generation. Even as his contemporaries moved into folk-rock and pop music, Phil followed his own vision, challenging himself and his listeners. Not one to pull punches, Ochs never achieved the commercial success he desperately desired. But his music remains relevant, reaching new audiences in a generation that finds his themes all too familiar.
- DirectorSteve AntinStarsCherChristina AguileraAlan CummingA small-town girl ventures to Los Angeles and finds her place in a neo-burlesque club run by a former dancer.
- DirectorMick CsakyStarsSister Rosetta TharpePauline BlackChris BarberDocumentary about gospel singer Sister Rosetta Tharpe, who influenced the early rockers.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsGeorge HarrisonHarry HarrisonPeter HarrisonFilmmaker Martin Scorsese examines the life of musician George Harrison, weaving together interviews, concert footage, home movies and photographs.
- DirectorJeanie FinlaySOUND IT OUT is a documentary portrait of the very last surviving vinyl record shop in Teesside, in the North East of England. Starring Tom, Kelly, David, Daniel, 70,000 records and the good people of Teesside. A distinctive, funny and intimate film about men, obsession and the irreplaceable role music plays in our lives. High Fidelity with a Northern Accent. Got any Makina ?
- DirectorMartin R. SmithStarsJim LaddJim MorrisonRay ManzarekThe Doors didn't simply "break on through" in the late 1960s. Led by rock poet and frontman Jim Morrison, they exploded onto the music scene. Over four years, they provided the soundtrack to a counterculture movement that galvanized young Americans and terrified adults. But by 1970 Morrison's life was spiraling, and their sixth studio album, "L.A. Woman," was in danger of being scrapped. Take an in-depth look at the making of this seminal record, one of the band's greatest releases, and the final work of rock's legendary Rider on the Storm.
- DirectorMalik BendjelloulStarsRodriguezStephen 'Sugar' SegermanDennis CoffeyTwo South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock n roller, Rodriguez.
- DirectorKevin MacdonaldStarsBob MarleyZiggy MarleyRita MarleyA documentary on the life, music, and legacy of Bob Marley.
- DirectorJay BulgerStarsGinger BakerFemi KutiEric ClaptonGinger Baker looks back on his musical career with Cream and Blind Faith; his introduction to Fela Kuti; his self-destructive patterns and losses of fortune; and his current life inside a fortified South African compound.
- DirectorPip PiperStarsPhil BartonClint BoonBilly BraggThe rapid rise of record shops in the 1960's / 70s and 80's, the influence of the chart, the underhand deals, the demise of vinyl and rise of the CD as well as new technologies. Hear from over 20 record shop owners and music industry leaders as well as musicians including Paul Weller, Johnny Marr, Norman Cook, Billy Bragg, Nerina Pallot, Richard Hawley and Clint Boon as they all tell us how the shops became and still are a part of their own musical education, a place to cherish and discover new bands and new music.
- DirectorJon BrewerStarsMorgan FreemanB.B. KingBill CosbyThe untold true American story of an orphan boy from the heart of the Mississippi Delta who rose to music stardom around the world and inspired a generation of fans against all odds.
- DirectorBrett MorgenStarsMick JaggerCharlie WattsBill WymanLegendary British rock band The Rolling Stones mark their 50th year together.
- DirectorMick GochanourPeter WhiteheadStarsMick JaggerBrian JonesKeith RichardsA documentary on the Rolling Stones that was shot in 1965 on a two-stop tour of Ireland, just as "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" was becoming a worldwide sensation.
- DirectorLisa Barros D'SaGlenn LeyburnStarsCathal MaguirePeter KellyCharlie BerkeleyA chronicle of Terri Hooley's life, a record-store owner instrumental in developing Belfast's punk-rock scene.
- DirectorMorgan NevilleStarsDarlene LoveMerry ClaytonLisa FischerBackup singers live in a world that lies just beyond the spotlight. Their voices bring harmony to the biggest bands in popular music, but we've had no idea who these singers are or what lives they lead, until now.
- DirectorDave GrohlStarsTrent ReznorTom PettyMick FleetwoodA documentary on the fabled recording studio that was located in Van Nuys, California.
- DirectorGreg 'Freddy' CamalierStarsRick HallAretha FranklinKeith RichardsA documentary that celebrates Rick Hall, the founder of FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and the signature sound he developed in songs such as "I'll Take You There", "Brown Sugar", and "When a Man Loves a Woman".
- DirectorEthan CoenJoel CoenStarsOscar IsaacCarey MulliganJohn GoodmanA week in the life of a young singer as he navigates the Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961.
- DirectorJohn CarneyStarsKeira KnightleyMark RuffaloAdam LevineA chance encounter between a down-and-out music business executive, and a young singer songwriter new to Manhattan, turns into a promising collaboration between the two talents.
- DirectorJohn RidleyStarsAndré 3000Hayley AtwellImogen PootsA drama based on Jimi Hendrix's life as he left New York City for London, where his career took off.
- DirectorDavid L. LewisStarsAndre BraugherNat HentoffDan Morgenstern'Pleasures' profiles legendary jazz critic and civil libertarian Nat Hentoff, whose pioneering career tracks the greatest cultural and political movements of the last 65 years. The film is about an idea as well as a man - the idea of free expression as the defining characteristic of the individual. Hentoff is a pioneering journalist who raised jazz as an art form and was present at the creation of 'alternative' journalism. 'Pleasures' wraps the themes of liberty and identity around a historical narrative that stretches from the Great Depression to the Patriot Act. With a mix of interviews, archival footage and music, it employs a complex non-linear structure to engage the audience in a life of independent ideas and the creation of an enduring voice.
- DirectorDamien ChazelleStarsMiles TellerJ.K. SimmonsMelissa BenoistA promising young drummer enrolls at a cut-throat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor who will stop at nothing to realize a student's potential.
- DirectorIain ForsythJane PollardStarsNick CaveSusie BickWarren EllisWriter and musician Nick Cave marks his 20,000th day on the planet Earth.
- DirectorWilliam H. MacyStarsBilly CrudupAnton YelchinFelicity HuffmanA grieving father in a downward spiral stumbles across a box of his recently deceased son's demo tapes and lyrics. Shocked by the discovery of this unknown talent, he forms a band in the hope of finding some catharsis.
- DirectorTate TaylorStarsChadwick BosemanNelsan EllisDan AykroydA chronicle of James Brown's rise from extreme poverty to become one of the most influential musicians in history.
- DirectorFrançois GirardStarsDustin HoffmanKathy BatesEddie IzzardAfter his single mother dies, a young boy with an excellent voice is sent to a prestigious choir school and has trouble adapting to the culture of the school.
- DirectorAlan HicksStarsClark TerryJustin KauflinQuincy JonesA documentary that follows jazz legend Clark Terry over four years to document the mentorship between Terry and 23-year-old blind piano prodigy Justin Kauflin as the young man prepares to compete in an elite, international competition.
- DirectorLiz GarbusStarsNina SimoneLisa Simone KellyRoger NupieA documentary about the life and legend Nina Simone, an American singer, pianist, and civil rights activist labeled the "High Priestess of Soul."
- DirectorBrett MorgenStarsKurt CobainWendy O'ConnorDon CobainAn authorized documentary on the late musician Kurt Cobain, from his early days in Aberdeen, Washington to his success and downfall with the grunge band Nirvana.
- DirectorColin HanksStarsRuss SolomonMichael SolomonHeidi Cotler'All Things Must Pass' is a documentary that explores the rise and fall of Tower Records, and its legacy forged by its rebellious founder, Russ Solomon.
- DirectorDan FogelmanStarsAl PacinoAnnette BeningJennifer GarnerAn aging rock star decides to change his life when he discovers a 40-year-old letter written to him by John Lennon.
- DirectorBenjamin StatlerStarsDaniel RoebuckSarah ScottAugust EmersonTom Grant, a private investigator once hired by Courtney Love, reveals his take on the death of Kurt Cobain.
- DirectorAmy BergStarsCat PowerJanis JoplinKarleen BennettMusician Cat Power narrates this documentary on Janis Joplin's evolution into a star from letters that Joplin wrote over the years to her friends, family, and collaborators.
- DirectorMarc AbrahamStarsTom HiddlestonElizabeth OlsenMaddie HassonThe story of the country-western singer Hank Williams, who in his brief life created one of the greatest bodies of work in American music. The film chronicles his rise to fame and its tragic effect on his health and personal life.
- DirectorDerik MurrayJordan TappisStarsKris KristoffersonWillie NelsonJohnny CashDocumentary that explains about the life of one of Country Music's most famous musicians, Johnny Cash.
- DirectorRobert BudreauStarsEthan HawkeCarmen EjogoCallum Keith RennieA re-imagining of jazz legend Chet Baker's musical comeback in the late '60s.
- DirectorDon CheadleStarsDon CheadleEmayatzy CorinealdiEwan McGregorAn exploration of the life and music of Miles Davis.
- DirectorBruce SpiegelStarsConnie AtkinsonTony BennettBill CharlapBill Evans Time Remembered is a 90-minute documentary film, produced by Bruce Spiegel which tells the story of Bill Evans' turbulent life and his contribution to jazz music.
- DirectorJohn CarneyStarsFerdia Walsh-PeeloAidan GillenMaria Doyle KennedyA young lad notices a beautiful girl who begins to occupy his thoughts. While struggling with poverty, personal relationships and life's woes, he starts a band, hoping to catch her attention.
- DirectorThorsten SchütteStarsFrank ZappaSteve AllenAngelAn in-depth look at the life and work of avant-garde musician, Frank Zappa.
- DirectorLiza JohnsonStarsMichael ShannonKevin SpaceyAlex PettyferThe untold true story behind the meeting between Elvis Presley, the King of Rock 'n Roll, and President Richard Nixon, resulting in this revealing, yet humorous moment immortalized in the most requested photograph in the National Archives.
- DirectorJohn ScheinfeldStarsDenzel WashingtonReggie WorkmanRavi ColtraneAn exploration of the global power and impact of the music of John Coltrane where the passions, experiences and forces that shaped his life and revolutionary sounds are revealed.
- DirectorRon HowardStarsThe BeatlesJohn LennonGeorge HarrisonA compilation of found footage featuring music, interviews, and stories of The Beatles' 250 concerts from 1963 to 1966.
- DirectorScott D. RosenbaumStarsMarc MaronPinetop PerkinsHubert SumlinSIDEMEN - Long Road To Glory is an intimate look at the incredible lives and legacies of piano player Pinetop Perkins, drummer Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith and guitarist Hubert Sumlin, all Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf sidemen. The film captures some of the last interviews and their final live performances together, before their deaths in 2011. The historic live shows are accompanied by performances and personal insights from many of the blues and rock stars these legendary sidemen inspired including; Bonnie Raitt, Gregg Allman, Derek Trucks, Shemekia Copeland, Robby Krieger, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Joe Perry, Joe Bonamassa and Johnny Winter.
- DirectorAmir Bar-LevStarsJohn Perry BarlowTom ConstantenSam CutlerA look at the 30-year career of The Grateful Dead.
- DirectorEugene JareckiStarsElvis PresleyEugene JareckiJames CarvilleForty years after the death of Elvis Presley, a musical road trip across America in his 1963 Rolls Royce explores how a country boy lost his authenticity and became a king while his country lost her democracy and became an empire.
- DirectorCatherine BainbridgeAlfonso MaioranaStarsGeorge ClintonRobbie RobertsonGary GiddinsA documentary about the role of Native Americans in popular music history.
- DirectorDavid BattyStarsMichael CaineDavid BaileyTwiggyThe cultural revolution that occurred in the 1960s England is explored in this documentary.
- DirectorLili Fini ZanuckStarsEric ClaptonDuane AllmanGinger BakerA look at the life and work of guitarist Eric Clapton, told by those who have known him best, including BB King, Jimi Hendrix, and George Harrison.
- DirectorEthan HawkeStarsBen DickeyAlia ShawkatJosh HamiltonA reimagining of the life and times of Blaze Foley, the unsung songwriting legend of the Texas Outlaw Music movement.
- DirectorStephen KijakStarsLynyrd SkynyrdRonnie Van ZantGary RossingtonThis authorized documentary will explore the music and backstory of the legendary American band. With the songs from the first six Skynyrd albums driving the narration, the film focuses on the story of frontman Ronnie Van Zant - his upbringing, his roots, his work ethic and his contradictory persona as both as a mythic Southern rock poet and notorious boozed-up brawler, as well as the relationships between his friends and fellow founding members Gary Rossington and Allen Collins, along with later bandmates Ed King and Artimus Pyle.
- DirectorBradley CooperStarsLady GagaBradley CooperSam ElliottA musician helps a young singer find fame as age and alcoholism send his own career into a downward spiral.
- DirectorBryan SingerStarsRami MalekLucy BoyntonGwilym LeeThe story of the legendary British rock band Queen and lead singer Freddie Mercury, leading up to their famous performance at Live Aid (1985).
- DirectorTom HarperStarsJessie BuckleyMatt CostelloJane PattersonA troubled young Glaswegian woman dreams of becoming a Nashville country star.
- DirectorAndrew SlaterStarsLou AdlerFiona AppleThe Beach BoysA look at the roots of the historic music scene in L.A.'s Laurel Canyon featuring the music of iconic groups such as The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield, and The Mamas and the Papas.
- DirectorA.J. EatonStarsDavid CrosbyStephen BarncardJackson BrowneMeet David Crosby in this portrait of a man with everything but an easy retirement on his mind.
- DirectorGurinder ChadhaStarsBilly BarrattRonak Singh Chadha BergesViveik KalraIn England in 1987, a teenager from an Asian family learns to live his life, understand his family and find his own voice through the music of American rock star Bruce Springsteen.
- DirectorRob EpsteinJeffrey FriedmanStarsLinda RonstadtBonnie RaittDolly PartonWith one of the most memorably stunning voices that has ever hit the airwaves, Linda Ronstadt burst onto the 1960s folk rock music scene in her early twenties.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsBob DylanAllen GinsbergPatti SmithIn an alchemic mix of fact and fantasy, Martin Scorsese looks back at Bob Dylan's 1975 Rolling Thunder Revue tour and a country ripe for reinvention.
- DirectorDaniel RoherStarsThe BandRobbie RobertsonBruce SpringsteenA confessional, cautionary, and occasionally humorous tale of Robbie Robertson's young life and the creation of one of the most enduring groups in the history of popular music, The Band.
- DirectorBruce SpringsteenThom ZimnyStarsPatti ScialfaBruce SpringsteenLive concert performance of Bruce Springsteen singing songs from his album 'Western Stars'.
- DirectorJames ErskineStarsLinda Lipnack KuehlBillie HolidaySylvia SymsDocumentary on the famed jazz singer Billie Holiday.
- DirectorRubika ShahStarsRed SaundersRoger HuddleKate WebbRock Against Racism was formed in 1976, prompted by Eric Clapton. It blends fresh interviews with archive footage to recreate a hostile environment of anti-immigrant hysteria and National Front marches.
- DirectorRichard PeeteRobert YapkowitzStarsNick CaveLacy J. DaltonRick MoodyA portrait of blues and folk singer Karen Dalton, a prominent figure in 1960s New York, who discarded the traditional trappings of success.
- DirectorAlex WinterStarsFrank ZappaLonnie LardnerPatrice ZappaAn in-depth look into the life and work of musician Frank Zappa.
- 20211h 58mPG-138.0 (14K)96MetascoreDirectorQuestloveStarsDorinda DrakeBarbara Bland-AcostaDarryl LewisDocumentary about the legendary 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival which celebrated African-American music and culture and promoted Black pride and unity.
- DirectorDaniel LindsayT.J. MartinStarsTina TurnerCarl ArringtonIke TurnerExclusive access to the Grammy Award-winning artist to celebrate her career.
- DirectorGracie OttoStarsStingJimmy BuffettMark KnopflerOn a remote Caribbean island, under the shadow of an active volcano, the world's biggest recording artists made music and myth that defined an era.
- DirectorSacha JenkinsStarsLouis ArmstrongSteve AllenErnie AndersonFollow the life and legacy of the master and so-called founding father of jazz, America's first pop star, and cultural ambassador.
- DirectorNeil YoungStarsNeil YoungKenny ButtreyDavid CrosbyCreated between January and September 1971, this docu-film takes us on an intimate journey to Young's farm in Northern California for the 'Harvest Barn' sessions.