Holy crap, look, it's a distraction!
For both f-list people and myself. From
fannish5:
Name five effective uses of songs in movies or tv shows.
1. "The Times They Are A-Changin'" by Bob Dylan in Watchmen. Just inspired, really. The song gets a brief mention in the GN, IIRC, but the way they used it in the opening credits is amazing.
2. "We Will Rock You" by Queen in A Knight's Tale. Hee, okay, I know the film's not a classic by any standard, but I love the way they brought together modern music and the "medieval" setting. I lost it when I noticed that during the guitar solo, there's a guy with a trumpet playing along. A close second is the music playing when William's crew make the bet with the Frenchmen. If you listen closely, you'll realize it's regular bar music, kind of blues-y country, just in a whatever-century pub. There are even people inexplicably dancing to it. Awesome.
3. "Staralfur" by Sigur Ros in both The Life Aquatic and The Girl in the Cafe. Oh man, this song. Okay, you know in Shawshank Redemption when Red talks about the opera song Andy plays, and how he doesn't want to know what the words are in English because he likes to think they're singing about something so beautiful it can't be expressed in words, and makes your heart ache because of it? That's this song, for me. It comes at what I consider the emotional climax of both movies, and it just.. makes your heart ache, appropriately enough.
4. "Whole Wide World" by Wreckless Eric in Stranger Than Fiction. The scene in which this song features is proof positive that anyone can look hot while playing guitar, even an almost terminally dorky Will Ferrell. Also, I guess, something about the power of music, how it can build deep bonds between people in an instant.
5. "Twist and Shout" by the Beatles in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Aww. Everybody dances! I get chills, TBH, seeing a street filled to bursting with people all dancing and singing together. It's just.. nice. And, of course, the Beatles- I mean, 'nuff said.
Runners-up: "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" by Nancy Sinatra in Kill Bill Vol. 1. "Tiny Dancer" by Elton John in Almost Famous. "Lucia Di Lammermoor" by Gaetano Donizetti in The Fifth Element. "Goody Two Shoes" by Adam Ant in Hot Fuzz.
ETA: Links to vids-
1. "The Times They Are a-Changin'"
2. Couldn't find one, sorry.
3. "Staralfur" in Life Aquatic WARNING: Serious spoilers. I mean it. I hesitate to even have the link at all. DO NOT WATCH this if you haven't seen the movie.
4. "Whole Wide World" WARNING: Not entirely work-safe.
5. "Twist and Shout"
Runner-up vids I could find:
"Tiny Dancer"
"Lucia Di Lammermoor"
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Name five effective uses of songs in movies or tv shows.
1. "The Times They Are A-Changin'" by Bob Dylan in Watchmen. Just inspired, really. The song gets a brief mention in the GN, IIRC, but the way they used it in the opening credits is amazing.
2. "We Will Rock You" by Queen in A Knight's Tale. Hee, okay, I know the film's not a classic by any standard, but I love the way they brought together modern music and the "medieval" setting. I lost it when I noticed that during the guitar solo, there's a guy with a trumpet playing along. A close second is the music playing when William's crew make the bet with the Frenchmen. If you listen closely, you'll realize it's regular bar music, kind of blues-y country, just in a whatever-century pub. There are even people inexplicably dancing to it. Awesome.
3. "Staralfur" by Sigur Ros in both The Life Aquatic and The Girl in the Cafe. Oh man, this song. Okay, you know in Shawshank Redemption when Red talks about the opera song Andy plays, and how he doesn't want to know what the words are in English because he likes to think they're singing about something so beautiful it can't be expressed in words, and makes your heart ache because of it? That's this song, for me. It comes at what I consider the emotional climax of both movies, and it just.. makes your heart ache, appropriately enough.
4. "Whole Wide World" by Wreckless Eric in Stranger Than Fiction. The scene in which this song features is proof positive that anyone can look hot while playing guitar, even an almost terminally dorky Will Ferrell. Also, I guess, something about the power of music, how it can build deep bonds between people in an instant.
5. "Twist and Shout" by the Beatles in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Aww. Everybody dances! I get chills, TBH, seeing a street filled to bursting with people all dancing and singing together. It's just.. nice. And, of course, the Beatles- I mean, 'nuff said.
Runners-up: "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" by Nancy Sinatra in Kill Bill Vol. 1. "Tiny Dancer" by Elton John in Almost Famous. "Lucia Di Lammermoor" by Gaetano Donizetti in The Fifth Element. "Goody Two Shoes" by Adam Ant in Hot Fuzz.
ETA: Links to vids-
1. "The Times They Are a-Changin'"
2. Couldn't find one, sorry.
3. "Staralfur" in Life Aquatic WARNING: Serious spoilers. I mean it. I hesitate to even have the link at all. DO NOT WATCH this if you haven't seen the movie.
4. "Whole Wide World" WARNING: Not entirely work-safe.
5. "Twist and Shout"
Runner-up vids I could find:
"Tiny Dancer"
"Lucia Di Lammermoor"
no subject
I love A Knight's Tale, anachronistic as it is. It's just so damn fun, and honestly, not that much less "historically accurate" than certain other more legitimate period pieces. Plus Wash is in it. With an accent and everything.
Also, I seriously do need to watch The Girl in the Cafe, don't I? I put it on the netflix queue but I still have others in front of it that I haven't watched.
no subject
I think you just kind of have to go into it thinking that it's set in an AU Middle Ages, pretty much. Then it works just fine. XD It does indeed.
If you want to, sure. I only saw it the one time, but I definitely enjoyed it.
no subject
Hee, indeed. What with the medieval-style London Eye and the princess's neon-dyed hair tips. The peripheral characters are much more interesting than the leads, but I always think that.
no subject
There was a London Eye? Don't recall that, hm. I couldn't agree more, though at least the leads were nice to look at.
no subject
It's in London (clearly) near the Thames in some scene where they pan up. But it's basically just a medieval-looking ferris wheel. Mm, yeah, Heath Ledger was lovely, as was the girl whose name I can't remember right now.
no subject
Hm, I'll keep an eye out for it next time I watch the movie. Shannyn Sossaman, who has done surprisingly little since. I dunno, maybe she's doing theater nowadays or something.
no subject
I remember spotting it on the second (maybe third?) viewing and thinking it was just such a cute little touch to have; completely random, but still. Ah yes, Ms. Sossaman; I remember her in 40 Days and 40 Nights, and she was probably the best part of it.
no subject
She was in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang too, for a little bit. She wore a pink wig. That's.. the only thing I've seen her in besides A Knight's Tale.
no subject
Oh, that's right, she gets killed, doesn't she?
no subject
Yeah, and consequently has that cool, completely random moment with Harry under the bed.
no subject
Does she? I don't even remember. I know she was sort of a baddie, only in the end she redeemed herself. Or maybe I'm confusing her with someone else.
no subject
Eh, I wouldn't say she redeems herself. It's just kind of sad the way she dies. And, of course, there's poor Harry under the bed, watching her die.
no subject
Ah, that would be; I remember feeling sad when she died, at least.