Best Music Movies of 1991

Jimmy Rabbitte, just a tick out of school, gets a brilliant idea: to put a soul band together in Barrytown, his slum home in north Dublin. First he needs musicians and singers: things slowly start to click when he finds three fine-voiced females virtually in his back yard, a lead singer (Deco) at a wedding, and, responding to his ad, an aging trumpet player, Joey "The Lips" Fagan.

Amiable slackers Bill and Ted are once again roped into a fantastical adventure when De Nomolos, a villain from the future, sends evil robot duplicates of the two lads to terminate and replace them. The robot doubles actually succeed in killing Bill and Ted, but the two are determined to escape the afterlife, challenging the Grim Reaper to a series of games in order to return to the land of the living.

A collection of fairy tale characters head into the woods, and soon learn that fairy tales don't end at "happily ever after." This rendition of Stephen Sondheim's Tony Award-winning musical was recorded on the stage with its original all-star Broadway cast. Originally broadcast as part of "American Playhouse" on PBS (season ten, episode one).

Michael Jackson's video accompanied with the single "Black or White".

Chanticleer is a foolhardy farm rooster who believes his crows can actually make the sun come up and shine. When the sun rises one morning without Chanticleer's crow, he leaves the farm in disgrace and runs off to become a rock 'n' roll singer. But in his absence, a sinister, sunshine-hating owl prepares to take over.

From the rain of Japan, through threats of arrest for 'public indecency' in Canada, and a birthday tribute to her father in Detroit, this documentary follows Madonna on her 1990 'Blond Ambition' concert tour. Filmed in black and white, with the concert pieces in glittering MTV color, it is an intimate look at the work of the music performer, from a prayer circle with the dancers before each performance to bed games with the dance troupe afterwards.

Recorded live at "Forest National", Brussels (Belgium), on 29th October 1990 and "Ahoy Sport Paleis", Rotterdam (Netherlands), on 30th October 1990. Tracklist 1 Feel So Different 6:19 2 The Emperor's New Clothes 4:41 3 I Want Your (Hands On Me) 4:14 4 Three Babies 4:58 5 Black Boys On Mopeds 3:40 6 Irish Ways 3:59 7 I Am Stretched On Your Grave 5:01 8 The Last Day Of Our Acquaintance 5:50 9 Nothing Compares 2 U 5:45 10 Jump In The River 5:15 11 Jerusalem 4:16 12 Troy 6:06

In the early 1960s, a quintet of hopeful, young African-American men form an amateur vocal group called The Five Heartbeats. After an initially rocky start, the group improves, turns pro, and rises to become a top flight music sensation. Along the way, however, the guys learn many hard lessons about the reality of the music industry.

British pop duo Pet Shop Boys captured on film 1-3 June 1991 at Birmingham NEC on their Performance tour. This film, by Eric Watson, features the live show and footage filmed backstage. Digitally remastered and visually restored in 2004. Setlist: 01. This Must Be The Place I've Waited Years To Leave; 02. It's A Sin; 03. Losing My Mind; 04. What Have I Done To Deserve This?; 05. My October Symphony; 06. I'm Not Scared; 07. We All Feel Better In The Dark; 08. So Sorry, I Said ; 09. Suburbia; 10. So Hard; 11. Opportunities (Let's Make Lots Of Money); 12. How Can You Expect To Be Taken Seriously?; 13. Rent; 14. Where The Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You); 15. West End Girls; 16. Jealousy; 17. Always On My Mind; 18. Your Funny Uncle

Heavy-hitting alternative rockers Alice in Chains serve up their dark guitar-driven music before a hometown crowd in this live video shot at the Moore Theater in Seattle. Along with five live versions of songs from the Facelift album (including "Man in the Box," "Bleed the Freak," and "Love, Hate, Love"), Alice in Chains: Live Facelift also includes three bonus music videos, including "Sea of Sorrow" and "We Die Young."

Queensryche's massively popular concept album "Operation: Mindcrime" -- which tells the story of a junkie hit man -- comes to life in this rousing theatrical performance from 1991. Singer Geoff Tate is in fine voice as the progressive hard rockers rip through "I Remember Now," "Anarchy-X," "Speak," "Spreading the Disease," "The Mission," "Suite Sister Mary," "The Needle Lies" and more. Also included is an interview with Tate.

Music Video Collection from Queen between 1981 and 1991

Performances are bookended by interviews by the respective bands and Earache's Digby Pearson. 01. Napalm Death - If The Truth Be Known/Suffer The Children 02. Morbid Angel - Immortal Rites 03. Nocturnus - Lake of Fire 04. Paradise Lost - Dead Emotion 05. Prophecy of Doom - Rage Against Time 06. Godflesh - Christ Bait Rising 07. Cerebral Fix - Unity For Who/Enter The Turmoil 08. Sonic Violence - Manic 09. Bolt Thrower - Cenotaph 10. Vengeance Rising - Before The Time 11. Entombed - Left Hand Path 12. Carcass - Reek of Putrefaction

Biography of the African-American who became a major performer in the Paris cabarets of the 1920s and 1930s. The film follows her life beginning as a struggling performer in 1917 St. Louis, her frustrations leading to her move to France, and follows to her death in 1975. Written by John Sacksteder

On a USO tour during World War II, entertainer Eddie Sparks needs a partner to round out his act. Soon after hiring performer Dixie Leonard, Eddie decides he wants her out of the show — mostly because she upstages him. Dixie is close to leaving of her own accord, but her uncle, Art Silver, convinces her to stay. As the years and wars go by, Eddie and Dixie experience a tumultuous relationship onstage and off while they continue the act for the troops.

Brazilian speed-thrash-death metal band Sepultura are legendary for the extreme degree to which they delve into the depths of their genre. Always striving to be louder, faster, and deadlier (metaphorically, of course), Sepultura have inspired a countless number of modern metal bands as well as legions of obsessive fans. Under Siege was filmed live at Zeleste in Barcelona, Spain. For nearly an hour, Sepultura thrash through ten of their songs.

Get Back is a 1991 concert film starring Paul McCartney that documents The Paul McCartney World Tour of 1989–1990. The film was directed by Richard Lester, in a return to his Beatles-related work, and was released by Carolco Pictures and New Line Cinema, through the Seven Arts joint venture.

In this made for Showtime television spoof of Madonna's "Truth or Dare" documentary, comedienne Julie Brown portrays Medusa, an egocentric, hyper-sexual (and not particularly talented) pop star on an international five-day world tour, "The Blonde Leading the Blonde" show. Brown painstakingly duplicates costumes, sets and hairstyles while spoofing Madonna's seeming self-obsession. Madonna visits the cemetery where her mother is buried; Medusa visits the pet cemetery where her dog Buster is laid to rest. (Or is it "Boomer"?) Madonna performs fellatio on a bottle, at the dare of a friend; Medusa does it on a watermelon. And so on...

INXS fans can rejoice over the release of this buoyant concert film, shot during an ecstatic performance before 72,000 hopping fans in London's Wembley Stadium on July 13, 1991. The Australian band's vocalist, the late Michael Hutchence, is at his feral-romantic best, stalking and swiveling his way through an energized set of welterweight pop. The show starts with a big, boomy "Guns in the Sky," takes a turn toward unexpected soulfulness with "New Sensation," and spreads the wealth with a sharp set of ballads and rockers. Hutchence has fun with a naughty "Know the Difference," plays around with a Jagger-esque take on confessional soul in "The Loved One," and milks "Never Tear Us Apart" for all it's worth. The band sounds more muscular than they did in the studio, hard-charging and rough on "Suicide Blonde," drunk on a jazzy guitar hook in "Need You Tonight," and completely danceable on "Bitter Tears."

This historical music video features as its centrepiece The Doors' last televised appearance, aired on PBS in 1969.

Pantera's first home video release. It contains behind the scenes footage of the band partying as well as music videos and live performances.

In 1830s France, pianist/composer Frédéric Chopin is pursued romantically by the determined, individualistic woman who uses the name George Sand.

Pop sensation Whitney Houston captured live in concert in 1991. Amongst the hits performed are 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody' and 'Saving All My Love For You'.

The Decade of Decadence video album was released on March 24, 1992. The video features new interviews and the bands full catalog of music videos. The package includes the previously released video albums "Uncensored" and "Dr. Feelgood The Videos" and also incudes live clips, music videos from the album "Girls, Girls, Girls" and the three new music videos: "Primal Scream", "Home Sweet Home '91", and "Anarchy in the U.K.".

An intimate look at Los Angeles-based funk rock foursome Red Hot Chili Peppers' creative process as they join producer Rick Rubin at a Hollywood Hills mansion to record their 1991 studio album 'Blood Sugar Sex Magik', which would go on to propel the band into critical acclaim and worldwide popularity.

Motörhead Live: Everything Louder Than Everything Else features Lemmy and his band of metal warriors shaking Munich's Deutsches Museum to its Foundations. 1. Metropolis 2. Going To Brazil 3. I'm So Bad (Baby I Don't Care) 4. Traitor 5. No Voices In The Sky 6. Just 'Cos You Got The Power 7. Angel City 8. Love Me Forever 9. R.A.M.O.N.E.S. 10. Orgasmatron 11. Killed By Death 12. Ace Of Spades

Although he only had three Top 10 hits, Jerry Lee Lewis is considered one of the most influential artists of the early days of rock 'n' roll. Experience the talent and energy of this rock pioneer with this mix of 1969 concert footage and clips of his frenzied, acrobatic performances from the 1950s. Headlines and footage tell of Lewis's rise to fame and subsequent plummet into scandal (with his marriage to his 13-year-old cousin).

The Beatles First US Visit uniquely chronicles the inside story of the two remarkable weeks when Beatlemania first ignited America. The pioneering Maysles Brothers who filmed at the shoulders of John, Paul, George and Ringo, innovated an intimate documentary style of film-making which set the benchmark for rock and roll cinematography that remains to this day.

Letters, Riddles and Writs is a one act opera for television by Michael Nyman broadcast in 1991.

Mavis (Liza Minnelli) was a chorus line dancer on Broadway. Just as she was on the verge of getting more prominent roles, she fell in love. Her full-of-himself boyfriend moved them to Buffalo, far from the theater scene. As a musician, he plays with a band in the local clubs, often with the very talented Mavis singing at his elbow. But, they are just two bit players, mostly because of his total lack of ambition. On the side, Mavis runs a dance studio for ordinary folks. In her classes, among others, are a lovely nurse, a librarian, a lady with an overbearing husband, a lady with an unemployed son, a bossy middle aged housewife (Julie Walters) and a lone, divorced, very shy male. The studio pianist is a strong-willed senior (Shelley Winters). One day, a woman who operates a more prominent dance school in Buffalo invites Mavis and her class to perform a number in a charity dance recital.

A filming of the 1990 Rolling Stones "Steel Wheels" concert that traveled Europe. This was filmed in the IMAX process, which allows the film to be projected in a size ten times the size of a regular 35mm projected image.

Highlights from Eric Clapton's sold-out 24 night run at London's Royal Albert Hall are featured. 24 nights includes guest appearances from Robert Cray, Albert Collins, Buddy Guy, Jimmie Vaughan, and Phil Collins. Songs include "Running on Faith," "Wonderful Tonight," "Sunshine of Your Love," "Hard Times," and "Bell Bottom Blues."

Bugs Bunny conducts an orchestra of all his greatest operatic hits.

Longtime fans of bluegrass music and those only recently discovering it will appreciate this documentary on the genre, which was born of a combination of African and Celtic sounds and is the base of American country music. This film traces the musical form from its Appalachian roots to the present. The rise, fall, and consistent revival of bluegrass chronicled through oral history and visual record, resulting in a priceless film that even casual fans are sure to enjoy.

Though Hits out of Hell shares the title of Meat Loaf's 1984 greatest hits album, the tracklisting is not quite the same: curiously, the DVD omits "Dead Ringer for Love", "Midnight at the Lost and Found" and "All Revved Up with No Place to Go", but includes, perhaps by way of compensation, "More Than You Deserve" and "If You Really Want To". Such considerations are, of course, of only superficial importance: once producer and songwriter Jim Steinman had patented the Meat Loaf template on 1977's 30-million-selling Bat Out of Hell--an engagingly preposterous synthesis of Springsteen's Born to Run, Spector's Be My Baby, Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries",. On the DVD: This DVD offers a choice of Dolby Surround Sound or PCM Stereo, and has a refreshingly simple and easy to navigate menu offering instant access to different tracks. The special features are desultory in the extreme: a brief biography of the Meat Loaf phenomenon and a discography.

A shy young man with a passion for opera has his world turned upside down by a con artist who really does have a heart of gold.

Filmed during their 1968 European tour, The Doors are captured in performances in London, Stockholm, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam. Paul Kantner and Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane, who shared the bill with The Doors on this tour, narrate this compilation.

The two-hour film collects various live and rehearsal performances by The Cure from early 1991, including some of the band’s “MTV Unplugged” appearance and pre-release airings of a few cuts that would make Wish cuts and one very notable track that wouldn’t: “The Big Hand,” a fan favourite that would inexplicably wind up a B-side.

Documentary about the influential pop composer and record producer Joe Meek, who died in dramatic circumstances in 1967 after a bizarre childhood and a career, often controversial, which spanned the period from the mid-50s to the rise of the Beatles in the 60s. At the end of his life he was suffering from paranoid delusions that people were watching him through walls. Alan Lewens' film charts an Ortonesque tale of post-war Britain.

Young John Anderson is captivated by jazz musician, Billy Cross when he performs on the remote airstrip of his Western Australian outback hometown after his plane is diverted. Years later, now a family man and making a meagre living tracking dingoes and playing trumpet in a local band, John still dreams of joining Billy on trumpet and makes a pilgrimage to Paris.

Originally produced for PBS's Great Performances Series, La Pastorela is a musical retelling of the shepherds' journey to Bethlehem to see the Christ Child. We see the tale through the eyes of a modern young girl, the oldest child in a large rural Tex-Mex family. During a surrealistic dream, which brings to mind "The Wizard of Oz," the young chicana makes a fantastical journey with the shepherds and along the way; witnesses the triumph of God's Angels over Satan's diablo's. Full of drama, comedy, fantasy and wonderful music; this is a rare film the whole family can enjoy together.

Malcolm McLaren, writes, directs and narrates the "history" of Oxford Street. With musical performances by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl, Tom Jones, Sinead O'Connor, Happy Mondays and more.

Freewheeling, motorcycle-riding musician Johnny rolls into a small town with his band, and meets Kathy, an honor student who catches his eye. Meanwhile, Kathy's father, after being in the Witness Protection Program, is finally tracked down by two corrupt cops he escaped from years ago, who want the money he owes them.

Witness the history of the legendary band, their friends, and their fans in an hour long program of live archival performances, in-depth interviews and behind the scenes footage.

A documentation of Neil Young and Crazy Horse concert from 1990.

Martin is a total loser, who nobody cares for. When he fails to get a position as guitar player in Lindsay's band and loses his job on the way, he makes a deal with a Voodoo priestess. She promises him the fulfillment of all his dreams if he swears obedience to her. He becomes a rock star and has many women - but to stay alive, he has to kill other people.

Dutch composer Louis Andriessen collaborates with director Peter Greenaway on a commissioned short film to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the death of Mozart. Gods create Man, Music and Mozart.

Two disc jockeys have a friend's murder to solve in the fringe-group melting pot of 1977 London.

Simply Mad About the Mouse collects affectionate tributes to Disney's songs from artists like the Gipsy Kings, Soul II Soul, and Kirk Whalum. Bobby McFerrin's "Siamese Cat Song," En Vogue's "Someday My Prince Will Come," and Harry Connick, Jr.'s "Bare Necessities" are among the highlights of this album. Also included are Michael Bolton's cover of "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" and Billy Joel's "When You Wish Upon a Star.