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John Lee Hooker and Friends 1984-1992 (1992)
Character: N/A
John Lee Hooker is one of the few legendary bluesmen to crack the MTV barrier. He has recorded and performed with a host of contemporary pop stars. John Lee's music hasn't changed but the accompanying musicians have. This 60 minute video presents John Lee performing with many of his friends from 1984 to 1992. Ry Cooder duets on three tracks. Robert Cray burns up the fretboard on Mr. Lucky, John Hammond plays slide behind Father Was a Jockey and Bonnie Raitt cajoles and teases on "I'm In The Mood".
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ACL Presents: Americana Music Festival 2014 (2014)
Character: Self
Austin City Limits (ACL) heads to Nashville for a special broadcast featuring performance highlights from this year’s Americana Honors & Awards. ACL Presents: Americana Music Festival 2014 premieres this Saturday, November 22, on PBS stations across the United States and includes performances from Robert Plant and Ry Cooder, among many others. The show was recorded live at the Americana Music Association's 13th Annual Honors & Awards ceremony at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium in September.
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Talking Guitars (2008)
Character: Self
"Talking Guitars" is an intimate portrait of master guitar craftsman, Flip Scipio. The behind-the-scenes music-documentary illustrates the fascinating juxtaposition of the quiet artist and the world of musicians who seek his expertise. His clients include Jackson Browne, David Lindley, Ben Taylor, Paul Simon, David Tronzo, Leni Stern and Carly Simon. It is claimed that Flip "can make the worst piece of sh*t sing". For himself "Music is like Esperanto"; a universal language.
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Motion and Emotion: The Films of Wim Wenders (1990)
Character: Self
Though very polite and British, this feature-length documentary about German filmmaker Wim Wenders offers the most penetrating insights and the best overall critique of his work that I have encountered anywhere. Paul Joyce, who directed it, has also made documentaries about Nicolas Roeg, David Cronenberg, Nagisa Oshima, and Dennis Hopper, and he knows the conventional format well enough to get the most out of it. There are good clips and interesting commentaries from the interviewed subjects, who include Wenders himself, cinematographer Robby Muller, filmmaker Sam Fuller, novelist Patricia Highsmith, musician Ry Cooder, actors Harry Dean Stanton, Peter Falk, and Hanns Zischler, and critic Kraft Wetzel, who is especially provocative. A must-see for Wenders fans, highly recommended for everyone else. –Jonathan Rosenbaum, 1989
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The Artist Formerly Known As Captain Beefheart (1997)
Character: Himself
Elaine Shepherd’s classic BBC documentary, introduced and narrated by John Peel. Completely wonderful, a 50 minute joy: reviews, articles, blog posts, etc. relating to The Artist Formerly Known As Captain Beefheart.
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Ry Cooder: How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live? (1970)
Character: N/A
An introduction to the world of Ry Cooder and his debut album on Warner Bros. Records. Cooder talks about old movies, trailers and the lay of the land. And most of all about the inspiration from Blind Alfred Reed's song "How can a poor man stand such times and live?"
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Randy Newman: Live at the Odeon (1982)
Character: Self
Recorded live at New York's legendary Odeon nightclub, this one-hour 1983 concert features award-winning songwriter Randy Newman, with guests Ry Cooder and Linda Ronstadt. Mingling humorous lyrics with a blend of New Orleans R&B, traditional pop, and folk, Newman sings his favorites, including "I Love L.A.," "Burn On, Big River," "Short People," "Political Science," "Rednecks," "Guilty," "My Life Is Good" and "I Think It's Going to Rain Today."
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Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice (2019)
Character: Self
With one of the most memorably stunning voices that has ever hit the airwaves, Linda Ronstadt burst onto the 1960s folk rock music scene in her early twenties.
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The Long Riders (1980)
Character: Wedding Band Guitar Player (uncredited)
The origins, exploits and the ultimate fate of the James gang is told in a sympathetic portrayal of the bank robbers made up of brothers who begin their legendary bank raids because of revenge.
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Wim Wenders, Desperado (2020)
Character: Self (archive footage)
"Wings Of Desire" and "Buena Vista Social Club", "Paris, Texas" and "The State Of Things": Wim Wenders is considered one of the pioneers of New German Cinema and one of the most important and influential representatives of contemporary cinema. With never-before-shown archive material and extraordinary encounters with companions and contemporary witnesses such as Francis Ford Coppola, Willem Dafoe, Andie MacDowell, Hanns Zischler, Patti Smith, and Werner Herzog, this documentary provides unique insights into the life and work of one of the most multifaceted artists of our times. Renowned documentary filmmaker Eric Friedler ("It Must Schwing. The Blue Note Story") and his co-director Andreas Frege were given the exclusive opportunity to portray Wenders for this film. From Düsseldorf to Paris, and all the way to the desert of Texas, the film traces iconic locations and decisive moments in Wenders' work as director, producer, photographer, and author.
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This Ain't No Mouse Music! (2014)
Character: Self
Loving, music-filled tribute to Chris Strachwitz, guiding force behind legendary roots music label Arhoolie Records. With Ry Cooder, Clifton Chenier, Richard Thompson, Flaco Jiménez and a new generation of roots musicians.
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The People Speak (2009)
Character: Self
A look at America's struggles with war, class, race and women's rights. based on Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States."
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Buena Vista Social Club (1999)
Character: Self
In this fascinating Oscar-nominated documentary, American guitarist Ry Cooder brings together a group of legendary Cuban folk musicians (some in their 90s) to record a Grammy-winning CD in their native city of Havana. The result is a spectacular compilation of concert footage from the group's gigs in Amsterdam and New York City's famed Carnegie Hall, with director Wim Wenders capturing not only the music -- but also the musicians' life stories.
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