Eric Clapton Movies

Some of the most legendary rock & roll artists perform some of their hit songs acoustically before a small, intimate studio audience in this collection of clips from MTV's popular Unplugged series. Some of the performers and songs featured on this tape include "Late in the Evening" by Paul Simon; "Pulling Mussels From a Shell" performed by Squeeze; the venerable Tony Bennett singing "I Left My Heart in San Francisco"; "We Can Work It Out" by Paul McCartney; "Hold My Hand" by Hootie and the Blowfish; Hall and Oates singing "She's Gone"; "Back to You" by Bryan Adams; and the remarkable Eric Clapton performing "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out." ~ Forrest Spencer, All Movie Guide

In the 1980s, Eric Clapton went from being one of the most respected blues-based guitarists in rock to becoming a bona-fide pop star, and this home video release features videos for twelve of his biggest latter-day hits. Selections include "Tears In Heaven", "Wonderful Tonight", "Forever Man", "Change The World", "My Father's Eyes", "Running On Faith", and more. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Imagination is a live performance video interspersed with interviews with music legend Brian Wilson, and other artists who worked with him or were influenced by him. Wilson, the singer/songwriter powerhouse that drove the Beach Boys to fame and fortune, released his new album of the same name in 1998. This groundbreaking effort is a testament to Wilson's continued musical genius, and revitalized career after long years of personal struggle. The closed-captioned video features Wilson singing with a band composed of such rock greats as Timothy B. Schmitt of the Eagles, as well as Bruce Johnson and Joe Thomas of the Beach Boys. Beach Boy classics, penned by Wilson, are in the repertoire : "California Girls", "In My Room", "Don't Worry Baby". Notable selections in the new material are "South America", and "Your Imagination".Guest stars include Christopher Cross, Jimmy Buffett, Stevie Wonder, Eric Claptan, Elvis Costello, and Glen Campbell. Great performances and great film making combine to make Imagination an inspiration. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide

Dan Aykroyd and John Landis teamed to script this sequel to The Blues Brothers (1980), which they also co-scripted. With Landis once again at the helm as director, Aykroyd re-creates his role of rhythm-and-blues man Elwood Blues, and the film's numerous R&B performances and production numbers include Aretha Franklin singing her classic "Respect". Released from prison after serving 18 years for the havoc depicted in the first film, Elwood learns that while he was serving time, his pal Jake Blues (John Belushi) has died, as did their hi-de-ho music mentor Curtis (Cab Calloway). Times have changed, but the blues beat goes on. Elwood visits Mother Mary Stigmata (Kathleen Freeman), who runs the orphanage where Elwood and Jake were raised, and she puts 10-year-old Buster (J. Evan Bonifant) in Elwood's care. Seeking a loan, Elwood visits Curtis' son, Cabel Chamberlain (Joe Morton), and Buster picks Cabel's pocket. Now, 18 years after the original "mission from God," Elwood attempts to reorganize the Blues Brothers Band, beginning with bartender Mighty Mack McTeer (John Goodman) as a replacement for Jake. With the Russian Mafia in hot pursuit, Elwood, Mack, and Buster head cross-country, locating band members as they travel pell-mell toward a scheduled battle of the bands in Louisiana where the Blues Brothers Band competes with the Lousiana Gator Boys Band (Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Bo Diddley, Dr. John, Travis Tritt, Steve Winwood, Clarence Clemmons, Isaac Hayes). Filmed in Toronto and Chicago, this movie reunited Aykroyd and Goodman, who were seen previously in the 1996 video, The Return of the Blues Brothers, a performance taped January 24, 1995 at the House of Blues in Los Angeles. Elsewhere, the Blues Brothers are kept alive in a half-dozen or so websites, such as the House of Blues, and live stage productions. In England, the stage show A Tribute to the Blues Brothers began in 1991. At the request of Aykroyd and Judy Belushi, the title of that production was changed to The Official Tribute to the Blues Brothers. With various cast members in the roles of Jake and Elwood (Con O'Neill, Warwick Evans, Brad Henshaw, Simon Foster), the show toured Britain throughout the 1990s. The "original Blues Brother" (who coached John Belushi and originated some of the blues raps used by Belushi) is Curtis Salgado (of the Robert Cray Band). One cast member of Blues Brothers 2000, bluesman Junior Wells, the last of the great Chicago harmonica players, died in January 1998, only days before the film was released. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

When the island of Montserrat was devastated by hurricanes in 1997, producer George Martin organized this all-star benefit concert to help the people of the island rebuild their homes and their lives. Artists include Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Sting, Mark Knopfler, Jimmy Buffett and Carl Perkins. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This is the third film adapted from a fictional trilogy by Irish writer Roddy Doyle about families living in a working-class Dublin neighborhood. The first was director Alan Parker's smashing music mockumentary The Commitments and the second was the hilarious comedy The Snapper, directed by Stephen Frears. Frears also directs this film, which is about two unemployed buddies who convert a dilapidated van into Bimbo's Burgers, a mobile fast-food joint selling fish and chips and hamburgers. Bimbo (Donal O'Kelly) is the brains behind the operation, while his slacker friend Larry (Colm Meany) is his bumbling helper. They first set up shop outside a pub to capture patrons streaming out after watching a telecast of Ireland playing in the World Cup. When Ireland is eliminated, the bumbling entrepreneurs move to a forlorn beach. They get the help of Larry's daughter Diane (Neili Conroy) and son Kevin (Rauidhuri Conroy), who soon becomes so disgusted with the fare that he becomes a vegetarian. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide

This 1994 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Steve Martin and features musical guest Eric Clapton. ~ Skyler Miller, All Movie Guide

Superstars Mel Gibson and Danny Glover return with director Richard Donner for Lethal Weapon 3, the third in the phenomenally successful action series. In this film, Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) is only eight days away from retirement and his partner Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) once again manages to get them both into hot water with the both LAPD and the bad guys, who this time are Jack Travis (Stuart Wilson) and a gang of hoodlums selling armor-piercing bullets. Joe Pesci returns as the fast-talking schmuck Leo Getz. A new addition to the cast is Rene Russo as Lorna Cole, a sergeant from internal affairs sent to investigate Riggs and Murtaugh, but who ultimately ends up falling in love with the caffienated Riggs. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

This tuneful documentary video chronicles the brief history of the first pop music "supergroup" and features interviews with members Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. Also featured are comments by other major musicians who were influenced by Cream including John Mayall, Robert Cray, Pete Brown and members of Masters of Reality. Featured songs include: "Sunshine of Your Love," "White Room," "Spoonful," "Strange Brew," "I Feel Free," "Toad," "I'm So Glad," "Crossroads," and "Sitting on Top of the World." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Based on a gritty, semi-autobiographical novel by author Kim Wozencraft, this crime thriller was adapted for the screen by noir novelist Pete Dexter and marked the directorial debut of producer Lili Fini Zanuck. Jennifer Jason Leigh stars as Kristen Cates, a rookie police officer recruited to partner with Jim Raynor (Jason Patric), an undercover Texas cop trying to infiltrate the criminal ring of major drug dealer Will Gaines (Gregg Allman) in the 1970s. What Kristen isn't told is that, as part of his deep cover masquerade, Jim must take drugs in order to be convincing and, unsurprisingly, has become an addict. Although this dangerous practice is not acceptable police procedure, Jim and Kristen's zealous superiors Larry Dodd (Sam Elliott) and Donald Nettle (Tony Frank) are obsessed with taking Gaines down because he has corrupted the daughter of a prominent local citizen. Jim and Kristen, who fall in love and move in together, befriend a petty car thief, Walker (Max Perlich), who has ties to Gaines. Since they both become drug addicts, Jim and Kristen's case makes little progress, until they clean up and convince Walker to turn on Gaines. Their investigation becomes tainted, however, when they are pressured from above to manufacture false evidence against their target. The soundtrack for Rushcontained the hit song "Tears in Heaven" by Eric Clapton. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Martin Scorsese explores the life of organized crime with his gritty, kinetic adaptation of Nicolas Pileggi's best-selling Wiseguy, the true-life account of mobster and FBI informant Henry Hill. Set to a true-to-period rock soundtrack, the story details the rise and fall of Hill, a half-Irish, half-Sicilian New York kid who grows up idolizing the "wise guys" in his impoverished Brooklyn neighborhood. He begins hanging around the mobsters, running errands and doing odd jobs until he gains the notice of local chieftain Paulie Cicero (Paul Sorvino), who takes him in as a surrogate son. As he reaches his teens, Hill (Ray Liotta) is inducted into the world of petty crime, where he distinguishes himself as a "stand-up guy" by choosing jail time over ratting on his accomplices. From that moment on, he is a part of the family. Along with his psychotic partner Tommy (Joe Pesci), he rises through the ranks to become Paulie's lieutenant; however, he quickly learns that, like his mentor Jimmy (Robert DeNiro), his ethnicity prevents him from ever becoming a "made guy," an actual member of the crime family. Soon he finds himself the target of both the feds and the mobsters, who feel that he has become a threat to their security with his reckless dealings. Goodfellas was rewarded with six Academy Award nominations including Best Picture; Pesci would walk away with Best Supporting Actor for his work. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide

Lethal Weapon 2 reteams Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as, respectively, "loose cannon" LA detective Martin Riggs and Riggs' partner, the cautious family man Roger Murtaugh. The villain this time is a South African diplomat (Joss Ackland) who doubles as a drug dealer. Though Riggs knows what's going on thanks to characterless character witness Joe Pesci, he can't touch the villain because of "diplomatic immunity." After perils too numerous to mention, Riggs and Murtaugh shoot it out with the heavies on the deck of a South African cargo ship. Lethal Weapon 2, of course, contains as one of its comic high-points a now famous suspense scene: Mel Gibson agonizingly attempting to extricate a terrified Danny Glover from a booby-trapped toilet seat. Gibson, Glover, Donner and Joe Pesci would be reunited three years later for Lethal Weapon 3 and in 1998 for Lethal Weapon 4. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide