It shows what the underground soul scene was really like back in the late 70’s.
Social & External
The people behind it
Danny John-Jules
Self
Grant Santino
Documentary by the music label Defected and its brand Glitterbox about electronic music, its beginning in New York and its importance for minorities all around the world.
The history of gay liberation traced through the phenomenon of disco. Glitter balls, feather boas and Levi jeans become signifiers of a movement 20 years after the Stonewall riots.
This documentary traces the lives of Gibb brothers and takes a look through their memories, creating some of the greatest hits in the world as the Bee Gees. Including interviews, archive footage, and new versions of classic songs - all recorded in the lead up to the release of their 'Still Waters' album in 1997.
From Jimi Hendrix to Patrick Hernandez and even Madonna, everybody crossed the path of Jean Vanloo. Who is this mysterious character from Moeskroen in Belgium? From the 60’s to the 80’s, this documentary tells the story of this improbable music producer, creator of the unforgettable hit “Born to be Alive”.
The War on Disco explores the culture war that erupted over the spectacular rise of disco music. Originating in underground Black and gay clubs, disco had unseated rock as America’s most popular music by the late 1970s. But many diehard rock fans viewed disco, with its repetitive beat and culture that emphasized pleasure, as shallow and superficial. A story that’s about much more than music, The War on Disco explores how the powerful anti-disco backlash revealed a cultural divide that to some seemed to be driven by racism and homophobia. The hostility came to a head on July 12, 1979, when a riot broke out at “Disco Demolition Night” during a baseball game in Chicago.
The life of the magnetic Jamaican musician, actress, model and party queen Grace Jones featuring concert performances and intimate, personal footage.
Shock jock pioneer, Steve Dahl declared that July 14, 1979 would be the end of disco when he blew up thousands of disco records in the outfield at Comisky Park in Chicago. Ten thousand Loop fans stormed the field in the middle of a White Sox/Tigers doubleheader, rioting, setting fires and the event made national headlines...and made Dahl a household name...and a Chicago legend. Combining new interviews with archival footage, this 2004 documentary offers viewers an unprecedented inside look at the night that disco died.
Chronicles the rise and fall of 1970s New York City nightclub Plato's Retreat.
Something strange and unpredictable takes inthe mysteriously vacant rooms of Berlin’s infamous Techno club Berghain. A group of wild animals occupy the monumental spaces of the former power station. We explore the building together with the animals and experience its dimensions from a new, nonhuman perspective. The brutality of the industrial architecture is confronted with the beauty of these shy creatures.
Hosted by the one and only Disco Diva, Gloria Gaynor, "Disco: Spinning the Story" takes a comprehensive look at the evolution of the music that defined the 70's. From the recording studios to the dance floors, "Disco: Spinning the Story" examines the phenomenon in a way it has never been told before. Hear funk pioneer George Clinton, Donna Summer producer Giorgio Moroder, Nile Rodgers of Chic, Earl Young of the Trammps, hip-hop icon Kurtis Blow, remix legend Tom Moulton, "Saturday Night Fever" actress, Karen Lynn Gorney and even Bob Weir of The Grateful Dead talk about the roots of Disco, how it emerged, and how it has influenced music ever since. Included are vintage performance highlights from Donna Summer, KC & The Sunshine Band, Bee Gees, Chic, Gloria Gaynor, Rose Royce, Labelle, Hues Corporation and many more.
Sex Fashion and Disco is a documentary film concerning Antonio Lopez (1943-1987), the most influential fashion illustrator of 1970s Paris and New York, and his colorful and sometimes outrageous milieu.
The most popular breakdancer in ex-Yugoslavia, Hamit Djogani, better known as Djole Djogani, made a documentary about his life and collaboration with the biggest stars of regional music scene. With rich documentary material and recordings from private archives, Djogani gathers close associates again and creates an interesting story that testifies to a specific time in the 1990s.
Mr. Supernature AKA Marc Cerrone or simply Cerrone has been a pillar of glittery four-to-the-floor disco anthems for nearly 40 years now. If you’re not familiar with the drummer, producer, composer, francofunkateer amongst countless other titles and roles, he’s kind of a god, on par with Giorgio Moroder, Nile Rodgers and the like. Pitchfork has gathered raw concert footage and interview with Rodgers, Bob Sinclar, Dave Haslam and the man himself (who chalks-up his fascination with electric music numbers to seeing Jimi Hendrix perform live in Paris as a teenager) to delve into the mans incalculable contribution to the DNAs of dance floor freakers and pop music alike (sampling years before it was adopted as hip-hop’s hammer and nail) and how he came to be so cherished by the greater funk cannon.
From the sweaty basement bars of 70s New York to the glittering peak of the global charts, how disco conquered the world - its origins, its triumphs, its fall and its legacy.
After overcoming traumatic events, Gloria Gaynor rebuilt her life by earning a degree in psychology and investing her own resources to produce the gospel record Testimony, which earned her second Grammy 40 years later.
For 23 straight Saturday nights of 1982, The Chicago Party dance show assaulted Chicagoland UHF eyeballs with Spandex, Southside fly guys, tender tenderonies, magicians, contortionists, prismatic video gimmickry, and lip-synched singles by a rising regime of local post-disco casualties. Unfettered nightlife and outlandish humor poured out of oddball outpost The CopHerBox II and onto TV screens. Pooling business acumen with music scene prominence, James Christopher and Willie Woods opened the CopHerBox II in 1979 at 117th and Halsted on Chicago’s Southside. To promote their venture, they purchased airtime on Chicago’s WCIU-TV Channel 26 for weekly installments of The Chicago Party. Each Saturday, the club’s adult clientele filled the illuminated dance floor, providing vibrant B-roll between tapings of breakdancing magicians and Jheri curled ventriloquists, giving an audience to a rising regime of Chicago Soul heavyweights.
In partnership with filmmaker Lauren Tabak and writer/consulting producer Barry Walters, we dive into the music career of Sylvester, starting from church choir in South Central LA to his early years in San Francisco. It follows his ascent to stardom through his evergreen, international hits "Dance (Disco Heat)" and "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)". Through his groundbreaking career, Sylvester blew open the doors for queer visibility and gender fluidity in mainstream music, leaving a legacy that continues to influence today's pop music.
The global success of disco legends Boney M. has left a lasting impact. But who are the people behind the songs? And what does their success have to do with a recording studio in Offenbach?
The portrait of a woman who remembers. Sheila tells the story of Sheila, without concessions or evasions. Her childhood, her parents, her beginnings, the rumors, her love affairs, her marriage, her son, her successes, her farewells, her return, her mourning. The journey of an extraordinary popular icon who never stopped fighting. The courage of an artist who never gives up. "Sheila, toutes ces vies-là" is also a journey through time. 60 years of pop music, punctuated by numerous archives, personal films, timeless hits and illustrations by Marc-Antoine Coulon. But also 60 years of fashion, through a legendary wardrobe (her TV show outfits) that Sheila invites us to rediscover.
Martin Scorsese's documentary intertwines footage from The Band's incredible farewell tour with probing backstage interviews and featured performances by Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, and other rock legends.
After years in the limelight, Selena Gomez achieves unimaginable stardom. But just as she reaches a new peak, an unexpected turn pulls her into darkness. This uniquely raw and intimate documentary spans her six-year journey into a new light.
With unprecedented access to the official archives and intimate recollections from the band, both current and past, Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition invites fans to experience one of the most iconic journeys in music history. Spanning five decades, this electrifying documentary charts the band’s rise from the pubs of East London to the world’s biggest stadiums. Featuring exclusive interviews with band members and contributors such as Javier Bardem, Lars Ulrich and Chuck D, as well as all-new animated sequences of the band's legendary mascot, Eddie, the film offers a rare and intimate look at Iron Maiden’s uncompromising vision and unwavering connection with their truly global army of fans.
A documentary chronicling the Beatles' rehearsal sessions in January 1969 for their proposed "back to basics" album, "Get Back," later re-envisioned and released as "Let It Be."
A documentary examining the decade of the 1970s as a turning point in American cinema. Some of today's best filmmakers interview the influential directors of that time.
Through deeply personal interviews with her siblings and an examination of the photographs, letters, and belongings left behind, Mariska assembles a new portrait of her mother Jayne Mansfield, an extraordinary and complex woman.
A concert film documenting Talking Heads at the height of their popularity, on tour for their 1983 album "Speaking in Tongues." The band takes the stage one by one and is joined by a cadre of guest musicians for a career-spanning and cinematic performance that features creative choreography and visuals.
Director Michael Apted revisits the same group of British-born adults after a 7 year wait. The subjects are interviewed as to the changes that have occurred in their lives during the last seven years.
Over 35 years after Bob Lazar's revelations, this documentary exposes secrets of a facility the government still denies. Featuring Lazar's testimony, recreations, and new evidence, it reopens a case that continues to spark global curiosity
An inside look at one of the most anticipated movie sequels ever with James Cameron and cast.
A backstage and on-stage look at Justin Bieber during his rise to super stardom.
In a crime-plagued neighborhood near Miami, brutal, bare-knuckled backyard fights give young men a chance to earn money -- and self-respect.
A string of threatening emails escalates into a revenge plot involving a newly married US marshal and his ex-girlfriend.
Through archival interviews and footage, George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley relive the arc of their Wham! career, from 70s best buds to 80s pop icons.
A look at the origins, history and conspiracies behind the "Majestic 12", a clandestine group of military and corporate figureheads charged with reverse-engineering extraterrestrial technology.
This revealing documentary honors the legendary Sidney Poitier—iconic actor, filmmaker, and civil rights activist. Featuring interviews with Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Halle Berry, and more.
Here's a little story they're about to tell... Mike Diamond and Adam Horovitz share the story of their band and 40 years of friendship in a live documentary experience directed by friend, collaborator, and their former grandfather, Spike Jonze.
This documentary focuses on the actors and their journey over two summers to create the remake to the original IT, by Stephen King. The documentary originally released as bonus material, bundled with IT: Chapter Two.
Documentary about the arena-packing Swedish DJ, chronicling his explosive rise to fame and surprising decision to retire from live performances in 2016.
