HighFidelity Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Some of the best celebrity cameo appearances in movies are rock stars, even if they're not actually playing music. One of my favorite moments with a musician appearing briefly onscreen is Bruce Springsteen in High Fidelity, the 2000 film directed by Stephen Frears. It's small even as cameos go -- less than a minute -- but The Boss adds a nice touch to a film centered on music and musical taste, based on the novel by Nick Hornby.

In the scene, which you can watch via YouTube after the jump, Rob (John Cusack) is ruminating about whether he should visit his five major ex-girlfriends in order to get some perspective on his recent break-up with Laura (Iben Hjejle). As Rob lies on his bed considering the idea, he imagines Bruce Springsteen giving him advice. Happily, we get to see and hear The Boss himself, strumming his guitar as he speaks. It's a low-key moment, nothing flashy, and maybe that's why it's so effective. A few lesser-known musicians have brief walk-ons or appear in bands in High Fidelity, and of course this is Jack Black's breakout film as an actor, but Springsteen's cameo was an instant classic. I believe this is the only narrative feature film in which the musician has appeared -- correct me if I'm wrong.

It's funny, but I've been watching Kevin Smith movies for a long time now, but it was only as I was reading through Total Film's list of the Best & Worst: Kevin Smith, that I realized something that I never really thought all that much about before -- and what was my big epiphany? Well, I finally discovered that Smith's films in the end are just rom-coms with poop jokes. Smith may have been considered a foul-mouthed stoner for most of his career, but now that I've looked beyond his shtick, I've finally come to the conclusion that the guy is a big old softy. Which got me thinking: Is there such a thing as romance for boys?

Now if you're the observant type, you've probably noticed I'm not a dude, so what do I know, right? But I've been told time and again that I'm not the 'average girl' (whatever that means) when it comes to my movie tastes, so I'm going to put that theory to the test, and get in touch with my masculine side to create a list of romantic movies for men.

After the jump; My 5 picks for boy-friendly romance...

While zoning out during the baseball game last night, a random thought popped into my head: "Ya know, I don't think I'd ever watch Atonement again." Don't ask me where these stupid random thoughts come from, or why I was thinking about Atonement when it wasn't on TV or anything, but the thought came from somewhere and so I began to pursue it a little. The end result came in the form of a question I posed on Twitter: Name some great movies that for some reason or another you wouldn't watch more than once.

I thought Atonement was a good film; I really enjoyed it. But I have no need to watch it again ... just because. A whole bunch of people responded to my Twitter question (thanks everyone!), and a pretty big majority of them went with Requiem for a Dream, which I completely understand. (I love you Jennifer Connelly, but you're a freaky mess in this flick.) Some other films mentioned include The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Irreversible, Dear Zachary, United 93, Citizen Kane, Leaving Las Vegas, Beauty and the Beast, Battleship Potemkin, Monster, Se7en, High Fidelity and The Machinist.

Now it's your turn: Give us a great film you won't watch more than once, and why.

Without fail, at least once a month I peruse my DVD collection looking for a solid film focused on a female star -- a film where the woman is smart and successful, a film that focuses on something other than her romantic foibles. It's like I think wishing for there to be more films that fit "The Rule" will create a whole slew of new selections in my library. If only ... But there aren't a horde of these films to pick from, so that often means picking something of the romantic variety, often with a side of comedy.

But oh, the woes of romantic comedies. These days the term usually meets the following criteria: women acting irrationally, men being jerky, unbelievable occurrences taking place over and over again -- you know, all those super-fun stereotypes that every damn romcom these days seems to latch onto.

However, there are some romantic comedies out there that cater to those outside the throngs who thrive on fashion-obsessed ladies and relationship stereotypes. Sure, the films might get sappy or take an easy laugh here or there, but they also showcase a variety of relationships and romantic scenarios without falling into that typical void. These films work for a variety of themes -- the fantasy, the lesbians, the intellectuals, the music lovers, the single people, the passion fiends, and the lovers of foreign film -- and prove that romance is about a lot more engaging, and a lot more real, than many movies might suggest.

Jack Black, whose Kung Fu Panda opens this week, seemed to move awfully quickly from rising star to overexposed. His always-moving, rock 'n' roll persona seems to be everywhere, turning up in several movies a year, always pitched at the same high level. It's all too easy to concentrate on his most annoying performances, as lazy fast-talkers, or selfish schemers in films like Saving Silverman, Shallow Hal, Envy and The Holiday. But a closer look at his filmography shows more than a few samples of the Jack Black that we initially liked and elevated to stardom.

1. High Fidelity (2000)
This was the first time Black came onto my radar, although he had previously been in at least 30 other movies and TV shows. It's arguably the first time he tapped into the Jack Black persona for the length of an entire movie, and he was nicely fitted in the mix between cool, confused John Cusack and Todd Louiso (as the withdrawn music nerd). His was a supporting role, rather than a lead, which is the best place for a character actor of his caliber. Moreover, Black played a nerd with a wide-ranging knowledge of music, implying that he was at least using his brain for something (as opposed to many of his other films). As for his performance, he showed enough natural, unhinged exuberance (especially in his surprise rendition of "Let's Get It On") that, frankly, he deserved an Oscar nomination.

After this weekend hits, I wouldn't be surprised if Forgetting Sarah Marshall becomes the quintessential break-up movie. But even if it doesn't, the comedy will go down in the record books for being that romcom about the really heart-broken and pissed off dude whose story lathered ad spaces everywhere with lovely messages like: "You Suck Sarah Marshall," and made Sarah Marshalls across the US wonder what they did to deserve that.

But there's still a ton of other flicks out there that deal with break-ups -- way too many to even begin to name. But while each of them has heartbreak on their sleeve, they all tackle the issue in different ways. In honor of Peter Bretter's broken heart, here are seven other men who have had their hearts broken on-screen, all for the sake of comedy. Check these out and then weigh in with your favorites. Annie Hall? The Break-Up? The Philadelphia Story? Say Anything? Swingers?

The Nasty Letter -- Overnight Delivery

Wyatt Tripps (Paul Rudd) didn't want much in his happy co-ed experience, just Kimberly Jasney (Christine Taylor)... and one more thing: sex. Imagine his surprise when he finds out that while he's been writing Kim romantic notes and thinking about how much he'll miss her on Valentine's Day, she's been humping the Ricker -- a notion that ruins his dream of white picket fences, kids, and maybe even a house. Sure, he ends up on a spastic road trip with Ivy Miller (Reese Witherspoon) to stop the letter with loving phrases like "cellulite-packed cactuses that you call thighs," and finds real love, but before that, he has a good cry in his cocoa and a lot of humiliation.

Although the audio tape is pretty much dead, people still love making mix tapes, even if they now come in CD form. It's funny how this ritual of appreciation has transcended age and time. We used to scour radio stations for the perfect mix of songs, and now we whip up aural delights from thousands of mp3s. Mixes were useful to tell that certain boy or girl that you liked them in school, and today we often send mixes to say hello, or to gently shake a person and show them all the good music that they are missing.

There's also no short supply of movies that have absolutely fantastic soundtracks that work like a visual mix tape, sending the viewer through an optical pathway of music, sometimes even bringing new meaning and depth to the tunes that are played. While I would love to gush about Beethoven's music set to drama in Immortal Beloved, or even the brilliance that is Simon and Garfunkle in The Graduate, this space is reserved for the films with varied soundtracks full of a myriad of sounds and artists, which somehow all morph together into a cohesive and enjoyable whole. Sometimes they are just great collections of music, and sometimes they completely make you rethink something you might have heard many times before. If only I could list 14, or even 21! But I can't, so here are 7 films to inspire you into a mix-making frenzy:

High Fidelity

This almost seems like cheating, being such an obvious and no-brainer sort of choice, but you really can't talk about the power of mix tapes and movies without talking about the film that is all about creating musical mixes that portray slices of life. John Cusack stars as Rob Gordon, the music store owner who is at a crossroads in his life -- his serious girlfriend is leaving him, and through music, he delves into his less-than-desirable relationships with women. The beauty of this movie's soundtrack is how many different slices of music it tastes -- from the melodic Dry the Rain from The Beta Band to Aretha Franklin's Rock Steady. The old is mixed with the new, introducing us to what we might not have heard, while reminding us of songs we might have forgotten.

Broadway will give High Fidelity the boot after only a tiny ten-day run, as the show will close its theatre doors on Sunday, December 17 after receiving bland reviews and crippling box office sales. The play was adapted from its most original form -- a novel written by Nick Hornby --then turned into a film back in 2000. The film, unlike the musical, received rave reviews and big box office sales that subsequently helped it take home a lot more than its production costs -- especially honorable for being an independent film. High Fidelity (the film, not the musical)stars heavyweights John Cusack and Jack Black; story revolves around a music snob and record store owner who struggles with his life's top five breakups (women, not bands). He spends the film relating periods of his life back to the musical greats and figuring out the universal human crisis of what is love and where is ones place in it.

High Fidelity is probably one of my favorite films of all time -- actually, as you read this, it's sitting in my DVD player. In fact, I may even turn it on for inspiration. When I heard awhile back that they were making a musical about it, I had mixed emotions. First of all -- I hate musicals. I hate them. The only musical that I do enjoy is Cabaret. I'm convinced that in order for me to enjoy a musical the actors have to be in their underwear -- not any underwear, mind you -- but underwear circa the 1930s. Then it also has to involve the Holocaust. I've tried others. I saw Rent. Hated it. I saw Boy from Oz. I don't even want to talk about it. Musicals and I simply do not mix.

The one glimmer of hope for me was the film's already incredible soundtrack. If they were somehow able to incorporate what was already done music-wise in the film to the stage then maybe I would have liked it.

Well, if High Fidelity were to stay open longer then I would have probably made an attempt to see it during my trip back to New York. But Kevin McCollum and Jeffrey Seller -- producers of High Fidelity: The Musical -- saved me from my abusive relationship with such theatre productions. I'll simply have to wait until its revival pops up somewhere in Los Angeles ... where theatre is even better.