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When I'd go see him he says 'Whenever I get up, if I live to get up, me and you gonna put out nothin' but gospel music... I done joined the church and don't wanna play no more blues.' I told him 'Okay' but I wasn't lookin' for him to get up - Sam Chatmon, on Lonnie's conversion

Author Topic: Movies w/ Blues or Blues related content  (Read 19101 times)

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Offline Mike Billo

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Re: Movies w/ Blues or Blues related content
« Reply #15 on: June 07, 2005, 02:54:20 PM »

   What makes "Crossroads" even sillier, is that Macchio begins the film as a Classical guitar student who is admonished by his teacher that "you can't serve two masters" and in the end he ultimately vanquishes Steve Vai by playing some Calssical piece and then morphing it into a shuffle and thusly, winning the approval of the Devil.
    Same old story :D

    As I said, suspension of disbelief is necessary (to say the least) to be entertained ;)

Offline Stuart

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Re: Movies w/ Blues or Blues related content
« Reply #16 on: June 07, 2005, 05:21:28 PM »
In "Time's Ain't Like They Used To Be" there is footage of Jack Johnson's Jazz Band. (Jack Johnson, the boxer.) If you look closely, the tuba player's tuba appears to be tied with cord of some kind. Out of curiosity, I did a "pause" and it looks like the cord is lampcord with the plug still attached. I was struck by this, and if this is truly the case, my guess is that the tuba player planned to re-wire the lamp after the performance--or maybe not. Anyone else notice this? If so, what? is your take on it?

Stu

Offline Johnm

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Re: Movies w/ Blues or Blues related content
« Reply #17 on: June 07, 2005, 09:49:29 PM »
Hi all,
Sorry I don't have an answer to your question, Stu, but I thought of another movie in this category.  It is a Burt Reynolds movie from the '70s entitled "W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings".  Furry Lewis appears in it playing a character named Uncle Furry.  He has a couple of lines and plays some.  Also appearing and playing in it are the great Jerry Reed and the country singer Don Williams.  I believe the release of this movie was the occasion for Furry's famous Tonight show appearance.
All best,
Johnm

Offline Johnm

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Re: Movies w/ Blues or Blues related content
« Reply #18 on: August 29, 2005, 05:04:14 PM »
Hi all,
This may not qualify as a movie, but I was recently watching an episode of the HBO series "Deadwood", from its first season, entitled "The Plague", and it concluded with Bukka White's "High Fever Blues" playing while the credits ran.  A perfect choice.
All best,
Johnm

Offline uncle bud

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Re: Movies w/ Blues or Blues related content
« Reply #19 on: August 29, 2005, 06:09:31 PM »
Speaking of flicks, has anyone seen Schultze Gets the Blues? About a German (perhaps Austrian?) fellar who falls for zydeco and travels to Louisiana? I hear it's great.

UB

Offline Slack

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Re: Movies w/ Blues or Blues related content
« Reply #20 on: August 29, 2005, 07:56:47 PM »
Speaking of flicks, has anyone seen Schultze Gets the Blues? About a German (perhaps Austrian?) fellar who falls for zydeco and travels to Louisiana? I hear it's great.

Have not - but I just put it in my netflix queue.

Quote
In "Time's Ain't Like They Used To Be" there is footage of Jack Johnson's Jazz Band. (Jack Johnson, the boxer.) If you look closely, the tuba player's tuba appears to be tied with cord of some kind. Out of curiosity, I did a "pause" and it looks like the cord is lampcord with the plug still attached. I was struck by this, and if this is truly the case, my guess is that the tuba player planned to re-wire the lamp after the performance--or maybe not. Anyone else notice this? If so, what  is your take on it?

I really enjoyed this montage of early american music - what a hoot or hoots. 

Stewart, I did notice the lamp cord (how can you miss it!) and I have no idea why it is wrapped around is tuba.  Maybe for some crude kind of pickup?  Hard to imagine a tuba needing amplification but who knows.

Offline btasoundsradio

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Re: Movies w/ Blues or Blues related content
« Reply #21 on: August 29, 2005, 09:54:22 PM »
I don't know if anyone mentioned this, but there is a reference to Otha Turner and a Blind Willie Johnson song at the end of The Ladykillers.
Crumb, Ghost world, etc... duh

-Geff
Charlie is the Father, Son is the Son, Willie is the Holy Ghost

Offline Rivers

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Re: Movies w/ Blues or Blues related content
« Reply #22 on: August 29, 2005, 10:09:56 PM »
Picked up a copy of Desperate Man Blues which is a Brit doco on Joe Bussard. Pretty neat actually. Paul Geremia drops in and plays some Willie McTell.

Offline uncle bud

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Re: Movies w/ Blues or Blues related content
« Reply #23 on: April 16, 2006, 09:51:30 AM »
Speaking of flicks, has anyone seen Schultze Gets the Blues? About a German (perhaps Austrian?) fellar who falls for zydeco and travels to Louisiana? I hear it's great.

UB

Finally saw this film. It's very enjoyable. While music plays a large part in the film, with the main character (Schultze) being a polka-playing German miner who hears some zydeco on the radio which takes him down a new path in his accordian playing, it would be wrong to characterize this as a "blues" movie. It's more a sort of Jim Jarmusch style character study. It also reminded me somewhat of David Lynch's Straight Story. Much of the film is set in Germany (which was a treat for my German-descended spouse). Eventually Schultze travels to New Braunfels, Texas, and parts of Louisiana. Some authentic dance halls in the boonies of the bayou, and amateurs are featured as actors throughout, giving it a very real feel. A slow-moving film but a treat. Horst Krause is great as Schultze.

Offline btasoundsradio

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Re: Movies w/ Blues or Blues related content
« Reply #24 on: April 16, 2006, 10:20:42 AM »
Blind Willie Johnson doing "Let It Shine On Me" plays at the end of Lady Killers, and I think "Dark Was The Night" is in that Johnny Cash Movie.
Charlie is the Father, Son is the Son, Willie is the Holy Ghost

Offline pbyhre

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Re: Movies w/ Blues or Blues related content
« Reply #25 on: April 17, 2006, 03:17:48 PM »
Quote
It is a Burt Reynolds movie from the '70s entitled "W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings".  Furry Lewis appears in it playing a character named Uncle Furry.  He has a couple of lines and plays some.

Steve James told a story about Furry doing this movie at a guitar workshop I attended.  He said that the director told Furry to just hang out and be himself while they were getting ready for his shot.  A short while later, Furry pinched a young womans butt as she walked past.  The director asked him what the heck he was doing..."Just bein' myself" he said.

revmac

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Re: Movies w/ Blues or Blues related content
« Reply #26 on: April 22, 2006, 04:41:56 AM »
New Orleans is a great movie. 

Has Louis Armstrong, Billy Holiday, Meade Lux Lewis, and many more of the original musicians.  It's ultimately about the beginnings of jazz, but any blues lover will love it.


revmac

Offline GerryC

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Re: Movies w/ Blues or Blues related content
« Reply #27 on: April 26, 2006, 02:35:39 AM »
I seem to recall (it's a LONG time since I saw the movie) that the Pier Paolo Pasolini film of The Gospel According to Saint Matthew used a number of blues or gospel motifs in its music. One scene I recall particularly was the gospel passage where Jesus cures a leper; this was accompanied by a fabulous slide guitar version of Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child. No idea who the performer was but in the context of the movie it was just heartbreaking.

And it seems a bit obvious but no-one seems to have mentioned all those fab soundtracks by Ry Cooder for such movies as Paris, Texas, The Long Riders and Southern Comfort.

Cheerily,

Gerry C
I done seen better days, but I'm puttin' up with these...

Offline dave stott

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Re: Movies w/ Blues or Blues related content
« Reply #28 on: April 26, 2006, 07:07:03 AM »
it seems like everyone is avoiding the obvious movie..

Blues Brothers !!!

John Lee Hooker
Aretha Franklin
Ray Charles
and a host of others appear in that movie

Dave

norman

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Re: Movies w/ Blues or Blues related content
« Reply #29 on: April 30, 2006, 08:34:33 AM »
I was just watching a video last night of a Finnish movie that came out in the past couple of years entitled "The Man Without A Past".  It's a really good movie, I think, with very distinctive super-dry Finnish humor and a rhythm to it that is so different from life in the U.S.

An absolutely wonderful movie indeed. My wife and I are going to visit her family for a few weeks this summer in Finland. As you said, it's nice to go there and get a perspective on how different life can be. We will probably take a trip to Estonia. That'll be interesting too.

Another suggestion most people might have seen but forgot to mention is Genghis Blues.
Touching beautiful story of bluesman Paul Pena who travels to a remote mongolian village to participate in a traditional throat singing contest.

His first international hit was "Leningrad Cowboys Go America," a hilarious film about a terrible Finnish rockabilly band touring the states.

That's also a cool movie. Jim Jarmusch appears in it as a car salesman. For a laugh, check out this video of the Leningrad Cowboys playing cover songs in their "Total Balalaika Show" in front of some 50 000 people on Helsinki's Senate Square. It's with the Red Army Choir. Crazy stuff!


 


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