Can rock stars act? Should rock stars act? Will we show up for it when they do? These are all questions to be asked today as we look at six cult movies starring real world bands.
KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park
From our review: “I bet you didn’t know that KISS moonlighted as a superhero team, thanks to the power of their INTERGALACTIC MAGICAL TALISMANS! And also their INTERGALACTIC GROAN-WORTHY PUNS!”
Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem
From our review: “In fact, your level of like/dislike of said French band will directly correlate to your feelings for this anime. Interstella 5555, an idea first brainstormed while Daft Punk was recording their Discovery album, is basically a one-hour-and-some-change music video.”
Yellow Submarine
From our review: “They pass through, among others, the Sea of Time, the Sea of Monsters, and the Sea of Nothing, encountering various adventures along the way. But once they finally do reach Pepperland, what can even the Beatles do against an army of fanatical music-haters?”
Rock ‘n’ Roll High School
From our review: “If you’re a Ramones fan, you’ve already seen it. If you fancy yourself a cult fan, you should see it.”
Purple Rain
From our review: “You see our main character here is The Kid played by Prince, and Prince seems determined to prove that giant egomaniacal jackasses can come in small packages.”
Miami Connection
From our review: “Miami Connection is quite the relatable film, too, because which one of us didn’t end up bunking with fellow orphans at college while taking taekwondo from our Korean master and forming a hit rock band that fights ninjas on the side?”
Should Labyrinth count?
Out of curiousity, why did you pick Yellow Submarine, and not A Hard Day’s Night??? The Beatles were pretty much playing themselves in that, too, and arguably as there more authentic selves rather than the mythology surrounding them by the time YS came out. While I love Yellow Submarine, AHDN is actually a rather good movie, and pioneered some interesting cinema techniques.
My guess is, because Yellow Submarine is weird while A Hard Day’s Night is not.
I’m pretty sure I realized that roughly five minutes after I hit ‘post comment’.
Forgiven. We all do that sometimes.