Your Favorite Soundtracks?

For over a year now I have talked about movies (and very happy to do so) on here; and from time to time I mention a soundtrack because I must admit I get a little bored with only talking about the acting or directing, etc.... But I also LOVE music.

To me, soundtracks and movies go hand in hand and are a very important aspect to filmmaking. I have spoken about this topic a lot on my blog. Soundtracks can make a movie better and sometimes worse. Although that is rare, I believe. More often than not, they are probably just movies that might not have had much in the budget for the music or the filmmakers chose a different direction and didn't concentrate on the score. Either way, when you hear a song from a movie, doesn't it make you think immediately about the film? It does for me.

I have my favorites, absolutely; and I have discovered some new ones along with the movies they are connected to in my research about this topic. Case in point: Back in October 2011 I posted about the soundtrack for The Sweet Hereafter, a movie I hadn't seen yet even though it was released in 1997. But once I listened to the songs and read a bit more about the film, I immediately put it on my Netflix queue. I watched the film a couple months later and, even though it was a hard subject matter, I enjoyed the film. Currently, I have Local Hero - a movie from the early 80's that I wrote a soundtrack (scored by Mark Knopfler) post about and I will be watching the movie soon. (This is one of the perks of this job - discovery of movies I missed, for whatever reason, that turn out great and I get to tell you all about them.)

We all have our favorites (and even create our own life's soundtracks) but I finally want to ask you all, "What are your favorite soundtracks?"  Tell me the ones that you have on your IPod, in your CD player right now or the ones you turn to when you want to escape for a little while.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Movie Soundtrack MP3

Soundtrack: The Moderns

It's been a little while since I posted a soundtrack where I never heard of the movie before. Coming in at #74 on the EW's Top 100 Soundtracks* is The Moderns (1988). The movie stars David Carradine and Linda Fiorentino.

Now I was alive when this movie came out but I was either graduating from high school or attending my freshman year in college that year, so I am pretty sure I wasn't pay much attention to movies that year. I had to research this one and when I read what this movie was about I am sort of kicking myself that I never saw it.

A quick synopsis: An American artist, in the 1920's, moves to Paris and tries to sell his paintings. He ends up hanging with the expatriates crowd at cafes, drinking too much and becomes involved in some unscrupulous means of making some money. Now you see why I might be kicking myself? No? Well I was obsessed with Art History back then and even knew that as my major even before graduating from high school. Anything about art - especially during a time like the 1920's - would have made me very happy to watch. On Netflix Instant Play queue now.

Unfortunately, I haven't spoken about the soundtrack on this post. Sorry, however, I can't seem to find a way to listen to it. So I am just going to describe or paraphrase what others have written: It's romantic, sultry, and filled with violins, sax, upright bass all woven together to evoke an enchanting mood. Now I must go hunt this down.

The Moderns: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by Mark Isham






* Entertainment Weekly Top 100 Soundtrack 

Monthly Wrap-Up October 2011

I may not post many reviews or posts this week but here are a few from last month to keep you all busy:

50/50 - 7 out of 10
Trollhunter - 7 out of 10
Summer in Genoa - 6 out of 10
Little Voice - 6 out of 10
The Ides of March  - 5 out of 10
The Perfect Host - 7 out of 10
Remakes - Why Make Them?
Real Steel - 7 out of 10
Burzynski - The Movie: Cancer is Serious Business - Documentary
Letter to John Hughes
What Makes Me Laugh

Soundtracks:
The Sweet Hereafter
A Clockwork Orange
Repo Man


Click on film posters below to watch instantly:



© by Tired of Previews

Soundtrack: A Clockwork Orange

Well, I was wondering when we would end up on this soundtrack: A Clockwork Orange (1972). #76 (on Entertainment Weekly's list). It's been over 2 decades since I have seen this movie but certain scenes and the music have never left my memory. I recall the classical music scattered throughout this bizarre movie just didn't seem to fit with what I was watching on film, or at least I couldn't make it compute. However, I also recall not understanding this movie at all, but then again I was only 17 at the time.

The extreme violence in A Clockwork Orange is something that haunted me for a while, but anytime I hear Beethoven's 9th it always reminds me of this film - a vicious cycle. It is something I have never been able to erase from my memory - never, ever...Okay, now I have funny feeling that I can't shake and my eye itches.

I would love to add a scene or two of the movie here showcasing the soundtrack but think it would be best to leave them off. I have feeling you recall the same scenes I do...okay, I need something to distract me.


Click on poster below to watch instantly or download soundtrack:

Soundtrack: The Sweet Hereafter

The next soundtrack on this top EW's 100 list: The Sweet Hereafter (1997). I have not seen this movie but after reading up on this one I will put this on my Netflix queue.  Mychael Danna is responsible for getting this one the list - coming in at #77.

Although the movie is set in modern times and it is about the aftermath of a tragic bus accident in a small rural town, some of the music hearkens back to medieval style compositions. I wasn't expecting that when I started my research on this one but was pleasantly surprised. But then I discovered one of the stars of The Sweet Hereafter sings on the soundtrack: Sarah Polley. Here's one of the songs: 'Courage'.



I have this movie on my list to watch and the soundtrack ready to download. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.



Side note: This was based on the novel of the same name by Russell Banks.




Film and soundtrack:

Soundtrack: Out of Africa

Coming in at EW's top soundtracks  at #78 on the top soundtracks is Out of Africa. The soundtrack won the Academy Award for Best Original Score that year. John Barry was the composer/conductor for Out of Africa, and based on one of my top 10 favorite soundtracks of all time - Dances with Wolves - another one of his symphonic-style soundtracks, I can see why he won. Beautiful.

I would be lying if I said I knew anything about this movie. I never saw it when it came out in 1985 and never tried watching it since. A distant memory somewhere way back in the corner of my brain recalls a hair washing scene where Robert Redford washes Meryl Streep's hair. That's all.

The only thing I know about this movie was the fact it was based on an Isak Dinesen memoir of the same name. When I was in high school I remember trudging through another one of her novels and detesting it, so this may have something to do with why I skipped the movie. That isn't to say her novels or the movie aren't stellar. Remember I was 15, bratty and not well read (or watching the best movies), at the time. So now being the mature age that I am, I will put Out of Africa on my queue on Netflix.



Soundtrack and film:

Soundtracks: Stop Making Sense

Let's pick back up on the EW's top 100 list at #79 with a movie that came out in the 1980's  - 1984 to be exact with Stop Making Sense. What? A movie that is about a concert is in the top soundtracks of all time - yeah, what's wrong with that? Not a damn thing.

I will admit I was not the biggest Talking Heads fan during my teenage years, but now every time I hear one of their tunes or see David Byrne manically dance around the stage, in a suit that looked too large, it transports me right back to that decade. Now I don't mind listening to a tune or two.

Their music just screams the 80's whether you liked them or not.  Here is a fact I just found out while researching for this - Jonathan Demme directed this movie.

Here are a few of the songs from the film. You might remember some of them.








I could post many more but you might as well rent the movie - or find your old album or cassette tape and start dancing around your own living room.