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Lionsgate has pulled a Paramount and decided to sell a bunch of DVDs using a retro touch. Just as Paramount released Top Secret, Naked Gun, Flashdance and others in an “I Love the 80s” series, Lionsgate has launched a “Music Makers” series, consisting of films about musicians. Three of those titles include Ballad in Blue, A Man Called Adam, Buena Vista Social Club, and Beyond the Sea. The selection of films is quite enjoyable, and each includes a CD featuring tracks by the artists showcased in the series. So how does it all play out?

Ballad in Blue

Remember how Jamie Foxx put out that exceptional Ray Charles biopic in 2004? People said his portrayal of Charles was top-notch and lavished him with all sorts of praise. The album, released with tracks by both Charles and Foxx, virtually jumped off the shelves. So why is it that the 1964 film about Ray Charles, which actually has the man playing himself, didn’t get a renewal of praise around that time? Even with the legend headlining it, the film was never all that good. In fact, the best parts of the film are his few musical performances – the rest is horribly written and directed with the flair of a bad documentary. It might be nice to see a master musician showing off his god-given talent in a film, but it’s also very painful when that film is so easily upstaged by one featuring an actor in his place and performing at a comparable level. You wouldn’t think it possible, but Ray Charles lost to Jamie Foxx in the contest of who could play himself better.

A Man Called Adam

Of the three films in this review, A Man Called Adam deserves credit for being tops. It might not be any better than Beyond the Sea in quality, but it sports some of the best musical talent: Sammy Davis Jr., Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra Jr., Mel Torme, and Peter Lawford. It’s a full house every night Adam (Davis Jr.) performs, and his career has taken off to unexpected heights. His music rocks the halls, and everywhere he goes people know his name. Sometimes the notoriety isn’t worth the trouble; Adam gets tangled up in a web of dangerous affairs while trying to navigate a romance (with Cicely Tyson). Similar in tone to the more recent Cadillac Records, both films delve into the complications that fame brings, whether it be drugs, public conflict, etc. The music in A Man Called Adam makes it worth the viewing alone, and the performances by Sammy, Ossie Davis, and Tyson only help to sweeten the pot – nevermind that the story isn’t everything it should be.

Beyond the Sea

The most recent film in the collection, Beyond the Sea stars Kevin Spacey as beloved crooner Bobby Darin. Produced, written, and directed by Spacey, Beyond the Sea follows Darin’s rise to teen idol fame in the 50s and 60s. Every actor loves to surprise the public with a musical number demonstrating an unexpected ability to sing. After Ewan McGregor busted out some solos in Moulin Rouge and before Joaquin Phoenix embodied the man in black in Walk the Line, Spacey lit up the stage with an above par take on Darin. His voice stays true through the musical numbers managing to get by, but never really packing in that extra whallop which made Darin’s music so snappy. Spacey keeps the film moving along though using his sheer magnetism as an actor. However, once you move outside of Spacey’s performance, the film doesn’t stand up to much scrutiny. Kate Bosworth as Darin’s bride Sandra Dee isn’t really up to the task of the role nor of playing opposite of Spacey. You can do better in terms of musical biopics, but Beyond the Sea warrants at least one viewing.

Buena Vista Social Club

Films about music don’t always work (far more are produced than ever see the light of day), so it’s a real treat when something like Buena Vista Social Club comes along. Filled with great music and scenery, the film follows Ry Cooder as he travels around Havana to pick up the pieces of the Buena Vista Social Club, a popular musical venue in the days before the Cuban revolution. Intercut with modern day performances at Carnegie Hall and in Amsterdam (after the release of the album Buena Vista Social Club, one of the only times an album appears to have inspired a major film), the film is as much about Cuba as it is about its music, heavily contrasting the modern day with the Battista era as the musicians perform in buildings that have clearly seen better days. If that’s not enough, this also features one of the all-time greatest film soundtracks, with each track performed with enough vibrance to make you wonder why it took so long for this music to be discovered on an international level. A winner.

DVD Bonus Features

Only Beyond the Sea sports anything beyond subtitles and the default audio CDs Lionsgate included to make the “Music Makers” pack seem momentous. Spacey’s musical project includes an audio commentary as well as a featurette including behind the scenes footage and interviews with the cast and crew.