Movies: WXPN Music Film Festival Starts Friday
Billy Crudup is a golden god in Almost Famous.
This weekend, WXPN is putting music on the big screen at the Prince Theater on Broad Street. Let’s take it day by day:
Friday, March 31
Stop Making Sense | 8 p.m.
Jonathan Demme’s 1984 concert film captured The Talking Heads at or near the height of their power. David Byrne and co. deliver then-hot hits “Psycho Killer,” “Take Me to the River,” “Burning Down the House” and more. Warning: This is not a documentary. (Followed by Land of the Lost Dance Party with DJ Robert Drake playing ’80s favorites.)
Saturday, April 1
The Last Waltz | 5 p.m.
Martin Scorsese documented the 1976 star-studded “final” performance by the revered rock band to widespread critical acclaim. Guests include Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Emmylou Harris, Muddy Waters, The Staple Singers and a bunch more. Before you go, read up on the behind the scenes stuff — it adds some layers.
50 Years of Sgt. Pepper’s | 8 p.m.
An “all-night tribute” to The Beatles’ 1967 record Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band includes a performance by tribute band Britishmania and a screening of the 1978 Sgt. Pepper movie.
Sunday, April 2
High Fidelity | 3:30 p.m.
John Cusack, Iben Hjejle, Liza Bonet, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jack Black and more star in Stephen Frears’ adaptation of Nick Hornby’s cult-hit novel about a romance/maturity-challenged music snob. Good movie. Terrible trailer: record skip noise, “Walking on Sunshine,” multiple Jack Black dancing clips, that voice-over voice…
Singles | 6 p.m.
The fest concludes on a Cameron Crowe two-fer, starting with the 1992 movie that tried to sum up the Gen-X/grunge generation. Really it’s just an ensemble rom-com with flannel and a halfway decent soundtrack.
Almost Famous | 8 p.m.
Crowe delivers more heart and more soul with this (kinda-autobiographical) story of a 15-year-old kid covering a rising Led-Zeppish rock band for Rolling Stone in 1973. An amazing cast, too: Patrick Fugit, Kate Hudson, Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Zooey Deschanel, Anna Paquin, Marc Maron…
The WXPN Music Film Festival at Prince Theater runs March 31-April 2. More info here.
