Browse Movies : NR : Music

Two Americans, one an aspiring poet and the other an established folk musician, cross paths in the scenic, coastal town of Taormina, Sicily. Their instant chemistry sparks collaboration, leading to an unexpected, weeklong writer's retreat at a beautiful villa in the Sicilian countryside. As they immerse themselves in the local culture, they challenge each other to express their thorniest secrets, growing closer all the while.

Dawn Raid is the story of two Manukau Polytechnic students, Andy Murnane and Tanielu Leaosavai'i (aka Brotha D) who turned a bootleg t-shirt business and Hip-Hop night at a local bar in Otara into the influential Dawn Raid Entertainment empire. From humble beginnings to fame and fortune, Andy, Brotha D and the Dawn Raid artists gave voice to a disenfranchised Pacific community, for which the violence of the dawn raids, twenty years previously, was still raw. But the bravado and contempt for the status quo that drove Andy and Brotha D to the top, was also the unravelling of their empire. Unpaid tax debts, rifts between artists, and a feeling of betrayal and failure underpinned the downfall of Dawn Raid Entertainment, though not before they had created an immeasurable musical legacy that would pave the way for future New Zealand artists to reach international audiences.

Mogul Mowgli is the debut narrative feature from award-winning documentary filmmaker Bassam Tariq. It follows the story of a rapper (Academy Award-Nominee Riz Ahmed, The Sound of Metal) who, on the cusp of his first world tour, is struck down by an illness that forces him to face his past, his famiy, and the uncertainty of his legacy.

A drummer plays in the warm-up band of a big American performer giving a concert for the Russian premier. When bad guys break up the show the ex-Marine drummer springs into action.

By the time Johnny Cash released his iconic “Man in Black” album in 1971, the international superstar was broken down, hollow-eyed, and wrung out - often torn between Jesus and the “Cocaine Blues.” Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon tells the true story of a music legend’s spiritual quest, and his ultimate return to an “unshakeable faith.”

The film focuses on the challenges of guiding gifted young people through the struggles of mastering the cello. Through the words and actions of master cello teacher, Paul Katz, it’s clear that this deep study of music not only prepares wonderful musicians, but builds self-esteem and a cultural and aesthetic character that will be profoundly important throughout his students’ lives.

Music meets the Mob in this biographical documentary, narrated by Stevie Van Zandt, about the life and career of Bert Berns, the most important songwriter and record producer from the sixties that you never heard of. His hits include “Twist and Shout”, “Hang On Sloopy”, “Here Comes The Night” and “Piece Of My Heart.” He helped launch the careers of Van Morrison and Neil Diamond and produced some of the greatest soul music ever made.

Kenny Chesney, the biggest ticket-seller of this century in any musical genre, has wrapped his latest concert tour, the Sun City Carnival. This coming spring, Sony Pictures Releasing's special programming division, The Hot Ticket, will take audiences for another ride. For a limited engagement beginning in April 2010 in movie theatres nationwide, "Kenny Chesney: Summer in 3D", will give fans the chance to live the fun, the friends, the songs and the moments that make Kenny Chesney the must-see concert experience to kickoff the summer season.

Smuggling LP’s by Lou Reed and David Bowie, the underground rock scene is boiling ahead of the Perestroika. Mike and his beautiful wife Natasha meet with young Viktor Tsoï. Together with friends, they will change the trajectory of rock n’roll music in the Soviet Union.

The doc follows the band from its inception in 1980s London, using footage from the members’ personal archives, before catching up with the five members through recent interviews, tracking the band’s enduring influence on music and fashion and their dramatic rise and fall amidst a headline grabbing breakup.

Focused on Billy Joel's final concert at Shea Stadium before it was demolished, with the ballpark and the New York Mets' history intertwined into the storyline.

Join The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson on an intimate journey through his legendary career as he reminisces with Rolling Stone editor and longtime friend, Jason Fine.

Chely Wright: Wish Me Away is the story of Chely Wright, the first Nashville music star to come out as gay. Over three years, the filmmakers were given extraordinary access to Chely's struggle and her unfolding plan to come out publicly. Using interviews with Chely, her family, her pastor, and key players in the music world, alongside Chely's intimate private video diaries, the film goes deep into her back story as an established star and then forward as she steps into the national spotlight to reveal her secret. Chronicling the aftermath in Nashville and within the LGBT community, Chely Wright: Wish Me Away reveals both the devastation of her own internalized homophobia and the transformational power of living an authentic life.

When Nirvana burst onto the scene in 1991, the music they played spoke directly to an angry and disenfranchised generation. Grunge took over MTV and radio overnight… but just three years later, the drug-related deaths of several musicians and the suicide of Kurt Cobain closed the books on an all too brief era. Patty Schemel, the acclaimed drummer for Courtney Love's seminal rock band Hole, was in the middle of all of it. The openly gay woman who always felt different never dreamed she would be in a multi-platinum band, touring with legends… or that, thanks to drug addiction, she could lose it all. Given a video camera just before Hole's infamous Live Through This world tour, Patty filmed everything the shows, the parties, and startlingly intimate footage of Kurt and Courtney. This footage has never been seen... until now.

A young singer-songwriter with a growing local following wanders through his apathetic life. When his dad and three sisters show up to spread his mother's ashes, he's reminded of the part of himself he left back in Ohio and is forced to deal with the person he's become. I Am Not a Hipster, based in San Diego's indie music and art scene, features original song performances and explores what it means to be creative in the face of tragedy.

The film centers on the hard rock band Motley Crue's rise, complete with all the ups and downs in friendships, on tour and in the studio.

The Lost Weekend: A Love Story explores the 18-month relationship (1973-1975) that John Lennon spent with May Pang, his Chinese American assistant turned lover (on Yoko Ono’s insistence). With May’s help, Lennon reunited with his son Julian and had his most artistically and commercially productive period post-Beatles – with the albums “Mind Games”, “Walls and Bridges” which included his only #1 Hit Single “Whatever Gets You Through the Night”, “Rock and Roll” and collaborated with Elton John, David Bowie, Harry Nilsson, Mick Jagger, and Ringo to name a few. Pang chronicles it all revisiting her younger self, a naïve 22-year old experiencing her first, unforgettable love.

Documents story of Miami musician Clarence Reid and his alter ego Blowfly, the original dirty rapper. A major force in the Miami soul scene of the 60s and 70s, Reid wrote Top-10 songs for some of the greatest R&B acts of the era, while at the same time, his X-rated recordings and stage antics as Blowfly made him a star of the "party record" scene.

The never before seen movie featuring Aretha Franklin recording the most successful gospel album of all time, Amazing Grace. Amazing Grace is crafted from never before seen footage originally captured in 1972.

In this coming-of-age drama, a reclusive teenage musical prodigy (Khalil Everage) forms an unlikely friendship with a down-on-his-luck high school security guard (Anthony Anderson). United by their mutual love of hip hop, they try to free each other from the demons of their past and break into the city's music scene. Directed by Chris Robinson (ATL, “The New Edition Story”), BEATS features Everage in his feature film debut and co-stars Uzo Aduba and Emayatzy Corinealdi.