Originally published on Noovie.com, July 2, 2021
There are movies that rock and movies that roll, and Questlove’s new doc gives you some soul. The Root’s bandleader steps out from his drum kit with “Summer of Soul,” his acclaimed directorial debut. The film generated a great deal of buzz in January when it debuted at Sundance. Now, it hits select theaters and Hulu this weekend.
Questlove’s jawn brings the forgotten 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival to screens. The same summer hippies flocked to upstate New York for Woodstock’s “Summer of Love”; downstate, another revolution was happening. This music festival brought to the Harlem streets some of R&B’s hottest acts of the day, including Sly and the Family Stone, Stevie Wonder, the 5th Dimension, B.B. King, Gladys Knight & the Pips, and more. It’s a shame that time forgot the Harlem Cultural Festival. Thankfully, it’s finally getting its long-deserved due.
Let’s keep the music going. Here are our picks for more rockin’ and rollin’ movies to watch. This includes biopics, hot docs, and just some all-time great stories with a killer backbeat. Oh, and of course, our list goes to 11!
1 / “This Is Spinal Tap” (1984)
We couldn’t have a list of movies that rock without Rob Reiner’s seminal 1984 mock-rockumentary. Filmmaker Marty Di Bergi (Rob Reiner) takes us behind the scenes on a tour gone wrong. Hard rock band Spinal Tap is one of England’s loudest bands. Yet we follow them along as their popularity wanes, the venues get smaller, and their fan base becomes more niche. Reiner’s classic comedy even rang true for actual performers. Real-life rockers like Ozzy Osbourne and Alice Cooper have actually admitted to such antics as getting lost behind the stage.
2 / “Almost Famous” (2000)
Cameron Crowe’s semi-autobiographical rock movie follows a teen writer as he lands the gig of a lifetime. William Miller (Patrick Fugit) is trying out for a new writer role at Rolling Stone. His assignment? Hit the road with the not-yet-famous band Stillwater on their cross-country tour. Crowe had a similar gig as a teen. Like Miller, he came of age during his embeds. Crowe based the fictional Stillwater on many of the bands he actually covered. This included acts like the Allman Brothers, Led Zeppelin, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Now, try to imagine any one of those road-weary bands belting out Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” on their tour bus.
3 / “The Doors” (1991)
Oliver Stone’s biopic of ’60s icon Jim Morrison and his band was perfectly cast and wonderfully acted, even if it was largely historically inaccurate. “The Doors” focuses mainly on the man behind the legend, and it’s Val Kilmer’s performance that truly shines the brightest as he becomes the late Lizard King. His singing performance, especially, was so on-point that even real Doors band members thought they were hearing the real Morrison on certain vocal takes.
4 / “Gimme Shelter” (1970)
Questlove’s “Summer of Soul” teaches us about another 1969 music festival. And, by all accounts, the Harlem Cultural Festival was a jovial affair, just like its cousin upstate. But 1969 wasn’t all peace and love. Later in the year, the West Coast tried to put on its own show with the Rolling Stones, until it all came crashing down. Albert and David Maysles’ rock doc “Gimme Shelter” takes us through all the fire and fury. Interesting side fact: a young George Lucas was one of the camera operators. The concert took place in December of 1969, and in many ways, the free spirit of the ’60s died that night, in the final weeks of the decade.
5 / “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” (2007)
After a spate of music biopics in the early ’00s (most notably 2004’s “Ray” and 2005’s “Walk the Line”), the format was ripe for parody. Enter this musical comedy from producer Judd Apatow and director/co-writer Jake Kasdan. “Walk Hard” explores the fictional life and times of country-crossover star Dewey Cox, an amalgamation of Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Hank Williams, Brian Wilson, and others.
“Walk Hard” could have easily gone the way that many parody films of the day did go, as just another “[Blank] Movie.” But Apatow and Kasdan steered it in the right direction. Despite its critical success, “Walk Hard” struggled at the box office. It later found a cult audience at home. Its soundtrack was, in many ways, better received and more successful. Like the film itself, the songs perfectly reflected and satirized the styles they aimed to jab at.
6 / “School of Rock” (2003)
Jack Black schools a class of pre-teens in all things rock; and man, can those kids play! Sure, in real life Black would have gotten some hard jail time for impersonating a school teacher (the film briefly touches on this), but that doesn’t matter. The chemistry between Black and the kids was enough to overshadow any plot holes.
The filmmakers also scored a major win, securing rights to a Led Zeppelin tune (“Immigrant Song”). The band was notorious for holding tight to its songs and rarely allowing their use in commercial media. But frontman Robert Plant liked where and how the song was being used. As such, this wouldn’t be the last time cinema would get the Led out, especially with “Immigrant Song.” You can hear the song’s heart-pounding drums and guitar once again, aptly included during a thrilling action sequence in “Thor: Ragnarok.”
7 / “Purple Rain” (1984)
There are movies that rock, but Prince’s grandiose “Purple Rain” is in a class all its own. Part fantasy auto-biopic, part steamy romance, and part glam concert, “Purple Rain” is a musical event unlike any other. It also features one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll endings of all time. Prince would go on to win an Oscar for the film (Best Original Score). The film was a total smash, as were its companion album and tour. And we’re all still trying to decipher the meaning behind the epic title song. Sadly, we recently lost Prince’s on-screen father, Clarence Williams III. But for both Prince and Williams III, what a film legacy to leave behind.
8 / “A Hard Day’s Night” (1964)
The Beatles play caricatures of themselves on a faux day in the life of the biggest band of the ’60s. “A Hard Day’s Night” is a musical mix of madcap comedy and early cinéma vérité. It also features many of the band’s biggest songs, as heard on the film’s companion soundtrack. And that itself would become one of the band’s best-selling albums of all time. The film, and its swinging style, would go on to inspire shows like “The Monkees,” movies like “Spice World,” and many, many music videos to come.
9 / “Tommy” (1975)
The Who’s rock opera about “deaf, dumb and blind” Tommy Walker is more than just a story about a boy who sure plays a mean pinball. It’s a spiritual journey. In 1975, the band turned their epic album into a musical film event. Frontman Roger Daltrey starred as the titular Tommy, while the rest of the band filled out supporting roles. Also appearing were a host of top talent from the era, like Ann-Margret, Tina Turner, and Jack Nicholson. Elton John even cameoed as the Pinball Wizard, wearing his trademark big loopy glasses and 7-ft. tall platform shoes. The stars performed the songs live on set, adding an extra layer of authenticity. The popularity of both the album and film led to an equally successful Broadway revival in 1991.
10 / “Woodstock” (1970)
“Woodstock” (the film) rocks, rolls, and delivers some soul. Those who missed the event of a generation got the chance to experience it a year later on the big screen. And for those who went, they got the chance to relive its glory, presumably sober this time. The film’s use of split-screen was revolutionary for its day, giving you the sense that you’re watching the concert in real time. Interesting side note: A young Martin Scorsese helped edit the film. It was also on this project that he met his own soon-to-be long-time editor, Thelma Schoonmaker.
11 / “The Last Waltz” (1978)
We close our list of movies that rock with the concert film of concert films. “The Last Waltz” opens with a simple title card: “This film should be played loud!” Ok, then!
Following on from his editing work on “Woodstock,” Martin Scorsese took to the stage at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom to document the final performance of seminal folk-rock band, the Band. Joining the Band were a handful of special guests, including friends and contemporaries like Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Van Morrison, Muddy Waters, the Staple Sisters, and more.
Beautifully staged performances were intercut with behind-the-scenes reflections from The Band members, as they recalled their beginnings and pondered their legacy. At the time, no one would have known this film would become one of the greatest rock-and-roll documentaries of all time. Just the same, no one could have guessed that seven years later the Band (sans Robbie Robertson) would get back to the stage and tour once again. So, it wasn’t the Band’s last waltz after all, but they’re forgiven.
We leave you with arguably one of the best moments from “The Last Waltz.” Here, the Staples join the Band for a soulful and powerful rendition of the hit “The Weight.” Rock on and enjoy!