Help me out here. I can not for the life of me remember the name of the composer who wrote the music for Alexander Nevsky. I like a lot of the ones already mentioned, but that one is a CLASSIC!
The main theme in THE GREAT ESCAPE.
It’s a military march with a hint of mischief. Perfect for that film, and one of my fav’s.
I once had a really weird experience with this song:
A few years ago I was walking up 8th Ave. in NYC and had that song going through my head. No reason. I hadn’t even watched the movie recently. I went into a second hand bookstore, and it was PLAYING ON THE STORE’S STEREO! I had never, and have never since, heard the song played anywhere except in the film. But to walk in on it when I was already thinking about it! I bought the CD from the store on the spot.
I loved the music in “Gummo.” The beginning and ending scenes with bunny boy were incredible!
Chalk me up with the shameless O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack fan club. Particualrly Allison Krauss, on “Down to the RIver to Pray” and “I’ll Fly Away.” Got one of her albums because of this soundtrack, and was enormously disappointed.
Since I’m talking Coen bros, I can’t not mention The Big Lebowski’s flashback/dream sequence featuring “Just Dropped In (to See what Condition my Condition is In)” by Kenny Rogers. Or the tune played under the titles to Raising Arizona.
How about “We’ll Meet Again” mated with stock footage of atom bomb tests at the end of Dr. Strangelove?
Another Goodfella’s tune: “My Way” by Johnny Rotten.
The Pixie’s “Where is My Mind?” while the city scape explodes, at the end of Fight Club.
That should be enough for now!
Some great stuff already mentioned. Let me add one of my favorites, American Graffiti. Not just some great music, but a great fit to the movie scene after scene. And Wolfman Jack weaving in and out of the music was not just a great touch, but actually comes into the plot.
All in all, a movie which was definitely not a musical, but where the music was still as much a part of it as the characters.
Ugly
Anyone seen Almost Famous? The entire soundtrack is wonderful and suits the movie, especially Yes’s “I’ve Seen All Good People” and the ending credits, where “Feel Flows” by the Beach Boys plays. Excellent.
The theme to It’s Garry Shandling’s Show
excerpt:
This is the theme to Garry’s Show,
This is the theme to Garry’s show.
Garry called me up and asked if I would write his theme song.
I’m almost halfway finished.
How do you like it so far?
How do you like the theme to Garry’s Show?
…etc
I must mention the JAWS soundtrack then and of course any mob movies i.e. Godfather I and Godfather II won’t mention Godfather III didn’t care for this movie or it’s soundtrack
Well, let’s see, I’m sitting here with my headphones on and turned up quite loud, listening to the soundtrack from “Run Lola Run”, and what topic do I see appear before my eyes? I absolutely love the music from that movie, I think it works perfectly with the visuals, and damnit, I’m buying the dvd the next time I see it.
I’ll also second “Blue Velvet” and “Das Boot”. And it’s hard to keep from choking up when “As Time Goes By” cues up in “Casablanca”.
That’s Sergei Prokofiev.
Thanks Slithy Tove
The Red Violin has been playing a lot on cable tv lately. The soundtrack used is almost as hypnotic as the violin itself.
My favorites for score are also a couple of John Williams composed scores, but from movies no one has mentioned yet.
Superman: The DVD has a music only track, and the movie works wonderfully with just this music. The opening theme over those sweeping credits sets the mood exactly right.
Schindler’s List: A truly haunting masterpiece, played by a reigning virtuoso of the violin. This is the score that proves John Williams is the master of the modern film score.
My favorite music moment in a film occurs in The Shawshank Redemption (wonderful score, BTW). The moment when the opera music is playing over the speakers and all of the inmates are standing transfixed staring at the speakers captures for me more than any other moment in film the power that music has to reach into a person’s soul.
Major props for the use of The Who’s “Bell Boy,” too, I think. Not just anyone can make Keith Moon sound like he belongs in a movie.
The entire soundtrack of Almost Famous contributed beautifully to the movie, particularly the “I’ve Seen All Good People/Your Move” sequence. Finally, a song other than “Roundabout” from Yes.
The Thin Red Line has a wonderful score. The biggest emotional peak of it and the film working together comes as the soldiers begin advancing through a completely fog-shrouded bamboo forest, the creak of bamboo being pushed aside, cracks of random rifle fire and whizzes of bullets flying past, labored frightened breathing of the men trying not to panic. Music rising in tempo and ferocity with the scene as the fog breaks and the scene transitions to them taking a village, just utterly dominating and overrunning it. It sends shivers through my spine.
I’ve always liked Harold and Maude’s soundtrack. Rushmore I’m fond of in no small part because it reminds me very much of the former’s soundtrack–even a couple Cat Stevens pieces, I believe.
In a shallower but no less enjoyable way, the score during The Matrix’s lobby shooting spree (in which I am convinced Neo and Trinity use a god mode cheat code), and during Mortal Kombat when whatshisname stops to have a wonderfully pointless combat (like all of them) with Reptile.
Also, just about the entirety of Run Lola Run.
Another vote for Jerry Goldsmith’s Patton. I heard Goldsmith explain the symbolism behind the theme once in an interview. The “echoing” horn triplets symbolize Patton’s belief in reincarnation. The military theme is, well, for Patton’s military zeal. The organ music symbolizes Patton’s spritual and religious side. Gosh, and I always just thought it was great music!
Goldsmith’s score for “The Shadow” was also excellent. Mediocre movie, but he made the best of it.
And I always mention Jerry Goldsmith’s “Under Fire”, the 1985 (?) Nick Nolte film. It’s a great score, using synthesizers, South American sound, and Pat Metheny on the guitar. It would take too long to describe the background of this particular scene in the film, but there is this one scene where the news comes out that the favorite rebel leader is actually alive. (But he isn’t really alive, but that’s a different story.) The track Goldsmith wrote for this scene is called “Rafael”, and it builds and builds as newsboys on bicycles spread the newspapers around, more people hear the news, and all rejoice. Somehow, the power of that scene, coupled with Goldsmith’s score, gave me chills. Wonderful.
Damn, beat me to Dr. Strangelove. Still a better movie at 50 than anything put out today. However, I gotta take issue with the Big Lebowski. While “Just Dropped In” by Kenny and the First Edition (I believe) is good, my vote goes to the Dylan track (“A Woman Like You”? “The Man in Me?” I have it on .mp3 format, and I still don’t know the proper name. For shame…) that is played a couple of times, most notably when Dude flies over the city with a bowling ball. I can never listen to the song without that image filling my mind, which is my test for a good use of music in a movie. Plus, it’s a good song, even for Dylan.
Interview With The Vampire - When Lestat switches on the radio, and Guns 'n Roses “Sympathy For The Devil” starts playing, I can’t help but grin. It sounds so mischevous, just like Lestat. Suits the moment perfectly.
The Color Purple - Shug Avery singing “Miss Celie’s Blues” to Celie. The way she sings it just oozes love - exactly what Celie needs the most. It’s magic.
How on god’s green Earth could this thread have reached two pages with no one mentioning A Clockwork Orange? Beethoven’s 9th will never be the same.
Haj
Clockwork Orange William Tell Overture
O Brother Where art Thou O Death is the best song
Any Cameron Crowe movie.
Ferris Beuller’s Day Off Danke shane (sp) and Twist and Shout
Witness Building the Barn (during the scene where they build a barn)
The entire score to Field of Dreams The DVD gives a great ‘making of the score’ featurette. Plus the use of Jessica.
Of course the 20th Centry Fox fanfare and the opening music to Star Wars is for ever burned into my brain from when I saw and heard it at the Southpark Cinema 4 (which isn’t there any more)
ET I always liked the music during the chase scene where all the boys are on their bikes. There are little bike bells in the music. Then the trumpet fanfare at the end when the ship leaves the rainbow is really cool.
I liked the one finger piano music in Eyes Wide Shut.
Casablanca when they play the French National Anthem is absoulty the most stirring scene in that film.
In Empire of the Sun the main character Jim sings this song call Sou Gan (sp). He sings it three times in the film at the beginning middle and end. The middle time and the following track of Caddillac of the Skys is wonderful.
I’m sure I’ll think up some more but I really should get to work now.