Music biopics

[capncnut]

There's quite a few when you look online. Might be Ray, might be Walk The Line, Great Balls Of Fire, What's Love Got To Do With It, shit, even that cruddy Elvis: The Movie biopic by John Carpenter.

Being a diehard Sex Pistols fan, you'd think that I'd choose Sid & Nancy. Nope. For me it's Oliver Stone's The Doors by a long shot. While it's not an entirely accurate biopic (let's face it, if all these were wholly accurate they would probably be very boring films), I love the imagery and storytelling. Plus Val Kilmer's rendition of 'Not To Touch The Earth' is pure awesomeness!

And you?

[Exatreides]

Sex pistols fan?!

Oh come on now cap, its all about the Dead Kennedy's!

I actually have the door's documentary you mention right behind me, i might pop it in for a view.

[capncnut]

Oh come on now cap, its all about the Dead Kennedy's!
Joke, surely?

[Exatreides]

er, not at all! :p DK>SP!

But I guess its an American vs British thing.

Even though I hang out with some guys in thrash/grindcore/powerviolence bands in the chicago area.

[capncnut]

I do love the Kennedys (esp. Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables) but dayom, it's a later punk thang, early hardcore, like Black Flag.

But the Brit vs American thing is moot cos us Brits know punk started in 1974-75 in New York with Richard Hell, the Ramones and Blondie. Unfortunately, Malcolm McLaren stole it from the US and made a more marketable band (with better songs IMO).

F**k, even Blondie's first album is way more 'true' punk than the Kennedys.

[Exatreides]

Ahh, true true. But the DK was one of the better bands in the scene coming from America during the early-mid 80's. Mind you, all this before I was even born :p

This and the Les Paul thread makes me think about starting a music equipment/playing thread. Have some members show off/ talk about their gear and playing music in general.

[capncnut]

Ahh, true true. But the DK was one of the better bands in the scene coming from America during the early-mid 80's. Mind you, all this before I was even born :p

This and the Les Paul thread makes me think about starting a music equipment/playing thread. Have some members show off/ talk about their gear and playing music in general.
You should make a thread, Exat. I would really like to see that, mate. :)

Anyway back to the music bios... unless anyone wants to start about punk history again, to which I'll be happy to educate. Bring it on, bitches! :D

[clanglee]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3219/2612849722_de865a2aeb.jpg
Have another beer with FEAR Cap!!:D

As far as biopics go. . .I caught like 5 minutes of some movie about the frontman of Joy Division. It was bedtime, so I couldn't watch it. . and I forget the title. . but it looked interesting.

The recent movie about Brian Jones from the Rolling Stones was pretty good.

[capncnut]

Have another beer with FEAR Cap!!:D
Love Fear too, again not 'true' punk is it?


The recent movie about Brian Jones from the Rolling Stones was pretty good.
Me too. I'm glad you liked that movie because it was panned here. The Joy Division pic too, which I thought was okay.

[clanglee]

I dunno. . I would consider Fear a pretty good example of early New York Punk. They came out in what. . '77 or '78?

[capncnut]

Yup, formed in 77, first album in 82.

[bassman]

Can Spinal Tap count?:p

I guess my favorite would have to be The Doors as well. I may catch alot of shit for this, but I've seen The Coal Miner's Daughter alot growing up and i'm actually quite fond of it.:|

[capncnut]

Can Spinal Tap count?:p
I think Spinal Tap qualifies.

[clanglee]

One of my favorites is also a fictional band. Almost Famous. Not quite band biopic, but close.

[axlish]

I'd have to say that The Doors is my favorite as well. An ambitious film that delivers. I remember taking a date to see The Doors when I was in 9th grade. Somewhere near the Warhol scene, someone started passing a joint around the theatre :)

As for punk, I love pre-Rollins Black Flagg, Dead Kennedys, and the Sex Pistols. Why choose when you can listen to them all. I like Fear and Minor Threat to a lesser extent.

[MikePizzoff]

I dunno. . I would consider Fear a pretty good example of early New York Punk. They came out in what. . '77 or '78?

FEAR was/is from LA. They totally have the West Coast sound to them, too. The West Coast was making super fast, hard as fuck music while the East Coast was doing a more sleazy rock n roll thing.

[Skippy911sc]

I loved The Doors...one of Stones best. However a new Fav is Dewey Cox...Gotta love the songs!!!

[clanglee]

FEAR was/is from LA. They totally have the West Coast sound to them, too. The West Coast was making super fast, hard as fuck music while the East Coast was doing a more sleazy rock n roll thing.

Yes, you are right that FEAR is from LA. But man I would hardly call the Ramones, and the Dolls, sleezy rock n roll.

[Mike70]

my fav is probably "the future is unwritten", a doc about joe strummer.

my least fav is easily "last days." van sant's attempt at creating an arthouse movie out of a fictionalized account of the last days of kurt cobain's life is cold, uninspired and very flat. it is ultimately a movie about a very strange fellow who walks around his house and mutters to himself for an hour and a half.

[clanglee]

my least fav is easily "last days." van sant's attempt at creating an arthouse movie out of a fictionalized account of the last days of kurt cobain's life is cold, uninspired and very flat. it is ultimately a movie about a very strange fellow who walks around his house and mutters to himself for an hour and a half.

That movie was so horrid it was almost insulting.

[MikePizzoff]

Yes, you are right that FEAR is from LA. But man I would hardly call the Ramones, and the Dolls, sleezy rock n roll.

Really? You wouldn't consider New York Dolls sleazy rock n roll? I hardly even consider them a punk band, other than having the shock value of how they look.

Then again, I tend to have a totally different outlook on bands when talking with people that are "casual" (I use the term loosely) punk listeners due to the fact that its been huge part of my life for the past 13 years.

[capncnut]

Really? You wouldn't consider New York Dolls sleazy rock n roll? I hardly even consider them a punk band, other than having the shock value of how they look.
While the Dolls are considered a proto-punk band, they are pretty much glam rock.


my least fav is easily "last days." van sant's attempt at creating an arthouse movie out of a fictionalized account of the last days of kurt cobain's life is cold, uninspired and very flat. it is ultimately a movie about a very strange fellow who walks around his house and mutters to himself for an hour and a half.
I found Last Days oddly watchable but I can easily see why other folks wouldn't.


my fav is probably "the future is unwritten", a doc about joe strummer.
Best music documentary ever made. :cool:

[EvilNed]

Music biopics have the same story-archs as gangster films. Rise and fall, except with the possible addition of a happy-family-friendly ending at the end.

[clanglee]

Really? You wouldn't consider New York Dolls sleazy rock n roll? I hardly even consider them a punk band, other than having the shock value of how they look.

Then again, I tend to have a totally different outlook on bands when talking with people that are "casual" (I use the term loosely) punk listeners due to the fact that its been huge part of my life for the past 13 years.

Nah, I wouldn't consider them an outright punk band by any means, but they were kind of the door openers to punk. Glam is pushing it a bit. And sleezy? Nah. . . just loose and kind of offensive. :D

The beginnings and the endings of Punk are kind of hard to define really. Just like any other music genre. . hard to pin down exactly where it started and how and by whom.

[MaximusIncredulous]

Amadeus, although it used the supposed rivalry between Salieri and Mozart as it's main theme, the film made great use of Mozart's music as well as other compositions from the period.

[capncnut]

The beginnings and the endings of Punk are kind of hard to define really. Just like any other music genre. . hard to pin down exactly where it started and how and by whom.
The term 'punk' was coined in 1976 after the Sex Pistols caused controversy on the London music scene. But because Malcolm McLaren styled the Pistols on the bands that he had seen in New York whilst managing the Dolls (like the Ramones, Blondie, Richard Hell, etc), people refer to that early bout of New Wave rock as punk, even though it wasn't known as such at that time.

Punk most certainly began in late 1974. Don't think it has officially finished yet.

[clanglee]

Punk most certainly began in late 1974. Don't think it has officially finished yet.

And like Punk. . . I also began in late 1974. . . And also like Punk. . . I often feel like a watered down and sold out version of my old self nowadays. . .;)

[capncnut]

And like Punk. . . I also began in late 1974. . . And also like Punk. . . I often feel like a watered down and sold out version of my old self nowadays. . .;)
<cough> Green Day <cough> ;)

[clanglee]

<cough> Green Day <cough> ;)

Exactly what I was thinking. . .;)