MUSIC ON FILM
Capturing the essence of a genre of music on film has always been something of an elusive task. The formula that works the best for Hollywood is usually to focus on a single artist through the medium of the biopic, where big stars can flex their acting skills inhabiting the roles of legacy artists, delivering the dramatic narrative as expected. Bringing a whole genre of music to the big screen however, is notably more difficult - as anybody who suffered through the recent trailer for Zac Efron’s mantra to EDM ‘We Are Your Friends’ can attest. It’s a rarity if a director gets it right – and even if they do, the results are far from timeless as scenes and sounds can date almost as quickly as the camera stops rolling. Thankfully, the one area of cinema that treats music genres and scenes well is in the form of documentaries. With more being released with each successive year, we take a look at some of the essential classics from the past
As The Palaces Burn (2014)
Don Argott’s film is one of those rare occurrences where real life takes over the film. Beginning as a documentation of US heavy metal band Lamb of God’s 2012 world tour, circumstance takes over when lead singer Randy Blythe is arrested and charged with the manslaughter of a fan in the Czech Republic. The film mutates into a gripping legal drama as Blythe fights to clear his name and his fellow band members fight to hold the band together.
I’m Tryna Tell Ya (2014)
Just Jam TV dons Tim & Barry visit Chicago to document the Footwork scene that has become an international phenomenon. Initially starting as a much smaller piece around the Teklife producer DJ Rashad, it was expanded into a full length feature about the scene in general. Collecting interviews with the movement’s key players, it pieces together what makes the genre so compelling in both musical and dance terms. The film also acts as a testament to Rashad, who sadly passed away the same year as it’s release.
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