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Quartet
OK 66 Points 2012

Senior citizen cinema is experiencing somewhat of a boomlet now. Quartet typifies the trend, spinning a gently comedic story about old flames who reunite in a retirement home for musicians and opera singers. It’s a pleasant enough movie, albeit too formulaic to be really interesting.

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WikChip Image Now that's a retirement home.
Blue Hawaii
OK 66 Points 1961

Elvis returns to Hawaii from the Army and proceeds to shake things up with a bunch of girls, his flustered parents and the local tourism industry. Notwithstanding the King’s undying charisma, Blue Hawaii is a disappointing lark, especially since it contains no great songs and lacks a great fem…

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No One Here Get...
OK 17 Points 1981

I can’t say much more than simply see this documentary if you are either a Doors fan or a fan of 60’s and 70’s music lore. The iconic Jim Morrison had a mind that few could fully understand; The poetry in his music and the unpredictability of his life is something that many will talk about…

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Beyond the Sea
Good 83 Points 2004

The Peter Principle personified: Kevin Spacey reached his level of incompetence by writing, directing and starring in Beyond the Sea, a surreal biopic of Bobby Darin. The starring part was mostly fine.

The writing and directing parts, not so much.

Darin’s terrific songs make the movie an…

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WikChip Image Kate Bosworth models Sandra Dee
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  • BrianSez – Regarding "Wick's Review":http://www.viewguide.com/m...
Gainsbourg: A H...
Good 66 Points 2010

French musical sensation Serge Gainsbourg explains himself in this surreal biopic. Largely unknown here in America, Gainsbourg was a cross between Dylan, Sinatra and Leonard Cohen in France. The women he squired – including Brigitte Bardot during her superstar heyday – comprise a good part of h…

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WikChip Image Musician's Beauty: Gainsbourg & Bardot
No One Knows Ab...
Good 66 Points 2010

Rock I ran. Whoops, make that Rock Iran, as in the music of rebellion from the theocratically oppressed country threatening nuclear Armageddon. This revolutionary paradox makes Persian Cats the most important political movie of the year. A slice-of-life take on the underground rock music sce…

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WikChip Video Revolution Rock: Persian Cats trailer
Classic Albums:...
Good 66 Points 1999

Who’s Next fans – and who’s not – will be delighted by this 50 minute documentary. More celebratory than insightful, it also suffers from a few omissions. However it’s all good when Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey and John Entwistle marvel at how their benchmark album came into existence. Long…

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WikChip Image Genius at work with his synthesizer
Classic Albums:...
Good 66 Points 2006

‘Quit singing and jam’ remains my reaction to many Cream songs, including from their defining album. So it’s less than optimal that this rockumentary focuses on Disraeli Gears’ lyrics, lyricists and singing.

David Fricke’s commentary is terrific however.

More to the point, their music ser…

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WikChip Video Sunshine of Your Love 4 R&R HoF Induc...
Eat That Questi...
Good 66 Points 2016

Eat That Question is well titled. Frank Zappa in His Own Words is FZ waxing loquacious, repeatedly. Zappa, the pugnacious, contradictory and iconoclastic rockstar, indeed the consummate rockstar, trades heavily on his privilege and arrogance, by turns funny, shocking and ridiculous, a Trump t…

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WikChip Video Václav Havel was a big Zappa fan.
In Old California
Good 66 Points 1942

In Old California is a simpleminded recreation of Old Sacramento in 1848 and then 1849, made in 1942. A quasi-historical tale, it mostly exists to showcase John Wayne looking quite-the-dandy, from Boston even. The settings are the thing now: pre-49er San Francisco and then up the river to Old…

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WikChip Image John Wayne, the Boston Dandy