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
As It Is in Heaven
The Blues Brothers
Moulin Rouge!
8 Mile
Gimme Shelter
Dave Chappelle's Block Party
Mozart! The Musical
Babymetal: Live Legend I, D, Z Apocalypse
USHER: Rendezvous in Paris
Styx and the Contemporary Youth Orchestra of Cleveland - One with Everything
Bola de Nieve
Josie and the Pussycats
The Swan Princess: Kingdom of Music
Iron Maiden: Flight 666
Hellzapoppin'
The Nutcracker
High School Musical 2
Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks
Journey to Jah
The Last Dragon
SIMILAR MOVIES
As It Is in Heaven
IMDB 7.2 | Sep , 2004
A musical romantic tragedy about a famous composer who moves back to his small hometown after having had heart troubles. His search for a simple everyday life leads him into teaching the local church choir, which is not easily accepted by the town yet the choir builds a great love for their teacher.The Blues Brothers
IMDB 7.7 | Jun , 1980
Jake Blues, just released from prison, puts his old band back together to save the Catholic home where he and his brother Elwood were raised.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.8 Mile
IMDB 7.1 | Nov , 2002
For Jimmy Smith, Jr., life is a daily fight just to keep hope alive. Feeding his dreams in Detroit's vibrant music scene, Jimmy wages an extraordinary personal struggle to find his own voice - and earn a place in a world where rhymes rule, legends are born and every moment… is another chance.Gimme Shelter
IMDB 7.3 | Dec , 1970
A detailed chronicle of the famous 1969 tour of the United States by the British rock band The Rolling Stones, which culminated with the disastrous and tragic concert held on December 6 at the Altamont Speedway Free Festival, an event of historical significance, as it marked the end of an era: the generation of peace and love suddenly became the generation of disillusionment.Dave Chappelle's Block Party
IMDB 6.7 | Sep , 2005
The American comedian/actor delivers a story about the alternative Hip Hop scene. A small town Ohio mans moves to Brooklyn, New York, to throw an unprecedented block party.Mozart! The Musical
IMDB 6.6 | Sep , 2015
Based on the biography of world-renowned Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, this hit production by VBW shines a new light on a legend: far from the established cliché, MOZART! presents the brilliant artist as a complex and ambiguous character, haunted by his own genius while struggling with life’s cruel challenges.Babymetal: Live Legend I, D, Z Apocalypse
IMDB 7.6 | Nov , 2013
LIVE ~LEGEND I、D、Z APOCALYPSE~ is the first video album by Japanese heavy metal band Babymetal. The album contains live footage of three shows, entitled Legend "I", Legend "D", and Legend "Z", respectively (spelling out the initials of "Ijime, Dame, Zettai"), performed in Tokyo from late 2012 to early 2013.USHER: Rendezvous in Paris
IMDB 0 | Sep , 2024
USHER's incorporates the essence of his landmark cultural phenomenon Vegas residencies into a seductive French touch confession. Captured during Paris Fashion week at La Seine Musicale, USHER performs some of his biggest hits from his 30-year career with never-before-seen costumes and state-of-the-art lighting and special effects.Styx and the Contemporary Youth Orchestra of Cleveland - One with Everything
IMDB 6.8 | Apr , 2009
On May 25, 2006, the band took the stage in Cleveland for a new venture accompanied by the 115-piece Contemporary Youth Orchestra and a 60-member chorus. With a set list that combined Styx classics, new songs, and cover versions, this was a truly unique event. In 2006, Styx upped the ante on their already-epic stage presence by joining forces with the Contemporary Youth Orchestra of Cleveland. Backed by the 115-piece symphony and a 60-member choir, the rock band played incredible renditions of their hits, including "Renegade" and "Too Much Time on My Hands."Bola de Nieve
IMDB 5.6 | Apr , 2003
Documentarian Jose Sanchez-Montes turns his attention towards the late Cuban musician Ignacio Villa, known throughout the world as Bola de Nieve (Snowball), with this 2003 biographical documentary entitled simply Bola de Nieve. A master pianist, Bola de Nieve was a mainstay through the middle portion of the 20th century, with his music almost omnipresent in South America cinema throughout those formative decades. With Bola de Nieve's famous statement "I'm a sad person, but my songs sound happy" in mind, Sanchez-Montes also looks at the influence of the musician's African heritage and homosexuality upon Bola de Nieve's unique musical style.Josie and the Pussycats
IMDB 5.6 | Apr , 2001
Josie, Melody and Val are three small-town girl musicians determined to take their rock band out of their garage and straight to the top, while remaining true to their look, style and sound. They get a record deal which brings fame and fortune but soon realize they are pawns of two people who want to control the youth of America. They must clear their names, even if it means losing fame and fortune.The Swan Princess: Kingdom of Music
IMDB 5.9 | Aug , 2019
Princess Odette is hosting a music competition to celebrate Princess Alise's birthday. Prince Li of Cathay has entered, but his sister Princess Mei Li has stowed away on his ship to seek help from Odette and Derek for Chen, who has been cursed to live as a dragon. Who will win the music festival and will Chen ever be free from his curse?Iron Maiden: Flight 666
IMDB 7.8 | Apr , 2009
Heavy metal band Iron Maiden's 2008 Somewhere Back in Time World Tour. This concert recording accompanies the documentary film "Iron Maiden: Flight 666". The 16 songs performed were filmed live in 16 different cities giving you the full experience of the live power of Maiden and their fans all around the globe.Hellzapoppin'
IMDB 7.1 | Dec , 1941
Olsen and Johnson, a pair of stage comedians, try to turn their play into a movie and bring together a young couple in love, while breaking the fourth wall every step of the way.The Nutcracker
IMDB 8.8 | Dec , 1977
The Nutcracker is Mikhail Baryshnikov's breathtaking and critcally acclaimed Emmy nominated production. The thisspectacular performance is danced by the magnificent team of Baryshnikov, one of the greatest classical dancers of the century, and Gelsey Kirkland, both chowcased at the peak of the their careers, with members of the American Ballet Theatre.High School Musical 2
IMDB 6.5 | Aug , 2007
The East High Wildcats are gearing up for big fun as they land the coolest summer jobs imaginable. Troy, Gabriella, Chad, and Taylor have scored sweet gigs at the Lava Springs Country Club owned by Sharpay and Ryan's family. Sharpay's first rule of business: Get Troy. As Troy experiences a life of privilege he's never known, will he give up the Wildcats and Gabriella to rise to the top?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.Journey to Jah
IMDB 6 | Mar , 2014
The forceful feature-length documentary Journey to Jah by Noel Dernesch and Moritz Springer catches the global phenomenon of crossing borders by documenting the experiences of integration in a foreign culture. The film follows the internationally acclaimed European musicians Gentleman and Alborosie, which found a new spiritual home within the reggae culture while Jamaican singer Terry Lynn takes the other direction integrating European styles into her music.The Last Dragon
IMDB 6.4 | Mar , 1985
A young man searches for the "master" to obtain the final level of martial arts mastery known as the glow. Along the way he must fight an evil martial arts expert and rescue a beautiful singer from an obsessed music promoter.