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cinemasnob412 · 6 years

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Them There Songs Used In Movies Creating That There Perfect Moment

Music and film have had a symbiotic relationship for as long as celluloid carried sound. Often times lesser films are elevated simply by the use of the perfect song (Kenny Loggin’s “Meet Me Halfway” made the almost run of the mill OVER THE TOP memorable for more than Sylvester Stallone adjusting his hat backwards) or a somewhat forgotten tune is resurrected thanks to it’s inclusion in a hit film (think “Bohemian Rhapsody” in WAYNE’S WORLD). There are those songs that have been with us for what seems like forever, but the moment they appeared in a classic scene, their association with their moving picture counterpart shines a light on them in a completely different way then we’ve ever thought of them (”Stuck In The Middle With You” in RESERVOIR DOGS). This is the beauty of the pairing of cinema and sound.

There’s an old tale about when John Carpenter first screened his 1978 film HALLOWEEN for some executives. Without a score present one of the female audience members attending claimed it was the least scary film she ever witnessed. That same audience, complete with that same woman was shown the same exact film a short time later, this time with Carpenter’s now iconic score attached and that same woman was astounded by how frightening the film was. She was certain changes were made in the editing process, but the truth of the matter was it was only the music that was added. Proof that music can make or break a film.

Everyone now seems to know how important a film’s score can be. Try thinking of an INDIANA JONES film without whistling or humming John Williams’ “Raiders March” theme. Nearly impossible. The same holds true for pop music when used properly in a movie. Ever heard Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” on the radio and not immediately thought of John Cusack holding that boombox above his head? Bet you at least once thought of rockin’ the Ray Bans, white socks and a button down shirt and little else when you heard Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock N Roll”. Those of us familiar with those scenes seem to forever associate those tunes with those images.

Whether a film or scene needs a boost of adrenaline (Kenny Loggin’s “Danger Zone” in TOP GUN), a rousing anthem (Survivor’s “Eye Of The Tiger” in ROCKY III), a somber dramatic gut punch (Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” from TITANIC) or a crowd pleasing showstopper (Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes’ “The Time Of My Life” in DIRTY DANCING), music, pop music specifically in film is as important a piece to a movie’s success as the actors the director or the script itself are.

What are the greatest uses of pop music in film? Here’s my definitive top 10 list of the greatest songs to appear in a film and the scene they’ll forever be linked to. Note: I’ve excluded songs that were written specifically for a particular film, so although memorable and great, tunes like Kenny Loggin’s “Footloose” or Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters” are not addressed.

10 - Harry Belafonte - “Banana Boat Song (Day O)” - BEETLEJUICE (1988)

Director Tim Burton’s use of Belafonte’s “Banana Boat Song (Day O)” covers two attributes I spoke of earlier. It’s a song that is almost completely juxtaposed against the occurrences on screen as well as a nearly forgotten song that found new life once it appeared in the film.

9 - Dire Straits - “Romeo And Juliet - CAN’T HARDLY WAIT (1998)

Right about the time gross out comedy was about to hit big with the likes of AMERICAN PIE (1999), a throwback to the teen angst filled rom-coms of the decade prior found itself a little audience. That film, CAN’T HARDLY WAIT had an onscreen couple you couldn’t help but root for in Ethan Embry and Jennifer Love Hewitt. Throughout the film, like many in a long line before it, our love struck protagonist Preston (Embry) tries to drum up the nerve and courage to ask his longtime highschool crush (Hewitt) out, in this case before their final graduation senior party comes to an end. One of the film’s more tender moments is when Preston, contemplating his next move before time runs out, does so while the Dire Straits ‘’Romeo And Juliet” sets the scene. It’s heartwarming and perfectly timed.

8 - George Thorogood And The Destroyers - “Bad To The Bone” - CHRISTINE (1983)

Used in films quite often, George Thorogood And The Destroyers’ “Bad To The Bone” is often played for laughs (TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY (1991)), but for my money it’s appearance in the opening scene of John Carpenter’s CHRISTINE is it’s best use. If ever a demonic, possessed inanimate object could ever speak of it’s evils and the perils to come, this would be the song that voices those warnings of the threats ahead.

7 - Chuck Berry - “You Never Can Tell” - PULP FICTION (1994)

It’s a tricky endeavor to place an almost three minute dance scene in the middle of a hard nosed crime film. Do it wrong and you’ll almost certainly lose your audience. Do it right and you create one of the most iconic scenes in motion picture history. Quentin Tarantino’s gangster picture is full of memorable dialog and occurrences, but arguably none that encompass exactly the absurdity and attention to detail Tarantino has become known for like the Jack Rabbit Slims dance scene. For the film buffs you have John Travolta cutting a rug once again onscreen, long after his SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER (1977) days and better yet doing so to such an iconic Chuck Berry song. Classic.

6 - Whitney Houston - “I Will Always Love You” - THE BODYGUARD (1992)

It’s a common misconception that Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” was written specifically for THE BODYGUARD. The truth of the matter is it was written by Dolly Parton way back in 1972, and released in 1974 as the second single from her album “Jolene”. It’s not even the first time the song appeared on film as Parton’s version was featured in 1974′s ALICE DOESN’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE, in 1982′s BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS and in 1996′s IT’S MY PARTY. It’s the inclusion of the song in the 1992 Houston, Kevin Costner film that launched the song into cinematic history. Houston’s powerful vocals carry the tune farther than Parton herself was ever able to. Placed perfectly within the film itself, “I Will Always Love You” sparked the right emotions the film was striving for and became one of the most popular singles of all time.

5 - Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody” - GHOST (1990)

Who would have thought that one of the men responsible for films such as AIRPLANE! (1980) and THE NAKED GUN: FROM THE FILES OF POLICE SQUAD! (1988) would also give the world one of the most romantic films of the 1990′s? Jerry Zucker’s GHOST captured the hearts of nearly everyone when it hit theater screens in the summer of 1990. It’s “potter scene” featuring the Righteous Brothers’ “Unchained Melody” not only launched a litany of copycat humorous (some not so funny) spoofs, but it also catapulted the duo’s song to number 13 on the Billboard charts, almost three decades after it was first released and charted for the first time back in 1965.

4 - Sam Cooke - “Twistin’ The Night Away” - INNERSPACE (1987)

***SPOILER*** There’s something sweet when two movie characters share “their song” in a film. Often times it’s done in such a manner that it purposefully tugs at the heartstrings. Joe Dante’s INNERSPACE takes a different route. With his lead protagonist Tuck Pendleton (Dennis Quaid) trapped inside unassuming store clerk Jack Putter’s (Martin Short) body, Pendleton, with the use of the music he often shares with his lost love interest (Meg Ryan) simultaneously loosens up the hypochondriac, nervous wreck Putter and wins back his girl, all thanks to Sam Cooke and a few remade tunes by Rod Stewart. The songs still play and offer realization to the characters, but it’s Dante’s approach that sets this film apart. The “Twistin’ The Night Away” dance scene is the cherry on top. Martin doing his best, vintage Martin to a fabulous Cooke tune. You can’t help but feel good after such a scene.

3 - Eric Clapton - “Layla” - GOODFELLAS (1990)

***SPOILER*** Now the meat and potatoes of this list. These final three embody everything I love about film. Talk about juxtaposition. Martin Scorsese’s usage of the outro from Eric Clapton’s “Layla” is the perfect example of this exercise in film and music marriage. As the deadly finale to the Lufthansa Heist rears it’s ugly head, the opening piano notes play over the camera rising above the hood of a parked pink Cadillac. Inside the bodies of two of the “expendable” participants in the heist. The montage then goes on to show the discovery of the other principal cast members who met the same fate. It’s a chilling scene that reminds the viewer that all the glitz and glam of the gangster life that came before usually ends in this manner. Chilling and perfectly orchestrated filmmaking.

2 - Night Ranger - “Sister Christian” / Rick Springfield - “Jessie’s Girl” - BOOGIE NIGHTS (1997)

***SPOILER*** 1997′s BOOGIE NIGHTS already boasts one of the greatest scenes in cinematic history, the opening three minute tracking shot that rivals the one found in 1990′s GOODFELLAS, but it also features one of the most tense scenes ever to grace film stock. With life unraveling at lightning speed, Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg), coerced by his rag tag crew, agrees to try and sell baking soda in place of cocaine to local eccentric and unsuspecting dealer Rahad Jackson (Alfred Molina). As the scene unfolds, the tension and anxiety build for not only the characters, but the audience as well as Jackson, high as a kite on his product, along side a firecracker throwing Asian boy toy, insists Diggler’s gang listens to his mix tape of assorted 80′s gems. Remember, this film takes place in the Regan era, so the character’s excitement over being able to experience and share his vision on a single audio cassette makes perfect sense. As Night Ranger’s “Sister Christian” builds to a crescendo, Diggler’s discomfort with the entire ordeal becomes evident. As the song gives way to the more subtle “Jessie’s Girl” by Rick Springfield, Dirk’s right hand man Todd (Thomas Jane) grows impatient and turns the once shady deal into a full on armed robbery. Needless to say things don’t end well for nearly all involved, with Diggler barely escaping with his life intact. It’s a masterful achievement in filmmaking and one of the greatest scenes in 1990′s cinema.

1 - Grateful Dead - “Ripple” - MASK (1985)

***SPOILER*** I’ve championed this film and it’s ending on multiple occasions. For me, it’s the most emotional scene in any film I’ve ever seen. As Rusty Dennis (Cher) starts her day, California sun in full effect, she becomes unnervingly aware that her physically handicapped son Rocky (Eric Stoltz) has not gotten up and made it off to school. She cautiously enters his bedroom, knowing exactly what she’ll face, but does so with a brashness and sense of denial that sort of makes the day seem as any other. Her son is dead. We know it. She knows it. As her denial gives way to sorrow, then to frustration we overhear The Grateful Dead’s “Ripple” softly playing on the radio. Rusty completely breaks down, smashing things with reckless abandon. The song still plays. As the scene concludes her anger and denial rests into a soft acceptance. The song still plays. She reapplies her son’s pins from his dream travel map that he removed the night before, knowing it was to be his last night on earth. The song still plays. It’s gut wrenching. If you’re human with even the slightest bit of compassion for your fellow man this scene will wreck you.

HONORABLE MENTION - Stealers Wheel - “Stuck In The Middle With You” - RESERVOIR DOGS (1992)

***SPOILER*** Quentin Tarantino films could populate a list like this all on their own. Being as I went and chose his usage of Chuck Berry’s “You Never Can Tell” from 1994′s PULP FICTION for the list, I decided it would only be fair to go to the Tarantino well once. Leaving off his “Mr. Blonde torture scene” would make a list like this invalid, therefore I’ve included it as the honorable mention. No need to dig into the gruesome details of the scene, if you haven’t ever seen it for yourself you should. If you have, you know what I’m talking about. An upbeat song played over torture and murder. It doesn’t get more diverse in content than that!

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killian-whump · 6 years

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Hey, friend, now we have a few upcoming Colin projects on the slate could you give me a run down on the likelihood of whump in these. I know you can only speculate, but I like your speculations and I'd guess you've given it some thought.

Oh, you know me so well, my dear friend

There will definitely be whump in the JJ Sneed episode of Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings. For starters, the song itself is super whumpy: JJ Sneed gets shot and nursed back to health by the female protagonist, which is why she feels entitled to (spoiler alert!) shoot him dead herself at the end of the song for breaking her heart. And not only that, but we know they’re not changing or omitting that final murder scene, because it takes place in a rainstorm in the song - and at the NJ convention, Colin mentioned filming under a rain machine the night before, and separately commented that his hands looked “dirty” because they were stained from fake blood from filming the night before. Sounds like a bloody, rainy death scene to me ;)

Unfortunately, actual whump is looking less likely in Fairytale of New York. Since it’s also based on a song, we can gather some clues from the lyrics about what kind of content we might be able to look forward to… and there’s nothing about any grievous bodily injuries in there ;) That doesn’t mean there’s no chance for whump, of course, as the relationship between the two leads in the song is rather contentious in spots, and they’ll obviously be adding stuff in order to turn a 3 minute song into a full movie. Also, there promises to be some fun things for us, anyway, as the song begins with the male lead in the drunk tank on Christmas Eve. And you know what that means - a jail cell, along with potential manhandling, fisticuffs and handcuffs. Why, there’s even a bit of manhandling in the music video for that part, so that ups our chances of them adding some in to the film as a nod to the video ;) And it’s a safe bet that Colin will be super, super Irish in it, which promises to be fun for everybody XD

And while it’s still conjecture and wishful thinking, Kiss Me Judas would be a literal whump tour de force and I will actually CRY if it doesn’t happen.

Honestly, at this point… I kinda expect whump in almost anything he does, because it seems like he enjoys doing it as much as we enjoy watching it ;) But, you know, you and I know all about that… ;)

#colin o'donoghue #whumpcast #heartstrings #fairytale of new york #kiss me judas #mathildia #kw ask box

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piracytheorist · 5 years

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#Colin O'Donoghue #JJ Sneed #jjsneededit #Dolly Parton's Heartstrings #Heartstrings spoilers #mine

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justsomewhump · 5 years

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#whump #whumpedit #Colin O'Donoghue #JJ Sneed #i make thangs #Dolly Parton's Heartstrings #heartstrings spoilers #shot #kneecapped #pain #collapsing #blood #knee injury #wet #trembling #on the floor

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kiradurbin · 4 years

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Super Short Reviews Fall/Winter TV part 4 (catch up)

The Accident (Hulu) – Depressing!! A small Welsh town deals with the loss of their family and community after a terrible accident at the local factory. Nice opportunity to see some fresh UK faces but be prepared for several hours of major downer tv.

Daybreak (Net) – If you think your teenagers are a nightmare now, check out this post-apocalyptic version of Glendale. An atomic bomb goes off and somehow only young people survive… also somehow the Glendale mall is indoors. Mad Max meets Warm Bodies.

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (NBC) – I love all the bright colours and food in this show!! I also love Peter Gallagher. And Mandy Moore (the choreographer.) Only Many Moore could get me to not skip through the musical numbers. Yes, that’s right, there are musical numbers. With people who can really SAAAANG. Broadway alumns include Skylar Astin, Lauren Graham, Andrew Leeds, Alice Lee, Stephanie Styles, Zak Orth, and Renee Elise Goldsberry. Big happy thumbs up. And very glad that Jane Levy is back to her proper genre.

Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings (Netflix) – Each episode is like its own mini Hallmark movie, but there are topics here Hallmark wouldn’t touch with a fishing pole – i.e. extramarital affairs and homosexuality, Stars abound, and Dolly is in every episode at least a little. Each intro includes Dolly giving a short tale of how a particular song came to be.

Briarpatch (USA) – I could not get into this. I adore Rosario Dawson but the setup seemed like every Texas movie I’ve already seen Robert Rodriguez do.

The Bonfire of Destiny (Netflix) – France. 1897. The first episode is VERY exciting... the second sets the real tone / pace of a very well done period piece showcasing the struggle of women in a far from equal world.

War of the Worlds (Epix) – Epix online will let you watch the first three episodes free and trust me you’ll want to see a lot more. Fantastic international cast and basically the opposite of the pandemic fall out we are all experiencing right now. Wait until you get your first glimpse of the “enemy” … no spoilers!

Dollface (Hulu) – Kat Dennings is really committed to that lipstick and those false eyelashes!! But the real treasures here are the sidekicks / friends Brenda Song, Shay Mitchell, and especially Esther Povitsky. I love anything that makes fun of the shallowness of LA, but this goes one step further to make fun of the shallowness of female friendships. Although I have to admit, after a few episodes, I wondered if the joke was on me and they aren’t making fun of these types of girls at all but instead actually glorifying them?? Prob depends on how many cocktails you’ve had.

Year of the Rabbit (IFC) – Binge watch this after you finish Miracle Workers Dark Ages. Very Funny parody of all those Whitechapel murder shows we love. Matt Berry’s IMDB star has skyrocketed since the “What We Do in the Shadows” remount, and US television seems determined play everything they can get their hands on. Smart play.

Soundtrack (Netflix) – Unlike Zoey’s Playlist above, these characters LIP SYNC to the real song. Lip syncing is great fun in Lip Sync Battle but it serves no purpose here. I can’t even imagine what the creators were thinking by adding this device into the storytelling, especially since the three leads are quite capable in their acting. It won’t have another season (no surprise) but I hope to see Paul James and Callie Hernandez in other staring roles very soon.

Tyler Perry’s Young Dylan (Nickelodeon) – I think your kids will have to be really young to enjoy this; even though it does address some popular culture, my ten year old zoned out pretty darn fast.

The Feed (Amazon) – Didn’t they do this story on Black Mirror? The visual effects are cool but I couldn’t connect with any of the characters enough to care about who hacked into The Feed or if the whole world was going to end.

Nobody’s Looking (Netflix) – Brazil. Either a writer’s meta-dream or a red-head’s comic delight... in my case what’s the difference? This fresh, clever, FUNNY show riffs on laughing AT “humans,” laughing WITH “humans,” and most importantly laughing ABOUT how strange and weird and complicated and yet simple “ humans” can be. Yes, Brazil, you got it all right here. It can be tough to appreciate comedy when you’re twitching between reading the subtitles and looking at the funny actors, but this works in all the best ways, and validates my love of tv and Netfllix and the opportunity to watch international shows. Huge shout out as well to all the brilliant musical scorers – which I forgot to mention in my review of Living with Myself – the perfect score can be the difference between good fun and comedy art. Watch two episodes (one hour) and tell me you’re not whistling the background music -- and not in an annoying earworm way, but in an Amelie I want to make the world a better place way. Saude!!

NOT REVIEWED:

The Red Shadows (Sundance Now)

We Are the Wave (Netflix) – Germany

The Dead Lands (Shudder)

McMillions (HBO)

Mortel (Netflix) – France.

Interrogation (CBS All Access)

Couple Trouble (Sundance Now)

Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet (AppleTV)

Playing for Keeps (Sundance Now)

#mandymoore #zoeys extraordinary playlist #waroftheworlds #dollface #brendasong #shaymitchell #esther povitsky #mattberry #susanwokoma #nobodyslooking #redheadedangels

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