Once more, with feeling

So I finally watched High Fidelity all the way through - I've always watched it cut up and randomly pieced - and let me tell you, it is damn good. I can't believe I've waited this long to watch the whole thing. I mean, first off, John Cusack is pretty much god so the movie automatically gets my vote by default. Secondly, Jack Black, aka my male alter ego as Vi and I discovered, is in it. You'd think it couldn't get much better right? Wrong. 

The movie is a perfect combination of witty narration and pop culture reference hidden underneath a bittersweet love story between John's character, Rob, and his love Laura. The whole story is told directly by Rob through a series of Top 5 lists. One minute Rob is ranting and raving about his top five breakups (one of which is Velma Kelly herself Ms. Zeta Jones in an extremely irritating role) and the next he's going head-to-head with Jack Black about the merits of Evil Dead 2. It's sensitive and hilarious simultaneously and therefore extremely irresistible for this obsessively pop culture savvy chick flick lover. Plus, let me tell you, no matter what anyone says, John Cusack is as smokin’ as he was back in his Lloyd Dobler days when he held up that boom box oh-so-high, blasting Peter Gabriel through the neighborhood. It's funny but Rob would probably do something very similar to Laura - except instead of playing "In Your Eyes" on repeat, he'd play a mix of Marvin Gaye, The Shins and whatever other wonderfully obscure artist tickled his fancy at the moment.

In honor of Rob and addictive habit, I've decided to compile my own top 5 list - top 5 musically-driven movies that aren't musicals (I had to add that or else it would just be the hardest thing ever to do). 

5) High Fidelity



Obviously. Bonus points for being made into a musical. A failed musical at that, but still a musical. :-)

4) That Thing You Do! 



I don;t know about you but this is a movie that really had me at exclamation mark. How can something that contains such a legendary punctuation mark be horrible?

3) School of Rock 


Today's ass-signment: Kick some ass! Do lyrics get better than this? If you think so then you clearly don't have stick-it-to-the-man-neosis and therefore are completely lame. Get your ass to the video store and get a lesson in all things rock-n-roll from the messiah of all things remotely musical (I don't think it's a coincidence that he's on this list twice) and the kids from..well you know. 

2) Empire Records



This movie is perfect for two reasons. A) it uses Dire Straits "Romeo and Juliet" in it's soundtrack and B) it features Ethan Embry. Don't believe these are the ingredients for the movie of all movies? Watch Can't Hardly Wait my friend and you'll see the light. 

P.S - This is Liv Tyler's second appearance on the list? Clearly her father's immense musicality has rubbed off on her.

1) Almost Famous 



Hold me closer tiny dancer..or at least introduce me to Penny Lane 
and Stillwater. Then maybe I could get in with William Miller - a.k.a the cutest rock journalist since I don't know when. Did you know his aura is purple? You bet it is, and I bet if you lock him in a dirty hotel room for a few hours with Penny Lane and the Band-Aids you'll see it for yourself. ;-)

My inappropriate comments aside, this movie really is the be-all-end-all of music movies because it showcases just far someone will go for their love of good music.  Fariza Bulk's character, Sapphire, explains it best when talking about new and hopelessly vapid new Band-Aids. "They don't even know what it is to be a fan. To truly love some silly little piece of music, or some band, so much that it hurts." If could encompass what it means to be a fan in one phrase this would be exactly it. Cameron Crowe, you are a golden god.

Runners up: 

- Rock Star

This movie makes me, dare I say it, want to stand up and shout (only the coolest of the cool will get that one). So I may be slightly biased since I practically worship Marky Mark but I really don't think that's the reason I love it.  I mean, if you don't get goose pimples all over when Chris and Emily (INSERT FANGIRL GIGGLE HERE) finally reunite at his Seattle show to the tune of the Verve Pipe's "Colorful", I don't think you're human. Plus, admit it, you can't help but love the scene where Mark freestyles during his recording studio sesh. In that moment, you can see the faint shadow of a man who once delighted the nation with his pants dropping and endless efforts to make sure that everyone was feeling them good vibrations and sweet sensations. Oh, those were the days.

- Fame

Okay, so it’s not all about music - there's some dancing, some acting and some drama (can you say awkward gay man-asshole-shy girl love triangle alert!?!) - at the New York School for the Arts but this movie wouldn't have lived forever or been remembered without it.  Every single character has some sort of connection to a song. Whether it’s the music they're dancing to, the song they're playing or simply the track they're getting loose to at a Rocky Horror Picture Show sing-a-long, it's all about the tunes.

 "Is It Okay If I Call You Mine?" should have been nominated for an Oscar alongside the title song it's that good. And tell me you haven't danced along to "Hot Lunch Jam" when no one was looking. Oh god, and try listening to "Sing the Body Electric" without getting all goosepimply and dramatic. And don't get me started on "Out Here On My Own". Why the hell doesn't Irene Cara sing ever song ever made?