Our Staff Picks column takes you back to a time when video stores reigned supreme and the "Staff Picks" section was the place to find out what films were worthy of one's time. Of course, our version of Staff Picks has a decidedly skintillating angle, as we suss out which films from a particular subgenre are the best to find great nudity. This week let's cover one of the most exciting genres of documentary: the concert film.
Part documentary and party filmed concert, concert films tend to focus on an artist's tour or specific performance. With the wild success of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour in cinemas across the country in 2023, there will likely be a renewed interest in concert films. Hell, Beyonce released one just last month.
The earliest concert film is considered to be 1944's Adventures in Music, but 1959's Jazz on a Summer's Day, which comes from the Newport Jazz Festival, was much more notable. They rose to popularity in modern times with added interest in celebrities as well as concert tickets being so expensive that seeing a concert movie is analogous to being there. And now? There's nudity!
Madonna: Truth or Dare
Perhaps this is the grandmother of concert documentaries because of how controversial and well-shot it was. It's a damn good documentary. The Queen of Pop herself lets us see the ins and outs of her Blond Ambition tour in 1990. We saw several concert performances and rehearsals, but we also saw how she and her backup dancers entertained themselves in their hotel rooms. It looked like they had a ton of fun!
This is a genuinely fascinating documentary that shows Madonna doing it all: hanging out with various famous people like Antonio Banderas, dating Warren Beatty who seemed genuinely exhausted by her level of fame, and having Italian shows canceled because Pope John Paul II said so. In the middle of all of this chaos, Madonna plays "truth or dare?" with her dancers and reveals illuminating things about her private life.
The film ends with Madonna telling the director to cut. It all felt so real - but was it? That's the beauty of a popstar's documentary. We never know how much they want us to see and how much is curated. One thing is for certain: she wanted us to see those yabos!
Alanis Morissette: We're with the Band
Alternative singer Alanis Morisette has chilled out as an adult, but she was a very in-your-face young lady in the 90s. The Jagged Little Pill songstress released a little-known concert documentary that showed the singer running offstage to quickly take a piss. That means we saw her butt! Moments like this are why I love concert documentaries. When else would we see Alanis' bare ass?!
Anitta: Made in Honório
You may not know the name Anitta if you are North of the Border, but she is one of the most famous popstars in Brazil. In her concert docuseries, the spicy Latina lady let us into her world. Her hips don't lie in several bikinis and thongs that she wears throughout the documentary as she has backstage quick changes, massages, and just hanging out with her friends. The best scene comes when she is topless, wearing a thong, and getting styled by a lucky makeup artist who gets to be that close to her massive mams.
Gaga: Five Foot Two
Finally, Lady Gaga may only be 5'2", but her body (and voice) pack a punch. To promote her album Joanne, Lady Gaga let the audience into her personal life. No more meat dresses and wild publicity stunts. This was Lady Gaga's vulnerable moment. She got very vulnerable by sunbathing topless as she talked to her team. I loved seeing Lady Gaga conduct meetings in such a sexy way. How do I get a job working for this busty babe?!
