Non-documentary movies about music

grindy · 02-18-2015, 06:06 AM

There are tons of movies about musicians, real and fictional, but they mostly deal with the musicians themselves and how the music impacts their life and relationships.
Are there movies where it's mostly about the music, with a lot being about musical history, technique, theory and so on?
Obviously this kind of storytelling might be rather boring for non-musicians, but maybe someone tried nonetheless.

DwnWthVwls · 02-18-2015, 06:48 AM

I remember Almost Famous being good.. but I haven't seen it in like 14 years.

Plankton · 02-18-2015, 08:34 AM

Chula Vista · 02-18-2015, 10:18 AM

Neither of those really fit the OP's criteria - although they are both great IMO.

Most fictional movies about musicians/music pretty much have to include some human drama in order to grab a wide audience.

**Frownland** · 02-18-2015, 10:18 AM

Sun Ra's Space Is the Place is pretty awesome. There's also The Sound of Noise which is one of my favorites. It's about musical terrorists performing a piece called 'Music for Six Drummers and a City' (I think) while a tone deaf police officer tries to crack the case and catch them.

I also saw this hilarious satire called (Untitled) about an avant-garde composer. It makes fun of the art world while still maintaining a respectful distance.

Plankton · 02-18-2015, 10:31 AM

Yep, this is a tough one. Thanks for pointing out my mistake.

grindy · 02-18-2015, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DwnWthVwls

I remember Almost Famous being good.. but I haven't seen it in like 14 years.

Not necessarily what I've been looking for, but seems to be a cool movie and I haven't seen it yet. Thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

Sun Ra's Space Is the Place is pretty awesome. There's also The Sound of Noise which is one of my favorites. It's about musical terrorists performing a piece called 'Music for Six Drummers and a City' (I think) while a tone deaf police officer tries to crack the case and catch them.

I also saw this hilarious satire called (Untitled) about an avant-garde composer. It makes fun of the art world while still maintaining a respectful distance.

Thanks!
Never heard about (Untitled) and the Sun Ra movie. Will have to check them out.
The Sound Of Noise is indeed a very cool movie, although the third act was somewhat lacking.

Chula Vista · 02-18-2015, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grindy

Not necessarily what I've been looking for, but seems to be a cool movie and I haven't seen it yet. Thanks!

Cameron Crowe's love story to the 70s when he was covering bands for a local rag and ultimately Rolling Stone. He's said that the band in the movie, Stillwater, is equal parts Led Zeppelin, The Eagles, and The Allman Brothers - three of the acts he toured with.

EPOCH6 · 02-18-2015, 01:09 PM

Whiplash.

EDIT: I guess it's primarily about the musician's lives. But I think the movie says a lot about jazz discipline and competition as a whole.

grindy · 02-18-2015, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EPOCH6

Whiplash.

EDIT: I guess it's primarily about the musician's lives. But I think the movie says a lot about jazz discipline and competition as a whole.

I actually watched it yesterday and it gave me the idea for this thread.
While it was a beautifully filmed and very well acted movie, I found the appliance of sports/army tropes to music and especially jazz pretty ridiculous at times.

Would have also loved if there had been more about rhythm and meter, more real drum exercises and something about actually playing together as a band, an aspect that was totally missing. But then it wouldn't have been as popular...

02-18-2015, 06:06 AM	#1 (permalink)
grindy . Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: . Posts: 7,201	Non-documentary movies about music There are tons of movies about musicians, real and fictional, but they mostly deal with the musicians themselves and how the music impacts their life and relationships. Are there movies where it's mostly about the music, with a lot being about musical history, technique, theory and so on? Obviously this kind of storytelling might be rather boring for non-musicians, but maybe someone tried nonetheless. __________________ *A smell of petroleum prevails throughout.*

02-18-2015, 08:34 AM	#3 (permalink)
Plankton Just Keep Swimming... Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: See signature... Posts: 7,765	__________________ See location...

02-18-2015, 10:18 AM	#4 (permalink)
Chula Vista Toasted Poster Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: SoCal by way of Boston Posts: 11,332	Neither of those really fit the OP's criteria - although they are both great IMO. Most fictional movies about musicians/music pretty much have to include some human drama in order to grab a wide audience. __________________ “The fact that we live at the bottom of a deep gravity well, on the surface of a gas covered planet going around a nuclear fireball 90 million miles away and think this to be normal is obviously some indication of how skewed our perspective tends to be.”

02-18-2015, 10:18 AM	#5 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,541	Sun Ra's Space Is the Place is pretty awesome. There's also The Sound of Noise which is one of my favorites. It's about musical terrorists performing a piece called 'Music for Six Drummers and a City' (I think) while a tone deaf police officer tries to crack the case and catch them. I also saw this hilarious satire called (Untitled) about an avant-garde composer. It makes fun of the art world while still maintaining a respectful distance. __________________ Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth. d e a f b o x

02-18-2015, 10:31 AM	#6 (permalink)
Plankton Just Keep Swimming... Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: See signature... Posts: 7,765	Yep, this is a tough one. Thanks for pointing out my mistake. __________________ See location...