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Sonic: Music in Movies
Pump up the volume for this selection of music-themed films; compiled in a long-player with copious sleeve-notes.
Music has been an essential part of the seventh art ever since The Jazz Singer first took a bow. The films here display many different sides to the collision of music and film; from rescored silent cinema to the latest cross-disciplinary collaborations.
The Valley (Obscured by Clouds)The Valley (Obscured by Clouds)
Drama 1972 105 minsDirector: Barbet Schroeder
Different worlds collide when a chic young diplomat's wife meets an intriguing adventurer and his hippy friends in Barbet Schroeder's striking second feature.
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Drama 1969 116 minsDirector: Barbet Schroeder
The first feature by Barbet Schroeder (Maîtresse, The Valley), More created a sensation when it was released in 1969, quickly becoming a cult classic and famed for its Pink Floyd soundtrack.
One LoveOne Love
Romance 2005 96 minsDirector: Rick Elgood and Don Letts
Rick Elgood and the legendary Don Letts direct this reggae romance about a rasta musician whose affair with a gospel-singing preacher’s daughter causes a stir in Kingston.
FinisterreFinisterre
Documentary 2003 59 minsDirector: Kieran Evans and Paul Kelly
A journey from London’s suburbs to its heart, charting the influence of the city on indie pop band Saint Etienne.
What Have You Done Today Mervyn Day?What Have You Done Today Mervyn Day?
Documentary 2005 45 minsDirector: Paul Kelly
Paul Kelly’s second collaboration with pop band Saint Etienne traces the hidden history of East London’s Lower Lea Valley before its Olympic makeover.
This Is TomorrowThis Is Tomorrow
2007 54 minsDirector: Paul Kelly
The final part of Saint Etienne and Paul Kelly’s London trilogy follows the renovation and reopening of the Royal Festival Hall through 2005-7.
From the Sea to the Land BeyondFrom the Sea to the Land Beyond
Documentary 2012 73 minsDirector: Penny Woolcock
This fascinating and moving film by award-winning director Penny Woolcock is a lyrical portrait of Britain's coastline which features a score by British Sea Power.
Hit So HardHit So Hard
Documentary 2011 103 minsDirector: P. David Ebersole
Patty Schemel, one-time drummer of grunge band Hole, recounts her turbulent years on tour with the band, piecing together a compelling tale of rock and roll excess, and the personal story of one woman’s survival.
Straight to HellStraight to Hell
Comedy 1987 86 minsDirector: Alex Cox
Alex Cox’s anarchic homage to the spaghetti western, with arguably cinema’s wildest cast: Dennis Hopper, Joe Strummer, Courtney Love, Grace Jones and Shane MacGowan.
Radio OnRadio On
Road movie 1979 100 minsDirector: Chris Petit
Chris Petit's cult classic is one of the most striking feature debuts in British cinema – a haunting blend of edgy mystery story and existential road movie.
The Lodger: A Story of the London FogThe Lodger: A Story of the London Fog
Crime 1926 91 minsSilentDirector: Alfred Hitchcock
Ivor Novello plays a strange lodger who may be behind a number of Jack the Ripper-style killings in Alfred Hitchcock’s silent thriller.