More Movies Based on Songs

How can we make it so more movies are based on songs?

I can only think of a few off the top of my head:

1. Convoy-A bunch of truckers form an enormous trans-US truck convoy in protest of high gas prices or something, which provokes an armed response from the US (the military is called out to keep an eye on them, at least in the song).

http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:10913

2. Coward of the County-I think this is was a TV movie, with the songwriter Kenny Rogers as a character in. In the song at least, a boy whose dying father exhorted him not to get into fights (and who becomes a pacifist as a result) is despised by most of his peers as the titular coward and some punks rape his wife. In the song, he snaps and puts the hurt on all three of them (possibly killing them with a gun, as the song describes how he "watched the last one fall," which implies killing them from a distance). Not sure what happens in the film.

http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll

3. The Gambler-It looks like a bunch of films based on Kenny Rogers song "The Gambler" got made too.

http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:27100

So how could there be some more?

The only idea I've got is a movie based on the Eagles' song "Hurry Sundown." A bunch of Gypsies call forth an undead gunslinger from the Old West to avenge the murder of one of their own, but they can't control him.

http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/o/outlaws/hurry_sundown.html
 
Ode to Billy Joe. Never saw the movie but read the novel; that's an hour and 10 minutes of my life I'd like back!
 
American Pie, the great epic about an American music fan going through the 1960's and 1970's, ranks up there with the great films of the day.

Of course, my personal favorite will always be Snoopy and the Red Baron, written by Charles Schulz.
 
Are we naming ones that were made or ones that weren't? I can think of a few interesting ones that I have never heard of having been made, but it's possible they were; I know very little about movies.

"Wake Up, Little Suzie." One of the lyrics goes "and we're in trouble again," implying that this sort of thing has happened before. This could be a classic teen comedy about a guy and his girlfriend, both high school age, who just get into all sorts of trouble, often unwittingly. Maybe 2/3 of the way through the movie, the boy and girl wake up at 4 AM to realize they both fell asleep at the drive thru, and her parents decide it's best if they don't see each other for a good while. Then, in true Hollywood style, they end up (accidentally, of course) teaming up to help solve a crime or something. The final scene has them several years later, on their wedding day, and as they drive off into the distance witht he "Just Married" sign on the back, one says "did you bring the map," the other says, "No, I thought you did," and they both say "Uh, oh, looks like more trouble" as the camera fades.

Hmmm, in fact, if I ever need a movie idea for what someone will see in a fanfic, I'm going to use that, now that I write it. It sounds like it could be funny. Of course, with too many cliches, etc., it could also be very bad; one of those ideas that needs just the right screenwriter.

I was going to mention Copacabana, but a Google search reveals it wa made into a TV movie.

I did not, however, see "The night They Drove Old Dixie Down" as a movie when searching for the title and "movie." This sounds like it would be a good one about the last days of the ACW.

And, for fans of stuff that's just plain silly...

"This Song is Just Six Words Long" - A teen with what seems to be permanent writers' block has been asked to come up with a song for his friend's garage band; they rely on him as the guitarist, but he's also the best writer on the school paper.
However, flustered by lots of itnerruptions at home, he "couldn't think of any lyrics," and takes the suggestion of his goofy prepubescent brother and writes a song with the words "I love you; you're so sweet." he plans to write real words to go with the meoly later, but loses track of time, and suddenly, his friends require the song now.
He's ridiculed at first, which really hurts him. "how could not even rhyme it? The least you could have done is write "I love you, yes I do." (At one point, Weird Al notes that he "might find a good rhyme here," purposely not rhyming it.)
After a few days, the friends all begin to just laugh at the situation and make up. However, as they are mending fences, the matter is complicated by the young brother, who - despite teasing his older brother about love and such - is really proud of his older brother. So, what does he do? He hears there's a record producer in town looking for 'something different," and rides his bike over to show him.
the song becomes a hit, and now it's the writer who is rocketed to fame, to the chagrin of his friends, who wanted nothing to do with it.
It all works out in the end, and everyone's friends again, but it goes down as one of the surprise comedies of the year.

Hmm, I might like this one better for a mention in a fanfic. :)
 
If Rock operas turn into a viable genre, then it would be very natural for movies to be based off of them, as there were in some cases (ie, Tommy). There is a huge wealth of these out there which make prime movie material. I can even think of some that would fall into the AH genre.

How you can get more of these released is difficult, as it is not something that the music industry is inclined to put much effort in, as opposed to more radio oriented singles.
 

Sachyriel

Banned
A 'Western' that feels more 'Canadian' then anything else:


It starts off with a young man with his younger wife settling down in the 'Anarchistic Alberta' (OTL Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia) Territory of the British Empire (OTL Peak + USA). He begins a simple farming life and it's a hard life: frequent crackdowns by the Royal American Mounted Police, robbers, even horrible bankers. His crop is good though, and it allows him a pioneer's life. His life is good for a bit, happy even, free land, tools and a feeling everyday that he is a good Christian. He and his wife even have two children, and she survives, to his eternal joy!

But one night, while reading Robin Hood to his children for a bed-time story his house is attacked by Metis Rebels/Raiders (who were forced off their land by settlers backed by banks). He isn't quite fast enough to grab his rifle and they hold him down while they do horrible things to his family. When they're done they shoot him in the chest and leave him for dead with his family before setting fire to his farm and house. Making it outside, he's found a while later by an pirate airship. The pirates land and take him in, wondering where these Metis (who have a bounty on their head) who attacked him went. He doesn't know, but signs on right away to be part of the crew. The pirate ship, named the Saskatoon Sky wants privateer status from the government instead of illegal piracy, and the only way they can get this is by hunting bounties.

The crew don't think he's exactly worthy of being on their crew, and urge him to go back East and get welfare. He refuses, saying he's still got his pride. So they begin to train him as they track the Metis killers. The RAMP doesn't like the Saskatoon Sky because they're in direct competition, wanting to catch the bounties for pay raises. The most oppositional RAMP officer is one Robert Borden (Mountie Bob!:p), who leads a troop who is the main anti-pirate force. However, the RAMP have no Airships yet, so their mostly safe. They can even raid food barges on the rivers for supplies since their pirates for now.

After three years the Metis Rebels/Raiders are found, and there's a huge battle between the forces of the Saskatoon Sky and the Metis. However, due to the Saskatoon Sky having cannons on their Airship (Air-Support!) they're severely out-gunned. After the Metis group surrenders, having only 20% left, they're arrested and taken onto the airship. Then, as the mounties on their cavalry ride over a ridge and charge onto the empty encampment the Saskatoon Sky takes off to deliver the Rebels to the Dominion and receive heir 'Privateer' status instead of 'Pirate'. The end of the large battle scene is a very frustrated Mountie Bob throwing his hat on the ground.

This story is based on the diary of one Francis Riel, who was Louis Riel's son in ATL.

I hope you liked it!
 
Originally Posted by MarkWhittington
Only the Good Die Young, about a struggling musician who falls in love with a rich Catholic school girl

http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/b/b...die_young.html

Hahaha, yeah- that'd be awesome- I saw Billy perform this song when he was here in brisbane back in Dec :)

Damn, you could havce anymore of his songs used as foundations for movies, too- such as
SCENES FROM AN ITALIAN RESTAURANT
ALLENTOWN
GOODNIGHT SAIGON
CHRISTMAS IN FALLUJAH
heck, PIANO MAN or THE ENTERTAINER would make a good title for a biopic on Billy Joel too..
 
off the top of my head:

Welcome to the Jungle: a wannbe rock star reaches the city, looking to join a band.

Living Dead Girl: 'Who is this irrestibles creature who has an insaciable love for the dead?'

Tears of a clown: some sort of Rom-com-drama/tradg, about a man who puts on a smile, while he's slowly falling to peices on the inside.

that's all i got for now.
 
Jingle Bombs - The Ahmed the Dead Terrorist christmas song. If you haven't seen it, drop whatever you are doing right now and go watch it on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9Lk1VrCgvQ
They could make an awesome movie out of it. It could start out as a slapstick comedy about the world's least intelligent and least lucky terrorist. Then it could gradually morph into a drama about the ghost of that terrorist trying to cope with his own death.
 
Puss
A film about a gang of rapist kidnappers and their victim; generally seen as a cheap knock-off of Hard Candy intended to please fetishists.

Heart-Shaped Box
A story about a man in a relationship with an abusing and dominant woman, including flashbacks about how they met during a career assessment.

School
A drama about the rising tensions between teachers and students at a high school; the film was praised for showing both perspectives, but suffered from a rather anti-climatical ending.

That last film is actually about two eponymous songs by different groups.:)
 
Heart-Shaped Box
A story about a man in a relationship with an abusing and dominant woman, including flashbacks about how they met during a career assessment.

That last film is actually about two eponymous songs by different groups.:)

She eyes me like a pices,
when I am weak......
I was locked inside your heart-sheaped box, for one week.......


Sympathy for the Devil: Please allow me to introduce myself, and sit down, I'm sure you'll love to hear about my life.

Jumpin' Jack Flash: the Adventures of a Vigilante, and the Detectives determined to bring him down.
bit of Dialoge:

Montoya: so what's the deal with this guy?
Bullock: well, I think he read a little too much F*cking Batman when he was a kid.

Paint It Black: The Sotry of a a man and his life with his wife, show in flashbacks.
 
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