My Favorite Band Movies
During the summer of 1986, my friend John and I made a Cold War rock band horror movie (shot on Super 8 film!) with our church youth group friends. It was called Ed The Movie, and the nearly 50 minute-long opus premiered at church camp — screening on a large, living room television set in front of hundreds of kids and adult sponsors…and featuring unlicensed songs by “Weird Al” Yankovic, Xian alt-art-rockers Daniel Amos, the INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM soundtrack, Xian Europop band Servant, and Pee Wee Herman.
32 summers later here I am, prepping the production of another rock band movie — my story of a church youth group hair metal band…set during the summer of 1986: ELECTRIC JESUS.
The following list represents my most favorite band movies — not an exhaustive list of all the great rock-and-roll movies, by any stretch. Lamentably, I’ve included no documentaries or concert films (so sorry BRING ON THE NIGHT!). This is a mostly subjective list of my personal faves, nothing more or less. Oddly enough (or predictably?) all but one or two are about bands that fail…which is pretty much what happens in ELECTRIC JESUS, too.
10. THE MUPPET MOVIE (1979) dir. James Frawley; original songs by Kenneth Ascher and Paul Williams. The first rock band road movie I ever saw. Sure, the musical numbers lean a little towards show tunes, but that doesn’t change the fact that the band’s drummer is a punk rock god…and that my movie’s title pays homage to Dr. Teeth’s band name, “Electric Mayhem.”
9. A MIGHTY WIND (2003) dir. Christopher Guest; original songs by Christopher Guest, C.J. Vanston, and the cast. There are three folk bands at the heart of Guest’s third improvised mockumentary: The Folksmen, The New Main Street Singers, and Mitch & Mickey. The bands reunite for a PBS show decades after their heyday to discover new levels of irrelevance…and yet, there is so much heart in this film. By the time Mitch & Mickey give us “A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow,” there’s not a dry eye in the house.
8. A HARD DAY’S NIGHT (1964) dir. Richard Lester; original songs by The Beatles. Elvis (and others) made teen-targeted rock-and-roll movies before the Beatles did, but none were as Marx Brothers-mad as Lester’s mockumentary was. Hands down the most influential band movie ever made — the movie that taught every rock band how to be off-stage: sweet, funny, cheeky.
7. ALMOST FAMOUS (2000) dir. Cameron Crowe; original songs by Nancy Wilson. The story of fictional super-group Stillwater’s hubris is secondary to the coming-of-age journalist story for sure, but few band movies get every note as right as this one does.
6. ONCE (2007) dir. John Carney; original songs by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová. I will never forget the first time I saw ONCE. Or the second. Or the third. It is a perfect film…made great by perfect songs — written and performed by lead actors Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová…who would go on to win an Oscar for “Falling Slowly.”
5. SCHOOL OF ROCK (2003) dir. Richard Linklater; original song by Sammy James, Jr. (“The Mooney Suzuki”) and Mike White. Jack Black’s best movie is an unapologetic family film written and directed by the best filmmakers of his generation, Richard Linklater. No one hates this movie. Not even The Man.
4. THAT THING YOU DO! (1996) dir. Tom Hanks; original songs by Tom Hanks, Adam Schlesinger (“Fountains of Wayne”), Rick Elias, Scott Rogness, Mike Piccirillo, Gary Goetzman, Howard Shore. Hanks’ story of a failed 60’s pop band is, perhaps, the most influential film on my own. The film didn’t make much noise when it was released, but became a video store hit. The 1990’s was a great decade for indie film, but this debut feature from Hollywood’s most popular actor at the time is rarely mentioned in that context. It should be.
3. SING STREET (2016) dir. John Carney; original songs by Gary Clark (“Danny Wilson”) with John Carney, Glen Hansard, Adam Levine, Ken and Carl Papenfus (“Relish”), Graham Henderson, Zamo Riffman. If you missed Carney’s 80’s pop music video romcom, you really must seek it out (it’s currently streaming on Netflix). The original songs are so great…and that last scene will make you love your brother again.
2. THIS IS SPINAL TAP (1984) dir. Rob Reiner; original songs by Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Rob Reiner, Harry Shearer. What can I say? It’s the most beloved rock band movie ever…and will be as long as people make rock band movies. Turn it up to 11, y’all. This is Spinal Tap!
1. THE COMMITMENTS (1991) dir. Alan Parker. Working class Dublin soul band makes magic happen for one brief shining moment, then fall to pieces. Adapted from the novel by Roddy Doyle, THE COMMITMENTS is my favorite band movie because it’s overflowing with heart…and real-looking, everyday people who can’t quite put it all together—but win anyway.
