list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Velvet Goldmine on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Velvet_Goldmine/114751/default.aspx Title: Velvet Goldmine
Year: 1998
Director: Todd Haynes
Plot: At the 1998 Cannes Film Festival, American independent director Todd Haynes (Safe) received the "Artistic Achievement" award for this re-creation of the UK glam rock scene of the early '70s. Glam rock star Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), who does a character named Maxwell Demon, predicts his own death onstage. As per his prediction, this happens, but when the killing is exposed as a hoax, it marks the end of Slade's stardom. A decade later, in 1984, Brit reporter and former Slade fan Arthur Stuart (Christian Bale), who witnesses the hoax murder, gets the assignment to do a "Whatever Happened To..?" article, and the film's plot suddenly goes into a prismatic Citizen Kane mode, reflecting various angles on Slade's life and career. Arthur visits the wheelchair-bound Cecil (Michael Feast), who discovered Slade, and then tracks Slade through his early life and his initial encounter with outrageous, maniacal American singer Curt Wild (Ewan McGregor). Slade's rise begins as manager Jerry Divine (Brit comedian Eddie Izzard) moves in to take over the performer's career. Ex-wife Mandy Slade (Toni Collette), interviewed by Arthur in a dimly lit nightclub, has memories going back to their initial 1969 Sombrero Club encounter. Their marriage paralleled his Bowie-like ascent to fame as an innovative, bisexual rock star pushing the limits. Idolized by teens, Slade teamed up for a while with the drug-addicted Wild. Eventually, the marriage of Mandy and Slade comes to an end, and she hasn't seen him in seven years when she's interviewed by Arthur. The soundtrack features vintage music by Bryan Ferry, Lou Reed and Brian Eno, plus new tunes. Some background on the making of Velvet Goldmine is documented in producer Christine Vachon's book Shooting to Kill: How an Independent Producer Blasts Through the Barriers to Make Movies That Matter (Avon, 1998) by Vachon with Slate film critic David Edelstein. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 7
Number of Lists: 26
Number of blog posts: 3
Number of discussion threads: 4
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Thu, 04 Dec 2008 19:01:09 GMTVelvet Goldmine1998Todd HaynesAt the 1998 Cannes Film Festival, American independent director <a href="/players/P____93836/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Todd Haynes</a> (<a href=/films/91028/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Safe</a>) received the "Artistic Achievement" award for this re-creation of the UK glam rock scene of the early '70s. Glam rock star Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), who does a character named Maxwell Demon, predicts his own death onstage. As per his prediction, this happens, but when the killing is exposed as a hoax, it marks the end of Slade's stardom. A decade later, in 1984, Brit reporter and former Slade fan Arthur Stuart (<a href="/players/P_____3538/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Christian Bale</a>), who witnesses the hoax murder, gets the assignment to do a "Whatever Happened To..?" article, and the film's plot suddenly goes into a prismatic <a href=/films/6239/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Citizen Kane</a> mode, reflecting various angles on Slade's life and career. Arthur visits the wheelchair-bound Cecil (Michael Feast), who discovered Slade, and then tracks Slade through his early life and his initial encounter with outrageous, maniacal American singer Curt Wild (<a href="/players/P___196980/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Ewan McGregor</a>). Slade's rise begins as manager Jerry Divine (Brit comedian <a href="/players/P___215552/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Eddie Izzard</a>) moves in to take over the performer's career. Ex-wife Mandy Slade (<a href="/players/P____14165/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Toni Collette</a>), interviewed by Arthur in a dimly lit nightclub, has memories going back to their initial 1969 Sombrero Club encounter. Their marriage paralleled his Bowie-like ascent to fame as an innovative, bisexual rock star pushing the limits. Idolized by teens, Slade teamed up for a while with the drug-addicted Wild. Eventually, the marriage of Mandy and Slade comes to an end, and she hasn't seen him in seven years when she's interviewed by Arthur. The soundtrack features vintage music by Bryan Ferry, <a href="/players/P____59273/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Lou Reed</a> and Brian Eno, plus new tunes. Some background on the making of Velvet Goldmine is documented in producer <a href="/players/P___218753/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Christine Vachon</a>'s book Shooting to Kill: How an Independent Producer Blasts Through the Barriers to Make Movies That Matter (Avon, 1998) by Vachon with <a href=/films/31649/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Slate</a> film critic David Edelstein. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide7Taggedy Taggged (6-10)26343http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t02973rqlkp.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Velvet_Goldmine/114751/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/12/4/37942.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 12/4/2008 2:01:09 PM
Body: Who would you rather hear sing Etta James’ signature tunes, the real deal or Beyonce Knowles? If you prefer the latter, then you’ll want to see Cadillac Records and even buy the film’s soundtrack, both of which feature Beyonce performing a few of James’ songs, including a nearly spot-on copy of “At Last” (listen to it here). Other actors in the film (and on the soundtrack) who do their own singing while portraying legendary music artists include Jeffrey Wright (as Muddy Waters), Mos Def (Chuck Berry) and Columbus Short (Little Walter). It’s a strange idea to pay tribute to a singer with a biopic or ensemble music historical and then replace that singer’s voice with another, more amateur vocalist. Yet Hollywood does it all the time and, surprisingly, the new performances usually turn out pretty good. Just listen to the following nine actors and actresses who managed to do justice to the artist they were portraying. Gary Busey as Buddy Holly in The Buddy Holly Story (1978) Busey earned an Oscar nomination for this film, and part of the honor was likely meant for his uncanny ability to ape Holly’s singing style precisely for live sequences like the one above. The real Buddy can be heard all over the soundtrack where appropriate, but it makes sense to have raw, live-sounding numbers in actual live performance scenes, so that’s really Busey, Charles Martin Smith and Don Stroud singing and playing the music on set. It’s unfortunate that in the subsequent thirty years there have been only a few films to follow this one’s lead, but it just proves how amazing Busey’s performance truly is. Beverly D’Angelo as Patsy Cline in Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980) The real star, in terms of both acting and singing, was Sissy Spacek, but D’Angelo does an amazing job, too, as Loretta Lynn’s mentor, Patsy Cline. Compared to Spacek’s nine tracks on the film’s soundtrack, D’Angelo has four, including an excellent duet with Spacek on “Back in Baby’s Arms.” Some of them only appear in the film as playing on the radio and so didn’t even need to be performed by the actress. But they’re so perfect, it’s almost like Michael Apted put them in there just to see if anyone noticed a difference. No wonder that when Jessica Lange starred as Cline in the 1985 bio Sweet Dreams she simply lip-synched to the original tunes. How could she have done any better than this? Laurence Fishburne as Ike Turner in What’s Love Got to Do With It (1993) While Angela Bassett lip-synched to the real Tina Turner’s voice, Fishburne made for an inconsistent soundtrack by supplying his own vocals in the part of Ike. Actually, it was necessary, because nearly all the songs in the film are new recordings, and there’s no way anyone was going to even think of bringing the real Ike in for that. Besides, some might see it as justice that his voice was almost entirely left out of the film. Fishburne received an Oscar nomination for the performance. Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison in The Doors (1991) If John Travolta had gotten his way, he’d have starred as Morrison in the film and even toured with The Doors in a series of promotional concerts. If Oliver Stone had gotten his first choice, the part would be played by The Cult’s Ian Astbury, who actually did end up singing for The Doors (well, really, the “The Doors of the 21st Century”) a decade later. And if Kyle MacLachlan had gotten his way, he’d have played Morrison instead of portraying Ray Manzarek in the film. But none of these people could possibly have done better than Val Kilmer, who completely owned the character (if not the true Jim, as Stone’s critics argue). In addition to bearing a slight resemblance to Morrison, the actor also sang enough like the real deal to have allegedly confused Stone and the surviving members of The Doors. So, the songs in the film are the band’s original recordings with Kilmer’s vocals substituted for Morrison’s, a process that allowed for a more accurate representation of the rock legend’s talky and unpredictable stage act. The soundtrack album claims to feature Morrison’s own voice on the songs, but Kilmer’s performance is so good that the credits could be false and we’d never know. Kevin Kline as Cole Porter in De-Lovely (2004) This is an especially exceptional performance because Kline limits his true singing ability to sound more like Porter, whose voice wasn’t too remarkable (the man was a composer, not a performer). The idea may not have made for Kline’s greatest recordings — though the soundtrack sold relatively well thanks to other talents like Elvis Costello and Sheryl Crow — but the portrayal would not have been true enough had Kline belted out his best. In addition to doing his own handicapped singing, in character and on set, the actor also played the piano live during filming. Ewan McGregor as Curt Wild (aka Iggy Pop) in Velvet Goldmine (1998) Ten years before casting six separate actors as Bob Dylan for I’m Not There, Todd Haynes had a single actor portray an amalgam of Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, Mick Ronson and Alice Cooper (with a little Kurt Cobain thrown in for name and appearance?). But Curt Wild is primarily Iggy, and his band, The Wylde Ratttz, are obviously modeled mostly on The Stooges, so McGregor’s crude performance counts for this list. After all, it’s basically only Stooges tunes he sings in the film (with a new tune written by ex-Stooge Ron Asheton and Mudhoney’s Mark Arm), whereas Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, who sings only some of his own songs (Radiohead’s Thom Yorke sings some others) in an obvious portrayal of David Bowie, renamed Brian Slade, performs a mix of Roxy Music and other artists’ tunes (though no Bowie, who wouldn’t allow his songs to be licensed for the film). Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash in Walk the Line (2005) Roger Ebert claimed to have closed his eyes during the film and sincerely believed it to be Cash’s own vocals being lip-synched by Phoenix. While the actor does a great job, though, it’s hard to think he’d allow the same kind of confusion Kilmer’s Morrison brought about. Amazing similarity, sure, but listen to Phoenix and Cash side by side and there’s definitely no mistaking them for the same. However, Phoenix does do a grand job of convincing us that he’s completely Cash, in appearance and voice, while the movie is playing. His costar, Reese Witherspoon, may have won the Oscar, but Phoenix definitely gave the better, more accurate singing performance. Sam Riley as Ian Curtis in Control (2007) Like the live performances in The Buddy Holly Story, those in Control were filmed live on set with the actors all playing their own instruments and Sam Riley doing his own singing. And like the earlier film, it was totally appropriate to capture such a raw-sounding band and vocalist. There were original Joy Division tunes used for non-live scenes and most of the soundtrack album features original recordings, with only one track credited to the cast, who were credited as “Joy Moviesion.” Diana Ross as Billie Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues (1972) If you’re a big fan of Holiday’s voice, there’s really no accepting this substitution. Unlike some of the other artists’ voices recreated for the big screen, Holiday’s isn’t backed up by a lot of music. So, hers and Ross’ voices are barer. Yet Ross nevertheless does a worthy effort in the role and her performances of Holiday’s tunes were popular enough to make the film’s soundtrack reach #1 on the Billboard Top 200. Ross was also nominated for an Oscar. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Thu, 04 Dec 2008 19:01:09 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com12/4/2008 2:01:09 PMWho would you rather hear sing Etta James’ signature tunes, the real deal or Beyonce Knowles? If you prefer the latter, then you’ll want to see Cadillac Records and even buy the film’s soundtrack, both of which feature Beyonce performing a few of James’ songs, including a nearly spot-on copy of “At Last” (listen to it here). Other actors in the film (and on the soundtrack) who do their own singing while portraying legendary music artists include Jeffrey Wright (as Muddy Waters), Mos Def (Chuck Berry) and Columbus Short (Little Walter). It’s a strange idea to pay tribute to a singer with a biopic or ensemble music historical and then replace that singer’s voice with another, more amateur vocalist. Yet Hollywood does it all the time and, surprisingly, the new performances usually turn out pretty good. Just listen to the following nine actors and actresses who managed to do justice to the artist they were portraying. Gary Busey as Buddy Holly in The Buddy Holly Story (1978) Busey earned an Oscar nomination for this film, and part of the honor was likely meant for his uncanny ability to ape Holly’s singing style precisely for live sequences like the one above. The real Buddy can be heard all over the soundtrack where appropriate, but it makes sense to have raw, live-sounding numbers in actual live performance scenes, so that’s really Busey, Charles Martin Smith and Don Stroud singing and playing the music on set. It’s unfortunate that in the subsequent thirty years there have been only a few films to follow this one’s lead, but it just proves how amazing Busey’s performance truly is. Beverly D’Angelo as Patsy Cline in Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980) The real star, in terms of both acting and singing, was Sissy Spacek, but D’Angelo does an amazing job, too, as Loretta Lynn’s mentor, Patsy Cline. Compared to Spacek’s nine tracks on the film’s soundtrack, D’Angelo has four, including an excellent duet with Spacek on “Back in Baby’s Arms.” Some of them only appear in the film as playing on the radio and so didn’t even need to be performed by the actress. But they’re so perfect, it’s almost like Michael Apted put them in there just to see if anyone noticed a difference. No wonder that when Jessica Lange starred as Cline in the 1985 bio Sweet Dreams she simply lip-synched to the original tunes. How could she have done any better than this? Laurence Fishburne as Ike Turner in What’s Love Got to Do With It (1993) While Angela Bassett lip-synched to the real Tina Turner’s voice, Fishburne made for an inconsistent soundtrack by supplying his own vocals in the part of Ike. Actually, it was necessary, because nearly all the songs in the film are new recordings, and there’s no way anyone was going to even think of bringing the real Ike in for that. Besides, some might see it as justice that his voice was almost entirely left out of the film. Fishburne received an Oscar nomination for the performance. Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison in The Doors (1991) If John Travolta had gotten his way, he’d have starred as Morrison in the film and even toured with The Doors in a series of promotional concerts. If Oliver Stone had gotten his first choice, the part would be played by The Cult’s Ian Astbury, who actually did end up singing for The Doors (well, really, the “The Doors of the 21st Century”) a decade later. And if Kyle MacLachlan had gotten his way, he’d have played Morrison instead of portraying Ray Manzarek in the film. But none of these people could possibly have done better than Val Kilmer, who completely owned the character (if not the true Jim, as Stone’s critics argue). In addition to bearing a slight resemblance to Morrison, the actor also sang enough like the real deal to have allegedly confused Stone and the surviving members of The Doors. So, the songs in the film are the band’s original recordings with Kilmer’s vocals substituted for Morrison’s, a process that allowed for a more accurate representation of the rock legend’s talky and unpredictable stage act. The soundtrack album claims to feature Morrison’s own voice on the songs, but Kilmer’s performance is so good that the credits could be false and we’d never know. Kevin Kline as Cole Porter in De-Lovely (2004) This is an especially exceptional performance because Kline limits his true singing ability to sound more like Porter, whose voice wasn’t too remarkable (the man was a composer, not a performer). The idea may not have made for Kline’s greatest recordings — though the soundtrack sold relatively well thanks to other talents like Elvis Costello and Sheryl Crow — but the portrayal would not have been true enough had Kline belted out his best. In addition to doing his own handicapped singing, in character and on set, the actor also played the piano live during filming. Ewan McGregor as Curt Wild (aka Iggy Pop) in Velvet Goldmine (1998) Ten years before casting six separate actors as Bob Dylan for I’m Not There, Todd Haynes had a single actor portray an amalgam of Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, Mick Ronson and Alice Cooper (with a little Kurt Cobain thrown in for name and appearance?). But Curt Wild is primarily Iggy, and his band, The Wylde Ratttz, are obviously modeled mostly on The Stooges, so McGregor’s crude performance counts for this list. After all, it’s basically only Stooges tunes he sings in the film (with a new tune written by ex-Stooge Ron Asheton and Mudhoney’s Mark Arm), whereas Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, who sings only some of his own songs (Radiohead’s Thom Yorke sings some others) in an obvious portrayal of David Bowie, renamed Brian Slade, performs a mix of Roxy Music and other artists’ tunes (though no Bowie, who wouldn’t allow his songs to be licensed for the film). Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash in Walk the Line (2005) Roger Ebert claimed to have closed his eyes during the film and sincerely believed it to be Cash’s own vocals being lip-synched by Phoenix. While the actor does a great job, though, it’s hard to think he’d allow the same kind of confusion Kilmer’s Morrison brought about. Amazing similarity, sure, but listen to Phoenix and Cash side by side and there’s definitely no mistaking them for the same. However, Phoenix does do a grand job of convincing us that he’s completely Cash, in appearance and voice, while the movie is playing. His costar, Reese Witherspoon, may have won the Oscar, but Phoenix definitely gave the better, more accurate singing performance. Sam Riley as Ian Curtis in Control (2007) Like the live performances in The Buddy Holly Story, those in Control were filmed live on set with the actors all playing their own instruments and Sam Riley doing his own singing. And like the earlier film, it was totally appropriate to capture such a raw-sounding band and vocalist. There were original Joy Division tunes used for non-live scenes and most of the soundtrack album features original recordings, with only one track credited to the cast, who were credited as “Joy Moviesion.” Diana Ross as Billie Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues (1972) If you’re a big fan of Holiday’s voice, there’s really no accepting this substitution. Unlike some of the other artists’ voices recreated for the big screen, Holiday’s isn’t backed up by a lot of music. So, hers and Ross’ voices are barer. Yet Ross nevertheless does a worthy effort in the role and her performances of Holiday’s tunes were popular enough to make the film’s soundtrack reach #1 on the Billboard Top 200. Ross was also nominated for an Oscar. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_November_17_In_The_Nude/625/37420/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mercurial
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 11/18/2008 8:43:22 PM
Body: So many to list . . . so how about I go with the most shocking (to me). Julianne Moore / Heather Graham / Mark Wahlberg in Boogie Nights Kevin Bacon in Wild Things Never have I wanted to rip out my eyes so badly before. Denise Richards in Wild Things Makes up for Kevin Bacon. Kate WInslet in Titanic Jennifer Connelly in Requiem for a Dream Holly Hunter in Crash Mena Suvari in American Beauty Michael Pitt in The Dreamers Kate Hudson in Almost Famous Get your pause buttons ready. Dina Meyer in Starship Troopers Gwyneth Paltrow in Shakespeare in Love Monica Bellucci in Irreversible Laura Harring in Mulholland Dr. Out of the middle of nowhere, BAM! Lesbian Sex Scene! Elizabeth Berkley / Gina Gershon in Showgirls From Saved By The Bell to this. Nice transition. Jaime King in Sin City Vinessa Shaw in Eyes Wide Shut Wait? She was wearing a mask? I didn't notice. Milla Jovovich in The Fifth Element Selma Blair in Storytelling Some people only saw a big black censored square over her. Find the unrated version of the film. Selma Blair in A Dirty Shame So they are obviously fake, but holy &#$%! Uma Thurman in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen So she's almost completely naked. Who cares! Sheryl Lee in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me They couldn't do that on television! Rose McGowan in The Doom Generation Erika Eleniak in Under Siege Happy Birthday to me! Erika Eleniak in Chasers Amy Adams in Psycho Beach Party Before she was an Academy Award Nominee. Natalie Portman in Hotel Chevalier Heather Matarazzo in Hostel 2 Christina Ricci in The Opposite of Sex Christina Ricci in Black Snake Moan WOW! Isabella Rossellini in Blue Velvet Ewan McGregor in Velvet Goldmine Emmanuelle Seigner in The Ninth Gate Straddling Johnny Depp next to a burning castle. Hot! Demi Moore in Striptease I think that's enough for now. And yes, I am a pervert.
]]>Wed, 19 Nov 2008 01:43:22 GMTmercurialWeekly Theme11/18/2008 8:43:22 PMSo many to list . . . so how about I go with the most shocking (to me). Julianne Moore / Heather Graham / Mark Wahlberg in Boogie Nights Kevin Bacon in Wild Things Never have I wanted to rip out my eyes so badly before. Denise Richards in Wild Things Makes up for Kevin Bacon. Kate WInslet in Titanic Jennifer Connelly in Requiem for a Dream Holly Hunter in Crash Mena Suvari in American Beauty Michael Pitt in The Dreamers Kate Hudson in Almost Famous Get your pause buttons ready. Dina Meyer in Starship Troopers Gwyneth Paltrow in Shakespeare in Love Monica Bellucci in Irreversible Laura Harring in Mulholland Dr. Out of the middle of nowhere, BAM! Lesbian Sex Scene! Elizabeth Berkley / Gina Gershon in Showgirls From Saved By The Bell to this. Nice transition. Jaime King in Sin City Vinessa Shaw in Eyes Wide Shut Wait? She was wearing a mask? I didn't notice. Milla Jovovich in The Fifth Element Selma Blair in Storytelling Some people only saw a big black censored square over her. Find the unrated version of the film. Selma Blair in A Dirty Shame So they are obviously fake, but holy &amp;#$%! Uma Thurman in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen So she's almost completely naked. Who cares! Sheryl Lee in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me They couldn't do that on television! Rose McGowan in The Doom Generation Erika Eleniak in Under Siege Happy Birthday to me! Erika Eleniak in Chasers Amy Adams in Psycho Beach Party Before she was an Academy Award Nominee. Natalie Portman in Hotel Chevalier Heather Matarazzo in Hostel 2 Christina Ricci in The Opposite of Sex Christina Ricci in Black Snake Moan WOW! Isabella Rossellini in Blue Velvet Ewan McGregor in Velvet Goldmine Emmanuelle Seigner in The Ninth Gate Straddling Johnny Depp next to a burning castle. Hot! Demi Moore in Striptease I think that's enough for now. And yes, I am a pervert. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/3/8/25976.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 3/8/2008 9:01:00 AM
Body: Rock musicals about rock stars are almost as tiring as independent films about independent filmmakers. They’re too self-involved and too self-satisfying, and they typically have nothing for an objective viewer to grab hold of. But at least with rock musicals, if the audience can dig the music, they can maybe dig the movie, too. This has been the case, for me at least, with such films as Velvet Goldmine and Hedwig and the Angry Inch, neither of which I would have been so into were it not for their excellent glam rock soundtracks. And now the same goes for Rainbow Around the Sun, a neat little low-budget musical fantasy, which interestingly enough also has a touch of glam in its songs, about a very cliché band leader and his very cliché drinking problem and his very cliché story of heartbreak. Here, more than the songs, though, it’s the musical numbers, many of which work on their own as great music videos, that really kept me interested. That tired tale of the troubled, tortured artist/poet/rock star is merely a thin thread for Rainbow Around the Sun, which was adapted from an autobiographical album of the same name by Matthew Alvin Brown, who also stars in the film as singer-guitarist-drunk Zachary Blasto. The plot is like an afterthought, concocted only to connect the album tracks and their “videos”, and though the songs seem like they’re supposed to comment on the story, it’s really apparent that it came about the other way around, that the story is in fact meant only to put the songs into a context. I’d probably have enjoyed it as much, if not more, though, without the loose narrative and its underdeveloped scenes. The film could still have been what it actually is anyway: a cinematic concept album. (more…) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Sat, 08 Mar 2008 14:01:00 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com3/8/2008 9:01:00 AM Rock musicals about rock stars are almost as tiring as independent films about independent filmmakers. They’re too self-involved and too self-satisfying, and they typically have nothing for an objective viewer to grab hold of. But at least with rock musicals, if the audience can dig the music, they can maybe dig the movie, too. This has been the case, for me at least, with such films as Velvet Goldmine and Hedwig and the Angry Inch, neither of which I would have been so into were it not for their excellent glam rock soundtracks. And now the same goes for Rainbow Around the Sun, a neat little low-budget musical fantasy, which interestingly enough also has a touch of glam in its songs, about a very cliché band leader and his very cliché drinking problem and his very cliché story of heartbreak. Here, more than the songs, though, it’s the musical numbers, many of which work on their own as great music videos, that really kept me interested. That tired tale of the troubled, tortured artist/poet/rock star is merely a thin thread for Rainbow Around the Sun, which was adapted from an autobiographical album of the same name by Matthew Alvin Brown, who also stars in the film as singer-guitarist-drunk Zachary Blasto. The plot is like an afterthought, concocted only to connect the album tracks and their “videos”, and though the songs seem like they’re supposed to comment on the story, it’s really apparent that it came about the other way around, that the story is in fact meant only to put the songs into a context. I’d probably have enjoyed it as much, if not more, though, without the loose narrative and its underdeveloped scenes. The film could still have been what it actually is anyway: a cinematic concept album. (more…) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/thefilmpanelnotetaker/archive/2007/10/24/21147.aspx Post By: thefilmpanelnotetaker
Post To: thefilmpanelnotetaker Blog
Post Date: 10/24/2007 4:01:12 PM
Body: 45th New York Film FestivalHBO Directors Dialogue: Todd HaynesOctober 6, 2007Todd Haynes in New York Film Fesival's Green Room for I'm Not There. Photo Credit: C.J.ContinoSaturday at the New York Film Festival, Village Voice film critic J. Hoberman conducted an HBO Directors Dialogues with filmmaker Todd Haynes whose new film, I???m Not There, premiered at the festival a few days earlier. I was at the premiere and took notes at the Q&A, and thought it would be a good complement to take additional notes at the Directors Dialogue to get further insights from Haynes on his directing styles and choices for I???m Not There and his other bodies of work. What follows are highlights of the discussion and questions and answers from the audience.Hoberman opened by saying ???the greatest pleasure a film journalist can have is to come across a movie you never heard of from someone unknown and to have the privilege to write about it first 20 years ago.??? The film refers to was Haynes??? 1987 super 8mm movie Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story. Hoberman called it a completely brilliant and original movie. He then went through the laundry list of Haynes??? other film including Poison (1991), Safe (1995), Velvet Goldmine (1998), Far From Heaven (2002), and finally I???m Not There (2007). Hoberman pointed out that most of these films have multiple stories and address certain pop culture text. In each case, there is a certainty of irony. He asks Haynes if these films were made with love, and what he???s a fan of.Haynes responded that he???s an intense, wild fan of movies, music, and even of Hoberman???s work, referring back to Hoberman???s original review of Superstar, a film that would never have been shown commercially. This review launched Haynes??? career. Many theatrical venues wanted to show the film.Hoberman moves the discussion over to Haynes interest in Bob Dylan.Haynes recollected his high school days. He attended Oakwood, an artsy school in Los Angeles that had a radical, mythical history founded by progressive actors in the 1950s. It was in this environment, he first encountered Dylan???s music. After graduating in 1979, he moved to the East Coast for college at Brown University, where he studied semiotics, and became interested in glam and punk rock. It was not till the end of his 30s (he had begun his film career already) when he got back into Dylan. He finished making Velvet Goldmine and took a few years off. Most of his friends were starting their lives already, having families. He didn???t have any of those things in his life. Something was missing. He wanted to enrich himself. Since he was a creative person, he had the opportunity to externalize his troubles, and was very grateful for it. At the time, he was interested in 1950s melodramas (ala Douglas Sirk) and wanted to work again with Julianne Moore (who he worked previously with on Safe).At the end of the 1990s, Haynes drove across country to Portland, Oregon, to live with his sister. He listened to tapes of Dylan in the car. Half way there, he bought some more folk music to listen to . When he got to Portland, he read a bunch of Dylan biographies. It became inevitable that his obsession would result in making something creative.Hoberman mentions that Haynes started writing the screenplay for I???m Not There in 2000. During this time, Dylan published an anthology, ???s documentary, No Direction Home: Bob Dylan came out, and Twyla Tharp???s ballet based on Dylan???s songs, The Times They Are A-Changin???, played on Broadway. But Haynes focuses most of the film on Dylan???s life in the 1960s up until the 70s, the end of the Vietnam War.Haynes said he couldn???t commit to Dylan???s entire life. He wanted to focus on the core elements and roots of his origins in the 60s era. That was enough. Dylan ultimately created his own escape at the end of the 60s until he had his motorcycle accident in 1966. Then he went to Woodstock and raised a family. In many ways, he never really came back. Dylan???s access and visibility have been under his own terms ever since. That???s what the whole last story with Richard Gere???s Dylan character, Billy, is all about. Billy is the most metaphorical character.Given how protective Dylan is, Hoberman asked Haynes how he got permission to use Dylan???s music in the film and what Dylan thought of the film.Haynes said he???s not sure Dylan has seen it yet. He sent the DVD to Dylan???s son Jesse, because he knew that Dylan didn???t want to come to any public screenings. Before even making the film, Haynes called up producer Christine Vachon. He was very bashful about it, because he knew it would be hard to get Dylan???s permission to use the songs. There was no way he could make the movie without the music. Prior to making the film, Haynes met with Jesse, who is also a filmmaker, in Los Angeles. It???s so hard to be the kid of a famous person. One thing Dylan has been able to do all along is keep his family protected.At that point in the script (which was then titled I???m Not There: Suppositions On a Film Concerning Dylan), Haynes had seven Dylan characters, one of which eventually got absorbed into the Woody character, making the final amount six. Dylan had been opposed to every dramatic version of his life before, until that moment. If there was ever something Dylan wanted done about his life, it would have to be something this open and unconventional.Audience Q&AQ: Do you see parallels between I???m Not There and Velvet Goldmine? Did you get David Bowie???s blessing for Velvet Goldmine?TH: Artists are always changing themselves. The first person you might think of is David Bowie. I wanted the rights to Bowie???s songs, but he wasn???t interested in having his story on film. Bowie???s version of self-transformation was about dressing up and applying make up. Androgyny. I???m Not There and Velvet Goldmine are very different films. Different music genres and traditions. Velvet Goldmine is a British story, whereas I???m Not There is American story.Q: Why do you choose Cate Blanchett for the role of Jude in I???m Not There?TH: I was obsessed about different actresses in their age range. I looked at pictures of actresses and put them in Dylan???s hair. Saw Cate on stage in Heda Gabler in Brooklyn. Saw her scale and proportions. She???s beautiful. On a physical level, I was stunned by her proportions.Q: How do you work with such a large body of music?TH: It was an embarrassment of riches. The selection of cinematic references started in the script stage. Music would be telling the story, built into the film???s concept. For example, the song ???Ballad of a Thin Man??? had such an important historical meaning. It expressed the inside/outside dichotomy. Another song, ???Goin??? to Acapulco,??? was a personal favorite. It???s absurdly melodramatic.Q: You started the script in 2000 with seven Dylan characters. What are other changes were made?TH: I did stop everything on the script when going into production on Far From Heaven in 2001, which occupied me completely till about 2003, but at that point, I had gotten the rights from Dylan to use the music. Then started researching and starting over from scratch. The process of being a pure fan was changed. The missing seventh character was called Charlie, a Chaplin-esque figure.Q: Did you study of semiotics at Brown influence your filmmaking?TH: It has. The semiotics courses are now part of the modern culture and media departments. Semiotics studies post-culturalism. It???s a post-humanist look at pop culture and media. Originally posted on:The Film Panel Notetaker - Miss a panel discussion? Don't worry! We took notes for you.
]]>Wed, 24 Oct 2007 20:01:12 GMTthefilmpanelnotetakerthefilmpanelnotetaker Blog10/24/2007 4:01:12 PM45th New York Film FestivalHBO Directors Dialogue: Todd HaynesOctober 6, 2007Todd Haynes in New York Film Fesival's Green Room for I'm Not There. Photo Credit: C.J.ContinoSaturday at the New York Film Festival, Village Voice film critic J. Hoberman conducted an HBO Directors Dialogues with filmmaker Todd Haynes whose new film, I???m Not There, premiered at the festival a few days earlier. I was at the premiere and took notes at the Q&A, and thought it would be a good complement to take additional notes at the Directors Dialogue to get further insights from Haynes on his directing styles and choices for I???m Not There and his other bodies of work. What follows are highlights of the discussion and questions and answers from the audience.Hoberman opened by saying ???the greatest pleasure a film journalist can have is to come across a movie you never heard of from someone unknown and to have the privilege to write about it first 20 years ago.??? The film refers to was Haynes??? 1987 super 8mm movie Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story. Hoberman called it a completely brilliant and original movie. He then went through the laundry list of Haynes??? other film including Poison (1991), Safe (1995), Velvet Goldmine (1998), Far From Heaven (2002), and finally I???m Not There (2007). Hoberman pointed out that most of these films have multiple stories and address certain pop culture text. In each case, there is a certainty of irony. He asks Haynes if these films were made with love, and what he???s a fan of.Haynes responded that he???s an intense, wild fan of movies, music, and even of Hoberman???s work, referring back to Hoberman???s original review of Superstar, a film that would never have been shown commercially. This review launched Haynes??? career. Many theatrical venues wanted to show the film.Hoberman moves the discussion over to Haynes interest in Bob Dylan.Haynes recollected his high school days. He attended Oakwood, an artsy school in Los Angeles that had a radical, mythical history founded by progressive actors in the 1950s. It was in this environment, he first encountered Dylan???s music. After graduating in 1979, he moved to the East Coast for college at Brown University, where he studied semiotics, and became interested in glam and punk rock. It was not till the end of his 30s (he had begun his film career already) when he got back into Dylan. He finished making Velvet Goldmine and took a few years off. Most of his friends were starting their lives already, having families. He didn???t have any of those things in his life. Something was missing. He wanted to enrich himself. Since he was a creative person, he had the opportunity to externalize his troubles, and was very grateful for it. At the time, he was interested in 1950s melodramas (ala Douglas Sirk) and wanted to work again with Julianne Moore (who he worked previously with on Safe).At the end of the 1990s, Haynes drove across country to Portland, Oregon, to live with his sister. He listened to tapes of Dylan in the car. Half way there, he bought some more folk music to listen to . When he got to Portland, he read a bunch of Dylan biographies. It became inevitable that his obsession would result in making something creative.Hoberman mentions that Haynes started writing the screenplay for I???m Not There in 2000. During this time, Dylan published an anthology, ???s documentary, No Direction Home: Bob Dylan came out, and Twyla Tharp???s ballet based on Dylan???s songs, The Times They Are A-Changin???, played on Broadway. But Haynes focuses most of the film on Dylan???s life in the 1960s up until the 70s, the end of the Vietnam War.Haynes said he couldn???t commit to Dylan???s entire life. He wanted to focus on the core elements and roots of his origins in the 60s era. That was enough. Dylan ultimately created his own escape at the end of the 60s until he had his motorcycle accident in 1966. Then he went to Woodstock and raised a family. In many ways, he never really came back. Dylan???s access and visibility have been under his own terms ever since. That???s what the whole last story with Richard Gere???s Dylan character, Billy, is all about. Billy is the most metaphorical character.Given how protective Dylan is, Hoberman asked Haynes how he got permission to use Dylan???s music in the film and what Dylan thought of the film.Haynes said he???s not sure Dylan has seen it yet. He sent the DVD to Dylan???s son Jesse, because he knew that Dylan didn???t want to come to any public screenings. Before even making the film, Haynes called up producer Christine Vachon. He was very bashful about it, because he knew it would be hard to get Dylan???s permission to use the songs. There was no way he could make the movie without the music. Prior to making the film, Haynes met with Jesse, who is also a filmmaker, in Los Angeles. It???s so hard to be the kid of a famous person. One thing Dylan has been able to do all along is keep his family protected.At that point in the script (which was then titled I???m Not There: Suppositions On a Film Concerning Dylan), Haynes had seven Dylan characters, one of which eventually got absorbed into the Woody character, making the final amount six. Dylan had been opposed to every dramatic version of his life before, until that moment. If there was ever something Dylan wanted done about his life, it would have to be something this open and unconventional.Audience Q&AQ: Do you see parallels between I???m Not There and Velvet Goldmine? Did you get David Bowie???s blessing for Velvet Goldmine?TH: Artists are always changing themselves. The first person you might think of is David Bowie. I wanted the rights to Bowie???s songs, but he wasn???t interested in having his story on film. Bowie???s version of self-transformation was about dressing up and applying make up. Androgyny. I???m Not There and Velvet Goldmine are very different films. Different music genres and traditions. Velvet Goldmine is a British story, whereas I???m Not There is American story.Q: Why do you choose Cate Blanchett for the role of Jude in I???m Not There?TH: I was obsessed about different actresses in their age range. I looked at pictures of actresses and put them in Dylan???s hair. Saw Cate on stage in Heda Gabler in Brooklyn. Saw her scale and proportions. She???s beautiful. On a physical level, I was stunned by her proportions.Q: How do you work with such a large body of music?TH: It was an embarrassment of riches. The selection of cinematic references started in the script stage. Music would be telling the story, built into the film???s concept. For example, the song ???Ballad of a Thin Man??? had such an important historical meaning. It expressed the inside/outside dichotomy. Another song, ???Goin??? to Acapulco,??? was a personal favorite. It???s absurdly melodramatic.Q: You started the script in 2000 with seven Dylan characters. What are other changes were made?TH: I did stop everything on the script when going into production on Far From Heaven in 2001, which occupied me completely till about 2003, but at that point, I had gotten the rights from Dylan to use the music. Then started researching and starting over from scratch. The process of being a pure fan was changed. The missing seventh character was called Charlie, a Chaplin-esque figure.Q: Did you study of semiotics at Brown influence your filmmaking?TH: It has. The semiotics courses are now part of the modern culture and media departments. Semiotics studies post-culturalism. It???s a post-humanist look at pop culture and media. Originally posted on:The Film Panel Notetaker - Miss a panel discussion? Don't worry! We took notes for you. http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_Five_Movies_About_Music/190/19540/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: schulen
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 9/8/2007 9:41:19 PM
Body: Almost Famous - Philip Seymour Hoffman, explaining the relation of the music geek/journalist to the bands they revere is the moment that this film grows from an excellent comming-of-age story in to a profound and incrediby insightful examination of pop music, people who make pop music, and people who love pop music. Heartworn Highways - Country music was the original punk rock. it was honesty, gritty, rebellious, and aimed at the lowly. Then, it became the most commercially consistent and artistictically-lifeless genre of music not sung by earnest teenage boys. However, country as country was still exists. Rebranned as Americana or another half-dozen other names, there is a thriving community of artists blending folk, Hank Williams era country, and Buddy Holly era rock'n'roll, in to music too twangy for most, and too honest for CMT. This film follows some of the first, and some of the best, very early in their careers. If Townes Van Zandt's sing-along with his elderly neighbor doesn't make you cry, you're a weird fucking person.Velvet Goldmine - I'll defend the hell out of this incredibly misunderstood movie. Movies like Ray and Walk The Line do a fine job telling the story of interesting and remarkable musicians. This movie, however, does more. It brilliantly dramatizes the glam-rock culture of the time, both critically and with affection. Glam rock was art, and it was cheap shock. Glam rockers got it, at first, and then went too far. This movie isn't a movie about David Bowie, it's a movie about everything David Bowie's career, at that time, represents. From heartbreaking moments (Christian Bale screaming "That's me dad!" as he's longing to be outted) to asinine theatrics, this is a flick that doesn't just tell you about interesting characters, it assumes their personality. One get's the sense that if you asked David Bowie in 1972 to make a movie about David Bowie in 1972, he might have come up with this exact film. With something as abstract as music, and specific as glam rock music, taking that approach is inspired.High Fidelity - Maybe overrated, maybe fucking perfect. The Last Waltz - The Band. Good enough?
]]>Sun, 09 Sep 2007 01:41:19 GMTschulenTop 59/8/2007 9:41:19 PMAlmost Famous - Philip Seymour Hoffman, explaining the relation of the music geek/journalist to the bands they revere is the moment that this film grows from an excellent comming-of-age story in to a profound and incrediby insightful examination of pop music, people who make pop music, and people who love pop music. Heartworn Highways - Country music was the original punk rock. it was honesty, gritty, rebellious, and aimed at the lowly. Then, it became the most commercially consistent and artistictically-lifeless genre of music not sung by earnest teenage boys. However, country as country was still exists. Rebranned as Americana or another half-dozen other names, there is a thriving community of artists blending folk, Hank Williams era country, and Buddy Holly era rock&#39;n&#39;roll, in to music too twangy for most, and too honest for CMT. This film follows some of the first, and some of the best, very early in their careers. If Townes Van Zandt&#39;s sing-along with his elderly neighbor doesn&#39;t make you cry, you&#39;re a weird fucking person.Velvet Goldmine - I&#39;ll defend the hell out of this incredibly misunderstood movie. Movies like Ray and Walk The Line do a fine job telling the story of interesting and remarkable musicians. This movie, however, does more. It brilliantly dramatizes the glam-rock culture of the time, both critically and with affection. Glam rock was art, and it was cheap shock. Glam rockers got it, at first, and then went too far. This movie isn&#39;t a movie about David Bowie, it&#39;s a movie about everything David Bowie&#39;s career, at that time, represents. From heartbreaking moments (Christian Bale screaming "That&#39;s me dad!" as he&#39;s longing to be outted) to asinine theatrics, this is a flick that doesn&#39;t just tell you about interesting characters, it assumes their personality. One get&#39;s the sense that if you asked David Bowie in 1972 to make a movie about David Bowie in 1972, he might have come up with this exact film. With something as abstract as music, and specific as glam rock music, taking that approach is inspired.High Fidelity - Maybe overrated, maybe fucking perfect. The Last Waltz - The Band. Good enough? http://www.spout.com/groups/Movie_Soundtracks/Re_Top_five_favorite_Soundtracks/100/18325/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: lbenschwartz
Post To: Movie Soundtracks
Post Date: 8/17/2007 9:44:33 PM
Body: 1. Velvet Goldmine - Classic case of a fantastic soundtrack making a good movie great... Vintage Brian Eno, Roxy Music and Lou Reed mixed with fantastic covers by Shudder to Think, Placebo and a dead-on Stooges cover by Ewan McGreggor. 2. Amateur - Hal Hartley is known for creating a lot of the music for his own movies, but this gem from the mid-1990s is who's who of that decade's indie rock: My Bloody Valentine, PJ Harvey, Pavement, Liz Phair, Bettie Severt, Jesus Lizard, Red House Painters and Yo La Tango. 3. Dream with the Fishes - Little seen indie flick from the 90s with mostly little known singer-songwriter types: Nick Drake (pre-VW ad exposure), Jeremy Toback, Greg Brown, Grandaddy, Ween and a classical Waterboys tune. Very solid, satisfying album. 4. Dazed and Confused - Has there ever been a better collection of 70's super-rock? 5. Purple Rain - Much, much more than a soundtrack, one of the greatest albums ever made.
]]>Sat, 18 Aug 2007 01:44:33 GMTlbenschwartzMovie Soundtracks8/17/2007 9:44:33 PM1. Velvet Goldmine - Classic case of a fantastic soundtrack making a good movie great... Vintage Brian Eno, Roxy Music and Lou Reed mixed with fantastic covers by Shudder to Think, Placebo and a dead-on Stooges cover by Ewan McGreggor. 2. Amateur - Hal Hartley is known for creating a lot of the music for his own movies, but this gem from the mid-1990s is who&#39;s who of that decade&#39;s indie rock: My Bloody Valentine, PJ Harvey, Pavement, Liz Phair, Bettie Severt, Jesus Lizard, Red House Painters and Yo La Tango. 3. Dream with the Fishes - Little seen indie flick from the 90s with mostly little known singer-songwriter types: Nick Drake (pre-VW ad exposure), Jeremy Toback, Greg Brown, Grandaddy, Ween and a classical Waterboys tune. Very solid, satisfying album. 4. Dazed and Confused - Has there ever been a better collection of 70&#39;s super-rock? 5. Purple Rain - Much, much more than a soundtrack, one of the greatest albums ever made. http://www.spout.com/groups/Queer_Cinema/Queer_Musicians_Film/318/15586/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: unemployedwaif
Post To: Queer Cinema
Post Date: 7/22/2007 11:25:27 PM
Body: The addition of our talented new member nathan503 got me to thinking about representations of queer musicians and how they are portrayed and/or their music is used in film.For me, at least what is coming to mind at this moment, are the glam rockers; specifically Todd Haynes' Velvet Goldmine and John Cameron Mitchell's Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Both films are written and directed by gay men about queer musicians and miraculously succeed at telling poignant, engaging stories that don't fall victim to the abundance of stereotypical cliches that so many others do.Within recent years, a number of films have begun to delve into the lives of rather famous musicians of the past whose queer sensibilities have only recently come to light. Irwin Winkler's De-Lovely which chronicles the life of Cole Porter, and Atom Egoyan's Where The Truth Lies. Unfortunately, due to the (homophobic) powers that be, the films tended to skim the surface of this aspect of their lives and ultimately disguised the queer elements to supposedly appeal to a wider audience. However I think it is the Broadway composers and actors that have comprised a significant portion of cinemas representations of queer musicians. This tends to leak into films such as The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, The Birdcage, and To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything Julie Newmar where the Broadway-obsessed, lisping queen steretype emerges and has definitely left its mark on society. Trick delt with such an artist trying to make it in New York CIty and I liked how the film didn't sideline his musical aspirations and focus just on the relationship aspect of the film. The cinematic adaptation of Rent also deals with young bohemian types trying to flourish in the big city. Films like Camp and Fame showcase the younger teenager set of queer musicians which are fun and oozingly poptastic.In terms of un-campy portrayals of young modern musicians, I can't really think of too much. I know Gregg Araki has had both queer musicians as characters and as actors in his films like The Living End and Nowhere but they aren't fully explored (and are acutally rather campy). Party Monster has it's portrayal of DJ Keoki which again isn't really touched upon (and is rather razzle-dazzle). Rufus Wainwright pops up in Heights but not as himself nor as a musician (I'm pretty sure he's labeled merely an artist). Stephin Merritt (a gay acoustic artist) scored and contributed a number of songs to Pieces of April which is primarily populated with straight characters (aside from Sean Hayes playing an amalgam of Jack and Karen from Will & Grace) so that can't really be counted.So yeah, the representations of queer musicians in film mostly fall victim to cliched stereotypes and/or waxed over to appeal to the heteronormative populace. Since this has been a rather superficial glossing over of the sub-genre, which films have you guys enjoyed/loathed that spotlight queer musicians? And if you don't mind, list some of the films that I haven't (and probably haven't seen) to help broaden all of our horizons. - Chris
]]>Mon, 23 Jul 2007 03:25:27 GMTunemployedwaifQueer Cinema7/22/2007 11:25:27 PMThe addition of our talented new member nathan503 got me to thinking about representations of queer musicians and how they are portrayed and/or their music is used in film.For me, at least what is coming to mind at this moment, are the glam rockers; specifically Todd Haynes&#39; Velvet Goldmine and John Cameron Mitchell&#39;s Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Both films are written and directed by gay men about queer musicians and miraculously succeed at telling poignant, engaging stories that don&#39;t fall victim to the abundance of stereotypical cliches that so many others do.Within recent years, a number of films have begun to delve into the lives of rather famous musicians of the past whose queer sensibilities have only recently come to light. Irwin Winkler&#39;s De-Lovely which chronicles the life of Cole Porter, and Atom Egoyan&#39;s Where The Truth Lies. Unfortunately, due to the (homophobic) powers that be, the films tended to skim the surface of this aspect of their lives and ultimately disguised the queer elements to supposedly appeal to a wider audience. However I think it is the Broadway composers and actors that have comprised a significant portion of cinemas representations of queer musicians. This tends to leak into films such as The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, The Birdcage, and To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything Julie Newmar where the Broadway-obsessed, lisping queen steretype emerges and has definitely left its mark on society. Trick delt with such an artist trying to make it in New York CIty and I liked how the film didn&#39;t sideline his musical aspirations and focus just on the relationship aspect of the film. The cinematic adaptation of Rent also deals with young bohemian types trying to flourish in the big city. Films like Camp and Fame showcase the younger teenager set of queer musicians which are fun and oozingly poptastic.In terms of un-campy portrayals of young modern musicians, I can&#39;t really think of too much. I know Gregg Araki has had both queer musicians as characters and as actors in his films like The Living End and Nowhere but they aren&#39;t fully explored (and are acutally rather campy). Party Monster has it&#39;s portrayal of DJ Keoki which again isn&#39;t really touched upon (and is rather razzle-dazzle). Rufus Wainwright pops up in Heights but not as himself nor as a musician (I&#39;m pretty sure he&#39;s labeled merely an artist). Stephin Merritt (a gay acoustic artist) scored and contributed a number of songs to Pieces of April which is primarily populated with straight characters (aside from Sean Hayes playing an amalgam of Jack and Karen from Will &amp; Grace) so that can&#39;t really be counted.So yeah, the representations of queer musicians in film mostly fall victim to cliched stereotypes and/or waxed over to appeal to the heteronormative populace. Since this has been a rather superficial glossing over of the sub-genre, which films have you guys enjoyed/loathed that spotlight queer musicians? And if you don&#39;t mind, list some of the films that I haven&#39;t (and probably haven&#39;t seen) to help broaden all of our horizons. - Chris http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/drugs/MemberTagFilms.aspxdrugs
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