# Ave Maria in a gangster movie **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 18, 2014, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ave-maria-in-a-gangster-movie/698793 "2014-09-18T02:51:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![qazwart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/5fc32e/32.png) [@qazwart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qazwart)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ave-maria-in-a-gangster-movie/698793/1 "2014-09-18T02:51:26Z")
I’m Embarrassed to admit it, but I am a fan of Gravity Falls. Worst part I have no kids under the age of 21. There are usually lots of cultural references to movies that the writers have added. Last episode involved a box of puppets being blown up by a bunch of fireworks. The scene played in slow motion with Ave Maria playing in the background. One puppet was shown falling down with one eye coming off as if it had been shot. The next second puppets were raining down around one person (again in slow motion as Ave Maria was still playing) who was mortified by the violence taking place around him. Dammit, I know it must be a movie reference. I am thinking about some gangland movie. However, I can’t think of the actual movie. Is it from The Godfather? Broadway Empire? any ideas? What is the movie being referenced? ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ave-maria-in-a-gangster-movie/698793/2 "2014-09-18T03:11:26Z")
I think it’s The Godfather, although the music during that baptism wasnt Ave Maria. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ave-maria-in-a-gangster-movie/698793/3 "2014-09-18T03:43:50Z")
Moved to Cafe Society. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ave-maria-in-a-gangster-movie/698793/4 "2014-09-18T04:01:58Z")
Hit Man was a movie based on a video game that had Ave Maria in the advertising, I don’t remember if it was in the movie. While well produced, the movie was so stupid it was like someone made a movie of a video game. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ave-maria-in-a-gangster-movie/698793/5 "2014-09-18T04:15:08Z")
> [@qazwart](#): > > I’m Embarrassed to admit it, but I am a fan of Gravity Falls. Worst part I have no kids under the age of 21. There are usually lots of cultural references to movies that the writers have added. > > Last episode involved a box of puppets being blown up by a bunch of fireworks. The scene played in slow motion with Ave Maria playing in the background. One puppet was shown falling down with one eye coming off as if it had been shot. The next second puppets were raining down around one person (again in slow motion as Ave Maria was still playing) who was mortified by the violence taking place around him. > > Dammit, I know it must be a movie reference. I am thinking about some gangland movie. However, I can’t think of the actual movie. Is it from The Godfather? Broadway Empire? any ideas? > > What is the movie being referenced? Don’t be embarrassed to be a fan, I’d be watching even if I didn’t have kids. As for that scene, I also felt like it was a callout to a movie, but I couldn’t place it and searching didn’t help. I thought this was amusing though… > **[Ave Maria And People Getting Whacked](http://thanksgoogs.blogspot.com/2013/06/ave-maria-and-people-getting-whacked.html)** > > Ave Maria And People Getting Whacked       I went to a wedding over the weekend and during the ceremony someone sang Ave Maria.  This imme... ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ave-maria-in-a-gangster-movie/698793/6 "2014-09-18T06:31:40Z")
Could it be a reference to Bruce Boxleitner’s death in the Christian Slater vehicle “Kuffs”? [Kuffs NorthBeach church - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBToQwtAO2s) ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ave-maria-in-a-gangster-movie/698793/7 "2014-09-18T12:38:11Z")
> [@Pai325](#): > > I think it’s The Godfather, although the music during that baptism wasnt Ave Maria. No, it was Bach’s Passacaglia in C-Minor (mostly). ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ave-maria-in-a-gangster-movie/698793/8 "2014-09-18T13:16:44Z")
[Here’s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1ixHG8ey_Q) a violent _Ave Maria_ scene from the movie _Needful Things_. Also, this is a fairly common thing: the torture scene in _The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly,_ _Clockwork Orange,_ etc. Here’s a TV Tropes [page](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/SoundtrackDissonance/FILM). ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ave-maria-in-a-gangster-movie/698793/9 "2014-09-18T13:33:08Z")
[Hitman](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH0i8rFUiV4)? ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ave-maria-in-a-gangster-movie/698793/10 "2014-09-18T14:59:55Z")
It makes me think of [this scene](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WrDk9Og17E) in John Woo’s **Face Off,** where a slow motion gun battle happens with “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” playing on the soundtrack. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ave-maria-in-a-gangster-movie/698793/11 "2014-09-18T15:25:29Z")
I have been meaning to post this (almost) exact same question, only the parody scene was on _Modern Family_. It starts off with Cam singing Ave Maria at a wedding and intercuts with Mitchell chasing around a pigeon that flew into the house, eventually wrecking the living room as he flails at it with, I think, a tennis racket. I believe he somehow rips up a pillow or something that causes feathers to rain down on him, all of course in slow motion. It seems pretty clear it’s a take off on a famous scene and my first guess was _The Godfather_. Not sure the movies mentioned by others are iconic enough to have been the source material. On the other hand, nobody that’s responded so far is familiar enough with TGF to identify it? I’ll bet someone will be along soon to verify. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ave-maria-in-a-gangster-movie/698793/12 "2014-09-18T21:13:35Z")
“Ave Maria” is not actually listed as being used in **The Godfather** , so I’m not sure where this started originally. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ave-maria-in-a-gangster-movie/698793/13 "2014-09-18T22:09:03Z")
Ave Maria was playing in the wedding scene of **Prizzi’s Honor**. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ave-maria-in-a-gangster-movie/698793/14 "2014-09-19T02:31:09Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > It seems pretty clear it’s a take off on a famous scene and my first guess was _The Godfather_. Not sure the movies mentioned by others are iconic enough to have been the source material. On the other hand, nobody that’s responded so far is familiar enough with TGF to identify it? Uh, post #7? At no point is _Ave Maria_ played in TGF1. I doubt it’s played in TGF2. The main part of the baptism scene is scored to Bach’s _Passacaglia in C-Minor_, [BWV 582](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F51uHpH3yQk). ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ave-maria-in-a-gangster-movie/698793/15 "2014-09-19T03:14:48Z")
I haven’t seen it, but are you sure it’s “Ava Maria” and not “Vesti la guibba” which is used a lot in mob-like/tragic settings ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ave-maria-in-a-gangster-movie/698793/16 "2014-09-19T13:34:53Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Uh, post #7? > > At no point is _Ave Maria_ played in TGF1. I doubt it’s played in TGF2. The main part of the baptism scene is scored to Bach’s _Passacaglia in C-Minor_, [BWV 582](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F51uHpH3yQk). Wasn’t trying to disregard your response, **JohnT**. I’ve only scene bits and pieces of TGF (no pun intended) and the baptism scene is not among them. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ave-maria-in-a-gangster-movie/698793/17 "2014-09-19T13:40:10Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > I haven’t seen it, but are you sure it’s “Ava Maria” and not “Vesti la guibba” which is used a lot in mob-like/tragic settings It was definitely “Ave Maria”. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ave-maria-in-a-gangster-movie/698793/18 "2014-09-19T13:47:53Z")
At least I’m pretty sure it was. Skip to the 2:50 mark: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/eIIiRv9F0YE/hqdefault.jpg "SOCK PUPPET EDITION | Gravity Falls Funniest Moments") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIIiRv9F0YE) ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ave-maria-in-a-gangster-movie/698793/19 "2014-09-19T15:37:29Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > At least I’m pretty sure it was. Skip to the 2:50 mark: > > [http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eIIiRv9F0YE](http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eIIiRv9F0YE) Yup. I don’t think it’s a direct parody. Just some fun, silly slow-motion dramatic stuff set to classical music. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ave-maria-in-a-gangster-movie/698793/20 "2014-09-19T18:59:27Z")
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