Tam's Think Tank » american girl

23 Movies With Music and 3 Musicals

tokenhippygirl — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:55:56 +0000

Music sometimes makes a scene, or a movie for that matter. Here’s a selection of tunes used in films that had an impact on me. By no means a comprehensive list, but a few who sprung to mind when I thought of doing this post. Enjoy and feel free to add your own in the comments section. Always looking for new music, new films to see, or reminders of films and music I’d forgotten about.

Let the River Run – Carly Simon – Working Girl

A nice little fable of a film. The song, at the end, sort of sums it up and lends itself to that feel good feeling.

Band of Brothers Requim – Band of Brothers

Beautiful piece of music and a fantastic mini series. If you haven’t seen it… do so. You may cry a lot, I did, but it’s amazing.

Have a Little Faith in Me – John Hiatt – Benny and Joon

I fell in love with this song after hearing it in this movie. A little fable of a film. This film just works.

Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon – Urge Overkill – Pulp Fiction

Tarantino knows how to use music in his films. This scene is just plain riveting. And the music in it is perfect for it.

Come What May – Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman – Moulan Rouge

I had no idea these two could sing, and sing so well. Besides which, this is a lovely lovely song.

Cell Block Tango – Various – Chicago

Fun fun. Listen to this a couple of times and you’ll find yourself singing along.

She’s Like The Wind – Patrick Swayze from Dirty Dancing

Patrick Swayze singing. Who doesn’t love that? Or love this movie for that matter. No one puts baby in a corner.

I Am Changing – Jennifer Hudson – Dreamgirls

Jennifer Hudson’s defining movie moment.

Long Ride Home – Patty Griffin – Elizabethtown

One of my favorite songs which was used really well in this movie.

Falling Slowly – Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova – Once

A fantastic little film with some awesome music. If you have never seen this, or heard the soundtrack, or listened to the Frames, check some or all of that out. The two from this movie now have their own band called The Swell Season.

Vianne Sets Up Shop – Chocolat

This music just simply makes me happy.

Cruisin’ – Gwyneth Paltrow and Huey Lewis – Duets

Who knew Gwyneth could sing this well. Wow.

You’re The One That I Want – John Travolta and Olivia Newton John – Grease

No list is really complete without this. If you are a person of my age, give or take 10 years either way, you know and at least secretly, if not down right openly, love this song and this scene.

Back Where You Belong – Sinead O’Conner – The Water Horse

Just a really gorgeous song.

You Sexy Thing – Hot Chocolate – The Full Monty

Who doesn’t love rough burly guys dancing… I ask you.

All I Want Is You – U2 – Reality Bites

This song sort of sums up this entire movie.

Stuck In The Middle With You – Steeler’s Wheel – Reservoir Dogs

Ear cutting off scene so beware…. Tarantino knows how to use music in his films.

Goodbye Horses – Q Lazzarus – The Silence of the Lambs

R Rated, for those who care. I’d advise not watching if you do.

In Your Eyes – Peter Gabriel – Say Anything

Iconic image from film this one. I think this spawned thousands of incidents where guys stood outside girl’s homes and played music.

Lust for Life – Iggy Pop – Trainspotting

Ok… so the voice over is in french, but for the purposes of this post it’s the music that counts….

In The Deep – Bird York – Crash

A truly intense gritty movie. Loved it. And loved this song in it.

People Are Strange – Echo & The Bunnymen – Lost Boys

The song in the first part of this clip is Gerard McMann’s Cry Little Sister, also good… Love when People Are Strange is playing and scenes of regular people doing what they do.

Sweet Jane – Cowboy Junkies – Prelude To A Kiss

Unfortunately I couldn’t find a video clip from the movie with the song in it so I had to settle for the video. A lot of people haven’t even heard of this movie. I liked it. Also a little fable of a movie.

American Girl – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Silence of the Lambs

The girl, before being kidnapped, drives along singing this song at the top of her lungs, no care in the world… and then… the second tune from this film. What can I say?

Like To Get To Know You Well – Howard Jones – Better Off Dead

This is the music video, not the clip from the movie… unfortunately.

Across 110th Street – Bobby Womack – Jackie Brown

A fantastic intro/opening credits to a movie. Love this and again love Tarantino’s use of music in a film.

Filed under: Film, In My Opinion, Music Tagged: across 110th street, all I want is you, american girl, back where you belong, band of brothers, benny and joon, better of dead, bird york, bobby womack, carly simon, cell block tango, chicago, chocolat, come what may, cowboy junkies, crash, cruisin, dirty dancing, dream girls, duets, echo and the bunnymen, elizabethtown, ewan mcgregor and nicole kidman, falling slowly, Film, film music, girl you'll be a woman soon, glen hansard, goodbye horses, grease, gwyneth paltrow, have a little faith in me, hot chocolate, howard jones, huey lewis, i am changing, iggy pop, in the deep, in your eyes, jackie brown, jennifer hudson, john travolta, let the river run, like to get to know you well, long ride home, lost boys, lust for life, marketa irglova, moulan rouge, movies, Music, olivia newton john, once, patrick swayze, patty griffin, people are strange, peter gabriel, prelude to a kiss, pulp fiction, q lazzarus, reality bites, requim, reservoir dogs, say anything, she's like the wind, silence of the lambs, sinead o'conner, steeler's wheel, stuck in the middle with you, sweet jane, Tarantino, the full monty, the water horse, tom petty and the heartbreakers, trainspotting, u2, urge overkill, vianne sets up shop, working girl, you sexy thing, you're the one that i want

10 Great Movies… And Two Bonus Features

tokenhippygirl — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:29:51 +0000

Without further ado… I decided to randomly pick ten movies I’d consider, at this moment and off the top of my head, to be some of my most favorite. Then I threw in, as I did in my earlier 10 Cheesy Movies post, a couple of bonus features. I know if you asked me next week to come up with a list of films that these would, probably for the most part, still be on my list. Though, right now and thinking about it, since I’m writing this after compiling the list below, I could add Bridge Over the River Kwai, or any of a number of other Hitchcock films. But, I didn’t, and I haven’t. What follows is the list I came up with today. Check them out and feel free to leave a comment or two on your thoughts and/or what your picks would be.

Amadeus. There’s just something about this one. Very intense. Tom Hulce is awesome in it. Slightly over the top, but then I think his performance actually sort of makes this movie. As we hear the whisper… “Amadeus”.

The Shawshank Redemption. Who doesn’t like this movie. Everyone I’ve ever met likes it. I think it’s got something to do with the age old story of guy goes through something unjust, guy endures, guy says screw you to the corrupt establishment, guy lives happily ever after. Yeah… something to do with that.

The Usual Suspects. Group of unlikely fellows gets wiped out by scary mystery man with a surprise at the end. Really great story telling here. Excellent writing, directing, acting. All around great romp of a movie. Add in Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Benecio Del Toro, Chazz Palminteri, Kevin Pollack, Pete Postlethwaite and, well… what more do you need?

The Matrix. Sci-fi at it’s best. This movie changed the way we enjoyed action, special effects, and strange new lands. I can watch this over and over. Who doesn’t duck slightly when the bullets go flying as Keanu is doing his ultra limbo. Pretty cool.

L.A. Confidential. What a fantastic ensemble movie. Just, to keep it simple, really great. Has an excellent feel and look to it as well.

Rebecca. Scary housekeeper, mystery former wife, slightly quiet and brooding husband, the hint of ominous things going on, and Hitchcock. I know this wasn’t his favorite of his movies, at least the process of making it wasn’t, but this is a damn good one. A master class in direction, camera angle, building the plot, and telling a story. Plus… Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine.

Blade Runner. Ah, another sci-fi great. Early Harrison Ford, strange future world, androids, Rutger Hauer’s dying scene, and a story based on a Philip K. Dick novel called “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep”. How can you not like this movie. It’s dark, brooding, and strange. All good.

Kill Bill vol. 1. Quentin Tarantino at his best. Not to mention Uma kicking ass and Keith being wise, witty, and making a mean bologna sandwich. I love, love, love… let me repeast, love, his dialogue.

The Princess Bride. Mawage. Mawage is wat bwings us togever today. Ah… there’s no other movie like this. Sword fights, love, a six fingered man, ROUS… it’s phenominal.

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. This is a film filled with powerhouse acting. I mean, think about it… Sidney Poitier, Spencer Tracy (in his last performance), and Katherine Hepburn. It gets no better than this. It is a true acting master class. Not to mention that it’s also a very well done movie.

Two Bonus Features:

Lawrence of Arabia. Beautifully shot, a bit strange, and incredibly long, this is a great movie. Oh yeah… and Omar Shariff, Alec Guiness, and Peter O’Toole. Wow.

Silence of the Lambs. I can watch this movie over and over. Just a great all around film. Again… great acting… Jodi Foster and Anthony Hopkins, who can go wrong with acting chops like that. Then you throw in the plot, the story telling, the very creepy bad guy, a very famous rendition of Tom Petty’s “American Girl”, and you have a winner.

Posted in Film, In My Opinion Tagged: 10 great movies, acting, alec guiness, amadeus, american girl, androids, anthony hopkins, benecio del toro, blade runner, bryan singer, directing, do androids dream of electric sheep, Film, gabriel byrne, great movies, guess who's coming to dinner, harrison ford, hitchcock, joan fontaine, jodi foster, katherine hepburn, kevin spacey, kill bill vol. 1, l.a. confidential, laurence olivier, lawrence of arabia, matrix, mawage, morgan freeman, movies, omar shariff, peter o'toole, plot, princess bride, quentin tarantino, rebecca, rutger hauer, sean young, shawshank redemption, sidney poitier, silence of the lambs, spencer tracy, tim robbins, tom petty, usual suspects