Movies About Music and Musicians: Media Resources Center UCB

Movies About Music and Musicians

Rock and Roll Movies

Rap/Hip Hop Movies

Jazz/R&B/Blues Movies

Country/Folk

Broadway/Musical Theater

Opera

Classical Music

Other Pop/Folk/World Music

Musicals

Musical Traditions of the World: Rock and Roll (includes performance films and music videos)

Musical Traditions of the World: Rap and Hip Hop (includes performance films and music videos)

Musical Traditions of the World: Jazz (includes Jazz shorts of the 1930's and 1940's)

Rock and Roll/Disco Movies

Denisoff, R. Serge. Risky business : rock in film / R. Serge Denisoff, William D. Romanowski. New Brunswick (U.S.A.) : Transaction Publishers, 1991. (Main Stack PN1995.9.M86.D45 1991; Moffitt PN1995.9.M86.D45 1991)

Ehrenstein, David. Rock on film New York : Delilah Books : Distributed by Putnam, c1982 (MAIN: PN1995.9.M86 .E37 1982; PFA : PN1995.9.M86 E37 1982 ref)

Muir, John Kenneth. The rock & roll film encyclopedia New York : Applause Theatre & Cinema Books ; Milwaukee, WI : Hal Leonard Corp. [distributor], c2007. (Media Center PN1995.9.M86 M84 2007)

Radwan, Jon. "A Generic Approach to Rock Film." Popular Music and Society 20:2 (Summer 1996)

Almost Famous(2000)

Directed by Cameron Crowe. Cast: Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson, Jason Lee, Patrick Fugit, Anna Paquin, Fairuza Balk, Noah Taylor, Philip Seymour Hoffman. It's the opportunity of a lifetime when teenage reporter William Miller lands an assignment from Rolling Stone magazine. Despite the objections of his protective mother, William hits the road with an up-and-coming rock band and finds there's a lot more to write home about than the music. 124 min. DVD 1106

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Bollywood Queen (UK, 2002)

Directed by Jeremy Wooding. Cast: Preeya Kalidas, James McAvoy, Amerjit Deu, Ray Panthaki, Ronny Jhutti. Nineteen-year-old Geena is entranced by the glamour of Bollywood and seduced by the sounds of R & B girl groups. When Geena meets Jay she finds that life can be just like the adventure and romance of the Bollywood movies she loves. 88 min. DVD 3847

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Bye Bye Birdie (1963)

Directed by George Sidney. Cast: Janet Leigh, Dick Van Dyke, Ann-Margret, Maureen Stapleton, Bobby Rydell, Jesse Pearson, Ed Sullivan,Paul Lynde. When rock star Conrad Birdie gets drafted, his manager organizes a nationwide contest in which one lucky girl wins a farewell kiss on The Ed Sullivan show. 112 min. DVD 5722; vhs 999:2019

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El Calentito (Spain, 2005)

Directed by Chus Gutiérrez. Cast: Veronica Sanchez, Macarena Gomez, Juan Sanz, Ruth Diaz, Nuria Gonzalez. Sara gets involved in a political revolution in Spain when she joins an all-female, lesbian rock band at the underground Calentito nightclub. 89 min. DVD 8141

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The Commitments(Ireland / UK / USA, 1991)

Directed by Alan Parker. Cast: Robert Arkins, Michael Aherne, Angeline Ball, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Dave Finnegan, Bronagh Gallagher, Felim Gormley, Glen Hansard. Fueled by raw talent and driven by dreams of glory, a dozen dead-enders from Dublin's gritty North Side share a passion for soul music that takes their band on a wild rollercoaster ride from the streets to superstardom!. 117 min. DVD 2413

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Disco Godfather (1979)

Directed by J. Robert Wagoner. Cast: Rudy Ray Moore, Carol Speed, Jimmy Lynch. Rudy Ray Moore is Tucker Williams, the rapping owner of the Blueberry Hill disco. An ex-cop with a penchant for head-whacking martial arts, Tucker is called into action when his nephew gets hooked on angel dust. With the help of his "Gal Friday" Noel, Tucker declares war on Stinger Ray, the nation's leading angel dust producer. But as the war progresses, Tucker learns that Stinger and his goons are as deadly as the drugs they push. 93 min. DVD 4589

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Don't Knock the Rock (1957)

Director, Fred F. Sears. Featuring: Alan Freed, Little Richard, Bill Haley and his Comets, Dave Appell and his Applejacks, the Treniers, Alan Dale. Rock-and-roller Arnie Haynes returns to his hometown as a hero to the teenagers. However, the mayor and other concerned adults have banned him from performing in his hometown because they consider him and his music a negative influence on the youth. But with the help of disc jockey/publicist Alan Freed and fellow artists (including Bill Haley and the Comets and Little Richard), they hope to convince everyone that rock and roll is not as dangerous as the adults think. 85 min. DVD 7289

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The Doors (1992)

Director, Oliver Stone. Cast: Val Kilmer, Meg Ryan, Kevin Dillon, Kyle MacLachlan, Frank Whaley, Michael Madsen, Billy Idol, Kathleen Quinlan. Biographical film about one of the most exciting and controversial figures of the '60s, Jim Morrison. With his rock and roll band, The Doors, he influenced the rock music scene as no other group had. 181 min. DVD 770

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Downtown 81 (2000)

Director, Edo Bertoglio. Cast: Jean-Michel Basquiat, Deborah Harry, Kid Creole, Tuxedomoon, James White, Saul Williams, Walter Steding, Anna Schroeder, John Lurie, DNA, The Plastics. A portrait of the explosive early-80's Manhattan art and music scene with the main focus on the provocative 19-year-old artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, already known for his excursions into street graffiti art and pioneering electro-beat. The film focuses on a day in the life of Basquiat, who needs to raise money to reclaim the apartment from which he has been evicted. He wanders the downtown streets carrying a painting he hopes to sell, encountering friends, who are on the cutting edge of new wave music, new painting, hip hop and graffiti. Originally "shot under the title 'New York Beat' in 1980-81 but completed for release nearly 20 years later when archival footage thought to have been lost was recovered. Many of the film's original sound elements were lost during the 20 years it spent in limbo, so much of the dialogue has been re-dubbed. 72 min. DVD 1367

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The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989)

Directed by Steve Kloves. Cast: Jeff Bridges, Michelle Pfeiffer, Beau Bridges, Xander Berkeley, Albert Hall. The Baker brothers have played every hotel and cocktail lounge they could book in the last 15 years. When they book Susie Diamond, a hard-talking beauty with a terrific voice, the trio become an instant success. 108 min. DVD 6817

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Hard Core Logo (1996)

Directed by Bruce McDonald. Cast: Bernie Coulson, Hugh Dillon, Bruce McDonald, John Pyper-Fergusson, Callum Keith Rennie, Julian Richings. In this mock rockumentary former band mates of the defunct punk band, Hard Core Logo, reunite for a benefit concert for their aging punk mentor. The benefit's success prompts a reunion tour. On stage the band is brilliant, but old buried tensions erupt, and the boys are faced with the fact that they cannot relive nor alter the past. Based on the book Hard core logo by Michael Turner. 92 min. DVD 3496

A Hard Day's Night (UK, 1964)

Director, Richard Lester. Cast: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr. This lively, good-natured classic captures all the fun, excitement and unforgettable music of John, Paul, George and Ringo at the height of "Beatlemania." Portraying a frantic 36 hours in the lives of the rock group and packed with all-time Beatle favorites, they perform their songs and look for adventure ... all while avoiding hordes of screaming fans! The Beatles perform I'll cry instead, A hard day's night, I should've known better, If I fell, And I love her, I'm happy just to dance with you, Ringo's theme (this boy), Tell me why, Don't bother me, I wanna be your man, All my lovin', and She loves you. 92 min. DVD 1348; vhs 999:147 (also computer interactive version COMPU/D 253)

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Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2000)

Director, John Cameron Mitchell. Cast: John Cameron Mitchell, Andrea Martin, Michael Pitt, Miriam Shor. Based on the smash hit New York show, this is a high-energy rock musical in the tradition of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. This is the story of Hedwig, an ambitious glam-rocker who comes to America determined to find fame, fortune, and his "other half." 91 min. DVD 1148

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Help! (UK, 1965)

Directed by Richard Lester. Cast: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Leo McKern, Eleanor Bron, Victor Spinetti, Roy Kinnear. Ringo's life is imperiled by an ancient sacrificial ring stuck on his famous finger. The ring makes him a target of a group of hilariously demented oriental mystics, who chase the boys from London to the Swiss Alps to the Bahamas. Songs by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison. 91 min. DVD 3390

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High Fidelity (2000)

Directed by Stephen Frears. Cast:John Cusack, Jack Black, Lisa Bonet, Joelle Carter, Joan Cusack, Sara Gilbert, Iben Hjejle, Todd Louiso, Lili Taylor, Natasha Gregson Wagner. Rob Gordon's record store is semi-failing, and his long-time girlfriend has just walked out on him. In order to figure out where things went wrong, he examines his past relationships with other women. 114 min. DVD 5790

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How Not to Manage a Rock Group (1968)

Cast: Kaye Ballard, Jerry Fogel, Deborah Walley, Eve Arden, Roger C. Carmel, Herbert Rudley. Sky Saxon and the Seeds star as the rock n' roll group "The Warts," in a segment on the television sit-com "The Mothers-in-Law." Songs include "Pushin' Too Hard" and others. Bonus features: theatrical trailers. Originally shown on the television program The Mothers-in-law on April 28, 1968. Issued with: Riot on Sunset Strip. 25 min. DVD 2553

Jailhouse Rock (1957)

Director: Richard Thorpe. Cast: Elvis Presley, Judy Tyler, Mickey Shaughnessy, Dean Jones, Jennifer Holden. Presley plays a young man who is sent to prison when he accidentally kills a man in a barroom brawl. While behind bars he takes up singing and after his release from prison is assisted in the record business by a beautiful young woman. 92 min. DVD 6224; vhs 999:764

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La Bamba (1986)

Directed by Luis Valdez. Cast: Lou Diamond Phillips, Esai Morales, Rosana De Soto, Elizabeth Pena, Joe Pantoliano. A Docudrama of the man, the myth, and the music that brought America to its feet and catapulted 17 year-old Ritchie Valens to rock 'n' roll stardom. 103 min. 999:269

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Last Days (2005)

Directed by Gus Van Sant. Cast: Michael Pitt, Lukas Haas, Asia Argento, Scott Green, Nicole Vicius, Ricky Jay, Ryan Orion, Harmony Korine, Kim Gordon. This film is inspired by the final hours of Kurt Cobain. Blake is a brilliant but troubled musician whose success has left him in a lonely place. The film follows Blake through a handful of hours spent in his wooded home ... a fugitive from his own life. 97 min. DVD 5973

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Magical Mystery Tour(UK, 1967)

Directed by The Beatles. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr. Take a surreal adventure with the Beatles on a fantasy musical bus tour across the countryside. 50 min. DVD 3950

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Performance (1970)

Directed by Donald Cammell and Nicholas Roeg. Cast: James Fox, Mick Jagger, Anita Pallenberg. In this underground film presenting a study of the 1960's, a violent and psychotic East London gangster needs a place to hide after carrying out a hit. He finds the perfect cover in the form of a guest house run by the mysterious Mr. Turner, an ex-rocker looking for the right spark to rekindle his faded talent. 104 min. DVD 7354; vhs 999:3010

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Savage, Jon. "Snapshots of the sixties." Sight & Sound Vol III nr 5 (May 1993); p 14-18.

Wollen, Peter; Savage, Jon. "Possession./ Tuning into wonders." Sight & Sound Vol V nr 9 (Sept 1995); p 20-25.

Pretty Vacant (1996)

Directed by Jim Mendiola. Cast: Mariana Vasquez, David Mercado Gonzales. A story about Molly, a young Chicana perennial jr. college art student and drummer for an all girls band, living in San Antonio, Texas. While struggling to publish a punk-rock magazine, she tries to stay one step ahead of her father who wants to take her to visit his native Mexico against her will. 34 min. 999:3398

Quadrophenia (The Who)(UK, 1979)

Directed by Franc Roddam. Cast: Phil Daniels, Leslie Ash, Mark Wingett, Michael Elphick, Sting. Features songs by The Who in an adaptation of the Who's classic rock opera set against the background of the passions of British street kids, circa 1964. The story centers around young Jimmy Cooper who rebels against his English working class surroundings while he and his Mod clique face their enemies the Rockers in seaside clashes. 115 min. DVD 1594

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Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979)

Directed by Allan Arkush. Cast: P.J. Soles, Vincent Van Patten, Clint Howard, Dey Young, Paul Bartel, Mary Woronov, The Ramones. Comedy set in a high school where the students have the lowest academic average in Southern California, the athletes haven't won a game in years, and three principals have gone insane. Features scenes of a concert by the Ramones. Music by the Ramones, Paul McCartney, Fleetwood Mac, Alice Cooper, Chuyck Berry, Velvet Underground. 93 min. DVD 912

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Rock Around the Clock(1956)

Directed by Fred F. Sears. Featuring: Bill Haley and The Comets, The Platters, Ernie Freeman Combo, Tony Martinez and his band, Freddie Bell and his Bellboys, Alan Freed, Johnny Johnston, Alix Talton, Lisa Gaye, John Archer, Henry Slate, Earl Barton. A frustrated big-band promoter runs into 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? 11 min. DVD 7288

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Denisoff, Serge Denisoff and William D. Romanowski. "Katzman's "Rock Around the Clock:" A pseudo-event?" The Journal of Popular Culture Volume 24 Issue 1 Page 65-78, Summer 1990

The Rutles(UK / USA, 1978)

Directed by Gary Weis and Eric Idle. Cast: Eric Idle, John Halsey, Rikki Fataar, Neil Innes; special appearances by Mick Jagger, George Harrison, Paul Simon, Ron Wood, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, and others. Rutland Weekend Television takes a look at the Pre-fab Four: Dirk, Barry, Stig and Nasty; better known as the Rutles. This mockumentary, a parody of Beatlemania and the many serious documentaries made about the Beatles, follows the career of the Rutles from their early days in Liverpool and Hamburg's infamous Rat-Keller, to their amazing worldwide success. 73 min. DVD 3180

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Saturday Night Fever (1977)

Directed by John Badham. Cast: John Travolta, Karen Lynn Gorney, Barry Miller, Joseph Cali, Paul Pape, Bruce Ornstein, Donna Pescow. The story of an Brooklyn store clerk who is an Italian American Saturday night disco king; he begins to question the narrowness of his perspective when he meets a girl who is shedding her origins for a more sophisticated lifestyle. 112 min. DVD 6222; vhs 999:1145

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Jordan, Chris. "Gender and class mobility in Saturday Night Fever and Flashdance." Journal of Popular Film and Television (24:3) 1996, 116-22.

Sid & Nancy (UK / USA, 1986)

Directed by Alex Cox. Cast: Gary Oldman, Chloe Webb, David Hayman, Andrew Schofield, Debby Bishop. Portrays the love affair between the famous bad boy, Sid Vicious of the rock group Sex Pistols and his American groupie girlfiend, Nancy Spungen, from the initial euphoria of their romance to their tragic plunge into the vortex of drugs and self-delusion. 113 min. 999:2772

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Singles(1992)

Directed by Cameron Crowe. Cast: Bridget Fonda, Campbell Scott, Kyra Sedgwick, Sheila Kelley, Jim True, Bill Pullman, Matt Dillon. "Romantic comedy about six of the city's young people, most of whom live in the same apartement building and whose lives revolve around Seattle's ever-expanding music scene. The inter-related stories about each character's progress through the singles scene are intriguing and often very funny, and the soundtrack is a grunge fanatic's dream, with the likes of Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and Mudhoney." [Internet Movie Database] 86 min. DVD 700

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Smithereens (1982)

Directed by Susan Seidelman. Cast: Susan Berman, Brad Rinn, Richard Hell, Meda Despotovich, Roger Jett, Kitty Summerall, Robynne White. A rock movie that captures the desperation of life in the streets. Wren goes to New York looking for rock 'n roll glory. There she frequents seedy rock clubs and throws herself at any stranger with a guitar hoping to break into rock stardom. 93 min. DVD 8184

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This is Spinal Tap: A Rockumentary by Martin Di Bergi(1984)

Directed by Rob Reiner ; written by Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner. Cast: Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner, June Chadwick, Tony Hendra, Bruno Kirby. A detailed "rockumentary" of England's legendary heavy metal band, Spinal Tap. Now, nearly two decades later, Spinal Tap still clings to some glint of their lost glory as they embark on an accident-plagued tour across America. Interspersed with powerful performances of Tap's pivotal music and profound lyrics, candidly follows a rock group heading towards crisis culminating in the infamous affair of the eighteen-inch-high Stonehenge stage prop. Special features: Audio commentary by Spinal Tap; new interview with Rob Reiner; over 1 hr. of never-before-seen footage; flower people press conference; theatrical trailers; 6 TV commercials; heavy metal memories; 4 music videos; Spinal Tap appearance on "The Joe Franklin show.". 83 min. DVD 1610

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Jones, Kent. "All in the Family: The Democratic Humor of Christopher Guest." Film Comment v. 42 no. 6 (November/December 2006) p. 46-8, 50

Middleton J. "Documentary comedy." Media International Australia incorporating Culture and Policy, Volume 2002, Number 104, August 2002, pp. 55-66(12)

Muir, John Kenneth. "Best in show: the films of Christopher Guest and company." New York : Applause Theatre & Cinema Books ; Milwaukee, WI : Distributed in North America by Hal Leonard, c2004. ( MAIN: PN1998.3.G853 M85 2004; Table of contents)

Plantinga, Carl. "Gender, Power, and a Cucumber: Satirizing Masculinity in This Is Spinal Tap." In: Documenting the documentary : close readings of documentary film and video / edited by Barry Keith Grant and Jeannette Sloniowski. Detroit : Wayne State University Press, c1998. (Main Stack PN1995.9.D6.D58 1998; Moffitt PN1995.9.D6.D58 1998)

24 Hour Party People (UK, 2001)

Director, Michael Winterbottom. Cast: Steve Coogan, Keith Allen, Rob Brydon, Enzo Gilenti, Ron Cook, Chris Coghill, Paddy Considine, Danny Cunningham, Dave Gorman, Sean Harris. A dramatization based on true events of the rise, fall and rise again of promoter Tony Wilson and the wild rave culture he brought to England and the rest of the world. Pulsates with the rhythmic energy from the post punk movement through the evolution of rave music. 117 min. DVD 1794

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Velvet Goldmine (UK / USA, 1998)

Director, Todd Haynes. Cast: Ewan McGregor, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Christian Bale, Toni Collette, Eddie Izzard. "1971: Glamrock explodes all over the world and challanges the seriousness within the flowerpower generation by means of glitter and brutal music. Brian Slade, a young rockstar, inspires numerous teenage boys and girls to paint their nails and explore their own sexuality. In the end Slade destroys himself. Unable to escape the role he created for himself, he plots his own murder. When his fans discovers that the murder is a fake, his star falls and he is forgotten about. 1984: Arthur, a journalist working for a New York newspaper, gets assigned the story about the fake murder of Brian Slade. When Arthur was young and grew up in Manchester, he was more than a fan of Slade. Reluctantly he accepts the assignment and starts to investigate what happened his old glamrock hero." [Internet Movie Database] DVD. 119 min. DVD 2886

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The Wall (Pink Floyd)(UK, 1982)

Director, Alan Marshall. Cast: Bob Geldof (Pink), Christine Hargreaves, James Laurenson, Eleanor David, Bob Hoskins. Rock superstar Pink has had too many shows, too much dope and too much applause, and sits locked in his motel room watching war movies, and slowly loosing touch with reality. Features the music of Pink Floyd and animated sequences by Gerald Scarfe. Special features: Previously unreleased film footage; "The Other Side of the Wall" documentary; "Retrospective" documentary Cast: interviews with Roger Waters, Gerald Scarfe, Alan Parker, Peter Biziou, Allan Marshall, and James Guthrie; audio commentary with Roger Waters and Gerald Scarfe; original film trailer and production stills; lyrics; music videos. 95 min. DVD 1318

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Yellow Submarine(1968)

Directed by Dick Emery & George Duning. This animated feature begins in Pepperland, where the despicable Blue Meanies have declared war on all that is good, especially music. The Beatles vow to save the day with some tuneful ammunition of their own including such Beatles classics as "Nowhere man", "All you need is love" and "Yellow submarine." 86 min. 999:1379

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Young Soul Rebels. (UK / France / Germany / Spain, 1991)

Directed by Isaac Julien. Cast: Valentine Nonyela, Mo Sesay, Dorian Healy, Frances Barber, Sophie Okonedo, Jason Durr, Gary McDonald, Debra Gillett. Set in London at the time of the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977, Chris and Caz are disc-jockeys on a pirate black radio station which they run from the back of an East End garage. When a mutual friend who is gay is murdered while cruising a London park, life takes a startling turn for them both as Chris is arrested for the murder. 120 min. DVD 3115

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Zombie and the Ghost-train (Zombie ja kummitusjuna)(Finland, 1991)

Director, Mika Kaurismaki. Cast: Silu Seppala, Marjo Leinonen, Matti Pellonpaa. A punk-tinged comedy about a bass player and his down-and-out life, trying to get a gig with the Ghost Train, a band that's "seen but never heard." 88 min. 999:3621

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Movies with Rap/Hiphop Themes or Starring Rappers

Boyd, Todd. Am I black enough for you? : popular culture from the 'hood and beyond Bloomington : Indiana University Press, c1997. (MAIN: E169.04 .B67 1997; MOFF: E169.04 .B67 1997)
Hochman, Steve. "Hollywood: hip-hop hooray.(rap movies)(Rock & Roll)." Rolling Stone 816-817 (July 8, 1999): 23(2).
Kitwana, Bakari."Wankstas, wiggers, and wannabes : hip-hop, film and white boyz in the hood." In: Why white kids love hip-hop : wankstas, wiggers, wannabes, and the new reality of race in America / Bakari Kitwana. New York : Basic Civitas Books, c2005. (Music ML3531.K58 2005; Moffitt ML3531.K58 2005)
McCluskey, Audrey T. "Director's Notes: The Price of Realness: 'Bling Bling' at the Movies." Black Camera - A Micro Journal of Black Film Studies 15:2 [Fall-Winter 2000] p.1, 3
Pough, Gwendolyn D. "Girls in the Hood and Other Ghetto Dramas: Representing Black Womanhood in Hip Hop Cinema and Novels." In: Check it while I wreck it : Black womanhood, hip hop culture, and the public sphere Boston : Northeastern University Press, c2004. (MAIN: E185.86 .P666 2004; MOFF: E185.86 .P666 2004)
Ramsey, Guthrie P., Jr. "Muzing new hoods, making new identities: film, hip-hop culture, and jazz music.(Critical Essay)." Callaloo 25.1 (Wntr 2002): 309(12). UC users only
Watkins, S. Craig. Representing : hip hop culture and the production of Black cinema Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 1998. (MAIN: PN1995.9.N4 W38 1998; ETHN: PN1995.9.N4 W38 1998)

Anne B. Real (1997)

Director, Lisa France. Cast: Carlos Leon, Eric Smith, Jackie Quinones, Sherri Saum, Geronimo Frias, Jr., Antonio Macia, Ja Nice Richardson, Ernie Hudson. When Cynthia's father hands her a copy of "The diary of Anne Frank" before dying, she never imagined how it would help to open her soul. Trapped within her own prison, in this coming of age story of a young female rapper, Cynthia finds the courage to stand up and fight for what is hers. 90 min. DVD 5627

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Beat Street (1984)

Director, Stan Lathan. Cast: Guy Davis, Rae Dawn Chong, New York Breakers, Melle Mel, The Furious Five. A ghetto-derived musical film which delves into the hip-hop culture of New York's streets to uncover the despairs, dreams, and triumphs of the emerging 80s generation. Before the backdrop of wild rhythms and whirling bodies lies a tableau of young aspiring artists, striving to turn their fever into fame through hip-hop, graffiti art and break dancing. The break battle scene is the highlight of the film when gangs fight eachother with dancing, not guns. 106 min. 999:3171

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Belly (1998)

Director, Hype Williams. Cast: Nasir "Nas" Jones, Earl "DMX" Simmons, Taral Hicks, Tionne "T- Boz" Watkins, Clifford "Method Man" Smith. Two friends begin robbing clubs to make some quick cash. For one of them, the payoffs are not big enough and he begins selling drugs. Soon, friendships and relationships are put to the test by jealousy, greed, paranoia and betrayal. A realistic urban drama highlighted by an all-star hip-hop cast and a pulsing rap soundtrack. 90 min. 999:2812

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Black and White (1999)

Directed by James Toback. Cast: Robert Downey, Jr., Brooke Shields, Mike Tyson. When Rich Bower decides to reinvent himself as a hip-hop impresario after a life of crime, he is confronted by the internecine dealings of the white world. Documentary filmmaker Sam Donager and her husband enter the scene as they follow a group of privileged uptown teenagers who are drawn to the hip-hop lifestyle. 99 min. DVD 5701

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Bring It On (2000)

Directed by Peyton Reed. Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku, Jesse Bradford, Gabrielle Union. The Toro cheerleading squad has spirit, spunk, sass and a killer routine that's sure to land them the national championship torphy for the sixth year in a row. But for newly-elected team captain, Torrance, the Toros' road to cheer glory stumbles when she discovers their perfectly choreographed routines were stolen from a hot hip-hop squad across town. Now the squad must scramble to find a new routine to compete in this year's competition. 99 min. DVD 1359

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Bulworth (1999)

Director, Warren Beatty. Cast: Warren Beatty, Halle Berry, Oliver Platt, Paul Sorvino, Jack Warden, Isaiah Washington. Believing his career is over, California Senator Jay Bulworth takes out an enormous insurance policy, and after putting a hit out on himself becomes a rapping politician that isn't afraid to say anything he wants and offend anyone he wants to. 108 min. 999:2411

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Carmen: A Hip Hopera (2001)

Directed by, Robert Townsend. Cast: Mekhi Phifer, Beyonce Knowles, Mos Def, Rah Digga, Joy Bryant, Wyclef Jean, Jermaine Dupri, Lil' Bow Wow, Casey Lee, Reagan Gomez-Preston, Sam Sarpong, Troy Winbush, Fred Williamson. Based upon the 19th century novel and often performed opera Carmen, this timeless tale of desire, passion, and betrayal is told through song by a cast of hip-hop stars. 88 min. DVD 1291

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McClary, Susan. "Carmen as Perennial Fusion: From Habanera to Hip-Hop." In: Carmen : from silent film to MTV / edited by Chris Perriam and Ann Davies. Amsterdam ; New York : Rodopi, 2005. (Main Stack PN57.C33.C37 2005)

Da Hip Hop Witch (2000)

Director, Dale Resteghini. Cast: Stacii Jae Johnson, Dale Resteghini, Eminem, Pras, Killah Priest, Spliff Star, Mobb Deep, Rock, Vanilla Ice, La the Darkman. Focuses on a supposed witch that is terrorizing popular hip hop singers. An ambitious journalist tries to learn the story behind the witch. At the same time five white kids venture out of the suburbs and into the inner city to expose the witch as a publicity stunt created to sell records. 90 min. 999:2813

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Tha Eastsidaz (2000)

Director, Michael Martin. Cast: Snoop Dogg, Tray Deee, Goldie Loc, Darryl Brunson. A gang kingpin is looking to get out of the game after one final deal, only to have his trusted lieutenant betray him. Aided by friends outside prison, Killa Pop plans an ingenious escape and a brutal payback. Features a who's who of the West Coasts's top rap artists. 90 min. 999:2811

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8 Mile (2002)

Director, Curtis Hanson. Cast: Eminem, Kim Basinger, Brittany Murphy, Mekhi Phifer, Evan Jones, Omar Benson Miller. Jimmy, known to his friends as Rabbit is a white kid living in Detroit trying to make music in a predominantly African-American community and culture. After Rabbit freezes up in the midst of an MC battle, he's convinced he's missed his chance and that he's doomed to lead a marginal life as a factory rat for the rest of his days. With the help of his friends, and his new girlfriend Alex, Rabbit struggles to work up the courage and the confidence to take one more shot at making his dream a reality. 110 min. DVD 1582

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Burks, Steven L: "8 Mile": Great White Hip-Hop." Black Camera - A Micro Journal of Black Film Studies 18:2 [Fall-Winter 2003] p.5, 11

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Denby, David. "Breaking Through.('8 Mile' and 'Frida')(Movie Review)." The New Yorker 78.34 (Nov 11, 2002)

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Grundmann, Roy. "White Man's Burden: Eminem's Movie Debut in 8 Mile." Cineaste, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 30-35, Spring 2003.

"In the ghetto." Sight and Sound 13.2 (Feb 2003): 36(2).

Watts, Eric King. "Border Patrolling and "Passing" in Eminem's 8 Mile." Critical Studies in Media Communication, 2005, 22, 3, Aug, 187-206

Fear of a Black Hat (1992)

Directed by Rusty Cundieff. Cast: Rusty Cundieff, Larry B. Scott, Mark Christopher Lawrence, Kasi Lemmons. A filmmaker infiltrates rap band NWH in this satire of gangsta rappers, which focuses on the hip hop trio Tasty-Taste, Ice Cold, and Tone Def. The movie irreverently pokes fun at white rappers, the L.A. riots, as well as violence in rap. 95 min. 999:3220

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Friday(1995)

Director, F. Gary Gray. Cast: Ice Cube, Chris Tucker, Nia Long, Tiny "Zeus" Lister, Jr., Regina King, Anna Maria Horsford, Bernie Mac, John Witherspoon. Rap's hottest star leads the nonstop laughs in this hip-hoppin' look at a day in the life of the 'hood. Craig is an alright guy with some crazy friends. Like Smokey who has 24 hours to pay back Deebo, South Central's nastiest thug, or else! Trouble is, neither Craig's mother nor his main squeeze has the bread. As time ticks away, the chance this pair will ever see Saturday is fading fast. DVD 8974; vhs 999:2809

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Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2005)

Directed by Jim Sheridan. Cast: Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson, Terrence Howard, Joy Bryant, Bill Duke, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Omar Benson Miller, Viola Davis. A rap superhero is encased in muscular flesh like armor, his face is an impassive mask, he reaches out to destroy his enemies with his unique talent. Marcus is a gangster who breaks from his youthful life of crime to triumph as a rapper. Marcus's girlfriend helps him pull free the wires holding his jaw shut when he's recovered from being shot in the face. He even has a moment when a razor blade is thrown into his cell and is encouraged to kill himself. Instead, the self-reliant gangster uses it to carve his rhymes into the walls. 116 min. DVD 5676

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Hustle & Flow(2005)

Cast: Written and directed by Craig Brewer. Cast: Terrence Howard, Anthony Anderson, Taryn Manning, Taraji P. Henson, Paula Jai Parker, Isaac Hayes, D.J. Qualls, Ludacris. Rapper DJay, who dreams of becoming the next big rap superstar, works all the angles to get his first record made. He even has help from assorted people in his Memphis 'hood. When he hears that rap superstar Skinny Black is heading to his area, DJay decides to throw together a supreme hustle to grab Skinny's attention. DVD 4985

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Collier, Aldore. "Terrence Howard & Anthony Anderson head Stellar cast of 'Hustle & Flow'.(Cover Story)." Jet 108.3 (July 18, 2005): 58(4).

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Haun, Harry. Hip hop Hustle: Craig Brewer debuts with tale of rap dreams.(Hustle and Flow). Film Journal International 108.7 (July 2005): p20(2). (1362 words)

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Jaafar, Ali. "Hustle & Flow.(Movie Review)." Sight and Sound 15.12 (Dec 2005): 56(2).

King Midas (2003)

Directed by Brandon David. Cast: Justin Michael Morales, Louis Sapp III, Angelica Lawrence, Josh Mond. Get as close as you can to the real thing in this tale of Hip Hop gone bad. When producer Tommy Gold, trying to make it big in the rap industry, uses his illegal drug fortune to produce a record, he gets caught in the dangerous underground world of cocaine and music. 83 min. DVD 1739

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Krush Groove (1985)

Directed by Michael Schultz. Cast: Sheila E., RUN-DMC, The Fat Boys, Kurtis Blow, Blair Underwood, The New Edition. A talented group of street-savvy urban kids hook up with Krush Groove, a hot new rocord label. But with their success come the ego trips and greed that threaten to destroy everything they've worked for. A fresh, 23-title soundtrack vibrantly pushes the rap-to-riches story along. 95 min. DVD 7349; vhs 999:1806

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Lost in the Game (2004)

Directed by MC Ren and Playboy T. Cast: MC Ren, Playboy T, Nitetrain. An electrifying hip-hop thriller Cast: MC Ren of N.W.A. Enter into the dark world of the hip-hop music business as up-and-coming executive Playboy T struggles to secure a record deal for his prized artist. He must deal with all the trials and tribulations of shady record companies, unsuspecting executives and street hustlers. 60 min. DVD 3477

Play'd: A Hip Hop Story (2002)

Directed by Oz Scott. Performers: Rashaan Nall, Merlin Santana, Faizon Love, Clifton Powell, Sharissa, DeRay Davis, Dex Elliott Sanders,Toni Braxton. Jax is a rising hip hop phenomenon who has it all, but wants more. Leaving his New York life behind, he signs with an infamous L.A. gangsta producer - and ignites a violent bi-coastal turf war that explodes out of the studio and onto the streets. 87 min. DVD 1683

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Poetic Justice(1993)

Director, John Singleton. Cast: Janet Jackson, Tupac Shakur, Regina King, Joe Torry. "John Singleton's follow-up to Boyz n the Hood features Janet Jackson as a poet and hairdresser who is trying to cope with the senseless murder of her boyfriend. Jackson reluctantly joins a friend on a trip from South-Central Los Angeles to Oakland in a mail truck. She develops a complicated relationship with an ambitious music producer and postal delivery man (Tupac Shakur). The soundtrack includes numbers by Babyface, Tony! Toni! Tone!, Naughty by Nature and The Dogg Pound. The poetry spoken by Jackson was written by Maya Angelou. With Tyra Ferrell, Regina King and Joe Torry." [from FACETS catalog] 109 min. DVD DVD 7394; vhs 999:2814

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DJ QBert's Wave Twisters

Plot: A crew of heroes, cleverly disguised as a team of oral hygenists, is determined to save the lost arts of Hip Hop (B-boying, Graffiti, MCing, and of course, Skratching) from total extinction. The lost arts are being oppressed throughout inner-space by lord Ook and his evil minions the Chinheads. The dental commander and his team, armed with the ancient relic known as the Wave Twister (the only weapon powerful enough to defeat the enemies), travel to the far ends of inner-space for a final confrontation with the sinister army of oppressors. Technique: An animated adventure cartoon synched scratch for scratch with DJ QBert's turntable masterpiece of the same title. This movie gives visual expression to QBert's narrative while pioneering the concept of visual scratching, sampling from a wide variety of techniques (from traditional cell animation to 3D to live action to photo collage), and defining a unique visual style analogous to the supercharged cutting and scratching of a turntable DJ. Special features: Commentary track with creators; Film-to-animatic comparisons; Behind-the-scenes featurette; Theatrical trailers for "Wave Twisters" and "Scratch"; Two clips featuring five-angle footage of Qbert, D-styles, Flare, and Yoga Frog; Sketch book and animation tests. 120 min. DVD 8258

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Smile Now, Cry Later (2001)

Directed by Jose and Eduardo Quiroz. Cast: Sir Dyno, James Logan, Dub, A.L.G., Crooked, OSO, Young D., Kid, Sapo. This is the story of two brothers who are trying to survive in the violent streets of the bario. Marcus has vowed to live his life straight ever since his older brother was violently murdered, while Smiley is doing whatever it takes to make it on the streets, willingly risking his life for fast money. They're both trying to make it in the independent rap business, but will all the bad they've done eventually come back to haunt them? DVD 907

State Property (2002)

Directed by Abdul Malik Abbott. Cast: Beanie Sigel, Jay-Z, Damon Dash, Memphis Bleek, Omillio Sparks, Sundy Carter, Oschino, Chris Eric Williams. "Hip-hop's hottest artists star in a new tale from the streets." Frustrated with being broke, Beans decides that the only way to grasp the American Dream is to take it. Beans and his crew, the ABM, take over the city, creating mayhem as their empire builds. Beans struggles to maintain his family life while bumping heads with opposing gangsters and police. It all comes to a head when he cannot surpass the city's most notorious crew. The moves Beans and the ABM decide to make come with severe consequences. 96 min. DVD 1232

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Streets is Watching: The Movie (1998)

Directed by Abdul Malik Abbott. Cast: Jay-Z, Damon Dash. A insightful dramatization of the life and times of hip-hop superstar Jay-Z. Tells a story about life in the streets, combining a narrative structure and musical numbers into an autobiographical tale of his life in Brooklyn, from hustler to performer. The title of the video comes from his album In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 and also includes numbers by M.O.P, Sauce Money, and Memphis Bleek. This is Jay-Z's first direct-to-video release; it's self-directed, and aims to give a realistic view of his neighborhood without the commercial flash of over-the-top rap displays. Realism pervades within the framework of this music video, or "videomentary," about street life. Songs: It's alright (Memphis Bleek & Jay-Z) -- Love for free (Rell Cast: Jay-Z) -- Only a customer (Jay-Z) -- Pimp this love (Christion) -- Murdergram (Murder, Inc.) -- The doe (Diamonds in da rough) -- Crazy (Usual suspects) -- Im my lifetime (remix) (Jay-Z) -- Your love (Christion Cast: Jay-Z) -- Thugs r us (DJ Clue Cast: Noreaga) -- My nigga hill figga (M.O.P.) -- Celebration (Team Roc starring Jay-Z, Memphis Bleek, Sauce Money & Wais of the Ranjahz) 60 min. DVD 6934; vhs 999:3176

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Tougher than Leather (1988)

Directed by Rick Rubin. Cast: Run-DMC, Richard Edson, Jenny Lumet, Raymond White, Lois Ayers; special appearances by the Beastie Boys,Slick Rick, Junkyard Band. After a friend discovers a money-laundering scheme and is murdered, the band members take the law into their own hands and avenge their friend's death. 89 min. 999:3175

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Wild Style (1982)

Directed by Charlie Ahearn. Cast: Lee George Quinones, Patti Astor, Andrew (Zephyr), Grandmaster Flash, Chief Rocker Busy Bee, Fab 5 Freddy, Cold Crush Four, Double Trouble, Rock Steady Crew. Tells the story of street artists in the South Bronx who put on a big outdoor performance to showcase their unique talents, graffiti, rap, and break dancing. The story centers on Zoro, who spends his time spray-painting subway cars who gets his break when he is hired to decorate the platform for the upcoming rap concert. 106 min. DVD 8176; vhs 999:3172

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Monteyne, Kimberley Bercov. "The Sound of the South Bronx: Youth Culture, Genre, and Performance in Charlie Ahearn's Wild Style." In: Youth culture in global cinema / edited by Timothy Shary and Alexandra Seibel. 1st ed. Austin : University of Texas Press, 2007 (Main Stack PN1995.9.Y6.Y68 2007)

You Got Served (2003)

Directed by Christopher B. Stokes. Cast: Marques Houston, Omari Grandberry, Jarell Houston, DeMario Thornton, Dreux Frederic, Jennifer Freeman, Lil' Kim, Michael "Bear" Taliferrio, Alani "La La" Vasquez, Steve Harvey. At Mr. Rad's Warehouse, the best hip-hop crews in Los Angeles compete for money and respect. But a crew from the suburbs moves in and crashes the party, stealing their dancers, and their moves. Elgin and David are street dancers who will have to pull together in order to believe in themselves, their crew, and in their dreams if they are to represent the streets and win the challenge and the money that is up for grabs. 94 min. DVD 2723

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Jazz/R&B/Blues Movies

Berg, Charles Merrell. "Cinema Sings the Blues." Cinema Journal, Vol. 17, No. 2. (Spring, 1978), pp. 1-12. UC users only
Gabbard, Krin. Jammin' at the margins: jazz and the American cinema Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 1996. (Music ML2075.G33 1996; Moffitt ML2075.G33 1996)
Lopes, Paul. "Signifying deviance and transgression: jazz in the popular imagination." American Behavioral Scientist 48.11 (July 2005): 1468(14).
Mouellic, Gilles. Jazz et cinema Paris : Cahiers du cinema, c2000. (MAIN: PN1995.9.J37 M68 2000)
Stanfield, Peter. Body and soul : jazz and blues in American film, 1927-63 Urbana : University of Illinois Press, 2005. (MAIN: PN1995.9.J37 S72 2005)
Yanow, Scott. Jazz on film : the complete story of the musicians & music onscreen San Francisco, CA : Backbeat Books, c2004. (MAIN: ML3508 .Y39 2004; MUSI: ML3508 .Y39 2004)

Bird (1988)

Directed by Clint Eastwood. Cast: Forest Whitaker, Diane Venora, Michael Zelniker, Sam Wright, Keith David. A gripping drama of the life of legendary jazz saxophonist Charlie "Yardbird" Parker. Past and future overlap as the movie explores Bird's relationship with his steadfast wife Chan Parker, his soaring skill and destructive excesses with alcohol and drugs. Film uses actual recordings by Parker skillfully blending his solo recordings with modern musicians attuned to the Yardbird's improvisations. 160 min. DVD 625

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"Clint Eastwood: an interview. (interview)." Film Quarterly 42.n3 (Spring 1989): 12(12).

Crouch, Stanley. "Bird land: Charlie Parker, Clint Eastwood, and America." The New Republic 200.n9 (Feb 27, 1989): 25(7).

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Hentoff, Nat. "Flight of fancy; Clint Eastwood indulges his personal interests with the film biography of jazz musician Charlie "Bird" Parker. (interview)." American Film 13.n10 (Sept 1988): 24(7).

The Blues Brothers(1999)

Directed by John Landis. Cast: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, James Brown, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles, John Candy, Carrie Fisher, Aretha Franklin, Henry Gibson, Steve Lawrence, Jake and Elwood Blues, two hoodlum brothers searching for redemption, set out to locate and reenlist the members of their defunct rhythm and blues band in order to raise some honest money to save an orphanage. They may be on a "mission from God," but they're making enemies everywhere they go. 148 min. DVD 1563

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The Commitments(1991)

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The Cotton Club (1984)

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Cast: Richard Gere, Gregory Hines, Diane Lane, Lonette McKee, Bob Hoskins, Nicolas Cage, Fred Gwynne. In 1928 New York, spirits are high and jazz, dancing and gangsters rule supreme. Harlem's Cotton Club is in the center of it all, where rich upper-eastsiders mix with dressed-up mobsters. On stage is gifted coronet player Dixie Dwyer, who dreams of the big time, and tap sensation Sandman Williams who can't touch his girl, the lovely singer Lila Rose Oliver, because of strict club rules. As tension rises, so do tempers, and the nightclub becomes a pressure-cooker of jilted loves and mob jobs. 129 min. DVD 788; VHS 999:2852

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Dreamgirls (2006)

Directed by Bill Condon. Cast: Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles, Eddie Murphy, Danny Glover, Anika Noni Rose, Keith Robinson, Sharon Leal, Hinton Battle, Jennifer Hudson. Deena Jones, Effie White, and Lorrell Robinson, three young African-American women in 1960s Detroit, dream of becoming pop stars. They get their wish after a local talent show when they are picked to be backup singers for the legendary James "Thunder" Early. As they become more successful over time, each of the girls discovers the costs and compromises exacted by their desire to be in the music business. Special features (Disc 1): 12 never-before-seen extended musical numbers; Listen (Beyonce music video). (Disc 2). Building the dream (behind-the-scenes full-length documentary); original auditions and screen tests; previsualization sequences; image gallery; additional featurettes. 130 min. DVD 7816

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Duke is Tops (1938)

Directed by William L. Nolte. "Duke Davis (Ralph Cooper) has invested all his savings to back his sweetheart, Ethel (Lena Horne), in a road show over the old T.O.B.A. circuit, on which they have both been performers since childhood. Marshall (Monte Hawley), a New York talent scout, makes an offer to Ethel as a single and, to induce her to take it, Duke writes a fake check, made out to him, for $5000 pretending he has sold his contract with Ethel to Marshall. Resentful and heartbroken, she accepts and becomes a big hit in New York. Marshall then books her at the swanky Century Club, plans her show himself, and it flops miserably. Meanwhile, Duke has used his last resources to start a new show, but without Ethel it also fails. He joins the Doc Dorando (Lawrence Criner) medicine show, and with him as the speiler for the quack elixir sold by Dorando, it is successful. He becomes Doc's partner with an elaborate trailer and a company of entertainers, including Willie Covans, the Basin Street Boys, The Cats and the Fiddle, "Rubberneck" Holmes and Joe Stevenson. Money is rolling in but he drops everything to hurry to Ethel's side when he hears of her misfortune. Ella (Neva Peoples), Ethel's faithful companion and maid, has also told Ethel of Duke's sacrifice in order to give her a chance in New York. Duke talks the Century Club owner, Fenton (Edward Thompson),into allowing him to build an elaborate show based on a medicine show concept, and sends for Doc Dorando and the other entertainers." [Internet Movie Database] 80 min. Video 999:1168

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Hi De Ho (Cab Calloway) (1947)

Directed by Josh Binney. Big band sensation Cab Calloway (portraying himself) becomes the interest of two womens' desires - his steady girlfriend Minnie (Jeni Le Gon) and his manager Nettie (Ida James). Jealous of Nettie's maneuvers, Minnie hires a rival clubowner to do away with Cab. Minnie later feels guilty and tries to prevent the killing. Instead she gets dusted by the thugs, leaving the door open for Cab to marry Nettie. This musical review features an all black cast. 63 min. 999:426

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I Love to Singa (1936)

Directed by Tex Avery. Warner Brothers. Animated short. A spoof of Al Jolson's "The Jazz Singer," a strict piano teaching owl is cursed with a son (Owl Jolson) who "loves to singa," but only jazz. Based on the song (by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg) from Warner Bros.'s Al Jolson movie "The Singing Kid" (1936). Included as supplement on DVD 8594; also on DVD 3136

The Jazz Singer (1927)

Directed by Alan Crosland. Cast: Al Jolson, May McAvoy, Warner Oland, William Demarest, Eugenie Besserer, Otto Lederer, Josef Rosenblatt. A melodramatic story of a Jewish cantor's son (Al Jolson) who aspires to be a jazz singer despite his father's objection and religious tradition. In motion picture history, this marks the first feature film to utilize synchronous sound. 89 min. DVD 8594; vhs 999:790

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Kansas City (1995)

Directed by Robert Altman. Cast: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Miranda Richardson, Harry Belafonte, Michael Murphy, Dermot Mulroney, Steve Buscemi, Brooke Smith. Set in 1934 Kansas City, a telegraph operator named Blondie kidnaps Carolyn Stilton, wife of a powerful businessman who commutes to Washington to advise President Roosevelt. Blondie figures she can use Carolyn to gain safe passage for her husband Johnny who is in the grip of the city's top gangster, a club owner named Seldom Seen. The movie unfolds in the dark streets of the downtown Kansas City night. 116 min. 999:2090

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Lady Sings the Blues (1972)

Director, Sidney J. Furie. Cast: Diana Ross, Billy Dee Williams, Richard Pryor, Paul Hampton. Presents a film biography of the life of Billie Holliday, the performer known as "Lady Day", one of America's most loved and memorable blues singers. 144 min. DVD 4819; vhs 999:3103

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Mo' Better Blues (1990)

Directed by Spike Lee. Cast: Denzel Washington (Bleek Gillian), Spike Lee (Giant), Wesley Snipes (Shadow Henderson), Giancarlo Esposito (Left Hand Lacey), Robin Harris (Butterbean Jones), Joie Lee (Indigo Jones), Bill Nunn (Bottom Hammer), Cynda Williams (Clarke Betancourt). Talented trumpeter Bleek Gilliam is obsessed by his music and indecisive about his girlfriends Indigo and Clarke. But when he is forced to come to the aid of his manager and childhood friend, Bleek finds his world more fragile than he ever imagined. 129 min. DVD 581; VHS 999:2089

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New Orleans (1947)

Directed by Arthur Lubin. Cast: Arturo de Cordova, Dorothy Patrick, Louis Armstrong and his band, Billie Holiday, Woody Herman and his orchestra, Original New Orleans Ragtime Band (Louis Armstrong, Zutty Singleton, Barney Bigard, Kid Ory, Bud Scott, Red Callendar, Charlie Beal and Meade Lux Lewis). Nick, the proprietor of a Bourbon Street gambling joint, an artistic haven for African-American musicans who gather and jam from dusk til dawn, falls in love with an opera-singing socialite. After losing his nightclub Nick tries over the course of many years to get jazz the respect and audience it deserves. 110 min. DVD 1094

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New York New York (1977)

Directed by Martin Scorsese. Cast: Liza Minnelli, Robert DeNiro, Lionel Standler, Barry Primus, Mary Kay Place. Jimmy Doyle is a jazz saxophone player on the make, while Francine Evans is a singer on the rise. Their budding romance flourishes into marriage and a professional working relationship, but the ambitions that brought them together eventually sweep them tragically apart. 116 min. DVD 3534; vhs 999:2090

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Ray (2004)

Directed by Taylor Hackford. Cast: Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Regina King, Clifton Powell, Harry Lennix, Bokeem Woodbine, Aunjanue Ellis, Sharon Warren, C.J. Sanders. Ray Charles went blind at the age of seven. Inspired by his mother who insisted he make his own way, he found his calling at the keyboard. 'Ray' follows as he overcomes drug addiction while becoming one of America's most beloved performers. 153 min. DVD 4026

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Round Midnight (1986)

Directed by Bertrand Tavernier. Cast: Dexter Gordon, Francois Cluzet, Gabrielle Haker,Herbie Hancock, Bobby Hutcherson, Sandra Reaves-Phillips, Lonette McKee, Martin Scorsese. Inside the Blue Note nightclub one night in 1959 Paris,an aged ailing jazzman coaxes an eloquent wail from his tenor sax. Outside, a young Parisian too broke to buy a glass of wine strains to hear those notes. Soon they form a friendship that sparks a final burst of genius in the fading musician. Special features: Interactive menus, cast/director film highlights, theatrical trailer, scene access. Inspired by the real-life friendship between jazz pianist Bud Powell and Francis Paudras. 132 min. DVD 605

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Coursodon, Jean-Pierre. "Round Midnight: An Interview with Bertrand Tavernier." Cineaste: America's Leading Magazine on the Art and Politics of the Cinema, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 18-23, 1986.

Dempsey, Michael. "All the colors: Bertrand Tavernier talks about Round Midnight. (interview)." Film Quarterly 40 (Spring 1987): 2(10).

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Mandel, Howard. "Round midnight." Down Beat 54 (Jan 1987): 23(2).

Nettelbeck, Colin W. "Okra and Quenelles: Jazz and Film-Making (as Nourishment) in Tavernier's Round Midnight (1986)." Australian Journal of French Studies, vol. 39, no. 2, pp. 250-70, May 2002.

Stormy Weather (1943)

Directed by Andrew L. Stone. Cast: Lena Horne, Bill Robinson, Cab Calloway and his band, Katherine Dunham and her troupe, Fats Waller, Ada Brown, Nicholas Brothers, Dooley Wilson. A delightful musical strung together with a silly romantic show biz script. Horne sings the title song, Waller does a rendition of "Ain't misbehavin'". 78 min. DVD 4795; vhs 999:355

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Sweet and Lowdown (1999)

Directed by Woody Allen. Cast: Sean Penn, Samantha Morton, Una Thurman, Anthony Lapaglia, Gretchen Mol.In this fictional biography Emmet Ray ruled as the second greatest jazz guitarist in the world in the 1930's. But his reputation was eclipsed by his eccentric career moves, hilarious clashes with gangsters and stormy love affairs with two very different women. 95 min. DVD 289; VHS 999:2816

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Swing (1938)

Directed by Oscar Micheaux. Cast: Cora Green ; Hazel Diaz ; Carmen Newsome ; Dorothy Van Engle ; Alice Lovejoy ; Larry Seymour ; Mandy Randolph. A musical with plot built around the music which is performed from Alabama to New York (Harlem). 78 min. 999:369

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Young Man With a Horn (1986)

Directed by Michael Curtiz. Cast: Kirk Douglas, Doris Day, Lauren Bacall, Hoagy Carmichael, Juano Hernandez. A lonely boy is inspired by the soaring magic played by the loving guidance of a brilliant bluesman, the boy develops into a superb artist obsessed by music. 112 min. DVD 8888; DVD 605

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Country/Folk

Bound for Glory(1999)

Directed by Hal Ashby. Cast: David Carradine, Ronny Cox, Melinda Dillon, Gail Strickland, Randy Quaid. Set against the grim backdrop of depression America, this film joyously celebrates the life of Woody Guthrie, America's great folk balladeer and poet. As he traveled across America his buoyant spirit and soul-rousing music surrounded him with a quiet strength enabling him to do battle with the social injustice which surrounded him. 149 min. 999:1749

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A Coal Miner's Daughter (1980)

Directed by Michael Apted. Cast: Sissy Spacek, Tommy Lee Jones, Beverly D'Angelo, Levon Helm, Phyllis Boyens. A dramatization of the life of Loretta Lynn, the "Queen of Country Music", from her backwoods Appalachia home to the Grand Ole Opry and super stardom. 110 min. DVD 2864

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A Mighty Wind (2000)

Directed by Christopher Guest. Cast: Bob Balaban, Ed Begley, Jr., Jennifer Coolidge, Paul Dooley, Christopher Guest, John Michael Higgins, Michael Hitchcock, Don Lake, Eugene Levy, Parker Posey, Jane Lynch, Catherine O'Hara. In this mockumentary, three folk groups from the 60's -- Mitch and Mickey, the Folksmen, and the New Main Street Singers -- reunite for a memorial concert in New York City following the death of a legendary folk manager. 92 min. DVD 3175

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Nashville (1942)

Directed by Robert Altman. Cast: Henry Gibson, Lily Tomlin, Ronee Blakley, Keith Carradine, Geraldine Chaplin, Barbara Harris, Karen Black, Joan Tewkesbury. Drama/comedy that interweaves the lives of 24 characters during five days in Nashville, the country music capital of the world. 127 min. DVD 286; vhs 999:279

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Tom Turkey and his Harmonica Humdingers (1940)

Directed by Hugh Harman. Animated short. MGM. Tom and three of his friends play harmonicas continuously, and vigorously so vigorously that they wreck the local general store. And despite the attempts of one bird to keep playing "Dixie" on the flute, no matter what else is being played. Included on DVD 9066

Walk the Line (2005)

Directed by James Mangold. Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, Robert Patrick, Dallas Roberts, Dan John Miller, Larry Bagby, Shelby Lynne, Tyler Hilton, Waylon Payne, Shooter Jennings. Traces the life of country western singer Johnny Cash from his childhood to the middle of his musical career, with special attention to his relationship with singer June Carter. 136 min. DVD 5183

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Broadway/Musical Theater

De-Lovely (2004)

Directed by Irwin Winkler. Cast: Kevin Kline, Ashley Judd, Jonathan Pryce, Kevin McNally, Sandra Nelson, Allan Corduner, Peter Polycarpou, Keith Allen, James Wilby. An original musical portrait of American composer Cole Porter, filled with his unforgettable songs. Porter looks back on his life as if it were one of his spectacular stage shows, with the people and events of his life becoming the actors and actions onstage. Through elaborate production numbers and popular hits, Porter's elegant, excessive past comes to light - including his deeply complicated relationship with his wife, Linda Lee Porter, who was his inspiration. 125 min. DVD 3371

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Love Me or Leave Me (1955)

Directed by Charles Vidor. Cast: Doris Day, James Cagney, Cameron Mitchell, Robert Keith, Tom Tully. Jazz age singing sensation Ruth Etting had it all, but it took more than talent to make it big. Her rise to fame at the hands of her Chicago gangster boyfriend turned her life off stage into a world of fear and abuse. Special features: 3 vintage shorts, the first two with Ruth Etting: A modern Cinderella ; Roseland ; A salute to the theatres; theatrical trailer. 122 min. DVD 8876

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Lullaby of Broadway (1950)

Directed by David Butler. Cast: Doris Day, Gene Nelson, S.Z. Sakall, Billy De Wolfe, Gladys George, Florence Bates, Anne Triola, Hanley Syafford, Page Cavanaugh Trio, Carlo and Constance de Matiazzi. A singer arrives in New York to visit her mother, unaware that she is a burnt-out cabaret singer with a love for whiskey. When she arrives at her house, which actually belongs to Adolph Hubbell, a kind-hearted Broadway producer he takes a shine to Melinda and agrees to star her in his next show. Melinda also finds romance with a handsome hoofer who's in the show. All is going well for Melinda except that she wants to see her mother who keeps putting off their reunion. 92 min. DVD 8884

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Night and Day (1946)

Directed by Michael Curtiz. Cast: Cary Grant, Alexis Smith, Monty Woolley, Ginny Simms, Jane Wyman. A musical film presenting a fictionalized biography of composer Cole Porter from his days at Yale in the 1910s through the height of his success to the 1940s. The film's attempted biography matches many public myths surrounding Cole at the time. Special features: Vintage shorts Desi Arnaz and his orchestra and musical movieland; Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd in the classic Looney Tunes cartoon The Big Snooze; Cole Porter musicals trailer gallery. 128 min. DVD 8216

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Second Chorus (1941)

Directed by H.C. Potter. Fred Astaire, Paulette Goddard, Burgess Meredith, Artie Shaw and his orchestra, Charles Butterworth. When pretty college band manager Ellen is lured away by the glamour of famous bandleader Artie Shaw, trumpet players Danny and Hank scheme to get her back in a wily game of romantic cat-and-mouse. 84 min. DVD 9141

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Three Little Words (1950)

Directed by Richard Thorpe. Cast: Fred Astaire, Red Skelton, Vera-Ellen, Arlene Dahl, Keenan Wynn, Gale Robbins, Gloria de Haven. A musical biopic telling the story of the lives of the successful Tin Pan Alley songwriting team of Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby. 102 min. DVD 5683

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Till the Clouds Roll By (1946)

Directed by Richard Whorf. Cast: Robert Walker, Van Johnson, Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, June Allyson, Kathryn Grayson, Van Heflin, Dinah Shore, Lucille Bremer, Lena Horne, Angela Lansbury, Tony Martin, Virginia O'Brien, Cyd Charisse. A musical biopic based on the life of American Broadway pioneer Jerome Kern, Featuring renditions of the famous songs from his musical plays by contemporary stage artists, including a condensed production of his most famous: Showboat. 130 min. DVD 5682

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Topsy-turvy (UK, 1999)

Directed by Mike Leigh. Cast: Jim Broadbent, Allan Corduner, Timothy Spall, Lesley Manville, Ron Cook, Wendy Nottingham, Kevin McKidd, Shirley Henderson, Dorothy Atkinson, Martin Savage, Eleanor David. Tensions abound and the music swells in the story about the famous musical team of Gilbert and Sullivan. The two men who were extremely different in size and stature were even more different in temperament and style. Yet, they still managed to create memorable theater. This is the story of the making of one of their most famous collaborations, The Mikado. 161 min. DVD 5476

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Words and Music (1948)

Directed by Norman Taurog. Cast: June Allyson, Perry Como, Judy Garland, Lena Horne, Gene Kelly, Mickey Rooney, Ann Sothern, Tom Drake, Cyd Charisse, Betty Garrett, Janet Leigh, Marshall Thompson, Mel Torme, Vera-Ellen. The story of the brilliant but glitchy Lorenz Hart who is disappointed in love by singer Peggy McNeil. He never gets over it and falls apart. Richard Rogers and his wife Dorothy look on in dismay. Special features: Commentary by historian Richard Barrios; new featurette; extensive audio outtakes; vintage short and classic cartoon "Lover;" "You're nearer" outtakes; theatrical trailer. 121 min. DVD 8299

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Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

Directed by Michael Curtiz. Cast: James Cagney, Joan Leslie, Walter Huston, Richard Whorf. A rousing musical depicting the life of George M. Cohan, famed playwright, entertainer and composer of patriotic songs. 127 min. DVD 2038; vhs 999:899

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Opera

Aria (1987)

Ten directors: Robert Altman, Bruce Beresford, Bill Bryden, Jean-Luc Godard, Derek Jarman, Franc Roddam, Nicholas Roeg, Ken Russell, Charles Sturridge, Julien Temple. Cast: Bridget Fonda, Elizabeth Hurley, Theresa Russell, John Hurt, Buck Henry, Beverly D'Angelo, Anita Morris. Ten of the world's best-known filmmakers contributed to this compilation film, each fashioning a short film inspired by an aria from a famous opera. The approaches vary broadly, from the playful abstraction of Jean-Luc Godard's segment, which illustrated Armide with exercising body-builders, to the more literal approach of Franc Roddam, who transports Tristan and Isolde's story to modern-day Las Vegas. A particular stand-out is Julian Temple's take on Rigoletto, which recasts Verdi as the accompaniment to a contemporary Southern California sex farce. Arias sung in Italian, French and German. 88 min. DVD 3310

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Callas Forever (2002)

Directed by Franco Zeffirelli. Cast: Fanny Ardant, Jeremy Irons, Joan Plowright, Jay Rodan, Gabriel Garko, Justino Diaz, Manuel de Blas. Beautifully recreates the magic, passion and artistry of the opera diva Maria Callas, known as "the voice of the century". Gives a loving tribute to what could have possibly happened at the end of Callas's life, whose death came at the age of 53. Callas was a temperamental diva. She captured all the fiery intensity of legend on and off the stage. Her tempestuous relationship with her former manager is what finally persuades her to re-launch her career, despite her fading powers. 108 min. DVD 4089

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Charlie Chan at the Opera (1936)

Directed by Bruce Humberstone. Cast: Warner Oland, Boris Karloff, Keye Luke, Charlotte Henry, Thomas Beck, Margaret Irving. Charlie Chan investigates two murders on the opening night of an opera. The prime suspect is the husband of the star of the opera, himself a talented singer who recently escaped from the insane asylum where he had suffered from amnesia for years. 68 min. DVD 6776

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Diva (France, 1981)

Directed by Jean Jacques Beineix. Cast: Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez, Frederic Andrei, Richard Bohringer, Thuy An Luu, Roland Bertin, Gerard Darmon. Cynthia Hawkins is the operatic superstar whose refusal to make a recording frustrates her adoring public. A young fan named Jules makes a secret tape and is stalked by thugs who plan to blackmail the diva. Jules also accidently acquires a tape which tells of a top mobster's role in an international sex and drug ring and now two hired killers are out to get the tape. 123 min. 999:2953

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Farewell My Concubine (Pa-wang pieh chi). (China / Hong Kong, 1993)

Directed by Chen Kaige. Story that spans more than 50 years in the lives of two gay male actors at the Peking Opera and of the woman who comes between them. Also an absorbing drama of the period in Chinese history from the warlord era through the Cultural Revolution. 157 min. DVD 191

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Movie Review Query Engine

A Night at the Opera (1935)

Directed by Sam Wood. Cast: Groucho, Chico, and Harpo Marx, Margaret Dumont, Kitty Carlisle. A Marx Brothers comic masterpiece in which Groucho's hilarious business schemes bring Milan's finest opera stars to New York, with some unexpected stowaways on board - Harpo and Chico. The three of them create a near riot on the ship, a scandal in New York and an evening of insanity in the concert hall. 87 min. DVD 2662; vhs 999:1106

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Peking Opera Blues (Tao ma tan) (Hong Kong, 1986)

Director, Tsui Hark. Set against the elegant backdrop of Chinese opera in China's warlord period in 1913, the film focuses on three young women who become entangled with revolutionary guerillas. 102 min. DVD 868

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Phantom of the Opera (1925)

Directed by Rupert Julian. Cast: Lon Chaney, Mary Philbin, Norman Kerry, Arthur Edmund Carewe. A horror/melodrama about a hideous-looking man who lives in the catacombs below the Paris Opera House and his unrequited love affair with an opera starlet whom he tutors. DVD includes restored version of 1929. 79 min. DVD 3914; vhs 999:802

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Phantom of the Opera (1943)

Directed by Arthur Lubin. Cast: Claude Rains, Nelson Eddy, Susanna Foster, Edgar Barrier, Leo Carrillo. A melodrama about a strange man who lives in the catacombs below the Paris Opera House and his love affair with an opera starlet whom he tutors. Based on the book entitled Le Fantome de l'Opera, by Gaston Leroux. 93 min. DVD 521

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The Phantom of the Opera (UK, 1962)

Directed by Terence Fisher. Cast: Herbert Lom, Heather Sears, Thorley Walters. A madman called the Phantom terrorizes an opera house. When a singer named Christine is contacted by the specter, her producer tracks him to his underground lair and finds he is a brilliant but disfigured composer demanding revenge. Christine is the Phantom's only weakness and he pays the ultimate price to keep his love for her. 85 min. DVD 4450

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Rabbit of Seville(1950)

Directed by Chuck Jones. Warner Brothers. Animated short. "Behind the Hollywood Bowl stage which is playing the opera, The Barber of Seville, Bugs Bunny flees into the backstage area with Elmer Fudd in close pursuit. Seeing his opportunity to fight on his terms, Bugs raises the curtain on Elmer, trapping him on stage. As the orchestra begins playing, Bugs comes into play as the barber who is going to make sure that Elmer is going to get a grooming he will never forget." [IMDB] DVD 2073

That Midnight Kiss (1949)

Directed by Norman Taurog. Cast: Kathryn Grayson, Jose Iturbi, Ethel Barrymore, Keenan Wynn, J. Carrol Naish, Jules Munshin, Thomas Gomez, Marjorie Reynolds, Mario Lanza. Anspiring opera singer Prudence Budell would like to have a tenor who looks the part of the tenor role. When Johnny Donnetti, a singing truck driver is discovered, she gets her wish. A happy ending is not far away when romance blossoms between Prudence and Johnny. Special features: "One love of mine" outtake; "Pete Smith speciality" short 'Sports oddities;' classic cartoon "Senor Droopy;" theatrical trailer. 98 min. DVD 8294

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The Toast of New Orleans (1950)

Directed by Norman Taurog. Cast: Kathryn Grayson, Mario Lanza, David Niven, J. Carrol Naish, James Mitchell, Richard Hageman, Clinton Sundberg. Snooty opera singer, Suzette Micheline, meets rough-and-tumble fisherman, Pepe Duvalle, in the Louisiana bayous and this fisherman can sing. Her agent lures him away to New Orleans to teach him to sing opera, but comes to regret this rash decision when the singers fall in love. Special features: New documentary profile "Mario Lanza: singing to the Gods;" vintage "Fitzpatrick traveltalk" shorts 'Modern New Orleans' and 'Old New Orleans;' theatrical trailer. 97 min. DVD 8294

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Tonight or Never (1931)

Directed by Mervyn LeRoy. Cast: Melvyn Douglas, Gloria Swanson, Warburton Gamble, Ferdinand Gottschalk, Boris Karloff, Alison Skipworth. An opera prima donna while on holiday in Venice with her elderly fiance, becomes intrigued with Fletcher, one of her admirers. One evening he manages to corner the heroine in her apartment, whereupon she becomes convinced that he's merely a gigolo interestd in her money. But Fletcher is in reality a representative of the Metropolitan Opera, determined to sign her to a contract. 80 min. 999:2632

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Woman, Demon, Human (Jem gui qing) (China, 1987)

Directed by Shuqin Huang. Qui Yun is a famous "Kunqu" Chinese opera actress who specializes in male roles, and attains her greatest success as Zhong Kui in "Zhong Kui Marries Off His Sister." Her career successes do not bring her happiness in her personal life. More and more she comes to rely on the character of Zhong Kui to keep her going. 115 min. DVD 2797

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Classical Music

Tibbetts, John C. Composers in the movies : studies in musical biography New Haven : Yale University Press, c2005. Location(s)(MAIN: PN1995.9.C553 T53 2005; Table of contents http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip058/2005004689.html)

All the Mornings of the World (Tous les matins du monde) (1991)

Directed by Alain Corneau. Cast: Jean-Pierre Marielle, Gerard Depardieu, Anne Brochet, Caroline Shol, Guillaume Depardieu. In this seductive tale of music and passion set in 17th century France, the lives of a reclusive composer and his two beautiful daughters are forever changed by a flamboyant young student. 110 min. 999:1383

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Amadeus (1990)

Directed by Milos Forman. Cast: F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Elizabeth Berridge, Simon Callow, Roy Dotrice, Christine Ebersole, Jeffrey Jones. Adapted from Shaffer's play, the film presents the life of Antonio Salieri, a mediocre 18th century Viennese composer obsessed with and jealous of the musical genius of the age: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mad with envy, he plots to destroy Mozart by any means. 137 min. DVD 250; VHS 999:397; and Director's Cut, 2001, on DVD 1462

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Baton Bunny (1959)

Directed by Chuck Jones and Abe Levitow. Warner Brothers. Animated short. Bugs conducts the Warner Brothers Symphony in Suppe's "Morning, Noon, and Night in Vienna" while reacting to a bothersome fly. DVD 4263

Escape Me Never (1947)

Directed by Peter Godfrey. Cast: Errol Flynn, Ida Lupino, Eleanor Parker, Gig Young. Melodrama about two musician brothers and the women they love. Features a beautiful ballet sequence and music by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. 107 min. DVD 1713

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Humoresque (1947)

Directed by Jean Negulesco. Cast: Joan Crawford, John Garfield, Oscar Levant, J. Carrol Naish. A glamorous but alcoholic socialite, trapped in a marriage to an older man, finds herself falling in love with a young violinist (Garfield) from the Lower East Side whose performance she is underwriting. Lester Friedman, in his "Hollywood's Image of the Jew" (NY: Ungar, 1982), p. 36) calls the film the "quintessential ghetto film." 126 min. DVD 4049; vhs 999:1228

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Intermezzo (1936)

Directed by Gustaf Molander. Cast: Gösta Ekman, Inga Tidblad, Ingrid Bergman. A young aspiring pianist falls in love with a famous concert violinist, the father of one of her pupils. He leaves his family and goes with her on an extended concert tour through Europe, but a near-fatal accident involving his daughter leads him to reassess his family obligations. 91 min. DVD 1179

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The King Dances (Le Roi danse) (France / Germany / Belgium, 2000)

Directed by Gerard Corbiau. Cast: Benoît Magimel (Louis XIV), Boris Terral (Lully), Tcheky Karyo (Moli`ere), Colette Emmanuelle (queen mother [Anne of Austria]), Cecile Bois (Madeleine), Claire Keim (Julie), Johan Leysen (Cambert), Idwig Stephane (Conti), Emil Tarding (the young Louis XIV); others. Historical drama about Louis XIV of France, centering on his passion for dance and music. The shy heir to the throne has his destiny altered when musician Jean-Baptiste Lully and the famed playwright Moliere enter his life. Recognizing the young king's talent for dance they compose and stage ballets that glorify Louis' image. The film includes many recreations of dance, drama, and opera of the era. 114 min. DVD 4502

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Orchestra Rehearsal (Prova d'orchestra) (Italy / West Germany, 1979)

Directed by Federico Fellini. Cast: Balduin Baas, Clara Colosimo, Elisabeth Labi, Ronaldo Bonacchi. A controversial yet comical film, it depicts the turmoil of Italian society through events that take place during a rehearsal gathering set in a 13th century chapel, as musicians rebel against their conductor. 72 min. DVD 5984; vhs 999:2576

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Shine (Australia, 1996)

Directed by Scott Hicks. Cast: Geoffrey Rush, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Noah Taylor, Lynn Redgrave, John Gielgud. A dramatization of the true story of gifted Australian piano prodigy, David Helfgott who experiences a nervous breakdown and is hospitalized, but later returns to the concert hall. 105 min. DVD 2397

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To Joy (Till glädje)(Sweden,1949)

Directed by Ingmar Bergman. Cast: Maj-Britt Nilsson, Stig Olin, Birger Malmsten, John Ekman, Margit Carlquist, Victor Sjostrom. An orchestra violinist's dreams of becoming a celebrated soloist and fears of his own mediocrity get in the way of his marriage to the patient, caring Marta. Played out to the music of Beethoven, this film is a heartbreaking tale of one man's inability to overcome the demons standing in the way of his happiness. 99 min. DVD 7566

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Unfaithfully Yours (1948)

Directed by Preston Sturges. Cast: Rex Harrison, Linda Darnell, Rudy Vallee, Barbara Lawrence. A famous conductor, blessed with both a brilliant career and a beautiful young wife, believes that she's having an affair with his handsome young secretary. The conductor fantasizes three insane scenes of revenge while conducting a concert and then tries to enact them in the brilliant conclusion. 105 min. DVD 4263; vhs 999:895

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Other Pop/Folk/World Music

Les Choristes (The Chorus) (2004)

Directed by Christophe Barratier with Jean-Paul Bonnaire, Marie Bunel and Jean-Baptiste Maunier. Cast: Gerard Jugnot, Francois Berleand, Kad Merad, Jean-Paul Bonnaire, Marie Bunel, Paul Charieras. Unemployed music teacher Clement Mathieu becomes the supervisor at a French boarding school for the rehabilitation of minors. Dismayed by the repressive administration, he works to positively transform the students' lives through music. 97 min. DVD 3914

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Crossover Dreams (1985)

Directed by Leon Ichaso. Cast: Ruben Blades, Shawn Elliot, Elizabeth Pena, Tom Signorelli, Frank Robles. A bittersweet comedy about a Salsa singer who strives to cross-over into the pop music mainstream. He shafts everyone he meets on his way to the top but when his latest record flops, his career starts going downhill. 85 min. 999:2575

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Dananir (Dananeer) (Egypt, 1955)

Directed by Ahmed Badrakhan. Set during the time of the Arabian Nights around the singer Dananeer who has a divine voice who's taken from the simple Bedouin desert life to the decadence and intrigues of the palaces. The songs performed in this film are regarded by critics as one of the highlights in her singing career. DVD. 90 min. DVD 4778

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Drumline (2002)

Directed by Charles Stone III. Cast: Nick Cannon, Zoe Saldana, J. Anthony Brown, GQ, Leonard Roberts, Orlando Jones. Halftime is party time for the gifted street drummer who snares the top spot in his university's marching band. However, he initially flounders in his new world, before realizing that it takes more than talent to reach the top. 118 min. DVD 2572

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The Harder They Come (Jamaica, 1973)

Directed by Perry Henzell. Cast: Jimmy Cliff, Janet Bartley, Carl Bradshaw, Ras Daniel Hartman, Basil Keane, Robert Charlton, and Winston Stone. A rural Jamaican musician journeys to the city of Kingston in search of fame and fortune. Pushed to desperate circumstances by shady record producers and corrupt cops, he achieves notoriety as a murderous outlaw. A cult movie favorite Cast: reggae music and reggae superstar Jimmy Cliff. 103 min. DVD 383; VHS 999:814

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Slater, Candace. "The Harder They Come and the Picaresque Hero." Review, 18 (Fall 1976), 88-91.

The Harmonists (Germany / Austria, 1997)

Directed by Joseph Vilsmaier. Cast: Ben Becker, Heino Ferch, Ulrich Noethen, Max Tidof, Kai Wiesinger, Meret Becker. In this dramatization of a true story, Harry and his friends form "The Harmonists," a singing group in pre-war Germany. Changes in the nation's political tide force them to make decisions that will test their loyalty. When three of the six are disclosed as Jews, the group faces banning. 115 min. DVD 1862

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Leningrad Cowboys Go America (Finland, 1989)

Directed Aki Kaurismaki. Cast: MKatinka Farago, Matti Pellonpaa, Kari Vaananen, The Leningrad Cowboys. The Leningrad Cowboys, a group of Finnish musicians, and their manager, travel to America seeking fame and fortune. As they cross the country, trying to get to a wedding in Mexico, they are followed by the village idiot, who wishes to join the band. 80 min. DVD 4755

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Life on a String (Bian zou bian chang)(China / Germany / UK, 1991)

Directed by Chen Kaige. Cast: Liu Zhongyuan, Huang Lei, Xu Qing. Story of a saintly blind man who as a boy was promised the restoration of his sight if he devoted his life to music. He and a young blind disciple travel the countryside seeking enlightenment and inspiring people with their singing and banjo playing. 107 min. DVD 4946

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Mga munting, tinig(Philippines, 2002)

Director: Gil M. Portes. Cast: Alessandra de Rossi, Dexter Doria, Gina Alajar, Amy Austria, Bryan Homecillo, Pierro rodriguez, Irma Adlawan. Based on the teaching experience of the filmmakers niece during the 1980s, tells the story of an idealistic young woman who takes a teaching position at a small rural school in the Philippine province of Malawig. With a corrupt government and scarce economic opportunities, the townsfolk struggle to survive. While many of the adults choose to join the guerilla military force, the children are made to work on family farms rather than receive an education. Against many of the parents' wishes, Melinda enters her class in a singing competition. Their songs awaken in everyone a small flame of hope and willingness to fight against darkness, poverty, death, and despair. 109 min. DVD 7113

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Music Man (1962)

Directed by Morton Da Costa. Cast: Robert Preston, Shirley Jones, Buddy Hackett, Hermione Gingold, Paul Ford. Silver-tongued con artist Harold Hill hoodwinks the stubborn townsfolk of River City, Iowa into buying instruments and uniforms for a boy's band, but his game ultimately--and romantically--backfires. 115 min. DVD 473; VHS 999:826

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100% Arabica (Cent pour cent Arabica; One hundred percent Arabica) (France / Belgium / Switzerland, 1997)

Director, Mahmoud Zemmouri. Cast: Khaled, Cheb Mami, Mouss, Najim Laouriga, Fard Fedjer, Youssef Diawara, Patrice Thibaud, Mohamed Camara. The rising popularity of a local band threatens orthodox religious groups in a mixed Arab and African housing project outside Paris. Attendance at the mosque falls and drastic measures are taken to keep the balance of power in the hands of the religious leaders. No one can stop the infectious popularity of the music, however, and when all the musicians finally sing together, everyone is united. 85 min. DVD 6001

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The Outsider (Szabadgyalog) (Hungary, 1981)

Directed by Bela Tarr. Cast: Szabo Andras, Fodor Jolan, Donko Imre, Balla Istvan, Janossy Ferenc, Naton Laszlo, Vass Imre. Nicknamed "Beethoven," Andras is a violinist who has been kicked out of music school in Debrecen and now makes his living as a disc jockey. A woman gives birth to his illegitimate child and he loses his job at a mental hospital. He marries another woman but their lack of income provokes a crisis in the relationship. One option that the couple has is to move into a flat and live with her parents. Will he, his wife asks, be a permanent outsider despite his talents? Eventually, she gets fed up with Andras and sleeps with his brother. 122 min. DVD 4141

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The Overture (Hom rong)(Thailand, 2004)

Directed by Ittisoontorn Vichailak. Based on the life of Luang Pradit Pairoh (Sorn Silapabanleng) the most revered traditional Thai music master who lived during the reigns of Kings Rama V to VIII. The movie traces the life of Sorn, who picked up the ra-nad ek (Thai xylophone) mallets as a small child and played all his life. The backdrop to Sorn's life tale is the story of Thailand's classical music from its golden age during the reign of King Rama V to near extinction after the end of the absolute monarchy when the government banned it as uncivilised in the 1930s. The film shifts back and forth from the time when Sorn was a young man, playing in a xylophone duel with the intense Kun In, to the 1940s, when Thailand was under Japanese occupation and Sorn's playing would provide some inspiration to the oppressed citizenry of the time. 104 min. DVD 5989

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Pastorale (Pastorali)(Soviet Union, 1975)

Directed by Otar Iosseliani. Cast: Nestor Pipia, Rezo Tcharkhalachvili, Lia Tokhadze-Djougueli, Marina Kartsivadze, Tamara Gabarachvili, Nana Iosseliani, Leri Zardiachvili. Guy Agladze resides in a large city and plays in an orchestra. Guy has a number of friends and acquaintances. His days are hectic and busy. He has to manage too much and he is always late. His time, his energy, his talents evaporate in the hassle of the day and among the little things to be done. Guy dies in an accident without having managed to note down the music that his soul was playing in the rare moments of his solitude. 91 min. DVD 4448

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The Pianist (France / Germany / UK / Poland, 2002)

Directed by Roman Polanski. Cast: Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Frank Finlay, Maureen Lipman, Emilia Fox, Ed Stoppard, Julia Rayner, Jessica Kate Meyer. Based on the memoirs of Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Polish Jew and a brilliant pianist who watched as his family was shipped off to Nazi labor camps. Tells of his heroic and inspirational journey of survival with the unlikely help of a sympathetic German officer, as he lived for years in the ruins of Warsaw, hiding from the Nazis. 149 min. DVD 1632

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La Pianiste (Germany / Poland / France / Austria, 2001)

Director, Michael Haneke. Cast: Isabelle Huppert, Annie Girardot, Benoit Magimel. The story of Erika, a middle-aged classical piano instructor who is trapped between her rigid passion for music and her suffocating home life. She escapes her life with nightly voyeuristic wanderings and self-inflicted masochistic experiments. 125 min. DVD 1684

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Sopyonje (South Korea, 1993)

Directed by Kwon-taek Im. The specifically Korean tradition that is reclaimed in Sopyonje is the type of folk-song known as pansori, described as a musical sublimation of southwest Korea's collective grief and suffering - in other words, a kind of blues. The film's three central characters are itinerant pansori singers in the 1950s, a time when many aspects of Korean culture came under siege from Japanese and western influences. A man named Dong-ho is roaming the rural hinterlands, ostensibly to find rare herbal medicines for his sick son back in Seoul, but actually in search of Song-hwa, the woman he grew up with. Orphans, they were both apprenticed to the pansori master Yu-bong who pressured them to sacrifice everything for the art. Dong-ho rebelled and ran away, but Song-hwa stayed, lost her sight, and outlived Yu-bong. Rumor has it that she is still travelling and still singing pansori... 113 min. DVD 6516

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There Once was a Singing Blackbird (Iko shashvi mgalobeli)(Soviet Union, 1970)

Directed by Otar Iosseliani. Guy Agladze resides in a large city and plays in an orchestra. Guy has a number of friends and acquaintances. His days are hectic and busy. He has to manage too much and he is always late. His time, his energy, his talents evaporate in the hassle of the day and among the little things to be done. Guy dies in an accident without having managed to note down the music that his soul was playing in the rare moments of his solitude. 78 min. DVD 4448

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That Uncertain Feeling (1941)

Directed by Ernst Lubitsch. Cast: Merle Oberon, Melvyn Douglas, Burgess Meredith, Eve Arden, Alan Mowbray, Olive Blakeney. A comedy in which a seemingly happy couple realize they aren't so happy when an egotistical, eccentric musician enters the scene. 85 min. DVD 4659

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Together (He ni zai yi qi)(China / South Korea, 2002)

Directed by Chen Kaige. Cast: Liu Peiqi, Chen Hong, Wang Zhiwen, Chen Kaige, Tang Yun. When a shy small-town boy heads to Beijing for violin lessons, he discovers a new world filled with first loves, lasting friendships ... and a secret that will change his life forever. 119 min. DVD 4868

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La Vie en Rose (La Môme) (France / UK / Czech Republic, 2007)

Directed by Olivier Dahan. Cast: Marion Cotillard, Sylvie Testud, Pascal Greggory, Emmanuelle Seigner, Jean-Paul Rouve, Gerard Depardieu, Clotilde Courau, Jean-Pierre Martins, Catherine Allegret, Marc Barbe. Raised in a brothel, then wrested from the only life she knew by her father, so they could join the circus, Edith Piaf spent her teen years on the streets. She is finally "rescued" by a crime figure who gives her career a start and, ultimately, by her international success and final illness. Always frail, sickly, malnourished, and wildly temperamental, she was often on drugs or alcohol and was always in search of true love. Middleweight boxer, Marcel Cerdan, captures her heart and gives her something to live for, besides her music--at least for a while. Special features: "Stepping into character:" an exclusive behind the scenes look at Marion Cotillard's transformation into Edith Piaf's character, including an interview with the director and award-winning M