Discuss: Turning Songs Into Movies
Filed under: Fandom
These days, music is having an added impact on the world of cinematic themes. We're getting tons of biopics, like the two dedicated to Leonard Chess; we've seen documentaries about air bands and hair bands; we've even watched granny and gramps get their groove on. But this week, something a bit different has hit the air. Yesterday, Elisabeth shared news that Jim Croce's "Leroy Brown" was going to become a feature film under the eye of producer Warren Zide. Today, I wrote about a new teen sex comedy on the pike called Hot for Teacher. One is completely based on a song, while the other is, at the very least, inspired by one.Elisabeth asked if news of a Leroy Brown movie meant that Hollywood has officially run out of ideas. I'm not sure that I'd say that, since art has always been heavily influenced by the practice of adapting old themes in new settings, but it's definitely tapping into a new well rather than striving for the unique and original. So that got me thinking -- with this mostly untapped resource just bubbling with a million different songs to choose from, which would make good movies? Which would intrigue me? Which would be terrible? Are there any we so desperately need?
Take the jump to see some music videos and possibilities, some serious and some not-so-much, and then let us know what you think about songs being turned into movies. Do you love it? Do you hate it? Which should be picked up, and which should Hollywood never dare to touch?
The absolute first thing I thought of when I started to write this post was "Hazard." To this day, we STILL don't know what happened after he left her down by the river. It's a murder mystery itching to be solved ... as long as Richard Marx doesn't star.
Okay, I can't be completely serious about this topic, but I'd pay full price, and if done well, go again and again to see: "Knights in White Satin."
And what about Major Tom and his "Space Oddity"?
And this one, I can't find an original song for, so take this cover of K's Choice's "Breakfast." There must be an easier way to make breakfast...
Definitely, Victoria Williams should be in there with "Crazy Mary." Here's a cover by Pearl Jam. (And speaking of Pearl Jam, what about "Jeremy"?)
But I think we can all agree that the following should be left alone...
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-25-2008 @ 9:55PM
MCW said...
Ooh Ooh, "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" starring Beyonce Knowles or Jessica Simpson in the lead role! I would hand over my bank account information to see that movie.
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4-25-2008 @ 10:55PM
Chelsea said...
Songs have been made into films for a while (off the top of my head: Ode to Billy Joe, Harper Valley PTA, and The Indian Runner). This is news?
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4-26-2008 @ 3:57AM
Tostie14 said...
I'm producing and directing a documentary about the game of Monopoly currently titled Under the Boardwalk. While it shares the name with a classic song, it was in no way inspired by the song. For more info, visit http://monopolydocumentary.com.
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4-26-2008 @ 5:32AM
Consequence said...
How about 'Hotel California'? Or maybe just a long flick that uses all of the Eagles' songs? That'd be amazing...
Also: I like "Puttin' on the Ritz" by Taco for a movie. That would be all sorts of flashy and cinematic...
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4-30-2008 @ 4:28AM
wicky1489 said...
It's not as well known of a song as some others, but "The Mariner's Revenge Song" by The Decemberists would be perfect I think to be made into a movie.
It's an epic story of a boy whose mother marries this guy who spends all their money and gives her TB, and on her deathbed she makes him swear that track the guy down and get revenge. He ends up getting a job at a priory (as a stable boy or something) and one day a whaler comes in and describes his captain, whose description matches that of the boy's stepfather. In order to keep find the captain, the boy becomes a sailor himself, and after months of sailing and finally reaching him, a whale comes up and destroys both of the ships and swallows the boy and the ship captain. The song, which is told in flashback, ends with the ship captain dying. And I left a lot of stuff out because I wrote it from memory.
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4-30-2008 @ 10:05AM
CA Jencks said...
Another one that's already been done: "The Gambler" (Kenny Rogers) was actually made into not one, but a series of (I think) five TV-movies. And the singer played the title character himself, with Bruce Boxleitner (Scarcrow, B5) as the trusty sidekick.
Not as if songs would be the strangest possible source. I've heard of at least four films (three of them extremely successful) that were based on amusement park rides.
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4-30-2008 @ 12:41PM
Yolanda said...
Actually, there is ANOTHER video version of "Hazard" out there. And it DOES tell you what happened. The picture quality is not up to snuff, but you'll find the answer to it.
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4-30-2008 @ 12:41PM
lilgiraffe925 said...
My friends and I already have Major Tom covered. It's gonna be awesome when we're done.
Other ones that'd be good: Every Breathe You Take by the Police and Nowhere Man by the Beatles
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4-30-2008 @ 12:41PM
Yolanda said...
P.S. Here's the Link for Hazard, Part 2. Forgot to put it on the last posting! LOL!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-tkwtOyRSk
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4-30-2008 @ 2:45PM
Jeff said...
What about the Hoobastank duo, "The Reason" and "Wrong Direction"? The videos themselves were two parts of a mini-movie following an undercover police officer busting a group of jewel thieves a la 'Ocean's' movies.
I know the premise has been done ('Point Break'), but I think that Hoobastank's version would be if not better, then less lampooned.
'Surf Song' by Fenix, TX
...and if Keanu can do it
then I can too
Wish that I was cool
I wish I was surfin'...
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4-30-2008 @ 4:56PM
TnD said...
Let us not forget the oft thought of classic...."Convoy"
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5-01-2008 @ 1:10AM
olyfilmgirl said...
Nice suggestions, people, but some of them were already done:
Nights in While Satin (1987) (Watch the spelling--Knights in White Satin (1987) is actually a porn flick.)
Convoy (1978)
Nowhere Man (1995, series)
Crazy Mary (2004)
The Gambler (1980, TV movie)
Puttin' on the Ritz actually came from a movie--Blues Skies (1946), and was "borrowed" in Young Frankenstein (1975), long before Taco recorded it.
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5-12-2008 @ 8:30PM
kenmo said...
Dizz Knee Land by Dada could be a modern version of Rebel Without a Cause. The song paints some pretty compelling images.
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