Huh? I don’t remember any “trashy '90s rock” in that scene. I remember Irish music and then bagpipes.
And another vote for that X-Files episode; that creeped me out.
In the movie Jaws, when Quint shoots the shark with barrels tied to ropes in an effort to keep the shark near the surface, a light, cheerful tune is playing as the barrel(s) bounce merrily along the surface of the water. Eventually, of course, the shark does take them under, with the music slowing and dying as the barrels submerge.
The same music plays a little later in the movie, when Quint has managed to get three barrels into the shark. It also sets up a wonderful dialogue exchange, when Quint yells “He can’t go under with three barrels in 'im! Not with three barrels he can’t!” Of course, the shark does just that. Hooper stands there, amazed, and asks quietly, “You ever had one do that before?” And Quint just shakes his head silently.
Man, there’s not a wasted scene in that movie, you know?
Spoilers
Spinner’s murder in Death to Smoochy was set to happy music.
The final scene of The Life of Brian.
Thanks for the correction; it’s been many, many years since I saw that and it still bothers me. Martin Sheen did a superb job.
A friend of mine in my filmmaking course did three short vampire movies that prominently featured the chorus of Yoko Ono’s “I See Rainbows”. The verse of the song isn’t too cheerful, but the chorus has lines like these:
I see rainbows,
I see tomorrow,
I see us sending rainbow thoughts!
That Stephen King movie, Cat’s Eye where the wife is being electrocuted and they’re playing 96 Tears. Which is a really rousing, bouncy song, despite the title. It’s just very surreal.
In the movie Vanilla Sky during the scene where Tom Cruise kills Penelope Cruz/Cameron Diaz while having sex the song “Can We Still Be Friends” plays. While not an entirely happy song it is a bit upbeat for a murder scene. It works though. It makes the scene feel very surreal.
The Brady Bunch episode where they go to Hawaii. And the big ‘ol hairy, supposedly deadly, evil looking, freakin’ TARANTULA is sneaking up on Bobby (or was it Peter) step by stealthy step.
And what music do Sherwood and Elroy put behind this little tableau of finely crafted suspense?
The happy music.
What the hell!?
You know the music. It goes “**Doot Doot Doot doo Doot Doot Doot doo dooooo…” The Brady Bunch HAPPY music.
It’s just another one of those little things that made me the way I am today.
Jaws again: Guy singing: “Farewell and adieu all ye fair Spanish ladies” as the shark turns for its final attack.
Little Big Man: Throughout the scene of the Sand Creek Massacre, Custer’s drum and fife corps plays “Garry Owen”.
not sure, but I think that Garry Owen was actually the 7th Cav’s adopted battle song
Indeed it was, and still is. It was weird in the movie, though, watching Indian women, children and old men being slaughtered while the up-beat, cheery music played in the background.
There are a few more cheery music/disturbing scene scenes in that movie… all of which are slipping my mind at the moment… :smack:
But does Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas count as cheery music?
This is really mild compared to these other examples, but I’ll never forget the use of the song “Wouldn’t it Be Nice” in Roger and Me. I can’t listen to the song the same way after that.
Bing Crosby singing WHITE CHRISTMAS at the end of MOTHER NIGHT
Mason Verger’s semi-flasback in Hannibal where he describes smashing a mirror and peeling off his face with a piece of glass. The music is like something you might hear at a fair ground and I’ve always found it very very creepy.
In Serial Mom, Kathleen Turner hacks up one of her victims to the tune of “The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow” from Annie.
[writer’s hat ON]
The term for this particular device is juxtaposition. In other words, putting something light right up against something dark, making the light seem brighter and the dark seem darker. Verrrry effective, when used right. Just thought I’d share that.
[writer’s hat OFF]
Jisatsu Saakuru (Suicide Circle) has some unbelievably gruesome scenes interspersed with a bouncy little pop song in the style of Morning Musume or Speed.
Appropriately enough, the music
turns out to be what causing all the suicides