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Great films where music is a central theme.

I'm a film lover for as long as I can remember. There's nothing like a film that combines my passion for music and film. I'm going to leave out concert films from this, as there are plenty of threads on that. Lets stick to other films - dramas or documentaries - that use music as a central theme, or have it as a key element in the narrative. Here are a few of my own favorites to get the ball rolling.

As it is in Heaven
The Bands Visit
Schultze Gets the Blues
Troubled Water (the Erik Poppe film)
Sweet and Lowdown
Bird
'Round Midnight
I'm Not Here

Documentaries:

Throw Down Your Heart
The Devil and Daniel Johnston
Lets Get Close (Bruce Weber)
Buena Vista Social Club
Bob Dylan: Don't Look Back
Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man

So it's really could be split into two threads; Narative films and Documentaries. But lets try leaving it open to both, just no concert films. What are some of your favorites?
jax2
waltersalas's avatar
waltersalas
961 posts
 

Jax2,
Ah, I gotcha. Yep, most of my picks would be disqualified by that criteria, though I would argue that Five Easy Pieces still qualifies.
jax2 OP
3,031 posts
 
Nebin and Erndog, Richard is on his way to your homes with his impact driver and rotohammer. He won't be doing any home repair either.

OK, now everyone repeat after me: This is NOT a soundtrack thread!

There are numerous soundtracks thread out there and this is NOT one of them. Please, no more soundtracks. Music as actual story content. Unless James Spader is actually playing a drum kit in Storyville (or if you are referring to the Storyville that is about the first legal red light district in America), or Russel Crowe is conducting a symphony of Gladiators, those films are not what I'm after.

OK, now I AM sounding like a broken record. What do I need to do to make it any more clear?
richard_stacy
686 posts
 
How about Clyde? I guess it wasn't the central theme but the scenes where he was making his electronic music in the living room were priceless.

Yea Marco, I've been building footers all day and my Carharts are just soaked. Gonna crack open a 40 and kick back to some Nascar. Yup.

Is it just my house or do your wives get all freaked to watch shark week on the Discovery channel? Must be something seriously phallic about those big ass fish.
richard_stacy
686 posts
 
Ummm... that's no impact driver big boy.
jax2 OP
3,031 posts
 
Walter - it's been way too long since I've seen Five Easy Pieces but I'll take your word and offer my apologies for that one.

"Clyde", Richard? You makin' this up? I haven't heard of it and couldn't find what you are talkin' 'bout on IMDB. You're chuggin' down those Mickey's Big Mouth's a bit quickly. Shark Week will do that. Did you get the addresses for Erndog and Nebin yet. When you're done with them head on over to ChetAtkins place - oh, wait Cotton Club neutralizes his mention of Full Metal Jacket. I guess we'll hold off there. Though he did put some stress on the soundtrack...yeah, get the address and I'll mull that one over.

NO SOUNDTRACKS!!!!!! I am not interested in great soundtracks here. Movies that are compelling enough for you to recommend that include music as part of the actual story content of the movie. I don't care about the soundtrack - it could suck, or it could have none at all.
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