Due to the busy Christmas season, List Addicts Fridays has been bumped to Saturday…and if you’re big fans of Fresh from the Post Tuesdays, unfortunately it’ll be on hiatus until next month. But not to worry, there’s Christmas cheer all ’round since we’ve still got our daily Christmas song offerings, the video of the week, and of course, the better late than never Friday lists.
If you’re a regular reader of the Friday lists, you’ll probably know that I’m a big fan of stories set to music. Narratives are much better blended with wonderful sounds – all the more to jar the emotions in those critical moments of the plot. For this week, I’ve got my five faves of music used in film. Of course, this is not an extensive list that encompasses all the genres and all films of the decade – just little personal favorites – some you’ll know, some you won’t and of course, some you won’t agree upon (and if it is in this case, why not submit your own list then?).
Here is this week’s five – my favorite songs used in film…
1. Stars – Tonight
If you didn’t catch this before in my earlier posts, I’m including it here again. I happened upon this, many years ago, while watching TV one night. I was waiting for Heroes to go on and was waiting on the wrong channel (I got confused, was it on Global, CTV or CBC? Well, it doesn’t matter anyway, since I don’t watch the show anymore). I stumbled on Bravo! FACT, where they show Canadian made short films. They were airing this little beauty –
I love Stars. One of my favorite bands of all time. And now I love this short film. Who knew Tonight would be the perfect soundtrack for the travails of a decommissioned cosmonaut?
2. Twelfth Day – Fare Thee Well
Everybody knows I love Skins
Brink is about an obsessive compulsive young man, who has an everyday schedule of drawing a unicursal hexagram on the ground. For whatever reason, if his schedule gets messed up, the world will end – well, that’s what he believes.
I love that he goes and does a reset in the lake. If something goes wrong, throw yourself off into the water – clothes and all. Whatever the underlying meaning of the story is, I leave it up to you to think about – I’m just happy to discover this new song from Twelfth Day just as the guy was returning back from this ‘lake reset’.
3. The Swell Season – Falling Slowly
You all should know this. There’s a reason why this song won the Best Original song at the Oscars –
The version I’m posting is from The Swell Season‘s 2006 album. Little trivia though – the song was almost considered for disqualification since it was composed a few years before the film was made. It’s good that all things were ironed out (they were able to prove that this song was made essentially for the movie) or the best use of a song in a film wouldn’t have been deservingly awarded.
I envy Glen Hansard, aside from winning an Oscar for a song he wrote – he also starred in two of the best films about music – The Commitments
4. Buzzcocks – Love You More
This is an oldie, but was recently used in a short film of the same title, directed by Sam Taylor Wood. I haven’t watched this film yet, but I love the plot. It’s 1978, the Buzzcocks just released their new song – Love You More. Two teenagers, a boy and a girl, meet at a record shop, hoping to get a copy – but there’s only one left. They shoplift it and go back to the girl’s house to listen. Hormones go wild and viola! – a cute film that begs to be watched, accompanied by an equally wonderful song that’s central to the plot. The Buzzcocks’ Pete Shelley, also make a cameo here as well.
5. God Help The Girl – Come Monday Night
I haven’t watched this film either since it hasn’t been made yet. Though, from the songs that Stuart Murdoch has been releasing and teasers like this video here, even if the plot sucks I’ll still love God Help The Girl by virtue of it being made based on songs. Admit it, this musical film has a stellar soundtrack – it’s Belle and Sebastian, how can you go wrong with that?
