Mad Ramblings of a Movie Geek 07.23.08: Popular Music in the Movies
Posted by Jordan Bruns on 07.23.2008
Part 1...
Welcome to Mad Ramblings of a Movie Geek! Last week I was recovering from a nasty stomach bug, but I have now returned to the realm of the living- or at least to the land of the writing…
I'll start by saying that Heath Ledger's Joker puts Jack Nicholson's Joker to shame. I am in no way comparing the two as actors- Ledger = Good actor, Nicholson = Cinematic God.
I'm just saying Ledger's portrayal was much more terrifying.
Of course, none of this has anything to do with my topic for this week, but then again, that's why this column is called Mad Ramblings of a Movie Geek. That rhymes by the way. Maybe I should write a song about it- maybe I shouldn't, although I could write a column about the blending of music and film. They are two mediums that I truly love and are often used harmoniously to enhance the drama of a particular scene. Here are some examples of what I think are some very effective uses of music in film. Obviously I cannot include them all, even if I wrote about this topic every week for the rest of my life. But I can talk about some of them.
As usual, there are some stipulations. Songs written specifically for a movie and or soundtrack are exempt. That pretty much takes care of Footloose, Top Gun, etc. It's not that these movies/songs aren't worthy of inclusion, they just don't belong in this particular column. Writing a song based around a particular movie sequence is a musical achievement. This column is about movies. Also exempt are musicals and movies that contain original scores. Because of this I have to omit one of the most haunting examples of music used in a film: the shower scene in Psycho. But once again, that's not what I'm going for here. It takes a different sort of skill to take an already filmed movie scene and choose an already-released song to accompany it. It's even more difficult to do so with a song that has become a contemporary classic in its own right. As I was preparing this week's column, I discovered that there is no way I can contain such a broad topic in one week. Therefore, this will be part 1. Next week will be part 2. Beyond that, I don't know.
This week I have come up with ten selections for the list- not ranked, and placed in random order. Enjoy.
Song: "Layla" (Piano Outro) by Derek and the Dominoes
Featured in: Goodfellas
My Mad Ramblings
This four minute-plus fadeout is melancholy and slightly haunting. It's chilling enough without being used as a musical montage detailing the discovery of numerous dead mobsters. It definitely heightens the intensity and drama of seeing Frenchy in the trash compactor or Frankie Carbone frozen solid in the meat wagon. The montage starts and ends at precisely the right moments, casually fading in just as two kids stumble across the bodies of Johnny Roast Beef and his wife inside their new car, and drops off just seconds before Joe Pesci is whacked. This is a shining example of why Scorsese is a master of blending the two art forms.
Song: "Won't Get Fooled Again" by The Who
Featured in: Summer of Sam
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This song is played during the film's climax, as John Leguizamo and friends lay the smack down on Adrien Brody because they think he's the Son of Sam, unaware that the real killer had been caught hours earlier. It's a song about a violent political uprising and it's used here to depict a vicious beating. However, it's also used to underscore Brody's status as an outsider among the rest of the members of his Bronx neighborhood. In a time and place where Disco ruled, a punk rocker didn't fit in very well, which only furthered the residents' paranoia that anyone could be the .44 caliber killer. Spike Lee was a student of Scorsese's when he attended NYU Film School. This is evidence of how much his mentor might have influenced him.
Songs: "Sister Christian" by Night Ranger; "Jessie's Girl" by Rick Springfield; "99 Luftballons" by Nena
Featured in: Boogie Nights
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Fragments of these three selections amount to a cinematic medley of madness in one climatic scene. We have Mark Wahlberg, John C. Reilly, Alfred Molina, a faux drug deal that ends badly, and a trilogy of songs that a large number of people will deny liking even though most of them probably do. These songs serve as a sharp contrast to the violence and decadence occurring onscreen, which is exactly why they work so well.
Song: "Stuck in the Middle With You" by Stealers Wheel
Featured in: Reservoir Dogs
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Had I decided to rank my choices, this would place pretty high, for no one can ever forget the image of Michael Madsen gleefully dancing and singing along to the radio while he tortures a helpless cop, "not for information", as he puts it, but for the sheer pleasure it allows him, and the audience too, if we're honest with ourselves. The catchiness of the melody creates an atmosphere completely antithetical to what the viewer should feel. We revel in that which we would normally find repulsive. It's not sick… it's brilliant.
I just realized every song I've mentioned so far has either been used as a depiction of violence or the aftermath of violence. I think it's time to transition to some more lighthearted uses of music on film…
Song: "Banana Boat Song" by Harry Belafonte
Featured in: Beetlejuice
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You know whenever this movie comes on TV you wait for this scene to pop up. Unless of course you own the DVD, in which case you can enjoy it anytime you want. There's really nothing artistic about this particular use of music, it's just such a fun and iconic scene that I couldn't not include it. Seriously though, if I were a ghost trying to scare people out of my house, I don't think possessing them to do the calypso would do the trick. Sure, they're a little freaked out at first, but by the end they are truly enjoying themselves, even after the hands come out of their food and grab their faces. I'll wager that a handful of lame people even sing and dance along to this scene- not me, of course. Some will say it's because I' stoic and off-putting, but I say it's because I refuse to look like a moron… and I don't know how to dance Calypso. Belafonte's "Jump In The Line" was used at the end of the movie in a similar fashion, but this is the more memorable of the two scenes.
Songs: "Danke Schoen" by Wayne Newton and "Twist and Shout" by The Beatles
Featured in: Ferris Bueller's Day Off"
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"Cameron Frye, this one's for you…"
This is another selection I just had to include because it is so famous. Matthew Broderick lipsyncing to these two songs on a parade float in the middle of downtown Chicago is one of the most iconic images of any teen comedy. It probably wasn't the smartest thing for Ferris to do though since he was supposed to be deathly ill at the time. Again, it's a fun scene, with the whole crowd, and even Ferris' dad, dancing along to the madness. "Twist and Shout" made it back onto the US charts as a result of its appearance in this movie, although Paul McCartney later complained in an interview about the "awful brass" that was overdubbed onto the original track. Sir Paul has got to be cringing over the fact that he has no control over the licensing of Beatles' music. Oh, wait, he's definitely cringing over it, considering it ended his friendship with Michael Jackson. I personally think he should be commended for having sense enough to denounce Jacko years before it became the "in" thing to do. None of this has anything to do with the movie, so I will end by saying…
SAN DIMAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL RULES! Oops, wrong ‘80's teen comedy.
Song: "Surfin' USA" by The Beach Boys
Featured in: Teen Wolf
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More fun musical interludes from an ‘80's teen comedy, although Teen Wolf is a bit more obscure than the previous two movies. This song is played twice in the movie, both times in scenes involving a teenager on top of a van. The first time has Jerry Levine presumably trying to "roof surf." The second time it's a wolfed-out Michael J. Fox on top of Levine's "Wolf Mobile", showing much more grace and agility than his friend did. There's really nothing else to say here, except that if it were any other song these scenes probably would have sucked beyond words.
Song: "Who Do You Love?" by Bo Diddley
Featured in: La Bamba
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Diddley re-recorded his 1956 hit for this biopic of Ritchie Valens. The new version, vastly superior in every way, plays over the opening credits while Esai Morales, as Valens' half-brother Bob, rides his motorcycle into a migrant farm, with the intent of rescuing his family from a life of mediocrity. In a film where the music is very much its own character, this song is the perfect opening number, as its opening guitar strains catch the viewers' attention and make them feel like a passenger on Bob's motorcycle. It also serves as a fitting onscreen debut for the character of Bob Morales, introducing him as a leather-clad hellion who stands out in a family full of ardent laborers and a musically inclined younger sibling.
While I'm on the subject of songs played over the opening credits, I might as well mention this one.
Song:"Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses
Featured in: Lean On Me
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Welcome to the jungle, indeed. For that is exactly what Eastside High School in Paterson, New Jersey was before Joe Clark (Morgan Freeman) rolled in and cleaned the place up. This is the perfect song choice for the opening credits, as the audience is introduced to a high school that is less an educational institution than it is merely a holding ground for gang members and drug dealers. During this sequence, the principal is savagely beaten while trying to break up a fight. Naturally, he didn't return to his job, so "Crazy Joe" stepped in. A heavy metal anthem also made a lasting impression on film, as anyone who's both seen the movie and heard the song can equate the two. Of course, that could be said for most of the songs I've mentioned.
To keep it at an even ten, this next selection will be my final one for the week.
Song: "American Woman" by The Guess Who
Featured in: American Beauty
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In a film that features several sequences set to modern rock classics, this is the one I enjoy most. Kevin Spacey, joint in hand, jubilantly sings along as he pulls his car into the drive-thru of the fast food establishment that will soon be his new place of employment. He is bursting with ecstasy after his recent "epiphany". Although his character, Lester Burnham, isn't destined to remain in this world for much longer, he is completely unaware of it, and for the moment, content to be re-living his carefree teenage years. We've all had moments like this, where a car stereo allows us to cut loose and immerse ourselves in the sound of loud rock music. This is an excellent song to accompany such a cinematic moment.
That's it for this week. I will be back next week with ten more selections. So, for the time being, please refrain from pointing out any omissions I might have made as this is still a work in progress. Perhaps some of your picks will turn up in part 2.
Once again if you haven't seen The Dark Knight, go right now!
