VMP Magazine

If you’re sentient and been to a multiplex, you’ve noticed a reliable movie trope happening: since Ray won Jamie Foxx an Oscar, every year has seen a smattering of biopics on musicians. Just this year saw films on Nina Simone, Miles Davis (which I actually loved), Hank Williams (which I hated), Chet Baker, and that time Elvis met Nixon. Next year promises a threatened Tupac biopic, a Def Jam records biopic, Morrissey, and Death Row Records biopic.

Now, some of these movies might be enjoyable. But odds are most of them will suck, and most of them will be an insult to you, the people that made them, and the artist whose life they’re based on. And more importantly, none of them will ever stack up to a biopic of a fictional folk singer in New York in the early ‘60s, in a Coen Brothers movie hardly anyone saw. I’m talking of course, about Inside Llewyn Davis, the 2013 film starring Oscar “Yeah, I’m in Star Wars and X-Men” Isaac in the title role. The film is far and away the best, and realest movie, about being a working musician ever made. It’s better than any biopic you’ve ever seen.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers Montage of Heck, a documentary about Kurt Cobain, which is streaming over on HBO.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers Young@Heart, which is currently streaming on Netflix.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your Netflix and Chill time every weekend. This week’s edition covers The Carter, which is streaming (and downloadable!) over on Vimeo.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers Be Here to Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt, which can be found on Fandor.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers Long Strange Trip (The Untold Story Of The Grateful Dead), which is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

There’s a moment, about 90 seconds into the Don Cheadle-starring Miles Ahead, where it feels like the film is going to slip into hagiography, that we’re about to get the central tale of pain that led Miles Davis to being the most transcendent jazz musician—and maybe musician in general—of the 20th century. “If you’re going to tell a story,” Davis tells an off-camera music journo played by Ewan McGregor, “Come with some attitude, man.” Davis’ face fades, and a trumpet plays. Then we see Davis and McGregor fleeing gunshots, and the rest of the film unfolds as a coke-and-remembrance filled caper, wherein Davis enlists McGregor to help him take back an unreleased tape of jams that has been stolen by an executive at Davis’ label, Columbia. If you don’t know the outline of Davis’ career before Miles Ahead, or if you’re hoping to see why you should listen to him in 2016, or why he’s still important, you will be disappointed. If you want to see a movie that theorizes and fabricates what Davis was up to between 1976 and 1981--when he didn’t record any albums and was mostly laid up with a hip condition and a cocaine addiction-- and isn’t interested in “selling” the artist to you in the least, Miles Ahead is what you’re looking for. Which is to say that Miles Ahead willfully shreds the idea of a biopic from the inside; a deconstruction of what we want from the form. It’s the best movie about a real musician I’ve ever seen.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 or so minutes. With this now-quarterly column we'll be highlighting some of the most recent and / or soon to be released music documentaries that are worth tracking down, adding to your watchlist, or just plain keeping your eyes peeled for.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers A Band Called Death, which available on Amazon through a whole bunch of different subscription add-ons.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers Scratch, which available to rent or buy on Amazon or iTunes as well as... elsewhere.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers The Flaming Lips: The Fearless Freaks, which can be found on Amazon Prime with add-on subscriptions to either Doc Club or Sundance Now.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell, which can be found on Amazon Prime.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers The Decline of Western Civilization, which can be found on DVD on Shout! Factory TV.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers Riot on the Dance Floor: The Story of Randy Now and City Gardens, which can be found on Amazon Prime.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers Gaga: Five Foot Two, which can be found on Netflix.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers Hot Sugar's Cold World, which can be found on Netflix.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers Nat King Cole: Afraid of the Dark, which can be found on Netflix.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers the Peelander-Z documentary Mad Tiger, which can be found on Netflix.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers Presenting Princess Shaw, which can be found on Netflix.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers Better Living Through Circuitry, which can be found on Amazon Prime.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers Sample This, which can be found on Netflix.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers Phish: Bittersweet Motel, which can be found on YouTube.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers I Called Him Morgan, which is currently streaming on Netflix.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers Duff McKagan: It's So Easy and Other Lies, which is currently streaming on Netflix.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage, which is currently streaming on Netflix.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers The Defiant Ones, which is currently streaming on HBO Now and HBO Go.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers Ticket To Write: The Golden Age of Rock Music Journalism, which is currently streaming on Amazon.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers Anvil: The Story of Anvil, which is currently streaming on Netflix.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers Brian Eno: 1971-1977 - The Man Who Fell to Earth, which is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers Last Days Here, which is currently streaming on Hulu.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers Joe Cocker: Mad Dog With Soul, which is currently streaming on Netflix.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers Strike A Pose, which is currently streaming on Netflix.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers Rolling Stones: Crossfire Hurricane, which is currently streaming on Netflix.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers Breaking a Monster: A Film About Unlocking The Truth, which is currently streaming on Netflix.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers Danny Says, which is currently streaming on Netflix.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers Oasis: Supersonic, which is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers TV Party: The Documentary, which is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers The Zen of Bennett, which is currently streaming on Netflix.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers Gimme Danger, which is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers Parrot Heads, which is currently streaming on Netflix.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers DiG!, which is currently streaming on Amazon, and on YouTube.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers Nas: Time Is Illmatic, which is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers Metallica: Some Kind Of Monster, which is currently streaming on Netflix.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers Sinatra: All or Nothing at All, which is currently streaming on HBO Go and HBO Now.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers Fresh Dressed, which is currently streaming on Netflix.

There is an absurdly vast selection of music movies and documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and on and on and on. But it’s hard to tell which ones are actually worth your 100 minutes. Watch the Tunes will help you pick what music doc is worth your time every weekend. This week’s edition covers Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down a Dream, which is currently streaming on Netflix.