 "Photo: AP")
'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' (2000) Normally, when people think of the Coen Brothers' "O Brother, Where Art Thou?," they usually bring up George Clooney, or how the film was shot in sepia tones, or all the references to Homer's "The Odyssey." But the soundtrack so perfectly complements the film that it is just as important as any of these observations.
It's rare to find a film and its soundtrack that mesh so well, and it's even rarer to find a soundtrack that stands apart from the film on its own merit. The talented T-Bone Burnett produced the score, using "old-timey" music to mirror the period in which the film was set.
Memorable musical sequences pop up throughout the film, though none are as thrilling as the "Man of Constant Sorrow" recording session. Never did Appalachian folk and bluegrass sound so sweet to the ears.
-Wayne Cheong
'A Mighty Wind' (2003) Christopher Guest is known for his satirical mockumentaries, and "A Mighty Wind" is no exception. An amusing and accurate look at the 60s folk music scene, "A Mighty Wind" documents the reunion of three folk groups after their former producer and folk icon Irving Steinbloom dies. There's the Folksmen, the trio trying to make a comeback from quasi-stardom, the New Mainstreet Singers, the color coordinated neuftet now best known for their amusement park performances, and Mitch and Mickey, whose career was driven by their love, but who are now torn apart by heartbreak.
The movie features all original songs, one of which, "A Kiss At the End of the Rainbow," was nominated for an Academy Award. Watching these groups going through the struggle of trying to put on a reunion concert is an often hilarious, and somewhat nostalgic, look at a simpler time when there was "a puppy in the parlor and a skillet on the stove / and a smelly old blanket that a Navajo wove."
-Jo-Anne Somera
'Empire Records' (1995) Originally floundering upon its initial release to theaters in 1995, the intervening years have seen "Empire Records" take its rightful place among other "following a group of young misfits for 24 hours" films like "Dazed and Confused." Chronicling the exploits of a motley group of record store employees on the final day before their independently owned nirvana is transformed into a Tower Records-style megachain, "Empire Records" may be frequently contrived, but is peppered with quotable lines and blink-and-you'll-miss-them music references.
Particularly resonant for anybody who has seen a beloved music store implode before their very eyes - longtime Austinites who have witnessed the sad deaths of record stores like Sound Exchange and 33 Degrees may shed a tear or two - "Empire Records" combines fairly typical slice-of-life soap opera with a music-themed aesthetic that makes an otherwise-mediocre film valuable. Written by a former Tower Records' employee, it also contains more then a few moments which anyone who has ever worked in retail will readily recognize and sympathize with. Though not a perfect music movie, "Empire Records" does a fine job of capturing what it's like to be young, in love with music and utterly devoted to your record store of choice. It's a universal experience for music devotees and one well worth revisiting.
-Patrick Caldwell
'Bye Bye Birdie' (1963) One of the best examples of 1960s camp cinema, "Bye Bye Birdie" takes a lighthearted, satirical look at celebrity. Upon being drafted into the Army, the very Elvis-like Conrad Birdie is playing The Ed Sullivan Show for one last time, singing "One Last Kiss." The film follows the hysteria that ensues when Kim MacAfee from Sweet Apple, Ohio is chosen to appear on the show with Conrad.
Featuring such showtune classics as "Put On A Happy Face," "Kids" and "A Whole Lot of Livin' To Do," "Bye Bye Birdie" features an all-star cast including the real Ed Sullivan. Dick Van Dyke and Chita Rivera, along with the star-in-the-making Ann Margret (she starred in "Viva Las Vegas" with the real Elvis a few years later). "Bye Bye Birdie" is as funny today as it was 45 years ago, a comedic tour de force and one of the best movie musicals of all time.
-Zach Ernst
'Once' (2007) In an age of multimillion-dollar budgets, bloated special effects, mind-boggling acting salaries and endless hype, there's something to be said for "Once," the heartfelt, beautiful and tremendously entertaining little summer movie that could. Shot on a shoestring budget of $250,000 and incorporating the music of Irish indie rock band the Frames, "Once" rode a wave of critical acclaim, becoming an instant classic and making a hefty and justified profit in a summer saturated with superheroes, sequels and movies based off of toys.
Taking place in a lovingly photographed Dublin, "Once" follows the chance meeting of two unnamed protagonists, a street performer, a vacuum repairman and a single mother. Mutually interested in music, they find themselves working together writing and recording songs. At this point "Once" becomes a sort of combination adult drama/music video, interspersing scenes of the two leads with beautiful musical montages. With two protagonists with considerable (and bravely unrequited) chemistry, "Once" is a deeply compelling and emotional film with believable conversations and a thoughtful, loving atmosphere. Among the year's best films, it's destined to join the annals of great music movies.
-PC
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