TOP FIVE: MUSIC DOCUMENTARIES
TOP FIVE: MUSIC DOCUMENTARIES
I have so many films to recommend to you – especially documentaries so I decided to break them up into manageable categories. This list contains my favourite music-based documentaries – they are in not in order.
1. SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN
This story is a fascinating one and such a wonderful tale. It goes to show if you have something to put into the world then you should share it, and someone somewhere might hold it up as an important piece of art for them. It’s not all important to be rich and famous from your art but you can still touch a lot of people.
2. THE PUNK SINGER
I really enjoyed this film. I didn’t know a lot about the riot grrrl movement, but I did know some of the music and bands. This is a great introduction to that scene and such an interesting insight into a career of Kathleen Hanna sadly shortened by illness.
3. 20 FEET FROM STARDOM
This documentary is an eye-opening look at the singers behind the stars. And truthfully these backing singers are often a lot better than the artists they support. In this documentary we follow some of the most famous backing singers and the music is amazing.
4. THE DEVIL AND DANIEL JOHNSTON
This is probably the music documentary I’ve watched the most. Daniel Johnston is a fascinating character; he suffers from bipolar disorder and we see how that condition effects his life and his music. I would say his music is an acquired taste – I love a lot of it but even if you’re not a fan and especially if you know nothing of Daniel Johnston, this interesting documentary is something I would definitely recommend.
5. THE BOYS: THE SHERMAN BROTHERS' STORY
You may not be familiar with their names but if you’ve watched a lot of children’s’ films from a certain era or visited a Disney park with children then you would have definitely heard some of their songs. Most famous for working on films like Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Bedknobs and Broomsticks and The Aristocats The Sherman Brothers are one of the best song writing teams in history. You may have seen them in the film Saving Mr. Banks, played by BJ Novak and Jason Schwartzman, but this documentary shows the real brothers and gives insight into their song-writing processes.
