I read something in EW this week that genuinely shocked me. Next to my review of Michael Jackson’s This Is It, there’s a box of the five top-grossing concert films — and according to that list, the second most successful concert film of all time is Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience (2009). The reason for my shock is not that I dislike the Jonas brothers (I thought their movie was charming in a prefab, featherweight way), but because, at the time, Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience was rightfully considered a mild commercial disappointment. It marked the beginning of their slow slide from top-of-the-world boy band to big-but-not-quite-as-big teenybop limbo. How could this movie have ranked so high?
To see how, take a look at the full list:
1. Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert (2008) $65.3 million
2. Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience (2009) $19.2 million
3. Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991) $15 million
4. U2 3D (2008) $10.2 million
5. U2: Rattle and Hum (1988) $8.6 million
Hmmm, let’s tally this up: Two movies with currently-in-vogue squeaky-clean teen idols, a Madonna documentary from 20 years ago, a U2 doc from 20 years ago — and U2 again, this time from last year. I don’t begrudge any of these artists their big-screen success, but doesn’t this list strike you as just a little thin in terms of how well it represents…the pop-music universe of the last two decades?
That’s because concert films more or less went away. A few weeks from now, This Is It could well end up the new box-office concert-movie champion. Of course, there’s no denying that a shot-on-videotape documentary of Michael Jackson rehearsing for a series of shows that never came to pass is a complete and utter anomaly, released under one-of-a-kind circumstances. Nevertheless, it got me to thinking: Isn’t it about time that some newer artists from the worlds of pop, rock, and hip-hop began to crack and even dominate that list? I don’t care if this is the age of YouTube and music-television-as-wallpaper. I would love to see the high-profile, big-event concert film make a comeback in our era. I mean, as much as I respect the awesome purchasing power of 12-year-old girls, if Miley Cyrus can top that list, then why not…well, a great many other people.
I have no doubt that an artist like Lady Gaga, with her rapturously infectious pop-disco hooks and Wagner-gone-Rocky Horror showmanship, could make herself the glitz-siren centerpiece of a concert movie to die for. I say: Sign up Baz Luhrmann right now to direct a movie of her upcoming tour! And speaking of star directors, I realize that Jonathan Demme is busy at work on a series of 12 films devoted to the music and legend of Neil Young (okay, I joke — he’s only making three of them), but I do so wish that Demme would stop being a rock curator. No disrespect to Neil Young, but the one concert movie that Demme has directed that I wouldn’t hesitate to call a classic — his boppy and transcendent Talking Heads doc, Stop Making Sense — came about because, back in 1984, he was responding to the music of the moment. The equivalent film today wouldn’t be a Neil Young tribute. It would be a movie featuring Green Day, Beyoncé, Coldplay, or Kanye West.
Personally, I’d love to see a concert film starring any of those people. How about you? Do you think the concert film should make a comeback? And, if so, which artist would you love to see up there in glittering surround-sound 3-D glory?
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Madonna’s Truth Or Dare (1991) came out 20 years ago? Really? Did you flunk math?
he also said u2’s rattle and hum was 20 years ago, and that was actually *21* — so perhaps he’s doing something called exaggerating and/or approximating. k?
Sheeesh – it’s 2009, almost 2010, so 18-19 years ago. Ever hear of rounding? Nitpick much?
Nothing will ever be better than “The Last Waltz”. Period. End of story.
Big time! By a landslide!
I agree totally! By a landslide!
First thing that came to my mind also.
I would definately go see a concert film of Gaga.
that’s because you can’t spell “definitely”
Elvis’ 1968 “Comeback Special” was pretty darn good (even if I was only 5 years old at the time!).
Christine.
http://www.geckogully.com/artsEntertainment
Elvis in that black leather outfit… swooning at my desk! (and I’m 33)
How about Britney Spears? Apparently she knows how to put on a concert with her latest concert tour. Most go to her concerts to see the production. And plus, add in a bit about her life story and all her ups and down and go into the concert. Presto, it would be riviting.
Seconded, she’s a fascinating popular personality with a great stage show and a drama filled life, perfect!
Britney Spears should do a concert film immediately with footage from her Circus tour of this year. You have a complete movie with her concert and the massive production,the circus theme and all the lighting!
If we’re going to talk about concert films, I don’t care how good her performances are, I want someone who SINGS. Or else it’s just a show, not a concert.
Concert films don’t make much money because it pales in comparison to seeing the real thing. I would love to watch a documentary about the band with concert footage, but watching a concert on film is pretty boring. There is something about the energy that is in the room at a live show that you just can’t get in the theater. “Dave Chapelle’s Block Party” was the one ‘concert film’ that I enjoyed, but that was much more than just a show.
radiohead has the best live show around these days. and they’ve got a rabid following and all in all they’re sort of a mystery publicly outside of thom yorke’s political work. they’d be really interesting to see on the big screen.
That’s a fantastic idea. They are probably the best live band I have seen, not so much for the spectacle (Muse would win that accolade for me) but because, even when I was only watching live performances on TV, they have reinvented songs for me that I had really not been impressed by when I heard them on CD. The real live experience is something you cannot recreate, but even as a film they would be worth experiencing.
The White Stripes – Under Blackpool Lights…
Ween – Live In Chicago…
Talking Heads – Stop Making Sense…
Here are some great concert films.
I thought of GaGa when I first saw the headlines. I think, however, for a concert film to be successful, the tour itself has to have some hype to it. Obviously Michael Jackson will do fantastically because of enourmous amounts of hype about the actual tour. Remember the hugeness that was the “Best of Both Worlds” Tour? Including the ticket controversey? Those kinds of events make concert films big. Otherwise, you might as well go see the real thing.
Helloooo, “Woodstock” !! THE best concert film.
U2 3D was one of the most amazing theater-going experiences of my life, and I’m 34 years old and not easily impressed. All 7 of us who saw that movie in the theaters know how amazing it was, truly incredible.
Radiohead. That is all.
1. Woodstock 2. The Last Waltz 3. Stop Making Sense
This is the holy trinity of concert films.
The last concert film I saw that rocked was Sign ‘O’ The Times by Prince. I would love it if he did another concert film. Other artists that I think could do the genre justice for following or visual excitement would be KISS, Lady Gaga (the Baz suggestion rocks), Dave Matthews Band and Radiohead.
This is definitely accurate – I always love when HBO breaks out full hours or two and devotes them to a blockbuster tour or another. I remember their covering Madonna’s Drowned World tour 8 years ago, and I wish they did that for every tour since then – after all, her concert tickets go for $150 a pop, and a movie ticket’s quite reasonable.
Justin Timberlake’s HBO special was pretty awesome, too.