Corpses, Cars and Instrument Cases

A subject that inevitably arises when friends and families gather – and a question you’ve no doubt asked and debated yourself – is: “What the heck ARE the three best movies about dead musicians stuffed into instrument cases, strapped on top of a car, and taken for a grand voyage of discovery?”

It’s a tough call, of course. So many wonderful choices. But if pressed, I’d have to go with the following three.

1) Highway 61

The Corpse: Supposedly the brother of a mysterious roadie, actually a vagrant
Killed when: he passes out and freezes in the back yard of Pokey Jones, a barber living near Thunder Bay.
The Instrument Case: Bass
Packed into case by: His supposed sister/roadie and the barber
Why?: The sister (Valerie Buhagiar) claims she wants to bury him in New Orleans: actually, she’s smuggling drugs. The corpse is being pursued by Mr. Skin, who believes he’s Satan.

Bruce McDonald was asked after winning his Genie for this one what he intended to do with his prize money. “Buy the biggest chunk of hash I can find”, he said. One has to ask: why?

2) Invitation au Voyage

The Corpse: Nina
Killed when: taking a bath in a copper tub full of milk, when a power cable slips and electrocutes her.
The Instrument Case: Cello
Packed into case by: her lover and twin brother, Lucien.
Why?: He wants to keep her memory alive, so he takes her body on a tour of France. He picks up a hitchhiker, helps a Turk he bumps into on the road, visits his birthplace, listens to Nina’s music, pastes up her posters, and remembers. Oh, those French…

3) Leningrad Cowboys Go America

The Corpse: The Bass Player for the Leningrad Cowboys, a Finnish Polka-Rock ensemble played by REAL Finnish Polka-Rock ensemble, the Sleepy Sleepers.
Killed when: He wanders outside during band practice to pee and freezes to death.
The Instrument Case: Bass Fiddle
Packed into case by: The band.
Why?: They’ve just gotten a gig playing a wedding in Mexico, and decide to get there by flying to the US and driving through. They agree it would be unfair to leave him behind, so they pack him in ice (with their beer) and set forth. Oh, those Finns…

Other nominations will of course be entertained, but I feel pretty strongly about this selection.