I love movies. I like the big screen, the dark theater, the popcorn and the Coke. And when the movie is over, I’ll sit there until the very last credit rolls across the screen, which is exactly what I did when I watched Woody Allen’s latest home run, Midnight in Paris. Seriously—he hit it out of the ballpark. And because it was partly set in 1920s Paris, the soundtrack was filled with more smatterings of French Musette-style accordion music than I can count. C’erait magnifique!!

But this blog post isn’t about Woody’s latest accomplishment. It’s just that while watching his wonderful little movie, I was reminded of two other fabulous films—both of which feature my fav instrument (and one day, it is hoped, yours).

My sister told me about the 2003 German film Schultze Gets the Blues. I dig Germans, beer, gnomes, accordions, and Cajun music. This movie had all that and more, which meant she knew I would like it. But I LOVED it. It’s a gem of a film. If you haven’t seen it, you must. Seriously.

Then a few years ago I saw a preview for the 2008 Mexican film Rudo y Cursi. I must confess—the only reason I went to see this movie was because the trailer featured a Mexican guy in a cowboy hat and cheesy white suit, playing the accordion and singing the song “I Want You to Want Me” by Cheap Trick. In Spanish. How could I pass THAT up? I didn’t expect to love it, but I did.

These two great movies sucked me in with the promise of an accordion sighting, certainly. But they kept me glued to the screen because they were darn good films. Do yourself a favor and add both of them to your Netflix queue. Happy Viewing!

Bonus link. Here’s a cool little list I found of all the movies that feature accordions or accordion music. Who knew?