Weekly Theme

Weekly Theme for July 6: The Song...

This week I'd just like to talk about your favorite use of any particular song in a film..

Here's a couple of my faves..

The first is the opening scene to Lock, Stock and Two Smokin' Barrels..

The Song is "Hundred Mile High City" by Ocean Colour Scene...

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I also really loved hearing Jim Carrol's "People Who Died" at the end of Zach Snyder's Dawn of the Dead remake.

I could probably come up with a dozen more from people like Tarentino and Wes but I'm a bit short on time at the moment so I'll chime in again a bit later.

Let's here from the rest of you...

Re:Weekly Theme for July 6: The Song...

Re:Weekly Theme for July 6: The Song...

mercurial:

I’m Shipping Up to Boston - Dropkick Murphys

The Departed

I’m certain Scorsese won the Oscar purely for putting this song in the film.

 

Really!! I didn't really think The Academy was down with Dropkick..

Re:Weekly Theme for July 6: The Song...

   Since nobody has mentioned this yet, I guess I will be the first...

   The "Rocky Theme" ("Gonna Fly Now") is probably THE most recognizable song on the planet.   That song was used to it's ultimate effect in not only  Rocky  parts I and II  but ALL of the subsequent sequels...(!)

   "Eye of the Tiger"  (Rocky III) is another 'one-hit-wonder' that always makes me want to punch somebody in the mouth.   Speaking of which,  did you know that the guy who sang  "Eye of the Tiger"  with  Survivor is the same guy who does the singing on those Bud-Light  "real men of genius" commercials!  

   "The Theme From JAWS"  by John Williams is right up there...

   Yes,  "Star Wars"  too...   so don't send me any hate mail...

   But there are a few that I remember more fondly than others...

   "The Theme from SHAFT"

   "SUPERFLY"

   "Billy Jack"

   "Vanishing Point"

   "Who'll Stop the Rain"

Re:Weekly Theme for July 6: The Song...

leeroy711:

mercurial:

 

I’m Shipping Up to Boston - Dropkick Murphys

The Departed

I’m certain Scorsese won the Oscar purely for putting this song in the film.

 

Really!! I didn't really think The Academy was down with Dropkick..

I remember there was a cool use of one or a couple Clash songs in Scorsese's Bringing Out the Dead.  And I think Casino used that great Devo cover of "I Can't Get No Satisfaction"

Re:Weekly Theme for July 6: The Song...

I love the "music video" montage in The Naked Gun to the song "I'm Into Something Good" by Herman's Hermits.  I always picture it when I hear the song.

Jim Jarmusch films were my introduction to Tom Waits music.  Love the songs from Rain Dogs on Down by Law.

The Coen brothers O, Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack was all individual songs, mostly new recordsings of old favorites, but some classic archives too.  The thing won a Grammy for Best Album of the Year!  Not that I take much stock in Grammys, but I love the songs and the film because the songs are so critical to the film.

And their soundtrack for The Big Lebowski is just as great!  From the front and center of Kenny Rogers' "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)" to the Creedence Clearwater Revival Permiating the film, to the little songs you catch in the background like "I Hate You" by the Monks playing over bowling lanes speakers in one of the bowling scenes.

The Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas soundtrack is just perfect too.  I would name every song and what's happening in the film when it comes on, but that would take too long.  This is maybe my favorite altogether soundtrack feature individual songs.  Many of the songs, like a lot of the best ones used in movies like this are diagetic too, making them so important to the actual story.

Wait, scratch that last statement about Fear and Loathing being my favorite soundtrack.  I think I'm going to have to replace it with Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy.

Magnolia has a bittersweet little singalong to an Aimee Mann song.

Simple Men has a pretty spontaneous dance sequence to what I think is a Sonic Youth song, but I don't know the name.

I think anyone who has seen Beetle Juice would think of the movie at least once any time they hear the song O Day Banana Boat Song by Harry Belafonte.

And I think I heard Sonny & Cher's "I Got You Babe" enough for a lifetime after just seeing Groundhog Day once.  The same is true for "California Dreaming" by The Mamas and the Papas in Chungking Express.  Although I was just sick of that movie altogether.

I almost wanted to name the amazing musical moments in Tsai Ming-liang's The Hole, but I think then I am getting a little to close to the Musical genre, which is kind of different from what we are discussing here.

Re:Weekly Theme for July 6: The Song...

Risselada:

I love the "music video" montage in The Naked Gun to the song "I'm Into Something Good" by Herman's Hermits.  I always picture it when I hear the song.

Jim Jarmusch films were my introduction to Tom Waits music.  Love the songs from Rain Dogs on Down by Law.

The Coen brothers O, Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack was all individual songs, mostly new recordsings of old favorites, but some classic archives too.  The thing won a Grammy for Best Album of the Year!  Not that I take much stock in Grammys, but I love the songs and the film because the songs are so critical to the film.

And their soundtrack for The Big Lebowski is just as great!  From the front and center of Kenny Rogers' "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)" to the Creedence Clearwater Revival Permiating the film, to the little songs you catch in the background like "I Hate You" by the Monks playing over bowling lanes speakers in one of the bowling scenes.

The Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas soundtrack is just perfect too.  I would name every song and what's happening in the film when it comes on, but that would take too long.  This is maybe my favorite altogether soundtrack feature individual songs.  Many of the songs, like a lot of the best ones used in movies like this are diagetic too, making them so important to the actual story.

And I think I heard Sonny & Cher's "I Got You Babe" enough for a lifetime after just seeing Groundhog Day once.  The same is true for "California Dreaming" by The Mamas and the Papas in Chungking Express.  Although I was just sick of that movie altogether.

I was going to mention Down by Law because it's so perfect in that movie, with the pseudo-beatnik vibe emanating through that entire movie. I loved it. Nice inclusion of the Coens too--I was planning on mentioning the complete lack of music in No Country because it's a bad habit I have. I agree with you with Chungking--it was a little much. Overall I liked the movie though.

The scene where the girl strips in David Lynch's Lost Highway to Marilyn Manson's "I Put a Spell on You" is probably the greatest melding of music and film I've ever seen. It's so perfect.

The Doors' "The End" is INCREDIBLE in Apocalypse Now. It's used twice, both times to bone-chilling effect.

And what about memorable music in trailers? "Grounds for Divorce" gave me chills in the Burn After Reading trailer. "The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning" was used well in the Watchmen trailer, making the movie seem way more awesome than it turned out to be (although I thought it was awesome). Is Where the Wild Things are doomed to the same fate with the outstanding use of "Wake Up" by Arcade Fire? I sure as shit hope not.

Re:Weekly Theme for July 6: The Song...

Smooth_J:

I was planning on mentioning the complete lack of music in No Country because it's a bad habit I have.

Actually I think there was a little bit of diegetic music in No Country for Old Men.  It's coming out of a radio in a car in one scene I believe.  It's all the more striking though for the lack of music anywhere else.