Pop Music In Film.

[pharoahdance]

I don't know, perhaps this should go in Make Mine Music or Film Discussion, but nobody responds to threads in those ghettos.

What is pop music doing in dramatic films? They serve no purpose other than to take me right out of the movie and into into 90.3 KSHT-FM All Top 40 All The Time. Two recent examples:

1. The coyote scene in Collateral. If this scene had been silent or if Mann had used Lisa Gerrard, it easily would have been my favorite scene in movies this year. Instead he chooses, of all people, Audioslave. "I can tell you why, People die alone, I can tell you why, I'm a shadow on the sun." What the fuck is that?

2. Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind. It only happens shortly, but that Polyphonic Spree sun song (another fucking sun song!) makes me want kill a child.

Why do some directors feel the need to inject whatever band is currently on the charts into their movie? Surely it can't be just to boost soundtrack sales can it? I can deal with that MTV music being used in say, a Simon West film, but this is unforgivable. I know at least Venetian Blinds agrees with me, so please validate my existence further.

[Notoriousaurus]

Originally Posted by pharoahdance

...so please validate my existence further.

Okay, okay - You exist.

[Phreak]

If it was about whoever was 'on the charts', then Michael Mann or Michael Gondry would be using putrid music like Avril Lavigne or something just as disgusting. Believe me, no one is using an Audioslave song for popularity.

[3DMan]

Originally Posted by pharoahdance

Why do some directors feel the need to inject whatever band is currently on the charts into their movie? Surely it can't be just to boost soundtrack sales can it? I can deal with that MTV music being used in say, a Simon West film, but this is unforgivable. I know at least Venetian Blinds agrees with me, so please validate my existence further.

It's called MONEY. No other reason. And I did think it was out of place in Collateral. Almost every Director is guilty of it, but I can deal with it if it's during the closing fucking credits, no shamlessly plugged into the movie, like all the WB TV shows.

[pharoahdance]

Originally Posted by Phreak

Believe me, no one is using an Audioslave song for popularity.

Well it sure as hell isn't for lyrical depth or technical prowess. Anyway, despite being out of the public eye for 20+ years, Jimmy Spicer of Dollar Bill Y'all fame IM'ed me and asked to have his thoughts included in my monumental thread.

Originally Posted by Jimmy Spicer

They should've used that other rock n' roll mish-mash: Velvet Revolver. Scott Weiland bellowing about cocaine and alcohol would've added a jaunty, decadent feel to the proceedings.

I was just bitching about the use of pop music in movies the other day, likely sparked by the use of Audioslave in 'Collateral' (I also happened to catch part of the excreable 'SWAT' the other day, and what a lot of kitchen sink bullshit that was. 'Shattered' by the Rolling Stones! 'Just Because' by Jane's Addiction! And no rhyme or reason to any of it!). Don't get me wrong; pop music can and often does enhance movies, but in 'Collateral', the use of Audioslave seemed a bit... arbitrary? It just didn't have the conviction of 'Layla' in 'Goodfellas' or 'Strawberry Letter 23' in 'Jackie Brown' or 'Fuckin' In The Bushes' in 'Snatch'. Does Michael Mann have a personal affinity for Audioslave? Or did some snot-nosed assistant flip him a disc of passable 'L.A. at night' music? I'd have to guess the latter.

Beck could've been brilliant. 'Runners Dial Zero' or 'Already Dead', perhaps. Moribund, man. And he's an L.A. guy, so there's that.

[Phreak]

I have to immediately discount the opinion of anyone that says the use of Fuckin' in the Bushes in Snatch had conviction to it. I love the song and the movie, and it fit, but there is nothing deep or important that makes the song fit the scene better than another song of similar tone and tempo.

I agree that Mann could have easily used another, probably better song (although I admit I don't hate this song either), but I still don't think it has anything to do with popularity. I mean shit, if Mann was trying to do something like that, you would have heard some Linkin Park song in there. Same with the club scene and the use of the Oakenfold song Ready Steady Go. Again, there are hundreds of songs that could go there, but he used one from 2 years ago, from an album that probably hasn't been on ANY charts in the last 18 months.

[pharoahdance]

Originally Posted by Phreak

I have to immediately discount the opinion of anyone that says the use of Fuckin' in the Bushes in Snatch had conviction to it. I love the song and the movie, and it fit, but there is nothing deep or important that makes the song fit the scene better than another song of similar tone and tempo.

The singer of the Bubble Bunch would like to respond to your comments, Phreak.

Originally Posted by Jimmy Spicer

Wow, so, by that rationale, any ol' coyote howling and harmonica would've suited 'The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly' just fine. I don't know why Sofia Coppola went to the trouble to get 'Just Like Honey' cleared when any ol' shoegazey bullshit of similar tone and tempo would do. And I suppose any ol' New Age instrumental could have worked for 'The Exorcist'. Nothing special about the music itself, after all. It's all about the tone and tempo. Discount my opinion? *My* opinion?

There was more to his message, but he used some grown-up language I wouldn't want some of the members to see.

[Phreak]

Yes, that's exactly what I mean. Because one movie has a song that during one scene (a boxing scene no less) is more or less interchangeable with a similar song, seeing as the scene and song have no connection deeper than "well, it sounds pretty cool right here", that all music in all movies ever are interchangeable with songs of similar tone and tempo.

Yes, the score to The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly could be exchanged for a different score (although probably only other Ennio Morricone music), but even then something is lost. There is a deeper connection to Morricone's score and Leone's imagery than just "hey, they go together". Whereas, in Snatch, it would not be lost, because there is no deep connection between music and imagery in that particular scene.

My point was that Mann may have not used the best song for that scene, but it doesn't exactly clash with the imagery either. Everybody always wants their favorite music stuck somewhere into movies they like, but sometimes it's just impossible. Maybe the song Mann thought best fit (from what I've heard of the guy, he isn't one to just put 'hot" music into his music for the sake of selling more CDs or tickets or whatever) isn't what you or I, or even most people think fits best.

[theta]

I wasn't taken out of the movie for the simple reason that I don't listen to fucking top 40 and haven't bought a current album in at least five years. I just don't care.

That said, I don't find pop music in movies that distracting anyway. Sometimes it can be if it's hideously inappropriate or the filmmakers don't understand the song. For example, I will NEVER understand why characters in movies will slow-dance to "Every Breath You Take." IT'S A SONG ABOUT STALKING!!!

Another victim is usually Green Day's "Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)" They played it over the documentary before the Seinfeld finale, and I laughed my ass off. People treat it as a sweet sentimental song, as opposed to the "my ex can fuck off and die" song it actually is.

[Morticia]

Actually, this would be great in Film Discussion.

So I'm moving it there.

[Midnight Cowboy]

What about "Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head" in Butch Cassidy and the Dundance Kid?



I love the classic scores of Bernnard Herrman, but in some cases, I can accept the hit parade invading the cinema.

[SilentBob]

Well i'm mostly against Top 40 Pop Music appearing in films but some aren't too bad. Spiderman 2 for instance is a great movie and the score was pretty good as well but why flood the movie with all these bands for a stupid CD. The CD of the music choices suck ( i think i liked 2 songs on the album and 1 that didn't even make it) They have to fill so many movie with pop culture music and its ashame that they do it. HellBoy could of filled the movie with pop culture music for the battles but they wisely kept it to a simple score (which is one of the best this year) with one simple (and well placed) Big Right Hand for HellBoy's grand fighting entrance. I wish more studios did what HellBoy did and allow the movie and the score to be the standout in the feature not some stupid flavour of the month band.

But i'm not saying all are that bad as you just need to simply look at Moulin Rouge which was filled with past pop culture songs and they all worked for the film (ok maybe Like A Virgin is an exception but i liked it) But they didn't use the band/group/the singer to sing there song and really made it there own. Maybe that is why it worked so well for the film. Shrek 2 is probably one of the few movies i have seen in the past few year that have used the original group/singer to display their music in the movie and work. The big opening number from Counting Crows is well done and hell Funky Town even works well in the movie. But maybe is because the animation department has more freedom to work with the material then live actors.

But still i hope we see less flavour of the month crap on my movie soundtracks and lets see them get bck into the great days when the score of the movie is what helped make the movie so special.

[pharoahdance]

*Test*

[Dilmo]

Originally Posted by theta

"Every Breath You Take." IT'S A SONG ABOUT STALKING!!!

What surprises me even more is that this is one of the most played songs at weddings.

[darcy]

Spiderman 2 had tons of pop music in it, added to the dramatic moments of an already awesome movie! face it, most music wouldn't get the attention it needed to BECOME top 40 in the first place! Granted, some movies just get ruined when that music played when it calls for some other type. *sigh* well, I guess, until we become the directors/producers/movie writers, we can only sit aside and watch!

[mlemmond]

Originally Posted by darcy

Spiderman 2 had tons of pop music in it, added to the dramatic moments of an already awesome movie! face it, most music wouldn't get the attention it needed to BECOME top 40 in the first place! Granted, some movies just get ruined when that music played when it calls for some other type. *sigh* well, I guess, until we become the directors/producers/movie writers, we can only sit aside and watch!

Great point and welcome to the forum!

[Bantam]

There was also that song that played during the Spanglish soundtrack. It doesn't bother me at all. A song being popular doesn't make it bad - if its got the right sound it can be effective.

[Bantam]

It can be great for the careers of really good artists who don't get much radio play. Look at Damien Rice with Closer and The Shins with Garden State.