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Day 09 - The best soundtrack/score to a film
This is such a dangerous topic, you guys. Movies and music. Two things I can talk about UNTIL THE END OF DAYS. But my intent is to keep it brief.
Soundtracks are the easier of the two to pick, I think, because it seems like a lot of productions are just kind of meh about it.. the music is picked because it's popular at the time, or because the company that owns the studio also owns this music studio, and so on and so forth. But every so often, you get a soundtrack that is like a mixtape (and no, spell check, fuck you, I do not mean mixture, mixtape is totes a word), from the movie to you. Obviously, what takes the prize here is High Fidelity. Rob Gordon outlines very clearly what the rules are for making a great mixtape, and those rules are followed to the letter in this soundtrack. It's not just a collection of songs from the movie, presented out of context, but a true album, something you can sit down and listen to from start to finish. It's perfectly done. Cameron Crowe approaches the music in his films (and their subsequent soundtracks) with the same level of care and attention. And of his films/soundtracks, Vanilla Sky wins the prize. I know a lot of people didn't really dig that movie, but I thought it was wonderful, and the music played such a huge part. The soundtrack is another one that you can just sit and listen to as a cohesive whole, and as an added bonus, features my favourite ever R.E.M. song. And I find it sweet and endearing that he always includes a track of his wife's score too. And rounding out ye olde top three: The Beach. Frenetic and tropical and electronic, all pop and glitz and gloss. With the former two, they pull from so many different eras and genres that they becomes sort of timeless in and of themselves. But The Beach is a pure snapshot of that sound, in that time, and it never fails to bring me back with it. There are other notable winners out there (any Wes Anderson film, any other Cameron Crowe film, Snatch., (500) Days of Summer, Walk the Line), but those three are lasting loves.
As for the other, I think if I had to pick a desert island single score to tide me over until the end of time, it might well just be Ravenous. Maybe. I don't know. Road to Perdition by Thomas Newman is another big one. I love Thomas Newman in general, but his inclusion of the uilleann pipes creates a sound that is lush and haunting.. it gives me chills every time I listen to it. The Ninth Gate by Wojciech Kilar are two more favourites. The End of the Affair, by Michael Nyman. In Bruges by Carter Burwell. Vertigo by Bernard Herrmann (and basically everything else he did with Hitchcock). Sunshine & 28 Weeks Later by John Murphy (to which, yes, 28 Days Later was the better film, but I like his score for Weeks better.. it borrowed from the best bits of the first score and built on them for the sequel). Brokeback Mountain by Gustavo Santaolalla.
And yeah, if you hadn't noticed, I lost a little bit of steam on this as the day wore on. ;) But I'll happily wax on if prodded. ;)
Day 01 - Favourite foreign language film
Day 02 - A film that is underrated
Day 03 - A film that brings you unadulterated happiness
Day 04 - A film cliché that you love
Day 05 - Favourite love story in a film
Day 06 - Favourite actor/actress
Day 07 - The most surprising plot twist/ending
Day 08 - The best opening/closing credits
Day 09 - The best soundtrack/score to a film
Day 10 - Favourite classic film
Day 11 - Favourite black-and-white film
Day 12 - A film that permanently altered your point-of-view
Day 13 - A guilty pleasure
Day 14 - A film that disappointed you
Day 15 - Favourite film sequel
Day 16 - Favourite film character
Day 17 - Favourite film quote
Day 18 - The best overall cast in a film
Day 19 - The most hilarious film you've seen
Day 20 - A moving (emotional) scene
Day 21 - Favourite film from your favourite actor/actress
Day 22 - Favourite Academy Award acceptance speech
Day 23 - A character who you can relate to the most
Day 24 - The best page-to-screen film adaptation
Day 25 - Favourite film villain
Day 26 - Favourite film poster
Day 27 - A film that you wish you had seen in theaters
Day 28 - Favourite film from your favourite director
Day 29 - A piece of trivia from a favourite film
Day 30 - Your favourite film of all time
This is such a dangerous topic, you guys. Movies and music. Two things I can talk about UNTIL THE END OF DAYS. But my intent is to keep it brief.
Soundtracks are the easier of the two to pick, I think, because it seems like a lot of productions are just kind of meh about it.. the music is picked because it's popular at the time, or because the company that owns the studio also owns this music studio, and so on and so forth. But every so often, you get a soundtrack that is like a mixtape (and no, spell check, fuck you, I do not mean mixture, mixtape is totes a word), from the movie to you. Obviously, what takes the prize here is High Fidelity. Rob Gordon outlines very clearly what the rules are for making a great mixtape, and those rules are followed to the letter in this soundtrack. It's not just a collection of songs from the movie, presented out of context, but a true album, something you can sit down and listen to from start to finish. It's perfectly done. Cameron Crowe approaches the music in his films (and their subsequent soundtracks) with the same level of care and attention. And of his films/soundtracks, Vanilla Sky wins the prize. I know a lot of people didn't really dig that movie, but I thought it was wonderful, and the music played such a huge part. The soundtrack is another one that you can just sit and listen to as a cohesive whole, and as an added bonus, features my favourite ever R.E.M. song. And I find it sweet and endearing that he always includes a track of his wife's score too. And rounding out ye olde top three: The Beach. Frenetic and tropical and electronic, all pop and glitz and gloss. With the former two, they pull from so many different eras and genres that they becomes sort of timeless in and of themselves. But The Beach is a pure snapshot of that sound, in that time, and it never fails to bring me back with it. There are other notable winners out there (any Wes Anderson film, any other Cameron Crowe film, Snatch., (500) Days of Summer, Walk the Line), but those three are lasting loves.
As for the other, I think if I had to pick a desert island single score to tide me over until the end of time, it might well just be Ravenous. Maybe. I don't know. Road to Perdition by Thomas Newman is another big one. I love Thomas Newman in general, but his inclusion of the uilleann pipes creates a sound that is lush and haunting.. it gives me chills every time I listen to it. The Ninth Gate by Wojciech Kilar are two more favourites. The End of the Affair, by Michael Nyman. In Bruges by Carter Burwell. Vertigo by Bernard Herrmann (and basically everything else he did with Hitchcock). Sunshine & 28 Weeks Later by John Murphy (to which, yes, 28 Days Later was the better film, but I like his score for Weeks better.. it borrowed from the best bits of the first score and built on them for the sequel). Brokeback Mountain by Gustavo Santaolalla.
And yeah, if you hadn't noticed, I lost a little bit of steam on this as the day wore on. ;) But I'll happily wax on if prodded. ;)
Day 01 - Favourite foreign language film
Day 02 - A film that is underrated
Day 03 - A film that brings you unadulterated happiness
Day 04 - A film cliché that you love
Day 05 - Favourite love story in a film
Day 06 - Favourite actor/actress
Day 07 - The most surprising plot twist/ending
Day 08 - The best opening/closing credits
Day 09 - The best soundtrack/score to a film
Day 10 - Favourite classic film
Day 11 - Favourite black-and-white film
Day 12 - A film that permanently altered your point-of-view
Day 13 - A guilty pleasure
Day 14 - A film that disappointed you
Day 15 - Favourite film sequel
Day 16 - Favourite film character
Day 17 - Favourite film quote
Day 18 - The best overall cast in a film
Day 19 - The most hilarious film you've seen
Day 20 - A moving (emotional) scene
Day 21 - Favourite film from your favourite actor/actress
Day 22 - Favourite Academy Award acceptance speech
Day 23 - A character who you can relate to the most
Day 24 - The best page-to-screen film adaptation
Day 25 - Favourite film villain
Day 26 - Favourite film poster
Day 27 - A film that you wish you had seen in theaters
Day 28 - Favourite film from your favourite director
Day 29 - A piece of trivia from a favourite film
Day 30 - Your favourite film of all time