Best movies like Almost Famous

Backup singers live in a world that lies just beyond the spotlight. Their voices bring harmony to the biggest bands in popular music, but we've had no idea who these singers are or what lives they lead, until now.

Alex is a high school student who always feels like he is overshadowed by his little brother Stevie; he can't get the girl of his dreams; he and his two best friends, Abby and James, are outsiders at school; and he is constantly benched on his football team. Then Stevie receives a lucky coin from a strange old man, a coin which he gives to Alex, telling him to make a wish. The next day, Alex gets everything he ever wished for - Stevie is gone (in fact, he is the star of his own TV show, and his family don't even know him); Alex dates the most popular girl at school; he is one of the most popular kids himself; and he is the star of the football team. At first he enjoys his new life, only to later find out that everything that was great in his original life now is gone.

Jim Morris never made it out of the minor leagues before a shoulder injury ended his pitching career twelve years ago. Now a married-with-children high-school chemistry teacher and baseball coach in Texas, Jim's team makes a deal with him: if they win the district championship, Jim will try out with a major-league organization. The bet proves incentive enough for the team, and they go from worst to first, making it to state for the first time in the history of the school. Jim, forced to live up to his end of the deal, is nearly laughed off the try-out field--until he gets onto the mound, where he confounds the scouts (and himself) by clocking successive 98 mph fastballs, good enough for a minor-league contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Jim's still got a lot of pitches to throw before he makes it to The Show, but with his big-league dreams revived, there's no telling where he could go.

When Hollywood starlet Morgan Carter passes out from alcohol poisoning on the red carpet of her movie premiere, she is whisked away to rehab, then sent to live with an aunt to complete her recovery in rural Indiana. There, she attends high school - changing her name and look to fit in-and live the life of a typical teenager, complete with the mysteries of geography, gym class, real friendship, love and jealousy.

A young teenage rapper must use his musical talent to help his friend out and win the girl of his dreams by going through several events of betrayal, trust and agreement while his religious parents have strictly dislike his interests.

Jess Robin dreams of a career in popular music, but his father, Cantor Rabinovitch, forbids it, insisting Jess live as a traditional Jew and inherit his position at the synagogue. With the help of friend and professional musician Bubba, Jess gets a chance to go to Los Angeles and have famous singer Keith Lennox record one of his songs. Defying both his father and his wife, Jess leaves New York to pursue his dreams.

The true story of Neil and Ivan McCormick, two Irish brothers who attempt to become rock stars but can only look on as their high school friends U2 become the biggest band in the world.

A young man of the rock and roll generation is in his senior year of high school. When one day he successfully gets on a popular teen dance television show he becomes a star. The plot follows him as he lives his new life in his new world. What he finds are adoring fans, jealous rivals, bitter friends left behind, and the girl of his dreams...his dance partner.

While many celebrities believe their fame gives them good luck with the opposite gender, one man with a successful television career discovers fame is spoiling his chances with the woman he loves in the made-for-TV romantic drama. Holly Aimes (Lark Voorhies) is the daughter of a prominent politician (Glynn Turman), and recently broke off her engagement with a well-known actor. Holly has spent most of her life in the spotlight, and wants nothing more than to be left alone without the glare of public scrutiny. When Holly meets talk show host Michael Williams (Kadeem Hardison), he's soon convinced that she's the woman with whom he wants to share his life, but can he convince her of his sincerity so she will brave another high-profile romance? Based on the popular romance novel by Carla Fredd, Fire and Ice also features Tempestt Bledsoe and Freda Payne. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

An aspiring opera singer from Harlem teams up with a charismatic busker and a kindhearted hustler to share his voice with the world, and teaches his two newfound friends the importance of taking your destiny into your own hands. Anton (Gabriel Casseus) lives in Harlem with his aunt. He dreams of moving to Italy and becoming a famous opera singer, and though he's been blessed with a magnificent singing voice, his passion has made him an outsider in his neighborhood. Running away from home, Anton meets passionate street pianist Matthew (Christian Carmago) and together the two begin drawing large, appreciate crowds on the street. Working the crowd as they do their thing is Wes (Damon Wayans), whose natural charm always gets the cash flowing. And while life on the streets is never easy, Anton, Matthew, and Wes soon discover that by following their dreams, they may find a means of transforming their lives forever.

Louise is not very popular at her highschool. Then she learns that she's descended from the witches of Salem and has inherited their powers. At first she uses them to get back at the girls and teachers who teased her and to win the heart of the handsome footballer's captain. But soon she has doubts if it's right to 'cheat' her way to popularity.

Christmas is never so spirited as when Tom and Jerry lock horns for the holidays in their new original movie--Tom & Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale In an empty opera house, Jerry wishes for a chance to perform -- and magically his dream comes true. The little mouse is whisked away to an enchanted kingdom where anything is possible: candy forests, singing snowflakes, even the toys spring to life! Jerry has a great time with his new friends, and when Jerry dances with the music box ballerina, he is as happy as happy can be. Unfortunately, alley cats led by Tom crash Jerry's party, kidnap the music box ballerina and wreak havoc in the holiday kingdom. It's up to Jerry to set things right -- and with help from a fellow mouse named Tuffy and more newfound friends, Jerry just may win the day!

After being fired as a manager, a music mogul decides to start a boyband of his own in this spoof of popular boybands like *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys.

The unbelievable story of 22 year old Or, who secretly finances his sex change operation in Thailand by lying to his conservative parents and then returns home as a woman to face her new life, her family and the cost of living her dream

After a run-in with local thugs, aspiring Harlem rapper Rob flees to a place and father he never knew, and finds his salvation in Reggaeton, a spicy blend of hip-hop, reggae and Latin beats. Puerto Rico, the spiritual home of Reggaeton, inspires Rob and his step-brother Javi to pursue their dream of becoming Reggaeton stars. Together with a dancer named C.C., they learn what it means to stay true to themselves and each other, while overcoming obstacles in love, greed and pride, all culminating in an explosive performance at New York’s Puerto Rican Day Parade.

The Mambo Kings tells the story of César and Nestor Castillo, brothers and aspiring musicians who flee from Cuba to America in search of the American Dream.

Tony "Wise" Good, is an internationally famous model. He fought his way out of the inner city and rocketed straight to the top. He had it all... The career, the trophy wife, fame, fortune and all the luxuries that come with success. But his swift rise to the top did not take him high enough to protect him from the sudden fall he was about to experience. The corrupt corporate world, the government's support and participation in that corruption, and the jealousy and greed of people he knew best, all lead to a rapid downward spiral into a living hell.

Glamour artist Bob Randolph is world famous for his paintings of a stunning beauty dubbed "The Randolph Girl". What the world doesn't know is that his pin-up creation is really a composite of parts of the anatomy of 12 different models. In an effort to find one girl who possesses all the proper physical attributes, Randolph and PR man Chuck Donovan pursue Ruth Wilson, a beauteous schoolteacher who prefers to be admired for her brain rather than her curves. Ruth changes her tune, however, when a published photo of her in a swimsuit causes her to be fired by the uptight schoolboard. She sues for reinstatement and in the process learns that swimsuits and sex appeal do have a place in her world, after all. Written by Dan Navarro

When a viral video of Bigfoot emerges, a once popular influencer goes on a mission to film a vlog with Bigfoot and regain her fame.

A fame obsessed average Joe escapes a mental institution with a band of misfits for one last desperate attempt to be famous.

Enjoy the smooth voice and cool rhythms of legendary American recording artist Nat "King" Cole with this music set, which includes popular hits like "Mona Lisa," "Save the Bones for Henry Jones," "Shine On Harvest Moon," "Sweet Lorraine" and more. The first African-American to host a television variety show, Cole sold millions of records throughout the course of his career and continues to possess enduring popularity worldwide.

Since the end of their pirate radio station, life has been quiet for the Kurupt FM boys, but everything is about to change. News reaches them that one of their songs has been used on a popular game show in Japan. They've made it. Their music is reaching hundreds of thousands of people. It's finally time for them to enjoy the fame and fortune that they've always known they deserved. Chabuddy G steps excitedly back into his management role as Grindah, Beats, Steves and Decoy begin their journey to international stardom - but is Japan really ready for Kurupt FM?

Sissy St. Claire graces the small screen for her first ever television special, an evening full of music and laughter, glamour and entertainment! But Sissy's live event quickly begins to curdle into a psychedelic nightmare of vanity, insecurity and delusional ambition, provoked by the glowering presence of a mysterious masked man.

Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods weaves together many famous fairy tales in an allegorical story of family, love, growing up and the hazy areas between right and wrong. This production was captured by Digital Theatre live at London’s Regent’s Park Open Air theatre and was directed by Timothy Sheader. Into the Woods takes the stories of the Brothers Grimm and gives them a dark and humorous twist. The popular tales of Red Ridinghood, Jack (of Beanstalk fame), Cinderella and Rapunzel are interwoven with that of the Baker and his Wife and their quest to have a child. However this re-telling goes beyond "happily ever after" as the familiar characters find themselves in unfamiliar circumstances and hopes and dreams are questioned and revisited.

Once a promising singer-songwriter, Abby now finds herself writing uninspired jingles for commercials. As she heads home for the holidays, she's enlisted by the local high school music teacher to help save the school arts program. In the process, Abby rediscovers her voice and regains the confidence to go after her dreams and lets the possibility of love in too.

Ruby Keeler teams with the Nelsons (of TV and radio fame) as the singer in Ozzie's band. The setting is a college campus which is suffering from monetary woes, but somehow Ozzie's band manages to attract enough attention to increase the enrollment and keep the school from having to shut down.

Dill Scallion is a school bus driver who dreams of becoming a famous country music singer. He sings from his heart and makes up his own dance, the "Scallion Shuffle". But fame is fickle and Dill falls from the spotlight faster than he rose to stardom - all in one summer. His hits include "You Shared You" and "I found love at the Family Reunion." Sheryl Crow contributes an original score and Dill Scallion and the Dillionaires perform all songs in the movie. Star Studded cast. Hilarious and sly humor.

Mark Knopfler is one of the most successful musicians in the world. During the past 30 years he has written and recorded over 300 songs including some of the most famous in popular music. In this in-depth documentary he talks about how these songs have defined him and how they have been influenced by his own life and roots. It features previously unseen photographs from his personal collection and comprehensive footage spanning his career from a struggling musician playing in pubs in Leeds in the 1970s, to the record-breaking success with Dire Straits and his world tour as a solo artist. Looking back over the 25 years since he wrote the iconic Brothers In Arms album, the film takes an affectionate look at how this formidable, creative man has operated as a musician for three decades and how he continues to do so as a solo artist who is as much in demand as ever.

Enjoy an all-American celebration of what may be the country's most popular fast food. From Connecticut to South Carolina to California, Rick Sebak visits some of the nation's coolest hot dog places, taking viewers inside a giant hot dog-shaped building, stopping at some crazy late-night stands, and looking at how hot dogs are made. Wonder how and when hot dogs became so popular-or what toppings are tops these days? Tune in and find out.

Like his fellow Rat Packers, pop crooner Dean Martin was more than just an accomplished singer--he also enjoyed success as a movie star, comedian, and host of a popular television series. THAT'S AMORE pulls rare gems from the Dean Martin archive, carefully compiling the star's greatest pop hits, including "Young and Foolish," "Pennies from Heaven," and of course, "That's Amore."

When talented young singer, Roxie Santos, meets music producer, Eddie Marz, he promises her an amazing new lifestyle and a future record deal. All he needs her to do is first lend her voice to a celebrity with no singing talent. However, when things go too far and it looks like she might lose her “voice” forever, she sets off to prove the truth.

An offbeat, irreverent musical documentary that tells the story of a group of Jewish songwriters, including Irving Berlin, Mel Tormé, Jay Livingston, Ray Evans, Gloria Shayne Baker and Johnny Marks, who wrote the soundtrack to Christianity’s most musical holiday. It’s an amazing tale of immigrant outsiders who became irreplaceable players in pop culture’s mainstream – a generation of songwriters who found in Christmas the perfect holiday in which to imagine a better world, and for at least one day a year, make us believe.

Three teen girls in a Motown band embark on an emotional ride to hell and back.

Ann-Margret gave viewers a double dose of movie star glamour in 1975, with a pair of TV specials designed to showcase her musical and comedic talents. Arriving first up in January was this program "Ann-Margret Olsson" with guest stars The Osmonds and Ike & Tina Turner Turner. (The follow-up special "Ann-Margret Smith" debuted in November.)

This very special television event that aired February 1963 helped launch the famed Judy Garland Show which captivated TV audiences throughout 1963 and 1964. Along with co-stars Robert Goulet (who was at the time reeling from the Broadway success of Camelot) and Phil Silvers (enjoying similar success due to popular performances in TV's Sgt. Bilko) join Judy at her entertaining best for song dance and brilliant comedy.