Top 10: Film Soundtracks

When I’m watching a film, the music in it can be as important than many other aspects of the movie. A bad plot point can definitely be saved by the right music track sometimes.

Obviously everybody has a different opinion about what music they love. I listen to everything from rock to hip hop to opera, but classic rock is by far my favorite genre of music. I based my list on the place of music with certain scenes in the film and the overall soundtrack. This list was extremely difficult to formulate and I could easily interchange the films on the list into different spots.

10. Requiem for a Dream (2000)- Darren Aronofsky’s eerie and depressing film about heroin addicts uses basically one song during the entire film, “Lux Aeterna,” composed by Clint Mansell. The song is incredible and haunting, and is the perfect match for the tone of this movie. The song became so popular that it has been used in multiple other films and television programs.

9. Watchmen (2009)- Watchmen does a great job pairing songs perfectly with scenes. A great example is the scene when Nite Owl (Patrick Wilson) and Silk Spectre (Malin Akerman) have a pretty graphic sex scene in a odd looking aircraft to the great song, “Hallelujiah,” by Leonard Cohen. My favorite scene (below), by far, is the intro set to “The Times They Are A Changin’,” by Bob Dylan.

8. The Girl Next Door (2004)- This film has a surprisingly awesome soundtrack. Everything from classics like “Under Pressure,” by Queen & David Bowie and “Baba O’Riley,” by The Who to 90′s alternative rock hits such as  “Lucky Man,” by The Verve and “Take a Picture,” by Filter. Throughout the movie there are tons of classic rock and alternative rock hits, placed perfectly in scenes.

7. Blow (2001)- I don’t care what most critics say, Blow is a great film. It also happens to have an incredible soundtrack. Some soundtrack highlights feature Rolling Stones, Cream, Bob Dylan and of course “Blinded By The Light,” by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band.

6. The Departed (2006)- The first of the Martin Scorsese film on the list. Scorsese is a master of creating soundtracks to his movies. The Departed features The Rolling Stones (a staple of any Scorsese film), Dropkick Murphys, and a Roger Waters only version of “Comfortably Numb.”

5. Almost Famous (2000)- This is the film that made me want to be a journalist for Rolling Stone when I was 12. A movie about a young music journalist profiling a rock band in the 1970′s doesn’t disappoint at all with the soundtrack. Some of my favorite songs from Led Zeppelin, The Who, Black Sabbath, Lynard Skynard, Deep Purple, Elton John are in this film and this list goes on. Below is one of my favorite scenes of the movie.

4. Casino (1995)- My 2nd Scorsese film of the list. It’s simple why I love this soundtrack, many Rolling Stones songs, and a lot of old crooner and great 50′s songs. Along with some old Italian songs added in there. Hard not love this soundtrack.

3. Goodfellas (1990)- My last Scorsese film of the list and the one with the best soundtrack. He uses a multitude of classic rock songs, including the Rolling Stones of course, and also Cream, George Harrison and Donovan among the others. Alot of great songs from the 50′s and 60′s are also included in the Goodfellas soundtrack. My favorite scene is when they show all the people Deniro’s character  just had “whacked” to the tune of the piano ending of Clapton’s “Layla.”

2. Pirate Radio (2009)- The soundtrack featured during this film made me really like this movie. If I didn’t like the music, I definitely wouldn’t have enjoyed the movie as much as I did. Cream, Rolling Stones, The Who, Jimmi Hendrix, David Bowie, Jeff Beck, The Kinks, The Moody Blues, some of the best of 60′s and 70′s rock.

1. Dazed and Confused (1993)- As you can tell, I really love movie soundtracks that feature classic rock. Dazed and Confused is a classic teen movie about 70′s youth, kind of a early 90′s made Superbad featuring kid during the 70′s. This movie is a classic and features an incredible soundtrack, just check out the link to see the tons of great music featured in this film.

Honorable Mentions:Easy Rider (1969), The Hangover (2009), Invincible (2006), American Psycho (2000), Across The Universe (2007)

My Top 10 Films of the 00′s

With the 00′s coming to an end, I think it’s good to reflect on some of the best films that came out this decade. I feel it was a good decade for film, the best since the 70′s. Below is my personal top 10 list from the 00′s, it will certainly differ from many critic’s lists, but these are the ones I enjoyed most and that’s what film is all about. Wasn’t easy to narrow down my original list of 26, but here it is:

1. Gladiator (2000)- I don’t think anybody can say anything negative about this film. It has everything, action, drama, Rome, and incestuous lust, what’s there not be entertained by? The Academy got it right by awarding “Gladiator” Best Picture. Almost makes up for “Shakespeare In Love” winning over “Saving Private Ryan” two years prior, almost.

2. The Departed (2006)- The film that finally gave Martin Scorsese his Oscar. Who cares that this was a remake of a Japanese film that came out 4 years before? Not me. This film is one of the best works of Scorsese. Like Gladiator, this film has everything. Incredible casting too.

3. City of God (2002)- The DVD is labeled as “The best film you’ve never seen,” and it’s a real shame if you have never seen this film. Based on the true story about the gangs and violence in the slums of Rio, this flick is truly extraordinary. The movie is in Portuguese, but the film is so good you’ll barley notice your reading subtitles.

4. The Pianist (2002)- The best and most haunting portrayal of the holocaust I’ve seen yet on the silver screen. The scene when Nazis bust into a dining room of Jewish people eating and kill them, is one of the most disturbing scenes and it sticks in your mind. If there was a best actor of the decade award, Adrien Brody deserves it.

5. 40-Year Old Virgin (2005)- Definitely the funniest of the comedies that came out this decade. A special props to “Old School” for really making the rated-R comedy popular this decade. So many memorable lines from this movie, I can still watch this over and over again.

6. The Hangover (2009)- I love this movie. The entire film is comedic genius. Alan Garner (Zack Galifianakis) might be my favorite mentally disturbed character in comedic history (slightly beating out Brick from “Anchorman”). If my future wife divorces me for naming our first-born son “Carlos,” this film will be why.

7. Gangs of New York (2002)- A truly great and underrated Scorsese film in my book. A very entertaining and violent film about how New York was in the 1800′s, which was never really shown before in cinema. Plus, has there ever been a better villain than “Bill The Butcher?”

8. Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind (2004)- The best film for movie night with a girl in my estimation. It appeals to both genders and has a very interesting plot. My favorite Jim Carey movie ever and Kate Winslet is awesome in it too. Plus, this is a romantic movie that won’t make you (guys) feel as if your brain is melting.

9. Training Day (2001)- Easily one of the coolest movies ever. Denzel Washington makes this film so entertaining and a little scared thinking that there may cops out there like him. This film also introduced us to Eva Mendes, need I say more?

10. Taken (2008)- Yes, this is a basically mindless action film, so what? It is probably the best action film since “Die Hard.” The action is constant and awesome, Liam Neeson makes you believe you should never fuck with him. The “I have a special set of skills,” line he uses on the phone with the kidnappers is as classic as Dirty Harry’s, “Do you feel lucky?” line.

My favorite films from the years not listed above:

2003: Old School

2007: Knocked Up

Honorable Mentions: Anchorman (2004), American Psycho (2000), Downfall (2004), Inglorious Basterds (2009), Almost Famous (2000)

Top 10: Horror

Periodically I will list my top 10 list for films in certain genres. These films are my favorite of the genre and not necessarily the best reviewed, but I don’t care if people disagree.

Since it’s the first day of October, I guess it’s time to get in the Halloween spirit. Below is my top 10 list for best horror films.

10. The Ring- Watching this movie 90 times since it came out has lessened the scariness of the film, but it’s still a great film. The weirdness of the video when you first see it and the manner people’s bodies are found after a visit from the little girl are very freaky. Always wondered what would happen if you smashed the tv screen before she came out of it, or didn’t own any television or computer screens?

9. Night of the Living Dead (1968)- A classic Romero zombie movies. Personally, I love zombie movies, but it’s hard to find good ones. This one is a classic and probably would be terrifying if I saw it in the 60′s. It’s not very scary now, but still very well done. The scene where the little girl kills her mother in the basement still gives me the chills.

8. Amityville Horror (1979)- The 1979 version is much creepier and closer to the supposed “true story,” than the newer version. It has some classic horror scenes that remind me of “The Exorcist.” Plus, there is just a grittiness to 70′s horror movies that I love.

7. Halloween- The only slasher movie I can really enjoy and watch multiple times. There is just genius in this film and some great scares. The Rob Zombie doesn’t even come close to the original, though it does have a cool soundtrack.

6. Dawn of The Dead (2004)- Like I said before, I love zombie movies. This is the only one of the Romero re-makes that were cleverly done and a lot of fun to watch. The opening scenes are also pretty creepy, zombie children are messed up.

5. 28 Weeks Later- The sequel isn’t as good as the original, but this is still an incredible movie and scary. These zombies don’t mess around. They are all like zombie versions of Usain Bolt, not the old slow clumsy kind. Also, the opening scene in this movie is classic.

4. Exorcism of Emily Rose- This “true story” is nothing like the actual true story, but is scarier. There are many terrifying scenes in this movie, from the boyfriend waking up to Emily contorted on the floor, to her screaming talking many different languages in a barn.

3. 28 Days Later- This zombie flick revitalized the zombie movie genre, giving it new life. This is a zombie movie that will actually scare you. The soundtrack is also pretty creepy.

2. The Shining- A classic. One of the few Stephen King novel turned movie that are actually good (sorry, Sometimes They Come Back… Again). Jack Nicholson is the perfect crazy person. Some of the images are truly disturbing and terrifying. The scene when Nicholson goes into the room and the woman comes out of the tub is one of the scariest scenes ever.

1. The Exorcist- Don’t really have to say much about why this is number 1. If you watch it you know. Incredibly scary, especially for movies that came out in 1973. When I was little I loved horror movies, I used to watch Jason, Chucky, Freddy, and a bunch of other bad 80′s horror films all by myself at night, from the time I was 4 to 6. My parents naturally thought something might be wrong with me. One day my father came home with “The Exorcist,” and said to me, “let’s see how much you love scary movies after you watch this.” I maybe made it 25 minutes. I never fully watched this movie again until I was 14.