Most movies and TV shows use just the same soundtrack every other show in the genre has used before - crime shows set in the 1920s and 1930s have blues or old-style jazz, romances have lots of strings, and so on. On the other hand, some have music you’d never expect, but that works really well as soon as you get over the initial surprise. The two I can think of offhand are Wayne’s World with the guys singing a bit of Bohemian Rhapsody, and better yet, A Knight’s Tale with We Will Rock You.
Are there more out there with ‘inappropriate’ music that turns out to be a perfect choice?
You do have the purposefully mismatched music to create irony such as the obligatory “What a Wonderful World” over bombing (a la Good Morning Vietnam) which is more of a soundtrack than “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Of course, I can’t think of any more examples off the top of my head (I blame the hamsters)
Okay, on second thought…maybe not, considering that the emphasis on classical music is a major point in both the movie and the book. So it’s not exactly unexpected.
How could I have missed that one! Ludwig van’s immortal Ninth, of course, although it is tied to the plot, as you say. Singin’ in the Rain during the house-invasion scene is a better fit for what I was thinking of.
I should also have thought of kellner’s example from Dr. Strangelove. That matches the inonic purpose Chairman Pow mentions.
Just to highjack my own thread a little, does anyone have any suggestions as to the first time this was used?
Not sure if it ‘dosen’t match’ but IIRC The Third Man uses the same music throughout the entire movie. Try listining to just the ‘soundtrack’ and it would drive you nuts after a while.
Kill Bill used bits and pieces of televison themes, and, more notably, the opening to a Latin Disco cover of “Please Don’t Let me be Understood” to start off a samurai duel.
Scott Joplin (1868-1917)/ragtime music used in “The Sting” (set in the early 30s). Kinda like using 40s jitterbug in a James Bond flick, but certainly worked for “The Sting”.
