With the recent news of biopics about N.W.A. and Aaliyah, I started thinking about some musicians whose lives I'd like to see dramatized in a film. Here are eight musical biopics that I'd love to see.
1. Syd Barrett
One of the most fascinating figures in rock history is Syd Barrett, the original guitarist and singer of Pink Floyd. Barrett was thought to have been an undiagnosed schizophrenic, which resulted in his departure from Pink Floyd in 1968, and his eventual reclusion for the last thirty years of his life. A film about his life would be devastating, and I even have the opening scene: in 1974, during the recording of Pink Floyd's Barrett tribute "Shine On You Crazy Diamond," a disheveled and overweight Barrett unexpectedly shows up at the studio, and none of his former bandmates recognize him (This actually happened).
2. David Bowie
I understand that a film about David Bowie's Berlin period is being made, and while that's my favorite period of his career, I'd love to see a film about his entire career and the countless transformations he's gone through. I mean, we're talking about a guy who did so much cocaine that he recorded an entire album and didn't remember it (and the album was still a classic).
3. Nick Drake
Before he passed away, actor Heath Ledger was apparently trying to get a film made about the life of British folk singer Nick Drake, which would have been absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking. Drake struggled with depression throughout his life and died of a prescription drug overdose at age 26, having made three critically acclaimed but commercially ignored albums. A movie about his life would be a crushingly stark mood piece, along the lines of something Gus Vant Sant would direct.
4. Nico
Anyone with a connection to Andy Warhol's Factory is automatically interesting enough to get their own biopic, but few of Warhol's Superstars were as genuinely talented as German model and singer Nico. Her life intersected with so many fascinating people, including Federico Fellini, Lou Reed, Jim Morrison, Bob Dylan, and Brian Jones, which would make for an exciting film full of incredible music and characters.
5. GG Allin
If you weren't a fan of punk rock, then GG Allin would probably give you a heart attack. Allin's onstage antics made Iggy Pop look like Josh Groban, and his face was covered in blood and bruises pretty much every time he was photographed. Allin's the prime example of an artist whose behavior is more famous than his actual music, but that just makes for a more interesting biopic, in my opinion.
6. Black Flag
If Henry Rollins' book Get In The Van is any indication, life as a member of Black Flag is a lot like being in the military, or even prison. The band had a rigorous schedule of practicing and touring, and would play shows all across the country that frequently erupted in violence. If done right, a film based on Get In The Van would be one of the most authentic film portrayals of the American punk underground.
7. Courtney Love
Although more people know Courtney Love for her ability to drink than her ability to write a great song, her life has all of the marks of a tragic, insane biopic. Just reading about her childhood on Wikipedia is enough to make me to see this movie: she was allegedly fed LSD as a toddler, she lived in a commune, her half-brother died at age ten, and she was turned down for the Mickey Mouse Club for reading a Sylvia Plath poem in her audition. Yes, Courtney Love's life is as crazy as you think it is.
8. Varg Vikernes
Though the music of Varg Vikernes has been highly influential in black metal, ambient, and industrial music, his music is actually one of the least interesting aspects of his life. Vikernes is a convicted criminal, spending fifteen years in prison for arson (of churches, no less) and for the murder of his contemporary, Euronymous. A biographical film about Vikernes' life would be part Walk The Line and part Monster.
© 2024 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
