Velvet Goldmine [1998]

1. Gatefold sleeve. Wrapped from the waist down in crushed red velvet.
2. “It’s funny how beautiful people are when they’re walking out the door.”
3. Coils of microphone cable on the stage’s scuffed wood floor. He writhes around.

Where Moulin Rouge! fails, Velvet Goldmine succeeds: it uses an intricately dense musical soundtrack to viscerally expand both the narrative and the characters themselves. The constant music isn’t just some kind of pretty wallpaper.