Dave Tompkins :: DVD Library :: 2-Genre Table :: Documentary :: Music


(text-only version)

Anvil! The Story of Anvil (2008)

At 14, best friends Robb Reiner and Lips made a pact to rock together forever. Their band, Anvil, hailed as the ''demi-gods of Canadian metal...

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Beastie Boys: Video Anthology (2000)
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Buena Vista Social Club (1999)

Aging Cuban musicians whose talents had been virtually forgotten following Castro's takeover of Cuba, are brought out of retirement by Ry Cooder, who travelled to Havana in order to bring the musicians together, resulting in triumphant performances of extraordinary music, and resurrecting the musicians' careers.

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Calle 54 (2000)

A film featuring performances of several stars of the Latin Jazz music scene.

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A Dancer's World (1957)

Dancer, Choreographer, and Teacher Martha Graham offers insight into her theories about dance while the members of her world famous troupe display a number of their dance techniques in performance.

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ELVIS: That's the Way It Is (1970)

Concert footage and backstage documentary of singer Elvis Presley.

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From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China (1981)

Isaac Stern's cultural tour of China is seen, with the master violinist performing and mentoring young Chinese musicians...

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Gimme Shelter (1970)

A harrowing documentary of the Stones' 1969 tour, with much of the focus on the tragic concert at Altamont.

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Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (2008)

A portrait of the late gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson.

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Jimi Plays Monterey (1986)
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Koyaanisqatsi (1982)

A movie with no conventional plot: merely a collection of expertly photographed scenes. Subject matter has a highly environmental theme.

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Louie Bluie (1985)

About the obscure country-blues musician and idiosyncratic visual artist Howard ''Louie Bluie'' Armstrong, member of the last known black string band in America.

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Metallica: Some Kind of Monster (2004)

A documentary crew followed Metallica for the better part of 2001-2003, a time of tension and release for the rock band, as they recorded their album St. Anger, fought bitterly, and sought the counsel of their on-call shrink.

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Monterey Pop (1968)

A film about the greatest pre-Woodstock rock music festival.

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Naqoyqatsi (2002)

A visual montage portrait of our contemporary world dominated by globalized technology and violence.

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No Direction Home: Bob Dylan (2005)

A chronicle of Bob Dylan's strange evolution between 1961 and 1966 from folk singer to protest singer to ''voice of a generation'' to rock star.

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Powaqqatsi (1988)

An exploration of technologically developing nations and the effect the transition to Western-style modernization has had on them.

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Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage (2010)

An in-depth look at the Canadian rock band Rush, chronicling the band's musical evolution from their progressive rock sound of the '70s to their current heavy rock style.

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Searching for Sugar Man (2012)

Two South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock 'n' roller, Rodriguez.

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Shake!: Otis at Monterey (1989)
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This Is It (2009)

A compilation of interviews, rehearsals and backstage footage of Michael Jackson as he prepared for his series of sold-out shows in London.

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Twenty Feet from Stardom (2013)

Backup singers live in a world that lies just beyond the spotlight. Their voices bring harmony to the biggest bands in popular music, but we've had no idea who these singers are or what lives they lead, until now.

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Woodstock (1970)

The film chronicle of the legendary 1969 music festival.

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Young At Heart (2007)

A story of the Young at Heart Chorus, a group of senior citizens who perform contemporary and classic rock and pop songs.

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