What's the Best Concert Film?

by Cláudio Alves

With Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour coming to theaters today and Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé set to arrive in December, 2023 could signal the return of the concert film in full force. At the very least, both projects are bound to break records. Swift's movie is already on the way to becoming the most profitable concert film in history, close to surpassing Michael Jackson's This Is It just with advance ticket sales. Hopefully, this triumph will be reflected in the picture's quality, though, with such titles, success is measured more in terms of the artists' popularity than the piece's cinematic verve. Still, it'd be erroneous to dismiss concert films for this reason – there are many masterpieces to be found in the non-fiction subgenre. 

So, dear reader, what's your favorite concert film? My pick is after the jump…

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Venice 2023: Musica, Maestro!

by Elisa Giudici

Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein in "Maestro"

In this entry of the Venice Diary, we delve into the world of music, exploring two titles that defy expectations by focusing on the personal lives of musicians rather than just their artistic endeavors.

MAESTRO by Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper, it's clear, isn't content with being just a good director. He aspires to be a legitimate auteur, a distinct voice in American cinema. Maestro boasts numerous scenes seemingly crafted to showcase his directorial prowess. However, what truly defines Cooper as an artist to date is his ability to captivate audiences, to touch their hearts and create a seamless cinematic experience...

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November's Streaming Roulette: The Harder They Fall at Block Parties and in Nightmare Alleys

HELLO NOVEMBER. You know the drill. We point out ten random titles that are brand new or new (again) to streaming and just for fun, freeze frame them at a totally random place in the scroll bar (no cheating - what comes up is what comes up). If there's a link in the long list after the selected titles it goes to previous articles on that film.

Now I aint gonna kill you, Wiley. You and I were friends once.

THE HARDER THEY FALL (2021) on Netflix
Idris Elba (speaking, hovering over the fallen man) is the antagonist in this movie with Jonathan Majors as our outlaw hero (a rare hero named "Nat", yay!!!) in this all-star Black western. Love those long shadows. The cinematography here is by the super talented Romanian DP Mihai Malamaire, Jr (The Master, Jojo Rabbit, Youth Without Youth).

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(Not Quite a) Doc Corner: St. Vincent in 'The Nowhere Inn'

By Glenn Dunks

The Nowhere Inn is not a documentary, but it is about documentary. It’s also an absolute hoot. A gonzo existential cinematic experiment that plays a little bit like if Christopher Guest melded with the world of Kirsten Johnston. It’s a movie that one could play alongside David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive and surely not-so-coincidentally hums along to a very similar tune.

Maybe most importantly, it is a movie that asks, ‘What happens when you go to make a documentary about a rock star, but your rock star turns out to be boring?’

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Sundance Review: Summer of Soul (...Or When The Revolution Could No Be Televised)

by Murtada Elfadl

1969 is remembered for many events, among them Woodstock. But that same year another concert event just as momentous took place in New York City, The Harlem Cultural Festival. It had a killer set of performers -  Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & The Family Stone to name just a few. Yet until a few days ago I bet you didn't even know it had happened. I certainly didn’t until I saw Summer of Soul (...Or When The Revolution Could No Be Televised), Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s joyous documentary which premiered on the opening night of Sundance 2021.

A good music documentary needs good music and Summer of Soul has that in spades...

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