12.2.13
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13 Songs that ...
Make Movie Moments Memorable Kathryn Toolan digs through the illustrious archives to find those songs that truly capture the essence of the movie
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arantino recently unleashed his latest creation, Django Unchained. It stars Christoph Waltz, Jamie Foxx and Leonardo DiCaprio. If you haven’t heard of it, how’s things under that rock of yours? As a director, Quentin has always used music to set his films apart from the rest. As a self-confessed film nerd, his love and passion for film is always evident as you watch his movies. Django is no different. It is an epic Western, with a soundtrack to match. The film starts with a track similar to the theme song of Bonanza, the score continues along this trail until bam, “100 Black Coffins” by Rick Ross. Sometimes a song is all you need to make a movie moment memorable, so here’s some more. 1. Simple Minds “Don’t You Forget About Me” - The Breakfast Club That earring. That hair. That fist pump. No, this is not a description of a Jersey Shore cast member. It is the final scene of the 1985 classic film, The Breakfast Club. Leaving the best until the very last moment, well played John Hughes, well played. 2. The Shins “New Slang” - Garden State The Indie band from Albuquerque hit the jackpot when they started getting Natalie Portman to do their PR. Her character Sam hands a headset playing “New Slang” to leading man Zach Braff, “It’ll change your life; I swear.” 3. Survivor “Eye of the Tiger” - Rocky 3 It’s too late, it’s popped up on shuffle. You’re only four chords in and you’re already feeling guilty, the sweating face of Sly Stallone is now staring at you whilst you guiltily chew your chicken roll. 4. Eminem “Lose Yourself” - 8 Mile Marshall scooped up an Oscar for Best Original Song in 2002 for this gem, along with five Grammy nominations. It starts it’s life as a disjointed series of rhymes in the head of “Jimmy”, the main character of 8 Mile, detailing the background story of his character, eventually building itself up and becoming one of the greatest hip hop tracks ever written. 5. Roy Orbison “In Dreams” - Blue Velvet Orbison claimed the inspiration for this song came from a dream he had. A beautiful story, innocent. And then came David Lynch. In the scene in question, the song is lip synced to perfection, whilst Frank Booth (Denis Hopper) stares intensely at the performer. Booth enjoys the performance intensely, and shows his appreciation by beating him to a pulp. 6. Righteous Brothers “Unchained Melody” - Ghost It’s almost Valentines Day, why not re-enact this beautifully sensual scene from Ghost, all you need is a dollop of Play-doh, a partner and this unforgettable track. To top off your eighties inspired love fest, stick on “Time of Your Life” from Dirty Dancing and “Take My Breath Away” from Top Gun. Foolproof... Said nobody, ever. 7. Q Lazzarus “Goodbye Horses” - The Silence of the Lambs A feel good movie, with strong themes of family and wellbeing, with an emphasis on healthy eating. Buffalo Bill may not have grasped the whole, don’t make clothes out of human skin thing yet, but it can’t be denied – the man can dance.
8. Chuck Berry “You Can Never Tell” - Pulp Fiction The shoes are off and the piano starts playing. John Travolta and Uma Thurman join forces with Chuck to produce one of the most iconic cinematic moments ever, becoming an essential part of the narrative as a whole. 9. Luke Kelly “Raglan Road” - In Bruges If Brendan Gleeson is going to die, he is going to do so in an honourable/ dramatic fashion with an immense tune to accompany. In a film that is full of laugh out loud moments, this scene breaks the comedic rhythm. Gleeson, Kelly and the words of Patrick Kavanagh – the ultimate death scene. 10. Kenny Rogers “Just Dropped In” - The Big Lebowski This classic features in what can only be called, the Greatest Dream/ Drug scene ever made. Human bowling pins, Vikings, Jeff Bridges and this song - what else could a dream scene need? Originally penned by American songwriter Mickey Newbury, it was written to warn of the dangers of LSD. 11. Simon & Garfunkel “The Sound of Silence” - The Graduate This song perfectly captures the despair and inner turmoil of Dustin Hoffman’s character in The Graduate. A young man of quiet disposition, faced with circumstances beyond his wildest dreams – he is torn up with emotion. Simon & Garfunkel’s soundtrack for this film is some of their best work, not forgetting the great “Mrs. Robinson.” 12. George Baker “Little Green Bag” - Reservoir Dogs He does it again, Tarantino. This film was his cult classic, propelling him into the spotlight as a groundbreaking director. This scene features the main characters of the film and himself, walking slowly towards their cars. It is utterly simplistic - guys in suits, slow mo and a cracking song. But it’s effortless, memorable and brilliant. 13. Huey Lewis & the News “Hip to be Square” - American Psycho Are you’re psychotic murder rampages lacking something? Hacking a fellow colleague to bits with an axe not hitting the spot anymore? Fear not. You’re simply missing the correct musical accompaniment. As Patrick Bateman will explain (in one of the best music monologues ever given), “Hip to be Square” is from the band’s 1987 album Fore. It’s “a song so catchy, most people probably don’t listen to the lyrics. But they should, because it’s not just about the pleasures of conformity, and the importance of trends, it’s also a personal statement about the band itself.” A perfect addition to your late night axe murders. Cheers Pat.