# movies knownmore for their soundtrack than anything else **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 25, 2019, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-knownmore-for-their-soundtrack-than-anything-else/834521 "2019-05-25T23:58:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2019, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-knownmore-for-their-soundtrack-than-anything-else/834521/61 "2019-05-27T12:57:27Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > …As just one example, [here’s a minor character in the story, telling us of her lesbian love](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7WXRNQT9ko). This character is named Prudence. (Guess which song is directed at her character when’s she’s pining over another unrequited love?) Why Don’t We Do It in the Road? mmm ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2019, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-knownmore-for-their-soundtrack-than-anything-else/834521/62 "2019-05-27T13:25:31Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Let’s go back a few years: > > _Lieutenant Kijé_ is an obscure 1934 Soviet comedy (!), largely forgotten except by the most diligent students of 1930’s European cinema. However, the film’s original score is one of composer Sergei Prokofiev’s most well-known and respected works: > > [The Lieutenant Kije Suite](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbaY7p5ahZo). [This](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QsRDpsItq0)is probably the most well-known part. No that’s _I Believe in Father Christmas_ by Greg Lake. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2019, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-knownmore-for-their-soundtrack-than-anything-else/834521/63 "2019-05-27T13:36:07Z")
The Crow. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2019, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-knownmore-for-their-soundtrack-than-anything-else/834521/64 "2019-05-27T13:55:54Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Why Don’t We Do It in the Road? > mmm 🙂 No, though [that song is in the movie, Sadie singing.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIG2eOtNBkQ) In the audience see afore-mentioned Prudence, along with Jude and Lucy before they become lovers. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2019, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-knownmore-for-their-soundtrack-than-anything-else/834521/65 "2019-05-27T14:56:03Z")
**Mondo Cane** , the 1962 documentary It’s responsible for the musical piece _More_ (“Ti Guarderò Nel Cuore”), which had words, but was more often played as an instrumental. The film was not shown often after the initial release, AFAIK. It has been shown on US TV to my knowledge, including premium cable channels, and I’ve never seen it on any video form or streaming service. The film was deliberately shocking and provocative, and inspired a lot of imitations. But its biggest inroad to pop culture was that bit from the soundtrack. > **[More (Theme from Mondo Cane)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/More_(Theme_from_Mondo_Cane))** > > "Ti Guarderò Nel Cuore" ("I will look into your heart"), later released under the international title "More", is a pop song adapted from a film score written by Riz Ortolani and Nino Oliviero for the 1962 Italian documentary film Mondo Cane. Ortolani and Oliviero originally composed the melody as an orchestral arrangement that served as the film's theme music. Italian lyrics were provided by Marcello Ciorciolini, which were adapted into English by Norman Newell. It has since become a pop standard... > **[Mondo Cane](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mondo_Cane)** > > Mondo Cane (literally "Doggish World" or "Dog's World", a mild Italian profanity) is a 1962 Italian mondo documentary film and directed by the trio of Gualtiero Jacopetti, Paolo Cavara, and Franco E. Prosperi, with narration by Stefano Sibaldi. The film consists of a series of travelogue scenes that provide glimpses into cultural practices around the world with the intention to shock or surprise Western film audiences. These scenes are presented with little continuity, as they are intended as Another good catch, referred to above, is _Unchained_. I have to admit that I’ve seen neither “Unchained” or “Mondo Cane” And it’s not a full-length movie, but the 1968 short **Les Bicyclettes del Belsize** ’s soundtrack featured the song with the same title, which was a big hit for Englebert Humperdinck when he covered it, and played incessantly on Easy Listening radio stations forever. Until the internet made it easier to search for details on songs I had no idea where this song came from, or what it was about. I thought he was singing about the bicycles of Versailles, and didn’t know why they would have them there. I hadn’t heard of the short until I looked the damned song up. But, again, I’ll bet hardly anyone has seen the film, although they’ve probably heard the song. I certainly haven’t. > **[Les Bicyclettes de Belsize](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Bicyclettes_de_Belsize)** > > Les Bicyclettes de Belsize is a 1968 British musical short film (30 mins) starring Judy Huxtable and Anthony May. It was directed by Douglas Hickox, and played on cinemas as a supporting feature to Roy Boulting's controversial horror film Twisted Nerve. The two films also shared a soundtrack release, with each score occupying one side each of a 1969 Polydor Records album (Polydor 583 728). > It tells the story of a young man cycling around the Hampstead (NW3) area of London on a Raleigh RSW16. ... > **[Les Bicyclettes de Belsize (song)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Bicyclettes_de_Belsize_(song))** > > "Les Bicyclettes de Belsize" (translation: "The Bicycles of Belsize") is a song written and composed by Les Reed and Barry Mason. Used as the theme song of the 1968 eponymous musical film, it was sung by Anthony May in the movie. As a 7" 45rpm single, it was a big hit that year, in parallel English and French versions, for Engelbert Humperdinck and Mireille Mathieu, respectively. The French version premiered on Mathieu's 1968 Columbia album Les Bicyclettes de Belsize; the English version premi... ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2019, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-knownmore-for-their-soundtrack-than-anything-else/834521/66 "2019-05-27T15:02:27Z")
Elvira Madigan and Mondo Cane remind me of [A Man and a Woman](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061138/reference). [A Man and a Woman theme](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J00jr868okc). ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2019, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-knownmore-for-their-soundtrack-than-anything-else/834521/67 "2019-05-27T15:06:20Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > **Mondo Cane** , the 1962 documentary > It’s responsible for the musical piece _More_ (“Ti Guarderò Nel Cuore”), which had words, but was more often played as an instrumental. > > The film was not shown often after the initial release, AFAIK. It has been shown on US TV to my knowledge, including premium cable channels, and I’ve never seen it on any video form or streaming service. > > The film was deliberately shocking and provocative, and inspired a lot of imitations. But its biggest inroad to pop culture was that bit from the soundtrack. > > [More (Theme from Mondo Cane) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/More_(Theme_from_Mondo_Cane)) > > [Mondo Cane - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mondo_Cane) Really? _That’s_ the out-of-context track you choose from a little-seen 1960’s Italian “Mondo” film? Not, say,[this one](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDmCIT73Hgk)\* from _Sweden: Heaven and Hell_ (1968)? - Or as you’re probably more familiar with it, [this cover.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8N_tupPBtWQ) ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2019, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-knownmore-for-their-soundtrack-than-anything-else/834521/68 "2019-05-27T15:38:14Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > See post #5. Sorry. I somehow missed it. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2019, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-knownmore-for-their-soundtrack-than-anything-else/834521/69 "2019-05-27T15:57:50Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > _Across the Universe_ is a very excellent movie. Shame on anyone who hasn’t watched it! 🙂 I really like that movie as well, but I’d call it a [jukebox musical](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jukebox_musical) and don’t think it’s what the thread is about. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2019, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-knownmore-for-their-soundtrack-than-anything-else/834521/70 "2019-05-27T21:11:55Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Really? _That’s_ the out-of-context track you choose from a little-seen 1960’s Italian “Mondo” film? Not, say,[this one](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDmCIT73Hgk)\* from _Sweden: Heaven and Hell_ (1968)? > > - Or as you’re probably more familiar with it, [this cover.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8N_tupPBtWQ) I could’ve chosen both, in principle. But the truth is, I was unaware that _Manamana_ originated from that film. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2019, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-knownmore-for-their-soundtrack-than-anything-else/834521/71 "2019-05-27T22:30:48Z")
I am shocked, Shocked we get to 70 posts and no one has mentioned[Repo Man](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repo_Man_(soundtrack)). Great punk soundtrack, weird ass movie. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2019, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-knownmore-for-their-soundtrack-than-anything-else/834521/72 "2019-05-28T14:18:15Z")
> [@swampspruce](#): > > I am shocked, Shocked we get to 70 posts and no one has mentioned[Repo Man](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repo_Man_(soundtrack)). Great punk soundtrack, weird ass movie. Another example of a movie where I can’t remember a single song from and can remember a ton of details, quotes, etc. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2019, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-knownmore-for-their-soundtrack-than-anything-else/834521/73 "2019-05-28T18:50:50Z")
I was going to add _Desperately Seeking Susan_ to the list but the Madonna song “Into the Groove” doesn’t actually appear on the soundtrack album so I’m not sure if it counts. The song is definitely better remembered than the movie though. Also would the theme to _The Greatest American Hero_ count? It’s probably better remembered than the TV show itself. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2019, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-knownmore-for-their-soundtrack-than-anything-else/834521/74 "2019-05-28T19:52:58Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Let’s go back a few years: > > _Lieutenant Kijé_ is an obscure 1934 Soviet comedy (!), largely forgotten except by the most diligent students of 1930’s European cinema. However, the film’s original score is one of composer Sergei Prokofiev’s most well-known and respected works: > > [The Lieutenant Kije Suite](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbaY7p5ahZo). [This](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QsRDpsItq0)is probably the most well-known part. Love the Lieutenant Kije suite. But I love Prokofiev. My favorite use of it in a movie was in _Crossing Delancey_ which also had a great collection of songs by the Roches. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2019, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-knownmore-for-their-soundtrack-than-anything-else/834521/75 "2019-05-28T19:57:25Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Another example of a movie where I can’t remember a single song from and can remember a ton of details, quotes, etc. Me, too. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2019, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-knownmore-for-their-soundtrack-than-anything-else/834521/76 "2019-05-28T20:00:28Z")
I can’t believe I didn’t think of _Lost Highway_ until now. I never actually saw the movie but my understanding is that it wasn’t that great. But anyone who was a teenager in the 1990s and listened to “alternative” rock should know the Lost Highway Soundtrack, which included several songs that got a ton of radio play in the late 1990s. I think even at the time the soundtrack was more well known at least among my peers than the actual movie. ---
**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:** [May 28, 2019, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-knownmore-for-their-soundtrack-than-anything-else/834521/77 "2019-05-28T20:06:57Z")
Dead Presidents - mediocre Vietnam veteran heist movie, _great_ 70s R&B and soul soundtrack. I Am Sam - as it was brutally pointed out in _Tropic Thunder_, Sean Penn went “full retard” and went home from the Oscars empty-handed. The movie’s soundtrack was comprised entirely of high-end Beatles covers. She’s the One - forgettable Jennifer Aniston rom-com. Soundtrack was literally a Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers original album. ---
**Author:** ![Personal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Personal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Personal)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-knownmore-for-their-soundtrack-than-anything-else/834521/78 "2019-05-29T02:08:14Z")
Maximum Overdrive had the AC/DC album Who Made Who as its soundtrack I believe, although the album wasn’t comprised totally of new songs. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-knownmore-for-their-soundtrack-than-anything-else/834521/79 "2019-05-29T02:22:03Z")
First soundtrack/film that comes to mind is Midnight Express. Giorgio Moroder’s [“Chase”](https://youtu.be/9qW7fZoMq5w) got a lot of airplay and I’d say it’s probably remembered more than the movie. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-knownmore-for-their-soundtrack-than-anything-else/834521/80 "2019-05-29T02:25:03Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > Also would the theme to _The Greatest American Hero_ count? It’s probably better remembered than the TV show itself. If you’re going there, consider [Makin’ It](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makin%27_It_(TV_series)), starring David Naughton (most famous for _An American Werewolf in London_). The TV series was cancelled after 9 episodes. Two months after the show was cancelled, the theme song (sung by Naughton) entered the Top 40. It peaked at #5. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-knownmore-for-their-soundtrack-than-anything-else/834521.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-knownmore-for-their-soundtrack-than-anything-else/834521.md?page=5)