The best Roy Orbison’s documentary movies

Roy Orbison

Roy Orbison

23/04/1936- 06/12/1988
We present our ranking of the best Roy Orbison’s movies. Do you love cinema? Or are you looking for a movie of your favorite actor to watch tonight? Surely you have some to see or that you did not know yet about Roy Orbison.
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George Harrison: Living in the Material World

George Harrison: Living in the Material World
8.1/10
Director Martin Scorsese profiles former Beatle George Harrison in this reverent portrait that mixes interviews and archival footage, featuring commentary from the likes of Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr and Yoko Ono.

Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night

Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night
8.9/10
Recorded live at the Coconut Grove in Los Angeles, Roy is joined by an eclectic ensemble of rock and roll superstars including Jackson Browne, Elvis Costello, T-Bone Burnett, J.D. Souther, Jennifer Warnes, k.d. lang, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Springsteen and Tom Waits.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down a Dream

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down a Dream
8.6/10
Directed by Peter Bogdanovich and packed with rare concert footage and home movies, this documentary explores the history of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, including Petty's famous collaborations and notorious clashes with the record industry. Interviews with musical luminaries including Jackson Browne, George Harrison, Eddie Vedder, Roger McGuinn, Jeff Lynne, Dave Stewart and Petty himself shed some revelatory vision.

Mr. Blue Sky: The Story of Jeff Lynne & ELO

Mr. Blue Sky: The Story of Jeff Lynne & ELO
7.3/10
  • Genre: DocumentaryMusic
  • Release: 05/10/2012
  • Character: Himself (archive footage)
Documentary which gets to the heart of who Jeff Lynne is and how he has had such a tremendous musical influence on our world. The story is told by the British artist himself and such distinguished collaborators and friends of Jeff as Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Tom Petty, Joe Walsh, Olivia and Dhani Harrison, Barbara Orbison and Eric Idle. The film reveals that Lynne is a true man of music, for whom the recording studio is his greatest instrument. With access to Lynne in his studio above LA, this is an intimate account of a great British pop classicist who has ploughed a unique furrow since starting out on the Birmingham Beat scene in the early 60s, moving from the Idle Race to the multi-million selling ELO in the 70s and then, with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison and George Harrison, as a key member of the Traveling Wilburys.

Roy Orbison: Mystery Girl - Unraveled

Roy Orbison: Mystery Girl - Unraveled
7.3/10
  • Genre: DocumentaryMusic
  • Release: 19/05/2014
  • Character: Himself (archive footage)
The discography of Roy Orbison (1936-1988) - which yielded some of the most heartfelt, passionate classics of the rock ‘n’ roll era - shined even brighter with the release of Mystery Girl, the last album Orbison recorded, in 1989. The commercial success of Mystery Girl was nothing short of impressive: the album was a Top 5 hit, eventually earning Orbison his first platinum award for over 1 million sales, and featured the worldwide Top 10 smash “You Got It.” Mystery Girl: Unraveled features a new hour-long documentary on the making of the album, executive produced by Roy’s sons. The documentary includes new interviews with those behind the album including Steve Cropper, Tom Petty, Mick Campbell and Jeff Lynne. In addition there are eight wonderful music videos, including an unreleased alternate video for “She’s a Mystery to Me” and three new videos for “The Way Is Love,” “You Got It” and “California Blue.

Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll

Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll
7.7/10
St. Louis, 1986. For Chuck Berry's 60th, Keith Richards assembles a pickup band of Robert Cray, Joey Spampinato, Eric Clapton, himself and long-time Berry pianist, Johnnie Johnson. Joined on stage by Etta James, Linda Ronstadt and Julian Lennon, Berry performs his classic rock songs. His abilities as a composer, lyricist, singer, musician and entertainer are on display and, in behind-the-scenes interviews, are discussed by Bo Diddley, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bruce Springstein, the Everly Brothers, Roy Orbison and others. There's even a rarity for Berry—a rehearsal. Archival footage from the early 1950s and a duet with John Lennon round out this portrait of a master.

In Dreams: The Roy Orbison Story

In Dreams: The Roy Orbison Story
8/10
Roy Orbison - In Dreams is the ultimate exclusive music documentary of the life of Roy Orbison. It provides in-depth insights into his legendary career with classic performances, personal home movies and photos, location footage and interviews with the great and the humble that he touched with his music.

Johnny Cash - Live On Air

Johnny Cash - Live On Air

Eddie Cochran & Friends: C'mon Everybody

Eddie Cochran & Friends: C'mon Everybody
No overview found.

The True History Of The Traveling Wilburys

The True History Of The Traveling Wilburys
8.2/10
Spring, 1988: George Harrison asks Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, and Tom Petty to spend a day in the studio at Bob Dylan's L.A. house. The result is "Handle With Care." He liked the process so much that the five of them, plus Jim Keltner, spend a week in May at Dave Stewart's house, where they write and record a song a day to produce an album. We watch the creative process: group efforts ("Dirty World" is a found poem) and individual ones (Dylan's lyrics for "Congratulations'). Petty calls them "a bunch of friends who happened to be really good at making music." The album, released in October, goes platinum. The rock video for "End of the Line" is a eulogy for Orbison (1936-1988).

Roy Orbison: One of the Lonely Ones

Roy Orbison: One of the Lonely Ones
7.3/10
  • Genre: DocumentaryMusic
  • Release: 29/12/2015
  • Character: Himself (archive footage)
Using previously unseen performances, a biography of rock balladeer Roy Orbison told through his own voice, casting new light on the triumphs and tragedies that beset his career.

Roy Orbison: Love Hurts

Roy Orbison: Love Hurts
  • Genre: DocumentaryMusic
  • Release: 15/12/2017
  • Character: Himself (archive footage)
Roy Orbison's legacy as a beloved rock legend and a devoted father is revealed through intimate interviews with Roy's three surviving sons, featuring previously unseen home videos.

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