Music, Documentary
Copyright Criminals examines the creative and commercial value of musical sampling, including the related debates over artistic expression, copyright law, and (of course) money. This documentary traces the rise of hip-hop from the urban streets of New York to its current status as a multibillion-dollar industry. For more than thirty years, innovative hip-hop performers and producers have been re-using portions of previously recorded music in new, otherwise original compositions. When lawyers and record companies got involved, what was once referred to as a “borrowed melody” became a “copyright infringement.” The film showcases many of hip-hop music’s founding figures like Public Enemy, De La Soul, and Digital Underground—while also featuring emerging hip-hop artists from record labels Definitive Jux, Rhymesayers, Ninja Tune, and more.
MOVIE COMMENTS
SIMILAR MOVIES
Moulin Rouge!
Hustle & Flow
Quadrophenia
Center Stage
Pink Floyd: The Wall
Yellow Submarine
Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks
Get Better: A Film About Frank Turner
Ol' Dirty Bastard: A Tale of Two Dirtys
Woodstock
Les Tistics : Les Franglaises En Vie à La Pépinière
Full Metal Village
The Harder They Come
Shine a Light
Mr. Holland's Opus
What Difference Does It Make?
Porgy and Bess
Step Up 2: The Streets
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
HOMECOMING: A film by Beyoncé
SIMILAR MOVIES
Moulin Rouge!
IMDB 7.5 | May , 2001
A celebration of love and creative inspiration takes place in the infamous, gaudy and glamorous Parisian nightclub, at the cusp of the 20th century. A young poet, who is plunged into the heady world of Moulin Rouge, begins a passionate affair with the club's most notorious and beautiful star.Hustle & Flow
IMDB 7.1 | Jul , 2005
With help from his friends, a Memphis pimp in a mid-life crisis attempts to become a successful hip-hop emcee.Quadrophenia
IMDB 7 | Sep , 1979
Based on the 1973 rock opera album of the same name by The Who, this is the story of 60s teenager Jimmy. At work he slaves in a dead-end job. While after, he shops for tailored suits and rides his scooter as part of the London Mod scene.Center Stage
IMDB 6.9 | May , 2000
A group of 12 teenagers from various backgrounds enroll at the American Ballet Academy in New York to make it as ballet dancers and each one deals with the problems and stress of training and getting ahead in the world of dance.Pink Floyd: The Wall
IMDB 8 | Jul , 1982
A troubled rock star descends into madness in the midst of his physical and social isolation from everyone.Yellow Submarine
IMDB 7.2 | Jul , 1968
The wicked Blue Meanies take over Pepperland, eliminating all color and music. As the only survivor, the Lord Admiral escapes in the yellow submarine and journeys to Liverpool to enlist the help of the Beatles.Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks
IMDB 6.8 | Aug , 2019
The fantastic story of how an ancient martial art, Chinese kung fu, conquered the world through the hundreds of films that were produced in Hong Kong over the decades, transformed Western action cinema and inspired the birth of cultural movements such as blaxploitation, hip hop music, parkour and Wakaliwood cinema.Get Better: A Film About Frank Turner
IMDB 7.2 | Dec , 2016
‘Get Better – A Film About Frank Turner’ was directed by friend Ben Morse, and follows Frank Turner and his band The Sleeping Souls for a year on the road, but the band swiftly came off the road – and Frank came off the rails before recovery.Ol' Dirty Bastard: A Tale of Two Dirtys
IMDB 1.5 | Aug , 2024
The untold story of the man and the musician who made an immense cultural impact across just a few short years. Having gained exclusive rights to a never-before-seen personal archive shot by his wife alongside access to his closest friends and family, the doc is described by the filmmakers as a culture-defining special that humanizes ODB as a man, a father and a husband like never before. It explores how Russell Tyrone Jones created Ol' Dirty Bastard, a Hip Hop alter ego superhero that would ultimately consume him.Woodstock
IMDB 7.5 | Mar , 1970
An intimate look at the Woodstock Music & Art Festival held in Bethel, NY in 1969, from preparation through cleanup, with historic access to insiders, blistering concert footage, and portraits of the concertgoers; negative and positive aspects are shown, from drug use by performers to naked fans sliding in the mud, from the collapse of the fences by the unexpected hordes to the surreal arrival of National Guard helicopters with food and medical assistance for the impromptu city of 500,000.Les Tistics : Les Franglaises En Vie à La Pépinière
IMDB 6.4 | Aug , 2012
Full Metal Village
IMDB 6.7 | Apr , 2007
The film describes the microcosmos of the small village Wacken and shows the clash of the cultures, before and during the biggest heavy metal festival in Europe.The Harder They Come
IMDB 6.5 | Sep , 1972
Ivanhoe Martin arrives in Kingston, Jamaica, looking for work and, after some initial struggles, lands a recording contract as a reggae singer. He records his first song, "The Harder They Come," but after a bitter dispute with a manipulative producer named Hilton, soon finds himself resorting to petty crime in order to pay the bills. He deals marijuana, kills some abusive cops and earns local folk hero status. Meanwhile, his record is topping the charts.Shine a Light
IMDB 6.8 | Apr , 2008
Martin Scorsese and the Rolling Stones unite in "Shine A Light," a look at The Rolling Stones." Scorsese filmed the Stones over a two-day period at the intimate Beacon Theater in New York City in fall 2006. Cinematographers capture the raw energy of the legendary band.Mr. Holland's Opus
IMDB 7 | Dec , 1995
In 1965, passionate musician Glenn Holland takes a day job as a high school music teacher, convinced it's just a small obstacle on the road to his true calling: writing a historic opus. As the decades roll by with the composition unwritten but generations of students inspired through his teaching, Holland must redefine his life's purpose.What Difference Does It Make?
IMDB 5.1 | Feb , 2014
A documentary that explores the challenges that a life in music can bring.Porgy and Bess
IMDB 6.1 | Jun , 1959
In the early 1900s, the fictional Catfish Row section of Charleston, South Carolina serves as home to a black fishing community. Crippled beggar Porgy, who travels about in a goat-drawn cart, loves the drug-addicted Bess, who lives with stevedore Crown, the local bully.Step Up 2: The Streets
IMDB 6.7 | Feb , 2008
When rebellious street dancer Andie lands at the elite Maryland School of the Arts, she finds herself fighting to fit in while also trying to hold onto her old life. When she joins forces with the schools hottest dancer, Chase, to form a crew of classmate outcasts to compete in Baltimore s underground dance battle The Streets.Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
IMDB 6.6 | Dec , 2007
Following a childhood tragedy, Dewey Cox follows a long and winding road to music stardom. Dewey perseveres through changing musical styles, an addiction to nearly every drug known and bouts of uncontrollable rage.HOMECOMING: A film by Beyoncé
IMDB 8.1 | Apr , 2019
This intimate, in-depth look at Beyoncé's celebrated 2018 Coachella performance reveals the emotional road from creative concept to cultural movement.