Five Movies About Fictional Bands

In no particular order…

That Thing You Do

I recently watched this for the first time in several years and it still holds up very well. Because it was set in the past anyway it doesn’t feel dated at all. I find it impressive the hit record which is the central musical theme to the film and is plays repeatedly is so well constructed and catchy that it doesn’t start to grate.

Flame

Considering how colourful Slade were as a band in the 70s, Flame is a pretty dark film about the underbelly of the music business. It does feature some of their best (and most overlooked) tunes though.

Still Crazy

A comedy from Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, this film has a quirky charm which I love. It’s not a deep or meaningful movie, it’s simply a funny and entertaining flick about some 70s rockers on a reunion tour. Despite the beat efforts of Billy Connelly as the roadie, the whole thing is stolen by Timothy Spall as Beano, the drummer, who gets some of the best lines.

Spinal Tap

One of the most quoted and quotable movies of all time. Watching this “rockumentary” was, at one time, a rite of passage for most rock fans. Covering every rock and music business cliché,some of this parody cuts close to the bones of actual experiences of bands and tours. It may now seem a tad dated in some places but a classic nonetheless.

A Mighty Wind

A Christopher Guest movie that absolutely takes apart the “plastic folk” scene of the mid to late 60s. It stars Spinal Tap’s Guest, McKean and Shearer as folk trio The Folksmen who embark on a tribute concert with the likes of The New Main Street Singers and duo Mitch and Mickey. It’s a cleverly crafted parody in a slightly different vein to Tap, but it tickles me greatly.

Author: A-M