Popular Music Movies on Kanopy - Page 26

Strange Fruit

2002

Strange Fruit

2002
In 1937, after seeing a photo depicting the lynching of a black man in the south, Bronx-born high school teacher Abel Meeropol wrote a poem entitled "Strange Fruit" that begins with the words: "Southern trees bear a strange fruit / Blood on the leaves and blood at the root." He set the poem to music and a few years later convinced Billy holiday to record it in a legendary heartbreaking performance. Intertwining jazz genealogy, biography, performance footage, and the history of lynching, director Joel Katz fashions a fascinating discovery of the lost story behind a true American classic. Written by Excerpted from Coolidge Corner Theatre Program Update
Ten Years in an Open Necked Shirt

1984

Ten Years in an Open Necked Shirt

1984
A portrait of Salford-born poet, storyteller and comic, John Cooper-Clarke. His poems, a satirical blend of humour and social comment, are delivered at a fast pace, often with musical backing. His style, and that of his contemporary Linton Kwesi Johnson, have influenced a generation of younger poets involved in a revival of popular poetry in Britain.
Theory of Obscurity: A Film About the Residents

2015

Theory of Obscurity: A Film About the Residents

2015
6.7
Theory of Obscurity tells the story of the renegade sound and video collective known as The Residents…a story that spans 40 years and is clouded in mystery. Many details surrounding the group are secret, including the identities of its members. They always perform wearing masks and costumes, which is part of their magic. At its heart, this story is about perseverance and chasing your dream. The Residents never caved to convention. They never compromised. They’ve followed their muse for decades and thousands of fans have hung on for the ride. Along the way they’ve also inspired many people to be weird, take chances and find their own voice.
Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould

2009

Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould

2009
6.8
A documentary on the mysterious and influential pianist.
Country: Portraits of an American Sound

2015

Country: Portraits of an American Sound

2015
7.5
'Country: Portraits of an American Sound' is a documentary film that explores the history and culture of country music through the lens of photography, which has portrayed the ideals, lifestyle and personalities of country music artists for over 80 years. The film features imagery and commentary from Grand Ole Opry photographer Les Leverett, the late celebrity photographer Leigh Wiener, documentary photographer Henry Horenstein, iconic music photographers Henry Diltz and Raeanne Rubenstein, and contemporary photographers David McClister and Michael Wilson. Over a dozen country music artists also appear, including Rosanne Cash, Roy Clark, Merle Haggard, Lyle Lovett, Charley Pride, LeAnn Rimes, Kenny Rogers, Tanya Tucker, The Band Perry and Keith Urban. The film weaves iconic images, historical footage and over 25 country music hits into a dynamic look at this uniquely American sound.
Royalty Free: The Music of Kevin MacLeod

2020

Royalty Free: The Music of Kevin MacLeod

2020
10
A documentary on how composer Kevin MacLeod unwittingly became one of the most heard composers in the world by releasing thousands of songs for free.
Lady, You Shot Me: The Life and Death of Sam Cooke

2014

Lady, You Shot Me: The Life and Death of Sam Cooke

2014
5.5
Sam Cooke died at the age of 33 on December 11, 1964, at the Hacienda Motel, at 9137 South Figueroa Street, in Los Angeles, California. Answering separate reports of a shooting and of a kidnapping at the motel, police found Cooke's body, clad only in a sports jacket and shoes but no shirt, pants or underwear. He had sustained a gunshot wound to the chest, which was later determined to have pierced his heart. The motel's manager, Bertha Franklin, said she had shot Cooke in self-defense after he broke into her office residence and attacked her. Her account was immediately questioned and disputed by acquaintances.
Weird Al: Never Off Beat

2023

Weird Al: Never Off Beat

2023
1
Call him a creative genius or just plain wacky. Either way Alfred Yankovic has carved his own brand of comedic parodies, polka medleys, and original songs for the outcast who never fit in.
Erroll Garner: No One Can Hear You Read

2013

Erroll Garner: No One Can Hear You Read

2013
7
In a triumphant career that lasted forty years Erroll Garner pushed the playability of the piano to its limits, developed an international reputation, and made an indelible mark on the jazz world. And yet, his story has never been told. Until now. The film explores Erroll's childhood in Pittsburgh; his meteoric rise in popularity while playing on 52nd street, New York's famed jazz epicenter; the origins of his most famous album (Concert By The Sea) and his most famous composition (Misty); his singular, virtuosic piano style; and his dynamic personality, both on and off the stage.
Bad Rap

2016

Bad Rap

2016
6.3
The lives and careers of four Asian-American rappers trying to break into a world that often treats them as outsiders. Sharing dynamic live performance footage and revealing interviews, these artists will make the most skeptical critics into believers.
We Are Mari Pepa

2013

We Are Mari Pepa

2013
7
The story of Alex, a 16 year old teenager living with his grandma.He has various plans for the summer: writing a new song with his rock band, finding a job and having his first sexual experience. He also becomes aware that his grandma is increasingly dependent on him. As summer draws on, Alex realizes that things are going to change forever and that he will have to grow up and learn to say goodbye.
The Roe's Room

1997

The Roe's Room

1997
6
Bound to a suffocating existence, a young man embarks on a marvelous journey of the imagination, transforming ordinary details of his room into fantastic images of natural beauty, where the cycles of life mysteriously play themselves out.
Phantom: The Musical

2021

Phantom: The Musical

2021
Featuring K-Pop sensation Super Junior's Kyuhyun, world renowned soprano Sunhae Im and world class ballerina Joowon Kim, this lavish Korean production of Maury Yeston and Arthur Kopit's, "Phantom", is an eye-dazzling and ear-pleasing take on Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel "The Phantom of the Opera".
Strasbourg 1518

2020

Strasbourg 1518

2020
5.7
Inspired by a powerful involuntary mania which took hold of citizens in the city of Strasbourg just over five hundred years ago, this film is a collaboration in isolation with some of the greatest dancers working today.
Colma: The Musical

2006

Colma: The Musical

2006
6
Best pals Rodel, Billy, and Maribel live in Colma, just south of San Francisco. After graduating from high school, the trio are having too much fun doing nothing or crashing college parties, but newfound revelations and romances force them to assess what to hold onto.
A Tuba To Cuba

2019

A Tuba To Cuba

2019
6.6
A son seeking to fulfill his late father’s dream takes his band from the storied city of New Orleans to the shores of Cuba, where — through the universal language of music — dark and ancient connections between their peoples reveal the roots of jazz.
The Great Gabbo

1929

The Great Gabbo

1929
5.5
For the ventriloquist Gabbo his wooden dummy Otto is the only means of expression. When he starts relying more and more on Otto, he starts going mad.
Hollywood's Musical Moods

1976

Hollywood's Musical Moods

1976
In the silent film era, movies were never really silent. In the background of films that made figures like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton into cultural icons, were the musical giants whose compositions defined the very films that captivated a generation of movie-goers. Arthur Kleiner converses with the still-living legends from that bygone golden age of cinema.
Say Amen, Somebody

1983

Say Amen, Somebody

1983
6.8
Documentary on modern black gospel music, focusing on the pioneering Rev. Thomas Dorsey and Mother Willie Mae Ford Smith
Stevie Nicks - 24 Karat Gold The Concert

2020

Stevie Nicks - 24 Karat Gold The Concert

2020
7.6
A concert performance by Stevie Nicks filmed over the last two shows of her 24k Gold solo tour in 2017.