As movie ticket prices continue to climb and streaming platforms strike bigger and better deals with distributors, laptops are quickly becoming the modern movie theater.
From nature documentaries to slasher flicks, there's a little bit of everything at your digital disposal.
And we are a music blog, so what follows is an attempt to highlight some of the best documentary offerings available from your very own couch, with nothing more than a borrowed password.
Here are 10 movies on Netflix that every music lover should watch.
"Stretch and Bobbito: Radio That Changed Lives"
http://www.youtube.com/embed/7e9NhvTfEXg
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Year released: 2015
Director: Bobbito Garcia
In the early '90s, few radio stations embraced hip-hop like "The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show." Their time on-air started as a college radio hobby for two hip-hop obsessives, but this was New York City's so-called golden age, and the show quickly became a mecca for young artists looking to cut their teeth live on air.
Some of those artists became legends. This documentary's interviews tell the story: Jay Z, Nas, Raekwon, Busta Rhymes—the list goes on, each artist indelibly changed by their time on-air with Stretch and Bobbito. From interviewing a 16-year-old Christopher Wallace to introducing Nas to the world before Illmatic, rap's history book owes these two a paragraph or two. This doc is the proof, a long-deserved victory lap for two of music's unsung heroes.
"What Happened, Miss Simone?"
http://www.youtube.com/embed/moOQXZxriKY
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Year: 2015
Director: Liz Garbus
Undoubtedly one of the greatest entertainers of all time, Nina Simone lived a life of absolute honesty, fearlessness, and melodic brilliance. Liz Garbus’s biographical documentary shares the story the singer, pianist, and activist from the beginning of her compelling career to its unfortunate end.
The doc explores the mental illness, racism, sexism, domestic violence, and other obstacles Nina endured throughout her life. She’s received countless accolades and consequential fame, but more than legendary status, she sought equality. Simone became the activist voice of her time, defining her sound as “civil rights music.” She cracked monocles and raised awareness with songs like ‘Mississippi Goddam" and "To Be Young, Gifted, and Black."
The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, and Liz Garbus took home an Emmy this year for "Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Special." Simone's story might not have a fairy tale ending, but it's one worth knowing.
"Chasing Trane"
http://www.youtube.com/embed/LujRZj2nJTg
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Year: 2017
Director: John Scheinfeld
We talk about hip-hop a lot on this site, but there are certain kinds of greatness that transcend genre. John Coltrane provokes praise from anyone who cares about music. John Scheinfield's 2017 biopic does much to educate modern audiences on the life and times of Coltrane, featuring interviews with a wide swath of subjects that include former president Bill Clinton, Common, Coltrane's immediate family, and a host of friends and biographers.
Speaking on his early relationship with music, biographer Ashley Kahn says, “It’s almost like he hangs onto the music like a life preserver.” In both somber and exalting tones, Chasing Trane dives deep on the talent, drive, and mind of one of the greatest musicians of the last century.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider