Jan 092009
Stick with me: We’re familiar with movie cliches, like the hooker with a heart of gold or the teenager who opens the fridge and drinks milk straight from the carton! What are the rock equivalents of the following movie cliches? Feel free to add your own movie cliches with corresponding rock equivalents.
- Hooker with a heart of gold (eg, almost any Marisa Tomei role)
- Teenager who opens the fridge and drinks milk straight from the carton
- Clueless-if-well-meaning suburban dad (eg, Eugene Levy in those American Pie movies)
- Man and woman whose constant bickering at work is an indication, to the audience, that the two are madly, deeply suited for falling in love by film’s end
- The loveable stoner (eg, Spiccoli)
- The loyal sidekick who turns out at the end of the film to be the villain, motivated by unrequitted homoerotic feelings toward his superior (eg, Will Patton in No Way Out) (VARIANT: The mass-murdering avenging angel who is set off by unrequitted love for a “nice” girl or boy.)
- The aging cop with a lone stain on his record who needs to complete “one more job” before retiring.
- The car chase that gets underway with the turned-over vegetable stand.
- The serial killer who keeps a cigar box full of newspaper clippings on the crimes he or she has committed
- The heartwarming, gut-wrenching Comeback story of a has-been (if ever-was)
There’s a lot here to chew on and, I’m sure, many more cliches that you will want to cite and correspond to the world of rock. Proceed as you see fit!
Neil Young’s ‘motorcycle mama’: she’s a lot like the tough broads in lots of 70s films.
The loveable stoner (eg, Spiccoli) = When a hippie-friendly band adds congas.
The heartwarming, gut-wrenching Comeback story of a has-been (if ever-was) = Rick Rubin
The aging cop with a lone stain on his record who needs to complete “one more job” before retiring: David Bowie?
The “genius” of the band who keeps telling the media he doesn’t know how long this thing can continue what with his demons and such, yet we all know he’s going to be rockin the county fairs with the same band in 30 years. See: James Hetfield.
Another variation on the loyal sidekick with a dark side is the misunderstood sideman who yearns to go solo and release disappointing albums of his own songs. Think George Harrison or Graham Coxon.
I think the aging cop (or his flipside, the aging safe cracker) who wants out but gets pulled into one more job for the promise of a shot at redemption is akin to anyone making records with Rick Rubin these last few years.
An effervescent pop song plays while we watch a montage of scenes where the buddies get together for a wild night out (or the female equivalent: the heroine tries on various goofy outfits in front of her friends before finding the perfect dress for that night).
This is the cinematic equivalent of the e-street band gathering around the mic for a sing along during Glory Days.
Hooker with the heart of gold = Courtney Love
I like the “Glory Days” tie-in, cdm! Keep ’em coming, Townspeople.
Personally, I see no evidence of gold in Courtney’s heart, unless you’re saying she went digging for it, but I prefer not to roll that way, cuz.
I vote for Robert Pollard as the “Clueless-if-well-meaning suburban dad” of rock.
Two brothers who are the yin/yang, bad/good, only to reveal that the bad boy has a code of conduct, whereas the good boy was spoiled and protected by the bad boy’s ill fame and attention and harbors the potential to be much worse morally. John and Paul.
White teacher who comes to a school in a black neighborhood and brings the kids enthusiasm for learning and a positive outlook… Maybe Elvis?
I like it, Cherguevarra!
My serial killer with the cigar box full of clippings on his crimes would be Roger Waters.
Ugly ducking who turns out to be a beautiful swan… help me out, folks…
Ugly duckling who turns into beautiful swan by the power of her performances…Janis Joplin or Patti Smith?
Who is the flip side to Cherguevarra’s: Kindly old black dude who helps the white person realize their potential by dispensing sage advice? (think Morgan Freeman as an old lady’s chauffeur, or a caddy played by, say, Morgan Freeman)
I imagine it would be somebody who’s work was not recognized until a bunch of British invasion guys started covering it but I can’t think of a good example.
The Yardbirds backing Sonny Boy Williamson. Or The London Howlin’ Wolf Sessions album.
A bunch of ragtag misfits rounded up for a dangerous, top-secret mission: The Doobie Brothers
CDM – I think the kindly old black dude who helps white person realize their own potential: Arthur Alexander.
Black guy as enlightened guru — a step or two above the genius caddy role; the black guy whose genius only our white hero can see, who loves all mankind, and is thus above reproach:
Smokey Robinson
Rednecks whose ass-kickin’, take-no-prisoners attitude is balanced with a countrified understanding of the true balance of right and wrong — and whose genius goes largely unappreciated until the end of the film, when over-educated, over-nuanced city folk have to give them props:
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Who is the cocky yet incredibly talented upstart who gradually learns humility over the course of a great trial? (see Tom Cruise in the movie where he is a pilot, bartender, race car driver, pool shark, military attorney, etc, etc…)
CDM – would that be Terrence Trent D’arby?
Joe Strummer.
Buddies out on a fishing trip: Communal singing around the microphone with a bottle of Jack.