Sunday Special: Springsteen, Dylan and the Art of the Biopic

On Friday, “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere” will be released in theaters. Rather than chronicling Bruce’s entire life, the film focuses on the making of his stripped-down 1982 album “Nebraska” and on his concurrent mental health struggles.

This movie is the latest in a long history of musician biopics featuring stars like Bob Dylan, Loretta Lynn, Eminem and Elvis Presley. Hollywood clearly loves telling the stories of influential artists.

In this episode, Gilbert Cruz chats with Lindsay Zoladz, a pop music critic for The Times, and Joe Coscarelli, a Times culture reporter, about the tropes of the genre and their favorite films that break the mold.

On Today’s Episode:

Lindsay Zoladz, a pop music critic at The Times and the writer of The Amplifier newsletter.

Joe Coscarelli, a culture reporter at The Times and co-host of “Popcast.”

Additional Reading:

The Boss Finally Gets a Biopic, Just Not the One We Expected

He’s Ringo. And Nobody Else Is.

Why Music Movies Stink: ‘Back to Black’ + ‘The Idea of You’ Reactions

Joe Coscarelli’s “Bobby + Joanie” playlist

Photo: 20th Century Studios

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