I used to work at a production company that specifically focused on producing music-themed movies, so I knew there was a wide breadth of material available to choose from here. I just didn’t realize how wide that breadth of material really was. Musician biopics have clearly become very trendy as of late. Sometimes it feels like they are giving out development deals to anyone who’s ever tapped their foot to a beat. But that’s why you folks pay me the big bucks($5/month!) to comb through all the self-indulgent puff pieces out there in order to get to the MEAT of this genre. Once again, treat this list like a collection you now have. Scroll around. You DO NOT need to read this whole thing.
Now, for the second half of my accidental thesis on music and film…
MOVIES
Biopics
ROCKETMAN (2019)
Hulu OR Amazon Prime Video. ☾
Elton John, duhhhhh. Great outfits. Great performances. Beautiful to look at. Would you rather have your bio pic come out before or after you’re dead?
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY (2018)
Rent on iTunes or Amazon Prime Video. ★☾
I brought my friend who basically lives under a rock with me to see this in theaters. Before it started, I turned to her and asked if she had ever heard of the band Queen. She responded, “I think so? Maybe…Why?” “No reason.” In the Uber ride home, I watched her download Spotify’s “This is Queen” playlist on her phone. Safe to say, Queen gained a new fan that day.
Aside from the great music, however, what really makes this movie is Rami Malek’s incredible acting. I can’t imagine a world where Freddie Mercury doesn’t look like Rami Malek now.
8 MILE (2002)
Cinemax, MAXnow, OR rent on iTunes/Amazon Prime Video.
Eminem. Slim Shady. You lovely piece of trailer trash, you! Sometimes when I need a pick me up, I just YouTube the final rap battle scene of this movie. I wonder where Marshall Mathers would be right now if he was raised in the suburbs of Connecticut. Do you think Bill Gates would have ever made it out of 8 Mile?
RAY (2004)
HBO Max. ☾
A blind man who plays the piano. People always seem to forget how remarkable that is. From time to time I find myself marveling over it. And I wonder…“would losing one of my five senses be the final push I need to achieve greatness?” Do we know of any famous chefs who can’t taste?
WALK THE LINE (2005)
HBO Max. ☾
Johnny Cash, played by Joaquin Phoenix, and June Carter, played by Reese Witherspoon. I feel like any couple with two great singing voices and enough angst to go around deserve to have a romance written about them. Setting aside all of the epic romances we’ve seen on tv, the reality is that most relationships that exist in this world are dreadfully dull. So next time you see two people screaming and wrestling over a pill bottle with large diaphragms and decent heads of hair…think twice before calling the police. They very well could be our generation’s next Johnny and June.
STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON (2015)
FXnow OR rent on iTunes/Amazon Prime Video. ★
The tale of N.W.A. Out of all the hip hop origin biopics to check out, this one should be top of list. One of my favorite details from the movie was Paul Giamatti playing their scumbag manager.
NOTORIOUS (2009)
Rent on iTunes or Amazon Prime Video.
Notorious was one of the only movies I had on my iTunes library for four straight years. I still randomly get sad when I remember that Biggie is dead. The way he rapped was so simple and he always cut straight to the heart of a matter. I would trade ten Drakes for one Biggie Smalls any day.
THE PIANIST (2002)
Showtime. ★☾
One of the best movies about WWII out there, bringing into question a subject that people are still wrestling with to this day: would you give up your favorite piece of art if you don’t respect the person who made it? Whether that be for prejudicial reasons or consequential ones.
The Pianist gives us a tangible demonstration of the power that art can have over people. If your kid is giving you a hard time, threatening to quit their musical instrument, maybe next time, instead of arguing about it, sit them down in front of this movie. You really never know when the power of musical persuasion will come in handy...One of my family friends was even accepted to an extremely competitive veterinary school just by jamming out on the harmonica during his interview.
BIRD (1988)
Starz OR rent on iTunes/Amazon Prime Video.
Charlie Parker biopic. Forest Whitaker. The only thing better than one saxophone in a movie is…hundreds of saxophones. They weren’t afraid to show us how challenging it was for Bird to be Bird and for his loved ones to love Bird too. I plan on forcing all my kids to pick the saxophone as their musical instrument. It’s like a recipe for being sexy and cool.
PURPLE RAIN (1984)
HBO Max.
Prince wrote an entire album of music and decided that there was simply no other way to release it than as the soundtrack to a loosely based biopic of his life…And of course, it became one of the greatest movie soundtracks of all time. There really aren’t many other musicians who could manage that. Either they’d be too delusional or high off their own success to pull off writing a full album of new, biopic-worthy songs, which just so happen to be their greatest album of all time, or their career would stop dead in its tracks right there.
Therefore, you’ve got to got the goods and get that you’ve got the goods in order for the goods to be got. And Prince got all that alright.
New Discoveries
FISHERMAN’S FRIENDS (2019)
Netflix. ★☾
I recommended this movie in the December issue, BEFORE Tik Tok sea shanties were a thing.
A greedy little piggy of a music manager goes on a “stag do” (British word for “Bachelor party”) to a small fisherman’s town off the coast of England. Upon arrival, the men discover a singing group of about a dozen elderly fishermen, who love to perform sea shanties to their little audience of wives for fun. After being an all-around poor sport for the majority of the party weekend, the music manager’s friend tells him that he’ll no longer be allowed to work for his dad’s music label unless he somehow manages to convince these old fishermen to give up their rugged sailor lives and join the big bad world of pop music!
THE HIGH NOTE (2020)
HBO Max. ☾
Dakota Johnson plays a bright-eyed assistant to a female pop star. Tracee Ellis Ross plays the pop star who is developing bed sores from resting so hard on her laurels. All she needs to do to bring home the bacon and take up residency in Vegas is re-cut her “Greatest Hits” album for the dozenth time. But how would you feel if a piece of art you made in your twenties is considered your entire worth at forty? Think of how many more comebacks there would be from our favorite actors and musicians if our society just gave them the chance to find their way there. We tend to deem people “has-beens” before they’ve even laced up their shoes. We are the ones who miss out on great things by having our knee-jerk reaction toward successful people be rooting for them to fail. A rising tide raises all ships, homies!!
One of my friends worked on a movie with Dakota Johnson and was caught off guard by what a loving relationship she had with this elderly lady who turned out to be her personal assistant. For some reason, knowing that about Dakota made seeing her play a personal assistant feel a little less disrespectful. LOL.
THE SAPPHIRES (2012)
Netflix. ☾
Four young Australian Aboriginal women jump at the opportunity to travel to Asia for the sole purpose of entertaining USA troops during the Vietnam War. I’m so glad these gals finally got the chance to fly the coop. They deserved some fun. And it’s hard to find an audience more grateful than one comprised of tired troops stationed in a foreign land during a triumph-less war.
PIRATE RADIO (2009)
Rent on iTunes or Amazon Prime Video. ☾
A group of British dope-smoking DJs take to the high seas when they discover a loophole in the BBC radio policy on pop music. From the creators of Four Weddings and a Funeral + Love, Actually.
Phillip Seymour Hoffman + Bill Nighly playing pirate potheads in purple pants!?! And it’s inspired by a true story?!?! But will they ever rid themselves of their friend’s godson’s pesky little virginity?!
SOUL (2020)
Disney+. ★☾
New and fantastic. Soul harkens back to the Pixar golden age. Existential, nuanced, moving, and simple. This puppy will no doubt be receiving this year’s Oscar for the animated category. About as life-affirming as it gets, or maybe even the exact opposite for those of us still procrastinating from some scary choices that lie ahead. Tina Fey voices one of the main characters and it made me happy to imagine her getting a fat cut of that Disney Pixar cheddar.
THE SOLOIST (2009)
Amazon Prime Video. ★☾
Whenever I stumble into an overlooked gem like this one, it makes me so happy I started CC. The classic story of a misunderstood schizophrenic. A Los Angeles newspaper columnist, played by Robert Downey Junior, befriends a homeless man who dropped out of Juilliard as a violin prodigy. Jamie Foxx plays the homeless man and does it in such a lovable way. He has no filter but instead of that manifesting in him saying hurtful things to others, it acts more as a lack of shield for himself. He blurts out every passing feeling of insecurity, but those feelings always show a deep sense of self-awareness about the situation he finds himself in. Until..the journalist begins writing about him for his column and—surprise, surprise—his readers grow emotionally attached. That’s when the musical instruments start to arrive in the mail as gifts for him, but the problem is, he doesn’t have anywhere to put them, because he doesn’t have anywhere to put anything!
Dramas
GREEN BOOK (2019)
Showtime. ☾
This movie is about racism first, having a Boston accent second, homophobia third, and playing piano fourth. The only part of that recipe that didn’t help them earn the Oscar for Best Picture was the part commonly affiliated with Dunkin’ Donuts.
ALMOST FAMOUS (2000)
Amazon Prime Video. ☾
An aspiring music journalist drops out of high school to follow a famous rock band on tour. Luckily for this Mamma’s boy, the band’s groupies have a maternal side. This movie is much sadder than it’s given credit for. I had such a different understanding of it when I was younger than I do now. FYI, Penny Lane wasn’t based on a real person unlike the rest of the band, they just imagined her up! Ain’t that devastating?
THE SOUND OF METAL (2019)
Amazon Prime Video.
A drummer on tour with his heavy metal band begins to lose his hearing. And he has to make a choice, he can either lose his livelihood or lose his hearing. Or both?
BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE (2018)
DirectTV or Rent on iTunes/Amazon Prime Video.
I was stunned by Cynthia Ervo’s performance in this. She’s so good at singing that I to wonder, “If she can sing like that, why is she wasting her time being in this movie?” This movie is entertaining but definitely not perfect. It also got a bit violent at times, but I was willing to tolerate it just for the chance to hear Cynthia sing again.
WHIPLASH (2014)
Starz, DirectTV, OR rent on iTunes/Amazon Prime Video. ★☾
Miles Teller plays an earnest drummer who is willing to do whatever it takes to impress the sadistic jazz ensemble instructor at the music conservatory he attends. I would love to know if every discipline of jazz music is this vicious or if that’s just reserved for drummers…
A STAR IS BORN (2019)
HBO Max. ★☾
This was the most glamorous premiere I’ve ever had the privilege of going to. Lady Gaga plays an up-and-coming pop musician who falls in love with a famous country singer on his way out. Egos clash. Butts shake. Integrity’s questioned. Gin’s consumed. There wasn’t a single song I didn’t like on this soundtrack. Even the songs that Lady Gaga wrote to sound like a sold-out pop star were better than most of what’s out there.
Feel Good
SOMEONE GREAT (2019)
Netflix.
A music reviewer for Rolling Stone is dumped by her longtime boyfriend just weeks before a cross country move, and as far as she’s concerned, there’s only one way to survive the heartbreak…By blacking out and doing MDMA with her best friends!
Many articles online have actually credited this movie with turning Lizzo’s song “Truth Hurts” into a hit. Apparently, “Truth Hurts” wasn’t even supposed to be a big player on the album, but blew the heck up anyways when it dropped on the same day as this movie, which has women drunk in their underwear dancing around to Lizzo.
PITCH PERFECT (2012)
Rent on iTunes/Amazon Prime Video. ☾
Overzealous college a cappella groups face off in a fierce competition to determine which group of college kids is best at butchering the popular songs we all know and love, once and for all. May we never forget Anna Kendrick’s iconic “Cups Song” moment, nor the fact that this was the movie that officially introduced Rebel Wilson to the world. This franchise was also how Elizabeth Banks officially started flexing her muscles as a fuego female filmmaker.
JULIET, NAKED (2018)
Rent on iTunes or Amazon Prime Video. ☾
I’d never heard anyone say a word about this movie before watching it. I think the title sort of screwed them. “Them” being Judd Apatow and company. Juliet, Naked is about a couple in an unhappy marriage, Apatow’s specialty. The husband starts a fan club for his favorite washed-up rock musician, which quickly becomes the center of the husband’s sad universe. The wife, played by the lovely Rose Byrnes, trolls her husband’s fan site, which results in the famous musician emailing her personally to defend himself. The email leads to them becoming pen pals and soon enough, a love triangle ensues between the husband, the wife, and the husband’s musical idol.
Ethan Hawke plays the washed-up rock musician. This movie is cute and definitely worth a watch. I’m sorry it got so overlooked by the romantic comedy society.
BANDAID (2017)
DirectTV OR rent on iTunes/Amazon Prime Video. ☾
A married couple hits a rough patch in their marriage and discover that the only way to get through their problems is through singing about them. Writing songs about painful marital issues and singing them with a pleasant face. The couple then recruits their neighbor, Fred Armisen, to join them in their garage with his guitar. A band formed and a marriage saved. How productive.
HEARTS BEAT LOUD (2018)
Hulu. ☾
A single dad in Brooklyn with a record shop begins writing songs with his structured-obsessed, pre-med daughter on a whim. Nick Offerman plays the dad. Ted Danson also has an itty-bitty part in it. Fantastic original music.
LITTLE MONSTERS (2019)
Hulu.
Little Monsters is about a Kindergarten class that goes on a field trip to a petting zoo when a zombie invasion hits. It is not scary whatsoever. It’s important you know that going into this. Do not stress, everything turns out fine. That is the best way to enjoy this movie. Don’t worry about the consequences because there aren’t any! The zombies move so slow it’s actually probably harder to get eaten than not get eaten.
This movie would be nothing without Lupita Nyong’o, who you may have seen in either Black Panther or Us. She’s a badass, who somehow makes a zombie invasion tender. The cinematography alone is a delight. Lupita in that yellow dress…I was struck by the imagery at least five separate times. It takes a genius to make a zombie movie cute…and this one put me in a really great mood. I couldn’t get over it. Even teared up at the end…Sap alert!
SING STREET (2016)
Rent on iTunes/Amazon Prime Video. ☾
An Irish boy has to trade his cushy private school life for the inner-city option. He doesn’t know how to make friends or kiss people, but he thinks starting a band might help.
BEGIN AGAIN (2013)
Roku or rent on iTunes/Amazon Prime Video. ★☾
The quintessential indie music romance flick. It gives you everything you would be looking for in a movie like this. An original song. Kiera Knightley as a vulnerable singer-songwriter. Mark Ruffalo as a jaded, drunken music exec. And my favorite part by far, Adam Levine, as…you’ll see.
Comedy
POPSTAR: NEVER STOP NEVER STOPPING (2016)
Rent on iTunes/Amazon Prime Video. ★
An American music mockumentary starring SNL’s favorite hit factory, Lonely Island. If you thought “Jizz in My Pants” or “Dick in a Box” were good…just wait until you hear the songs they wrote for this. My favorites being “I’m So Humble” and “F**k Bin Laden.” The reason Andy Samberg is so successful is because he doesn’t put comedy first when he writes his satirical music. He believes you should always be trying to write the best song you can and once you’ve accomplished that, you can throw in some humor, but never at the expense of your music. This movie is the perfect example of why Rotten Tomatoes doesn’t work. Popstar received terrible reviews by critics, but every person I know found it amazing. It’s really important to me that everyone watches this movie specifically.
EUROVISION (2020)
Netflix.
The most important thing about Eurovision is that it stars Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams. I feel like Rachel had just been happily living life out of the spotlight (pun genuinely not intended, but lol, remember she was in Spotlight), probably reading a rom com script here and there, just waiting for that next big emotionally impactful project to come through, when Will Ferrell came a-knockin’… Who needs an Oscar anyway? Especially when you could be shooting a movie in Iceland playing Will Ferrell’s counterpart in an ambitiously untalented Scandinavian pop duo instead.
Eurovision harkens back to Ferrell at his greatest. The movie gave me Blades of Glory flashbacks in the best way possible. Will Ferrell and spandex body suits go together like peanut butter and jelly. I also heard on a podcast that Will spends most of his summers in Sweden because his wife is Swedish, which makes this movie especially cute because it’s clearly inspired by her.
I had ABBA’s “Waterloo” stuck in my head for days after seeing this movie.
FRIDAY (1995)
DirectTV, USA on demand, or rent on iTunes/Amazon Prime Video.
“It’s Friday and you ain’t got no job.”
Even better than I remembered it…Ice Cube’s movie career is so underrated.
GET HIM TO THE GREEK (2010)
Rent on iTunes/Amazon Prime Video.
Created as a quasi-sequel to Forgetting Sarah Marshall. This movies follows the music career of the ever-talented sex addict/humanitarian Aldous Snow, as his reputation circles the toilet bowl for what seems like the last time. Jonah Hill. Russell Brand.
SCHOOL OF ROCK (2003)
HBO Max. ★☾
My most watched movie of all time. I also recently decided that Jack Black very well might be my favorite actor. A couple of years ago, I looked up School of Rock on Rotten Tomatoes in fear that a movie I spent years of my life ruthlessly adoring might not be as good as I genuinely considered it to be. Don’t worry, everyone. I was right. We were right. Everyone who watched this DVD over and over in their car…was right. Lucky for Rotten Tomatoes, it scored a 91%. Otherwise they very well could’ve had a mutiny on their hands right now. Also did you know the writer Mike White, who also played Ned Schneebly, enjoys being a contestant on Survivor whenever there’s a lull in his writing career?
THIS IS SPINAL TAP (1984)
HBO Max. ★☾
This was pretty much the first mockumentary ever made…About a clueless metal band who just wants to get back on the charts. It takes serious confidence to create something with humor this subtle, especially when you have Long Duk Dong running around Sixteen Candles, which came out that same year, to compete with.
Christopher Guest met his wife, Jamie Lee Curtis, in the middle of production on this and I can’t even imagine how confusing it must’ve been hearing about the mockumentary he was making on their first date, without having any idea what he meant because he was still months away from introducing the genre to the world.
WAITING FOR GUFFMAN (1996)
Showtime or DirectTV. ★☾
Another Christopher Guest! Only this time, the crew of self-deluded misfits he’s gathered is putting together a show! Better yet, a musical! If only the cast members would take it a little more seriously…
THE WEDDING SINGER (1998)
Rent on iTunes/Amazon Prime Video. ☾
It’s simply been way too long since I last saw this and it just has so many great things going for it. However, based on what I can remember, I feel like Adam Sandler DL has some major pipes. And I don’t even mean that in a comedic way. I’m saying he should try an indie album on for size. I remember this soundtrack being one of the first ones I actually started treating like music. And let’s not forget our ever-iconic sweetheart Drew Barrymore, who works a flippy blonde bob in this like they’re coming back in style.
SISTER ACT (1992) & SISTER ACT 2 (1993)
Disney+. ☾
Whoopi Goldberg is my higher power. I’ll tell you this much, if the mob ever comes looking for me, I’m going straight to a convent. I’d trade sex with mobsters for belting gospels with the gals, any day. You must watch if you haven’t.
Dance Monkey Dance
FOOTLOOSE (1984)
Hulu OR Amazon Prime Video. ☾
Kevin Bacon dancing in empty warehouses. Plus, a young Sarah Jessica Parker. I recommend watching the original and the remake back-to-back.
FOOTLOOSE (2011)
Hulu OR Amazon Prime Video.
Freshman year of college, me and my friends watched Julianne Hough bust a move in this movie between pretty much every class. Eventually, we danced along, slowly beginning to believe we were professional dancers.
BLACK SWAN (2010)
Rent on iTunes or Amazon Prime Video. ★☾
Ambition, pretty tutus, masochism, and silk point shoes, with Natalie Portman & Mila Kunis. A competition so fierce, it’s sexually confusing.
MAGIC MIKE (2012)
HBO Max.
What came first? Magic Mike or Channing Tatum? If you think about it, Channing Tatum is kind of a pioneer in the stripper dancing field. Inspiring all the budding young male strippers out there to never give up on their dreams and to keep on dry humping their way to the top.
DIRTY DANCING (1987)
HBO Max. ☾
Tango in jean shorts. Corners. Forbidden love. I kind of wish the Catskills were still as big of a thing as they were in the 1980s. Like an adult summer camp, without phones and with 5X more dance parties.
HONEY (2003)
Showtime OR DirectTV.
This movie really held up. The hip hop choreo and streetwear were to die for. Jessica Alba looks so hot it’s shocking. I can’t believe my friends and I were watching this as fourth graders. Set impossibly high expectations for the type of dancing I would be partaking in as an adult.
COYOTE UGLY (2000)
Rent on iTunes or Amazon Prime Video.
The justification for why this aspiring singer chooses to dance on a bar every night was a bit less feminist than I’d planned. Let’s just make one thing clear. Her favorite part about dancing on the bar wasn’t the tips or the chance to sing or the fun workplace camaraderie…it was the male validation. Always was, always will be. Don’t bother rooting for her career as a pop star, Coyote Ugly is exactly where she’s meant to be. Wet t-shirt contests were not her only choice, they were her favorite choice. She was living her dream up there and didn’t even know it. Such a shame.
SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER (1977)
DirectTV or rent on iTunes/Amazon Prime Video. ☾
If John Travolta’s homecoming dance moves from Grease get you all hot and bothered, say no more…What a stud he was! Shame he’s a scientologist.
STOMP THE YARD (2007)
Rent on iTunes or Amazon Prime Video.
College step dancing fraternities facing off in step battles. I remember seeing this movie and thinking that step dancing was about to become the next phenomenon to sweep the nation. I was HYPE. Keep in mind, Bush was in office. So, I just carried on slow dancing along with “Stairway to Heaven” instead.
Disclaimer: Chris Brown is in this movie and you are supposed to find him adorable. Luckily, he’s not in it for very long (cough, cough).
STEP UP (2006)
Rent on iTunes or Amazon Prime Video.
I haven’t watched this movie since, Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewayn got divorced. However, I really can’t blame them for falling in love while making this. If you haven’t seen the YouTube video of their dance off in Lip Sync Battle, go watch it immediately. Their sexy dancing is unparalleled.
SAVE THE LAST DANCE (2001)
Rent on iTunes or Amazon Prime Video.
A hip hop dancer and a classical ballerina fall in love. The actors all went clubbing in Chicago to prepare for their roles. Kerry Washington’s first acting role ever!
CENTER STAGE (2000)
Starz OR rent on iTunes/Amazon Prime Video.
Center Stage is like the more genuine movie version of that new ballet show on Netflix with the super pervy name. It takes place at the American Ballet Academy and incorporates all of the timeless ballet tropes we all love without making you eye roll. I love watching ballet stories because I can’t relate to any of their drama, which makes it feel like a nice little escape. I’m sure most ballerinas would feel the same if they could disappear into a movie of my life as well.
SHALL WE DANCE? (2004)
HBO Max.
It makes me laugh that this dance movie, starring hunky Richard Gere and immortal Jennifer Lopez, is really just a remake of the Japanese film of the same name. What’s even crazier is that I’ve somehow also seen the Japanese one and remember even really enjoying it once I understood what was happening.
What’s not to love about Richard Gere secretly taking dance classes to reinvigorate his marriage? Which, of course, only makes his wife, Susan Sarandon, even more suspicious. Stanley Tucci is also present, sporting a long brown wig for some reason.
THE FULL MONTY (1997)
Rent on iTunes or Amazon Prime Video. ★☾
A group of British lads lose their jobs at a steel factory where they’ve worked most of their lives. Down in the dumps and thirsty for cash, these plucky buggers decide to start a male strip-tease act. And—to answer your question—yes, they would be willing to get fully naked if they had to. There’s a reason this movie was named “Full Monty” and not “Half Monty” or “Three-Quarters Monty…”
This is one of the best movies my dad ever showed me. I also just discovered it beat out Titanic and Boogie Nights on the Oscar for Best Performance by a Cast!!!
Musicals ☾
HAIRSPRAY (2007)
Rent on iTunes or Amazon Prime Video.
Goooood morninggg, Baltimore!!! Fun fact: I was driving through Baltimore inside an RV watching Hairspray on my laptop the first time I heard that song. I actually liked the movie version of Hairspray even better than seeing it live on Broadway, which is unusual. Let me remind you of a few of the stars they cast in this. Zac Efron…Amanda Bynes…John Travolta in drag! Every time that pink light-up dance floor came on screen, it was like a serotonin shock to my brain.
My friend’s little sister once lied to her family about getting cast as Tracy Turnblad in the school musical that year, but the thing is…they weren’t doing Hairspray. Which cracks me up, because she literally could’ve chosen to cast herself as anyone and she chose Tracy Turnblad.
HAMILTON (2020)
Disney+. ★
Don’t make me waste my breath. Obviously, if you haven’t seen it, you must. The real roadblock here is people not wanting to pay the $7 for a Disney+ subscription, but that’s actually cheaper than most new movie rentals on iTunes. There’s no way you are going to finish Hamilton and be like, “Well, that wasn’t worth my $7.” So, buck up and enjoy.
CHICAGO (2002)
Starz, DirectTV, OR rent on iTunes or Amazon Prime Video.
Lingerie, murder, and the Midwest. Will there ever be anything sexier than the Cell Block Tango?
GREASE (1978)
Amazon Prime Video OR Showtime.
I don’t think I’d be the person I am today if I didn’t have Grease growing up.
OLIVER (1968)
Rent oniTunes/Amazon Prime Video.
If you say “please,” but don’t follow it up with a “…may I have some moooore?” after, did you even have a childhood? This movie was like a rebrand for pick-pocketers everywhere.
MAMMA MIA! (2008)
Peacock.
I received a noise complaint a few months ago for having a dance party to Mamma Mia! alone in my apartment. I even recognized that my volume level was egregious in the moment, but knew, deep in my heart, that singing at the top of my lungs was more important. The two shows from this list that made me most emotional upon reflection were Grease and Mamma Mia!…is my taste in musical theater basic?
ANNIE (1982)
Starz, DirectTV, OR rent on iTunes/Amazon Prime Video.
I am so jealous of anyone who got to partake in a school performance of Annie. Miss Hannigan is the role I believe I was put on this earth to play.
RENT (2005)
Starz.
A cult classssssic. Idina Menzel. I tried writing a pun using “Seasons of Love” lyrics, but it made me feel like a noodle. If you don’t know what I’m talking about because you’ve never heard that song before…don’t bother watching this movie. It’s too late for you.
THE GREATEST SHOWMAN (2017)
Disney+. ★
The Greatest Showman is truly just, hit after hit after hit. Even on first watch, you will be singing along. After five minutes, I was fully sold on watching this traveling circus flourish before my eyes, and then Zac Efron showed up…which provoked me to shout at my tv, “What have I done to deserve this?! I am not worthy!” Watching this movie is like being spoiled rotten for two hours straight.
BILLY ELLIOT (2000)
HBO Max, HBO, OR DirectTV.
A British boy learns ballet against all…homophobic, coal-mining odds!
MY FAIR LADY (1964)
Rent on iTunes or Amazon Prime Video.
The olden day version of Pretty Woman, but replace Julia Roberts as a hooker with Audrey Hepburn as a homeless lady. Then replace learning how to shop like a lady with learning how to speak about rain in Spain like one. The main commonality between the two movies is that both lead actresses are way too hot to pass off as either of their characters.
THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965)
Disney+.
Rewatch this for a bizarre evening in. Raindrops on roses and mustaches on Nazis…
MOULIN ROUGE! (2001)
Rent on iTunes or Amazon Prime Video.
Nicole Kidman. Ewan McGregor. It was a really big deal for its time. The first time I watched this, I made the mistake of just casually throwing it on…don’t do that. Make it a whole affair.
KINKY BOOTS (2005)
Rent on iTunes or Amazon Prime Video. ★
I wrote a paper about this musical for my Business Organizations class in college. Most people chose topics like Delta and Trader Joes. I chose to write mine on a musical about customizing boots for drag queens...My teacher gave me an “A” on the paper, but wondered why I was studying business…I hear ya, brother.
THE PRODUCERS (2005)
Peacock. ★
After his latest Broadway baby is pronounced terrible, a producer masterminds a plan to put on the worst show of all time. The WOAT. Starring Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, and Uma Thurman. I have a hard time imagining myself writing a musical, but if I did, I imagine it would be a little like this.
ANIMATED BANGERS
THE LORAX (2012)
Netflix. ★☾
Totally and utterly underrated. This movie has everything going for it. Fun and eco-friendly with catchy original music. “Let It Grow” is a total banger.
DESPICABLE ME (2010)
Rent on iTunes/Amazon Prime Video.
Kid Cudi & Minions. Quite chic.
FROZEN 1 (2013) & FROZEN 2 (2019)
Duh. Including these on here just to avoid an angry mob.
COCO (2017)
Disney+. ★☾
I casually threw this on as background noise one night and became so enamored with it that I almost forgot about an event I had to go to.
HAPPY FEET (2006)
HBO Max.
Baby penguins bopping around on ice…nirvana, is that you? I never realized how many different breeds of penguins there are before seeing this.
MOANA (2016)
Disney+.
This movie is good, but the song Lin Manuel Miranda wrote for it is better.
THE LITTLE MERMAID (1989)
Disney+.
All I want to do right now is sing at the top of my lungs. I’m grateful to have legs. Thingga-ma-bobs!!!
Throwbacks
Honorable mentions to Britney’s “Crossroads” and “Spice World,” which are—straight up— unavailable for rental or streaming anywhere.
JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS (2001)
HBO Max.
Absolute 90s mania. Starring every famous pre-millennia actor, ever.
FREAKY FRIDAY (2003)
Disney+.
If I was ever asked—knife to my back—to choose between Lindsay Lohan in Mean Girls and Lindsay Lohan in Freaky Friday, I’d probably choose Freaky Friday. Partly, because I know Tina Fey would have cast someone else epic as Cady Heron, and partly because this movie would be nothing without Li-Lo. NOTHING. Watching her as an angsty high school punk with her own specific brand of indignation was the first and only time I considered becoming a punk when I was older. Especially if that meant getting to hug or maybe even kiss Chad Michael Murray at some point.
Because you’re it! You’re the ultimate! You’re automatic! I’m sure of it!
THE LIZZIE MCGUIRE MOVIE (2003)
Disney+.
When I was younger, my favorite song to sing with my real voice was “The Tide is High” by Atomic Kitten. I believed it encapsulated all my unique singing talents perfectly. And…guess what song Lizzie McGuire just haaaad to sing in the opening credits of her Disney Channel Original Movie? Yup, the very one. My baby. My lighting in a esophagus. My magnum opus. Needless to say, I was shocked. Shocked to the point of suspicion…then annoyance…then envy…then inspiration. The famous five stages of grieving the Disney Channel childhood stardom you’ll never have.
A WALK TO REMEMBER (2002)
Netflix.
Mandy Moore singing “Only Hope”…
THE HANNAH MONTANA MOVIE (2009)
Disney+.
Let’s all take a moment of silence to give special thanks to this movie’s conception of “The Climb.” On Miley’s episode of the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, she spoke with great affection for her ridiculous Hannah Montana days, hailing young Miley for having a sweet tour bus and for her wig always being snatched, which makes rewatching this movie even more pleasant of an experience. Since we’ve been relieved of the queasy undercurrent of borderline childhood slavery.
PRINCESS DIARIES (2001)
Disney+.
Never forget Mandy Moore singing “Stupid Cupid” at the beach party in pink spaghetti straps and foam flip flops. The soundtrack rips, too.
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL (2006)
Disney+.
Believe it or not, I didn’t really dig this movie that much when I first saw it in middle school. I was annoyed that we never got to actually see THE high school musical, all we saw was them auditioning for it…Seriously, the movie ends with Troy and Gabrielle performing “Breaking Free” at try outs. I felt so manipulated by the premise, which made me have the extreme reaction of pulling away from the channel altogether…Byeee, Disney! Helloooo, MTV! However, try as I might have, the soundtrack was undeniable. I think I enjoyed myself even more watching it as an adult.
RAISE YOUR VOICE (2004)
Starz OR rent on iTunes/Amazon Prime Video.
My long-term memory is freakily detailed. I can zone in and out of random parts of my life and tell you exactly what I was learning in each subject of school and what the class drama was at the time. Which is why it felt like I’d had the wind knocked out of me when I randomly stumbled upon Raise Your Voice on Starz. Its existence had completely escaped me and for a moment, I let that shock reflect poorly on my memory of the movie. Ultimately deciding that I simply had to see Hilary Duff sing next to that spiky-haired, fake-British boyfriend of hers ASAP. And let me tell you, this puppy holds up.
CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE DRAMA QUEEN (2004)
Disney+.
This movie was shockingly esoteric for a Disney teen movie and made me feel like I was on psychedelics during certain parts. Or, at least what I think psychedelics might feel like… ;) But I would follow Lindsay Lohan, at that age, anywhere. She had it and she knew it. I also can’t believe Megan Fox had the AUDACITY to ever stop playing the role of “precociously hot middle school bully.” If it were up to me, she’d still be carrying daddy’s plastic and dissing 14-year-olds even when there’s a colostomy bag taped to the inside of her leg.
DRUMLINE (2002)
Rent on iTunes/Amazon Prime Video.
Nick Canon plays a young rebel drummer who joins the drum core of a university in Atlanta with some big ideas. I wonder if marching bands had an uptick in interest after this movie came out. I’ve always thought marching bands should be considered cooler than they are. Like, what’s cooler than a gang of traveling instruments? Maybe it’s the marching part that screwed them. I’m going to start a club called “Sauntering Band” where we all just jam out and saunter around town.
Epic Soundtracks
CHARLIE’S ANGELS FULL THROTTLE (2003)
CBS on demand OR rent on iTunes/Amazon Prime Video.
I would like the person responsible for creating this soundtrack to be my DJ for life.
BLACK PANTHER (2018)
Disney+.
This soundtrack makes me feel unstoppable.
DAZED AND CONFUSED (1993)
Rent on iTunes or Amazon Prime Video. ★☾
The All American, 1980s high school fantasy. It’s shocking to think that the whole movie takes place over the course of one night when it feels like you’ve been going to school with these kids for years.
500 DAYS OF SUMMER (2009)
Starz OR rent on iTunes/Amazon Prime Video. ☾
The director of this unique rom com pretty much used music to move the plot along in every scene. Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt meet for the first time in an elevator when she overhears what he’s listening to on his Walkman. And it would take nothing short of a brain aneurysm for me to forget that spontaneous dance sequence to the Hall & Oates classic, “You Make My Dreams (Come True).”
Sweeeeet Dis-poooooo-si-tionnnnnn.
SHREK (2001)
Hulu or Freeform. ★☾
Thank you, Shrek, for giving 2nd grade Devy Rufus Wainwright’s “Hallelujah,” as well as The Monkees’ “I’m A Believer.” God, was I hip.
10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU (1999)
Disney+.
Well, the opening scene of the movie starts with “One Week” by the Barenaked Ladies, sooooo. Then we have Julia Stiles dancing hammered to “Hypnotize” at a party. I will never not be amazed by how incredibly cool and hot she looked up there on that table. There should be a sequel where all we do is follow Kat Stratford around black out at her first year of college. Which brings us to Heath Ledger’s running serenade in the high school coliseum…my work here is done.
THE PARENT TRAP (1998)
Disney+. ☾
If Nat King Cole’s “L-O-V-E” wasn’t in the title scene of this movie, would millennials ever have gotten a chance to hear it? It’s dreadful to imagine a life spent without.
A LOT LIKE LOVE (2005)
Rent on iTunes/Amazon Prime Video. ★☾
A wildly underrated movie with a shockingly well-respected soundtrack. I was fascinated by how many of my homies mentioned it being a favorite of theirs or who have it downloaded on Spotify. Who do we have to thank for bringing it to our attention? Aqualung’s “Brighter Than Sunshine,” perhaps?
THE GRADUATE (1967)
Rent on iTunes/Amazon Prime Video. ☾
When Simon & Garfunkel were asked why they didn’t submit the papers to be in the Oscar race for their song “Mrs. Robinson," Simon replied, "It was the 60s, we just weren't paying attention." So, Doctor Doolittle ended up winning that year instead.
Anywho!
That’s it. I have no more words to give. Until next week’s January issue…
Happy watching/listening!!!
Love,
Dev
P.S.
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