Top Rated Music Movies on Kanopy - Page 14

Danny Says

2015

Danny Says

2015
6.9
DANNY SAYS is a documentary unveiling the amazing journey of Danny Fields. Fields has played a pivotal role in music and culture with seminal acts including: the Doors, the Velvet Underground, the Stooges, MC5, Nico, the Ramones and beyond.
Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell

2008

Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell

2008
6.1
Wild Combination is a visually absorbing portrait of the seminal avant-garde composer, singer-songwriter, cellist, and disco producer Arthur Russell. Before his death in 1992, Arthur prolifically created music that spanned both pop and the transcendent possibilities of abstract art. Now, over fifteen years since his passing, Arthur's work is finally finding its audience. Wolf incorporates rare archival footage and commentary from Arthur's family, friends, and closest collaborators to tell this poignant and important story.
Bye Bye Birdie

1995

Bye Bye Birdie

1995
6.1
In 1995, ABC presented a telemovie version of the Broadway musical Bye Bye Birdie produced by RHI Entertainment. It starred Seinfeld's Jason Alexander and Vanessa Williams of Desperate Housewives. While this version remained mostly faithful to the original musical (Michael Stewart remains the only credited author of this version), several songs were added and re-arranged, and dialogue was slightly rewritten to smoothly facilitate the musical changes. The musical revolves around an Elvis Presley-type rocker who's about to join the Army. To mark the occasion, his manager's secretary arranges for him to kiss a random fan goodbye on The Ed Sullivan Show. Bye Bye Birdie earned four Tony awards in 1961, including Best Musical and Best Actor in a Musical for its original star, Dick Van Dyke. In addition to Alexander and Williams, ABC's production starred Tyne Daly, George Wendt, Chynna Phillips and Mark Kudisch.
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus

2023

Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus

2023
7.9
"Ars longa, vita brevis" – art is long, life is short. This is one of Japanese music icon Ryuichi Sakamoto's favorite quotes, and the message that he leaves for viewers at the end of his final concert film, shot before he succumbed to cancer in March 2023. Consisting of only Sakamoto and his piano, Opus features the final live performances of 20 songs that Sakamoto meticulously curated to encapsulate his distinguished 40-year career.
Meet Me in the Bathroom

2022

Meet Me in the Bathroom

2022
5.5
Set against the backdrop of 9/11, this documentary tells the story of how a new generation kickstarted a musical rebirth for New York City that reverberated around the world.
Sisters with Transistors

2021

Sisters with Transistors

2021
6.8
Think of early electronic music and you’ll likely see men pushing buttons, knobs, and boundaries. While electronic music is often perceived as a boys' club, the truth is that from the very beginning women have been integral in inventing the devices, techniques and tropes that would define the shape of sound for years to come.
Crescendo

2020

Crescendo

2020
6.1
When world-famous conductor Eduard Sporck accepts the job to create an Israeli-Palestinian youth orchestra, he is quickly drawn into a tempest of sheer unsolvable problems.
Life Is Beautiful

2022

Life Is Beautiful

2022
6.7
Suddenly learning she is terminally ill, Se-yeon asks her husband, Jin-bong the absurd task of helping her find her first love, and he unwillingly joins her search. Along their journey, Se-yeon and Jin-bong are reminded of the most glittering, beautiful moments of their lives.
Finding Fela

2014

Finding Fela

2014
6.9
Fela Anikulapo Kuti created the musical movement Afrobeat and used it as a political forum to oppose the Nigerian dictatorship and advocate for the rights of oppressed people. This is the story of his life, music, and political importance.
Patch Town

2014

Patch Town

2014
4.8
In a world where toys are living beings, a forgotten doll seeks out his former owner during the holiday season in Toronto, while putting himself at odds with the corrupt factory executive who created him.
Rock Around the Clock

1956

Rock Around the Clock

1956
5.8
A frustrated big-band promoter runs in to rock-and-rollers Bill Haley and the Comets at a small-town dance. He quickly becomes their manager and, with the help of Alan Freed, hopes to bring the new sound to the entire country. But will a conniving booking agent, with a personal ax to grind with the manager, conspire to keep the band from making the big time?
Papageno

1935

Papageno

1935
6.2
Film shows the story of Papageno (the one from Mozart's opera "The Magic Flute"), who wants a mate, yet has difficulties getting one.
The Gold Diggers

1983

The Gold Diggers

1983
5.3
An avant-garde examination of the relationship between women and money in society. Mixing musical, silent melodrama, and philosophical treatise into a post-punk, heady brew.
The Devil's Harmony

2019

The Devil's Harmony

2019
5.6
A bullied teenage girl leads a glee club on a trail of destruction against her high school enemies.
Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band

2020

Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band

2020
6.9
A confessional, cautionary, and occasionally humorous tale of Robbie Robertson's young life and the creation of one of the most enduring groups in the history of popular music, The Band.
Song Lang

2018

Song Lang

2018
6.5
Set against a gloriously filmed backdrop of the distinctly jaded charm of mid-90s Saigon, the lives of two men intertwine as they are both bound by traditions and honor. One to his mafia family, the other to the traveling troupe that performs elaborate classic operas. Yet they have much more in common than either wants to admit.
Alive and Kicking

2017

Alive and Kicking

2017
6.9
Alive and Kicking gives the audience an intimate, insider’s view into the culture of the current swing dance world while shedding light on issues facing modern American society.
Miss Sharon Jones!

2015

Miss Sharon Jones!

2015
7.1
Two-time Academy Award® winner Barbara Kopple shines a powerful, inspiring and entertaining spotlight on contemporary soul queen Sharon Jones. As she prepares to release her much-anticipated new album, Sharon comes face to-face with the greatest challenge of her life: a grave cancer diagnosis. Follow this tour de force over the course of an eventful and remarkable year as she struggles to hold her band The Dap-Kings together while battling her way back to the stage with the unstoppable determination of a true soul survivor
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.
Fancy Pants

1950

Fancy Pants

1950
5.6
An American actor, impersonating an English butler, is hired by a rich woman from New Mexico to refine her husband and headstrong daughter. The complications increase when the town believes the actor/butler to be an earl and President Roosevelt decides to pay a visit.