Elvis Presley was an absolute goldmine—making a windfall of money with hit records, sold-out concerts and starring roles in over 30 feature films. Not according to the critics, but proven by his fans, Elvis’ infamous charisma translated from medium to medium with ease and impressive box office results. Unlike many musicians-turned-actors who have come and gone since, this pop icon and his all-encompassing stardom, passed with flying colors, when put to the screen test; his films reportedly earned over $180 million, placing him, as a musician, in a category of his own. Movies are still the final frontier for pop stars.
“Rock Star” movies, particularly those created after the arrival of music cabler MTV, combine elements from music videos with Broadway-inspired musicals. Some aim for high art, others go for cheesy camp. But the right film can turn a one-hit wonder into an international sensation. And this month sees two music sensations in their respective starring roles coming to theaters near you: 50 Cent stars in the semi-autobiographical, gangsta drama Get Rich or Die Tryin, and Usher makes his film debut as a hot DJ in the mafia comedy In The Mix.
The question remains: Do 50 and Usher both have what it takes to captivate a movie audience? Will their names get people to buy tickets? And, the burning question: can they really act? The big screen offers these ambitious musicians a chance to look really good–or come off really bad. Musician-movies have produced everything from gawdy-gimmicks to cult-classics. Here are some of our favorite examples:
COOL AS ICE (1991)
It’s Rebel Without a Cause (1955), but instead of James Dean we get Vanilla Ice. He plays Johnny Van Owen, a street-smart rapper with a bad haircut who comes to the suburbs. Johnny struts across the screen, spouting lines like, “Lose the zero, get with the hero.” The film showcases bad lip-synching and embarrassing wardrobe, offset by scenes of Vanilla Ice riding a yellow motorcycle in slow motion. It’s worth noting that Vanilla Ice made his film debut with a cameo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)–and Cool As Ice is a significant step down.
THE FASTEST GUITAR IN THE WEST (1967)
Elvis made a lot of bad movies. But what about the movies even he wouldn’t touch? One such script was produced as a Roy Orbison picture! The pale crooner removed his sunglasses to star as Johnny Banner, a confederate spy traveling undercover as a guitar instructor during the Civil War. If that’s not enough of a gimmick–the guitar shoots bullets! Movie posters proclaimed: “Roy Orbison on the screen at last!” as though the film were filling a heavy demand for Orbison as a matinee idol. This was Roy‘s first and last movie.
FROM JUSTIN TO KELLY (2003)
The American Idol movie had one thing going for it–there was no artistic integrity to compromise. It was the next step in evolution that the show’s producers would want to squeeze every possible penny out of their Idols. Still, optimistic film-fans were hoping that this might be the next Grease (1978), a great slumber-party movie with a sing-a-long soundtrack. Sadly From Justin to Kelly was simply a bad movie. And not the so-bad-it’s-good kind. It’s un-enjoyable on multiple levels. Kelly Clarkson survived this deadly film the way that a lucky passenger escapes a near-fatal car-crash. Justin Guarini was last seen playing himself on the reality prank show Film Fakers.
GLITTER (2001)
Mariah Carey’s quasi-autobiography Glitter has become synonymous with failure, often mentioned with titles such as Ishtar (1987), or Gigli (2003). The story of an up-and-coming singer was hated by critics and laughed at by audiences. Even co-stars Terrence Howard and Da Brat couldn’t help the sappy love story come together. Shortly after the film’s release, Mimi suffered a highly publicized meltdown. Recently, she explained that the film did poorly because it was released just after September 11th. Songs include “All My Life” and “Loverboy (Remix).”
THE HARDER THEY COME (1972)
Jimmy Cliff’s The Harder They Come made him a super-star, bringing reggae to America and beyond. We meet Ivan, a country boy struggling to become a singer. After getting ripped-off by record producers, he turns to a life of crime. When Ivan kills a policeman, he becomes a folk hero and his record becomes a hit. The film is very 70’s in its raw look and style (younger viewers must remember that pacing was a lot slower in 1972.) The winning soundtrack became the best-selling reggae album of all-time, with songs by Cliff, Desmond Dekker, and Toots and the Maytels.
[PAGEBREAK]HEAD (1968)
The Monkees’ feature film juxtaposes screaming fans with war footage from Cambodia. The group called it quits after they completed this fantastic piece of psychedelia. Davy, Mickey, Peter and Mike run through one freaky dream sequence after another–encountering fascist cops, a giant vacuum–and Annette Funicello. While the experimental film didn’t appeal to the band’s 12-year-old fan base, it does hold up as a great Midnight Movie. Screenwriter Jack Nicholson chose the title so they could advertise a sequel as: “From the people who gave you HEAD.”
KISS MEETS THE PHANTOM OF THE PARK (1978)
This film answers the burning question: “What if a mad scientist tried to replace KISS with robot clones?” The strange made-for-TV movie was shot at Magic Mountain Theme Park and produced by Hanna-Barbera, making the whole thing feel like an episode of Scooby-Doo. It’s strictly for fans. Others should check out Detroit Rock City (1999)–a small comedy about four teenagers trying to see a KISS concert.
PURPLE RAIN (1984)
Prince’s musical Purple Rain has it all: a wispy little rocker struggling with his troubled family, an unsteady love life, musical rivalries–and frilly shirts. It’s brought to life with ham-handed dialogue, melodramatic performances and a very 80s soundtrack. This is not to say that the movie isn’t entertaining. Songs like “Purple Rain,” “When Doves Cry” and “Let’s Go Crazy” make for a fun viewing experience.
ROCK N’ ROLL HIGH SCHOOL (1979)
Roger Corman’s old-school teen movie Rock ‘n’ Roll High School pits a rock-hating principal against deadpan punks, The Ramones. Thankfully, the band only appears in musical numbers (delivering top-notch renditions of “Teenage Lobotomy” and “Blitzkrieg Bop”), leaving the dramatic moments to cult favorites PJ Soles, Clint Howard and Mary Wornov. The film spawned a forgettable sequel (starring Corey Feldman and Mojo Nixon), and a remake is currently in development at Howard Stern’s production company.
SPICE WORLD (1997)
Spice World premiered only a few months after the Spice Girls took the world by storm–and mere months before they all broke-up. Ginger, Scary, Baby, Sporty and Posh play themselves in a half-baked mythology about The Spice Girls World Tour. Along the way they meet their fans, dress up in combat fatigues, deliver a baby, and promote a vague message about “girl power.” The most curious thing about Spice World is a flashback sequence that suggests the band came together by themselves, rather than being the brainchild of music producers. Star-studded cameos include Elton John, Meat Loaf, Roger Moore and George Wendt.
8 MILE (2002)
After making establishing himself as a punk-ass smart-mouth, Eminem wowed critics and audiences with his film debut: He proved that he could rap and act. “Lose Yourself” won an Oscar for best song–and Eminem set the standard for music-movie crossovers. 8 Mile is more than just one man’s struggle to make music–it’s a study of city life. Director Curtis Hanson shows Detroit life the way Saturday Night Fever (1977) superbly portrayed Brooklyn 25 years earlier; the movie reaches audiences whether they like rap music or not.
200 MOTELS (1971)
There’s no reason anyone other than Frank Zappa fans would seek out this bizarre little movie. Unlike some of the movies that attempt to cash-in on a pop star, this is clearly one man’s vision. Shot on videotape, 200 Motels mixes musical numbers and animation sequences with the production quality of a school play. Ringo Starr plays Frank Zappa, Frank Zappa plays an ominous spy–and Keith Moon plays a nun. Today’s viewers might dismiss the movie as the product of LSD trips–except that Zappa didn’t use drugs.
Clearly the music movie genre has a checkered past. Not many of these star vehicles have uncovered thespians in-the-making; and not many of the movies, themselves, have been met with critical acclaim. But hey, Rock Star cinema still has a better success-ratio than movies based on video games, like Street Fighter (1994), and The House of the Dead (2003), or film adaptations of trading cards, such as Mars Attacks! (1996), and The Garbage Pail Kids Movie (1987).
Pop star vehicles at least offer catchy, if not good, music and fun gimmicks—and a chance to spend time with the beloved music sensation of the moment. Whether these films turn in the big bucks, or simply turn into good conversation pieces, they’re exclusive members of a genre that has a special stay-power with music fans all over. 50 Cent’s Get Rich or Die Tryin‘ opens nationwide on November 9th. And Usher’s In The Mix opens in select theaters on November 23rd.
