Hello Everyone,
I have some unexpected time off currently, so because of this I will attempt to post more blog entries. I hope that you will enjoy that and I hope to keep up with it as long as I have the time
Music for me holds a very important place for me in films whether that music is the score or soundtrack music, diegetic (inside the world of the film) or non-diegetic (outside the world of the film) or whether the music is vocal or instrumental.
I will detail what I feel are some very ironic, interesting or mind-blowing uses of vocal music in some of my most enjoyed films. None of these films are in my top ten, but they are still films that I enjoy. By and large, these films are dramas, but two of them happen to be comedies and one is a horror film. This list is a list of ten; I attempted to compile a list of ten and in this case I was successful. So, without further a due, here is my list of top ten uses of vocal music is some of my favourite films, in no particular order. I will be detailing the circumstances in the film where these songs are used, so spoilers may follow; BEWARE.
New Born by Muse, featured in High Tension (Haute Tension)
This song by Muse is pumped into this film, as Marie is in pursuit of a sick rapist and murdered who killed her friend Alex’s family and kidnapped her from her parents’ country home. Marie pursues the killer’s truck in a bumblebee painted new ford mustang (I do not know anything about cars, so I do not know what year the music is). This song is used perfectly as it is a high energy tune used in a tense car chase sequence. I would suggest you see the movie just for this scene, although the film is great in itself, so do me a favour and just watch it.
Ordinary World by Duran Duran, featured in Layer Cake
This song is first heard from a diner radio as Mr. X and Morty have coffee and regroup. The song swells on the soundtrack just before Morty gives a former friend Freddy (who is responsible for Morty serving ten years in prison) a savage beating, which includes kicking, smashing on the head with coffee cups and pouring hot tea on Freddy’s face. As Morty beats Freddy the songs cuts out a bit to give the viewer a scene of the distortion in Freddy’s hearing as his is brutally beaten. I find that the use of this song really adds to this scene and makes it stand out as a major action point in the film. Just see this film because it is amazing.
Honourable Mention – “She Sells Sanctuary” by The Cult.
The Man Comes Around by Johnny Cash, featured in My Best Friend’s Girl
This song is featured at the climax of Dane Cook’s latest film, which I think is Dane’s funniest film to date (Good Luck Chuck was decent, but this one is just hilarious). At this point in the film, Tank (Dane) has decided that despite his love for Alexis (Kate Hudson) that she deserves better than him and so he begins to sabotage the relationship by doing unimaginable things at her sister’s wedding. The song begins to play as Tank lights a cigarette inside the church and soon after puts it out. Later her propositions Alexis’ mother for a blow job, by undressing and telling her “it won’t suck itself”. This song has a dark feel to it and it used really well in this comedy. When I heard the song playing in the film, I sort of giggled because I knew what was coming. Give this film a chance because it is really funny.
Mad World by Gary Jules, featured in Donnie Darko
This song is featured at the end of this film, as the character of the eponymous film (Donnie) decides that he must sacrifice his life to save the entire world from the tear/rupture in the space-time continuum. A montage of the characters of the film either waking up and silently reflect on the current state of this lives follows. It is as if they realize that something terrible has happened to someone that they know and subconsciously they may know that that person has martyred themselves for their benefit. This song fits perfectly into the world of this film and I belief that it was re-recorded as a cover song specifically for this film; it is originally by Tears For Fears. If you have not seen Donnie Darko, but now you really have no good excuses.
Without You by Harry Nilsson, featured in Rules of Attraction
This song is featured in the film as love letter girl (she sends anonymous love letters to Shawn [James Van Der Bek]) lies naked in a bathtub and slits her wrists. This song completely sets the mood of the scene as utterly tragic, as this girl has gone unnoticed by Shawn, as a quick montage of scenes from earlier in the movie are shown and the camera pans to the left or right to show love letter girl watching Shawn (although he is completely unaware of her). She decides to killer herself and the soundtrack plays “Without You” which gets distorted as you, the viewer are almost hearing this song from her perspective and the songs cuts out and fades as she loses consciousness and dies. Lauren (the girl Shawn thinks is sending him the love letters) discovers the dead girl, just after she goes to visit Victory, whom she is in love with, even though he is totally unaware of whom she is. Just see this film it is a great, hip character mosaic based on the great Bret Easton Ellis novel of the same name.
Honourable Mention – “Faith” by George Michael
Hey Man, Nice Shot by Filter, featured in Tales From The Crypt Presents Demon Knight
This song plays as the crypt keeper’s tales (Demon Knight) begins. Breaker /The Demon Knight (William Sadler) is being closely pursued by The Collector (Billy Zane) in car chase, in an attempt to get a hold of the 7th key that he requires for the demons to take back the Earth. This is just a really rocking song that fits with the bad ass nature of the film and the characters. This is the only tales from the crypt movie that is any good, so if you are a fan of the show then see this film.
Blower’s Daughter by Damien Rice, featured Closer
This song is featured in the opening and closing of the film. In the opening, Alice (Natalie Portman) is walking down the streets of London and is caught by the eye of Dan (Jude Law). Dan gets closer to her and helps care for her after a near miss car accident. This song beautifully fits into the film, although I enjoy the bittersweet use of the song at the end of the film. At the end of the film, the song is played as Alice returns to America, Anna reflects as she lies in bed with Larry and as Dan walks across a cemetery where he and Alice walk to when they first meet, where he sees a gravestone with the name Alice on it and he realizes that is where she took the name from; her name was not really Alice; she lied to Dan because she never really trusted him. This song is a lamentable tune and is used at the end of the film as the characters are shown for one final time and you as the viewer reflect on the characters and glean from their faces whether or not they are really truly happy. This film is a great drama; probably because it is based on a play.
Honourable Mention – “How Soon is Now?” by The Smiths
Help Is Just Around the Corner by Coldplay, featured in Wasted
This film is, with no doubt in my mind, the best film that MTV has ever produced and is likely the best TV movie of all time. This rarely heard Coldplay song (featured on the Yellow Single) is featured towards the end of the film, as Chris (Nick Stahl) contemplates going to Owen’s house to dispose of some heroin that Owen (Aaron Paul) is sure the police will find when they search his house. Following this Chris goes to Owen’s house and overdoses on the heroin and dies; although none of this is shown, but is assumed because you later learn that Chris has died and all the evidence points to this conclusion. This song is used in a very sad and mournful part of the film. Luckily, Samantha (Summer Phoenix) a friend of both Owen and Chris learns from their mistakes and is able to kick her heroin habit and eventually get to college. This film is hard to find, but If you get a chance to watch it, please do so.
Honourable Mention – “Alive” by P.O.D.
California Dreaming by The Mamas and The Papas featured in Chung King Express
This is only one of my two foreign film entries (High Tension is the other) in this top ten uses of vocal music in some of my favourite films, and it is just as good as the other entries in this list. This song is one that Faye (Faye Wong) plays on her cassette tape stereo while she works odd and late shifts at the Midnight Express restaurant/snack bar. The use of this songs shows that American influence on director Wong Korowai’s films, as much as the femme fatale female character in the blond wig from another segment of the film or the Asian Air Hostess from yet another segment of the film. This song also has a meaning to Faye; it is what she dreams about, that is about going to California and living there, which she does by the end of the film as she tells the former police officer who used to come by the midnight express and now has bought it off of her uncle. I believe the use of popular 60s and 70s music in foreign films makes them more accessible to North American audiences. I find that the use of this song and a few other elements in this film make it more accessible for me, as a North American viewer. In my humble opinion, this film is Wong Kar-Wai’s best film, but I have not seen Ashes of Time, which I hear is great as well.
Honourable Mention – “Dream Person” (cover of Dreams by the Cranberries) by Faye Wong
I, Swear by All-4-One, featured in Just Friends
I just love how this song is used in this very, very funny Ryan Reynolds comedy. In the opening of the film, Chris (Reynolds) is writing an admission of love letter to his long time friend Jamie (Amy Smart) and after her finishes that I, swear by All-4-One plays and Chris sings along with the CD until his brother’s friends catches him and Chris yells at him to leave his room. Again at the end of the film the song plays, only this time Chris lip syncs the entire song; it is just hilarious. The use of this song in the opening really places the story in the time of 1995 when All 4-One were popular. The rest of the film however takes place 10 years later, where All 4-One are nowhere to be found.
Honourable Mention – “Eyes” by Rogue Wave
Alas, all good things come to an end, and so does this blog entry, however I have a few comments to say in closing. There are those of you that might say films such as Garden State and more so Pulp Fiction, as well as the rest of Quentin Tarantino’s oeuvre feature great music used sarcastically, ironically or for otherwise comic effect and you may wonder how come these are not on my list. I did not place any songs from Tarantino’s films on this blog entry listing my top ten uses of vocal music in some of my favourite films because all of Tarantino’s films feature music used for various comic or other mood setting effect; that is how music operates stylistically in his films. I was looking for mostly mainstream films that I enjoy that had great and fitting music placed to heighten the tension in dramatic moments or turn the laughter up in comic moments. Tarantino and other auteur calibre directors revolutionize the use of vocal music in their films, and that is a blog entry for another time.
I hope that you have enjoyed this usually long blog entry and please feel free to send me criticisms, feedback, comments, suggestions, etc. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.
Sincerely,
Fanboy Dave
