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"God Moving..." and other great music in the movies

post #1 of 52
10/22/05 at 9:04am
Thread Starter 
For me, music can make the difference between a bad movie and a good movie, a good movie and a masterpiece. Original scores are great, but for another thread. There's something extra special about an existing piece of music, maybe that you've never heard or that you've heard a thousand times, being used in a film in just the perfect way. Maybe its funny, gives the scene a sense of irony ("Reservoir Dogs"), or maybe its just badass. For whatever reason, some of our favorite scenes of all time feature famous songs. Here are some of my favorite.

"Heat"- Moby- "God Moving Over the Face of the Water"

-My favorite of all time, the reason I started this thread. Because of this song, this is my favorite scene in movie history. It just affects me, moves me, this is the movie I ran to watch through my parents divorce and any other bad thing that befell me growing up, and this song is the perfect payoff after 3 hours.

"Traffic"- Brian Eno- "Ascent"

-I love "Traffic", but it wasn't until the very end, Benicio at the ballpark with this perfect piece of calming music that I realized how much.

"Office Space"- Ghetto Boyz- "Damn It Feels Good to be a Gangster"

-Funny. A great song on its own, it just adds something very special to this movie. Its ironic, as is the other rap music being played, but it fits so well. Another one that really motivated this thread.

"Miller's Crossing"- Danny Boy

-Classic. This scene blew me away when I was first getting into movies and watched it the first time. Too cool for words.

"Kill Bill Volume II"- Ennio Morricone- "L'Arena"

-Why do I like II better? Because the music is better for one, and this is the biggest plus. So hopeful, building, I nearly cheared when she bust through and I loved the close up on the eye just as this music builds to the heroic finish.

"The Big Lebowski"- CCR- "Looking Out My Back Door"
Kenny Rogers- "Just Stopped In"

-Perfect music for the Dude. Not much else to say.

"Snatch"- "Golden Brown"

-A very cool song, and perfectly matched to the tone of the film.

"He Got Game"- Aaron Copeland- "Fanfare for the Common Man"

-Spike Lee gets some very cool ideas, and I was amazed at how well the music of Copeland fit his basketball opus. One of those great examples of disparate material really bringing out the best in each other.

"Ocean's 11"- Debussy- "Clair De Lune"

-Without this, its a cool heist fick that quickly becomes forgettable to me. With this pitch perfect beautiful ending, its something much more.

"Confessions of a Dangerous Mind"- Peter,Paul,and Mary- "If I had a Hammer"

-Just a very cool sequence to an oddly infectious song.

"Dawn of the Dead"- Johnny Cash- "When the Man Comes Around"

-My favorite artist of all time, perfectly set against type with a horror film. This montage is awesome, but the song really helps it.

"Mr and Mrs. Smith"- Air Supply- "Makin Love Out of Nothing At All"

-I love juxtaposition like this. The freeway shootout set against this super sappy power ballad is hilarious, and I love Pitt's lip synching.

So there's mine, and there are plenty more, what do you all like?
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post #2 of 52
10/22/05 at 9:36am
It begins and ends with "Layla" in GoodFellas. In fact, ALL the source music in that film is dead-on perfect.

Gotta back you up on "When the Man Comes Around" in the DOTD remake. On my first viewing, that sold me on the film right then and there.

And I got a kick out of "Heat of the Moment" in The Forty-Year Old Virgin.
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post #3 of 52
10/22/05 at 10:06am
"Fearless"
The car crash scene where Jeff Bridges crashes the car with Rosie Perez inside. The scene just builds with "Where the streets have no name" by U2, it's just so tremendously moving.

"Rushmore"
The ending with "Ooh La La" by The Faces. It's just so perfect that ending and that piece of music adds the finishing touch.

I'll add to the Lebowski greatness, the Bob Dylan track played at the beginning and during Lebowski's first dream sequence is great, I'm not a Bob Dylan fan but I love that song, it adds the right tone to the movie,

"The Man Who Wasn't There"
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 8 In C Minor Op. 13 / Birdy's "Pathetique" just a great piece of music it fits the movie like a glove.
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post #4 of 52
10/22/05 at 12:42pm
All of BERRY GORDY'S THE LAST DRAGON. Hot damn, great stuff.

Also, 2001... duh.
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post #5 of 52
10/22/05 at 12:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by fabfunk
All of BERRY GORDY'S THE LAST DRAGON. Hot damn, great stuff.
I second that. I saw it in the theatres when I was about five and it stuck with me ever since. It's too bad "Suki Yaki (hot sake Sue)" is not featured anywhere on the soundtrack, bummer.

the Wes Anderson Soundtracks are all pretty amazing.
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post #6 of 52
10/22/05 at 1:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by samuraisix
I second that. I saw it in the theatres when I was about five and it stuck with me ever since. It's too bad "Suki Yaki (hot sake Sue)" is not featured anywhere on the soundtrack, bummer.

Really? I was undergoing a minor LAST DRAGON renaissance recently, and I was going to purchase the soundtrack for that song. Particularly because one of the Asian guys is in C.H.U.D.

Someone should make an alternating thread on worst use of music, because I'm watching GARDEN STATE and Natalie Portman is plugging the Shins.
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post #7 of 52
10/22/05 at 1:52pm
"Wonder Boys" - Bob Dylan - "Things Have Changed"

There's a reason he won an Oscar for this piece. (Even when he had the creepy pencil mustache.)
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post #8 of 52
10/22/05 at 2:27pm
Misery, "MOONLIGHT SONATA" sad as...
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post #9 of 52
10/22/05 at 2:36pm
has to be the pixies "where is my mind" from fight club

second on god moving over the face of the water and the man comes around
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post #10 of 52
10/22/05 at 2:48pm
Safe From Harm-Massive Attack-The Insider

Perfect way to end the film. I love how it starts out like a network news closer, playing as Bergman walks out of the CBS building.
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post #11 of 52
10/22/05 at 3:22pm
Casino - The Animals - The House Of The Rising Sun - I'm surprised nobody's brought this one up yet. Pitch perfect.

Roger & Me - Beach Boys - Wouldn't It Be Nice - Probably the most head-shaking, cynical, and moving pairing of music and film ever.

Trainspotting - Lou Reed - Perfect Day - The moment I heard this song in the movie I knew I had to find it. Makes the overdose scene simply glorious.
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post #12 of 52
10/22/05 at 3:37pm
For me it's all about the music played during DEAD PRESIDENTS. It's not just an excuse to use a lot of old school music for no reason, every song fits the moment perfectly. "Love Train," "Get up and get down," James Brown's "The Payback," and closing the film out with Isaac Hayes' "Walk on by" as Larenz Tate learns his fate, just great stuff.

JACKIE BROWN also has the same effect on me. Obviously the Delfonics' "Didn't I blow your mind this time" sort of serves as a character in the picture but I dug the use of Johnny Cash's "Tennessee Stud" as well.

For comedic effect the brief use of Whitesnake's "Here I go again" in OLD SCHOOL was nicely played.
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post #13 of 52
10/22/05 at 3:42pm
"I Can't Stop Lovin' You" - Ray Charles - Metropolis

It takes a special kind of genius to think of using Ray Charles as the soundtrack to the apocalypse. And it fits not just the scene, but the characters perfectly.


"He Needs Me" - Harry Nilssen/Shelley Duvall - Punch Drunk Love

Turned a completely goofy song from Altman's Popeye into a completely goofy, but far more appropriate soundtrack to fall in love to.


"Wake Up" - Rage Against the Machine - The Matrix

Perfect song to kickstart a revolution.
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post #14 of 52
10/23/05 at 2:01am
Thread Starter 
Its interesting, "Casino", "Jackie Brown", and "Fight Club" were all in my original list but I cut them to let others list them. They are indeed great ones, I'm not at all surprised they are some of the first mentioned.

Scoresse, Mann, Tarantino, these guys know music. "Bringing Out the Dead" has a lot of good tracks too.

In a less erious vain, I really liked when they used "Cells" by The Servant in The Transporter 2. It was so cool in the "Sin City" trailer and sounded just as cool here.
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post #15 of 52
10/23/05 at 3:31am
Inna Gadda Da Vida by Iron Butterfly used in Manhunter

Perfectly frames the final showdown between Graham and Dollarhyde. Queued perfectly with the action.

Angel by Massive Attack used in Pi & snatch

Used to great effect in both films to convey a creeping sense of dread.
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post #16 of 52
10/23/05 at 4:36am
God Moving Over The Face of the Waters by Moby - End of Heat, already mentioned.

Set Me Free by Dungeon East & Whild Peach - Used in the first fight in Ali. It really kicks in when Ali starts to win.

Hands of Time by The Groove Armada - Used when Max is driving Annie to her destination in Collateral.

Shadow on the Sun by Audioslave - I hate Audioslave but I love how this song is used. It's when Max begins to turn the tables on Vincent in Collateral.

Layla by Clapton - Goodfellas. Nuff said.
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post #17 of 52
10/23/05 at 6:12am
Silvano:Barcarolle in Raging Bull.

Can't hear me knocking by The Rolling Stones in Casino.
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post #18 of 52
10/23/05 at 1:05pm
That song's what I remember most about Blow.

The Coen Brothers really know how to pick music for their movies. Music is a character in O Brother, Where Art Thou. That movie wouldn't be the same without "O Death" and synchronized Klansmen.

"Papa Legba", and "Puzzlin' Evidence" are two of the best segments in True Stories.
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post #19 of 52
10/23/05 at 11:58pm
Michael Mann's musical choices have always fascinated me - I have no idea how he arrives at the decisions he makes but they always seem to make sense. I'd love to see or read an interview with him about this aspect of his filmography, especially if the interviewer had the balls to punch him for "The Keep" and accompanying score by Tangerine Dream.
As of late the most suprisingly effective musical cue for me was Rob Zombie's use of "Freebird" in the final minutes of "The Devil's Rejects". Now there's a song I didn't care to ever hear again in my life and yet somehow it really punctuated an incredibly well cut, sustained moment that ultimately made me a fan of the film. And now the Skynard song makes regular appearances on my playlists.
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post #20 of 52
10/24/05 at 9:34am
The Sister Christian/Jesse's Girl montage in Boogie Nights.
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post #21 of 52
10/24/05 at 10:14am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moltisanti

For comedic effect the brief use of Whitesnake's "Here I go again" in OLD SCHOOL was nicely played.

Indeed. I think one of Phillips' more clever skills is useage of music. OLD SCHOOL even features Will Ferrell dialing his wife to Bill Withers' AIN'T NO SUNSHINE, which I thought was a nice, subtle touch. Also, the recruitement segment wouldn't have been funny at all without MASTER OF PUPPETS.
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post #22 of 52
10/25/05 at 1:40pm
In your eyes by Peter Gabriel in Say Anything.....

The scene that John Cucack and Ione Skye will never escape for the rest of their lives.

Well, Ione, at least......
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post #23 of 52
10/25/05 at 2:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by fabfunk
OLD SCHOOL even features Will Ferrell dialing his wife to Bill Withers' AIN'T NO SUNSHINE, which I thought was a nice, subtle touch.
Another use of that song I also perk up to is NOTTING HILL, for that scene when Grant is out for a walk and you can literally see the passage of time as he walks. The song itself isn't the most imaginitive selection, but I love how it works with the visuals and editing of that scene.
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post #24 of 52
10/25/05 at 3:03pm
I just watched again over the weekend the Dawn of the Dead remake and have to definately agree with the Johnny Cash selection.

In that same tradition, I liked the remix of NIN's "Closer" during the opening credits of Seven. Certainly helped set the tone for that film.
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post #25 of 52
10/25/05 at 4:54pm
Flash Gordon: FLASH! AAAAAAAAAAHHHH!
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post #26 of 52
10/28/05 at 9:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by fabfunk
Indeed. I think one of Phillips' more clever skills is useage of music. OLD SCHOOL even features Will Ferrell dialing his wife to Bill Withers' AIN'T NO SUNSHINE, which I thought was a nice, subtle touch. Also, the recruitement segment wouldn't have been funny at all without MASTER OF PUPPETS.
Come on, now. The flying tackle into the fountain would still be funny whether it was in black and white, slow motion, 3-D, or set to Amazing Grace.
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post #27 of 52
10/28/05 at 6:27pm
Michael Galasso's Angor Wat Theme, which builds up over the course In the Mood For Love and then completely takes over during the ending sequence.
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post #28 of 52
10/28/05 at 6:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Dickson
Gotta back you up on "When the Man Comes Around" in the DOTD remake. On my first viewing, that sold me on the film right then and there.
Yeah, and then it almost totally lost me with that awful fucking Richard Cheese cover and the awful Disturbed original of the same.

Agreed on that Angor Wat theme from In the Mood for Love. In fact, that whole film is perfectly accompanied. The soundtrack is what really won me over on that movie.

I think the only problem with the introduction of the Shins' song in Garden State is the emphasis placed on it. The "it'll change your life" line and the impact it seems to have on Braff's character are conveyed in a heavy-handed manner, but it's such a great song, perfect for the vibe of the movie.

The "Tiny Dancer" scene gets a lot of play in Almost Famous, but I really enjoyed the less obvious moments - "Sparks" during William's period of musical discovery, the beginning of "Every Picture Tells a Story" as William is heading to the party, "America" as his sister and her boyfriend leave, the smattering of mostly acoustic Zeppelin tunes all over the place, "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" in the restaurant scene, "Feel Flows" over the credits. It's densely packed, but it works perfectly with the subject matter. This method of slathering on the music became a little more distracting in Vanilla Sky and Elizabethtown (and I think Scorsese made the same mistake on Casino), but they both have their great musical moments, too.
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post #29 of 52
10/28/05 at 8:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveB
The "Tiny Dancer" scene gets a lot of play in Almost Famous, but I really enjoyed the less obvious moments - "Sparks" during William's period of musical discovery, the beginning of "Every Picture Tells a Story" as William is heading to the party, "America" as his sister and her boyfriend leave, the smattering of mostly acoustic Zeppelin tunes all over the place, "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" in the restaurant scene, "Feel Flows" over the credits. It's densely packed, but it works perfectly with the subject matter.
Also, "The Wind" after the concert in Cleveland. I just love that moment.

As for "Garden State," I think my favorite musical moment in that one is with "The Only Living Boy in New York." Something about the way that song goes with the imagery is just magical to me.
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post #30 of 52
10/28/05 at 11:49pm
David Bowie - Queen Bitch - The Life Aquatic

considering all the earlier reprised Bowie great track to kick into at the end of the stairs and into the buckaroo homage
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post #31 of 52
11/1/05 at 7:49pm
Total chick flick but Kate Bush's This Woman's Work in She's Having a Baby is just perfect at that moment in the film.
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post #32 of 52
11/1/05 at 8:52pm
I'm fond of God Only Knows in Boogie Nights and I'll ditto Free Bird in Devil's Rejects and add The Allman's Midnight Rider playing over the opening credits of said same movie.
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post #33 of 52
11/1/05 at 10:45pm
Also from Trainspotting: Lust for Life by the Stooges. Perfectly establishes the gnarly energy that makes the movie much more enjoyable than it has any right to be, given the content.
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post #34 of 52
11/4/05 at 10:16pm
Music for a Found Harmonium at the end of Napoleon Dynamite

For a movie that was so deadpan the whole way, this bit of sentimentality was surprising in that I found myself loving it. Those four minutes are when you decide whether you hated the film or actually gained an affection for it and the characters
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post #35 of 52
11/4/05 at 10:21pm
Don't Blow it, Wear your seatbelt and Is that what everybody else wants? by Cliff Martinez for Solaris.

Pure Genius.
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post #36 of 52
11/6/05 at 4:22am
Thread Starter 
Martinez's score for "Solaris" is indeed brilliant. It's a character in the film, and his work is like the full reaching of the potential he showed in "The Limey" and "Traffic".
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post #37 of 52
2/7/08 at 2:39pm
bump. I actually prefer the music selection in Ocean's Twelve. Especially at the end as they leave the jail, and then when you realise it was all a set up. And i love the la-la-la stuff playing over the final poker game. Puts a smile on your face
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post #38 of 52
2/7/08 at 3:03pm
Soundtrack for Trainspotting
http://imdb.com/title/tt0117951/

is still probably my favorite

but that was a hella funny scene
Quote:
"Office Space"- Ghetto Boyz- "Damn It Feels Good to be a Gangster"

-Funny. A great song on its own, it just adds something very special to this movie. Its ironic, as is the other rap music being played, but it fits so well. Another one that really motivated this thread.
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post #39 of 52
2/7/08 at 3:06pm
Oooh...good thread to bump. Thanks for the find. 'God Moving...' is fantastic and continuing in that vein, I'll add some post-rock gems:

Vanilla Sky - Sigur Ros - Njosnavelin - this is the piece of music played at the very end when Tom Cruise is on the roof. Now, all of the music in the film is great (it's Cameron Crowe), but this was the piece that turned me onto the whole style of music and even after seeing it all these times, it is still one of the most hauntingly brilliant music/film overlays. Wonderful stuff.

Friday Night Lights - Explosions in the Sky - Your Hand In Mine - off of 'The Earth is Not A Cold Dead Place' album and played intermittently throughout the film and especially at the end. As the original post said, this turned a very good film into a great one.
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post #40 of 52
2/7/08 at 3:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sharpel007 View Post
David Bowie - Queen Bitch - The Life Aquatic
"Life on Mars" in the same movie.
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post #41 of 52
2/7/08 at 3:22pm
There's another moment in VANILLA SKY that struck me perfect musically, when Tom Cruise gets up out of bed at the beginning of the film, his flatscreen TV rises up out of the floor and "Everything In Its Right Place" by Radiohead comes on. Just a perfect choice for a strange, surreal moment.
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post #42 of 52
2/7/08 at 3:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stormin View Post
Trainspotting - Lou Reed - Perfect Day - The moment I heard this song in the movie I knew I had to find it. Makes the overdose scene simply glorious.
Seconded, because that scene is pretty much the perfect blend of music and moving images on all levels.

Heavenly Creatures - You´ll never walk alone - Mario Lanza - In the context of the final scene, after the girls kill the mother and the song slowly rises, this is just poetic and haunting at the same time. Pitch perfect - and the moment that assured me (among others) that Peter Jackson is the right man for Lord of the Rings.
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post #43 of 52
2/7/08 at 3:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan "Nordling" Cerny View Post
There's another moment in VANILLA SKY that struck me perfect musically, when Tom Cruise gets up out of bed at the beginning of the film, his flatscreen TV rises up out of the floor and "Everything In Its Right Place" by Radiohead comes on. Just a perfect choice for a strange, surreal moment.
Also, R.E.M.'s "Sweetness Follows" when he hits bottom.

It's interesting that "Njosnavelin" didn't make the soundtrack release, but the previously-released "Svefn-G-englar" did. It worked out, since the latter song's what turned me on to Sigur Ros, as well. But it was weird hearing "Njosnavelin" (now untitled) when it was released on () and realizing I'd heard it before somewhere.

A lot of people peg Vanilla Sky as an inferior take on Abres Los Ojos, but I think the pop culture veneer that Crowe spreads across the plot (soundtrack and otherwise) improves it. Also, it's even clearer that the main character is something of a dick, being Tom Cruise and all.
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post #44 of 52
2/7/08 at 4:09pm
This is my obligatory mention of Leonard Cohen in McCabe and Mrs. Miller. An entire movie, completely scored with only 3 songs. Incredible incredible use of music.
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post #45 of 52
2/7/08 at 4:33pm
Blonde Redhead's "Elephant Woman" at the end of Hard Candy worked perfectly for me. It starts out quiet, and you don't know if these sounds are just subtle elements of the score or what, and then boom the song takes off and then boom the credits start and then boom the singing comes in. It's timed very well, and of course the song is great.
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post #46 of 52
2/8/08 at 10:19am
What a Difference A Day Makes during Run Lola Run is just perfect. I always want to reach my hands to the screen when this plays.
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post #47 of 52
2/8/08 at 12:38pm
God will forever smile upon Doug Liman and Paul Greengrass for starting and continuing the tradition of Moby's Extreme Ways closing the Bourne flicks.
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post #48 of 52
2/10/08 at 12:17pm
...Especially in Ultimatum. The shot of Bourne laying still underwater crosscutting with the news footage and Julia Stiles listening until she learns that "no corpse was found "and lets slip that perfect little smile... while the body suddenly comes back to life and swims away to nothingness... Oh, god, what a perfect way to finish this film. This trilogy. Any film.

Also, Paul Oakenfold's "Ready Steady Go" at the Paris car chase in Identity as well as the club shootout in Collateral (in its korean remix). Ideal music for a couple of ideal action sequences.

And speaking about Michael Mann's musical expertise, the soundtrack for Miami Vice is also a textbook example on how to score two hours of motion pictures. From the first minutes over Jay Z's "Numb Encore" to the last shot of Farrell running back to the hospital under Mogwai's "AutoRock", it all screams movie magic for me. And don't get me on Farrell & Gong Li's cigarboat escapade to Moby & Patti LaBelle's version of "One of these mornings", a scene that had me in tears from the first time I ever watched it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveB View Post
A lot of people peg Vanilla Sky as an inferior take on Abres Los Ojos, but I think the pop culture veneer that Crowe spreads across the plot (soundtrack and otherwise) improves it.
Ditto here. Being from where I am and all, I've heard the Abre los Ojos > Vanilla Sky argument ad nauseam and the least I can think of people comparing unfavorably Cameron Crowe to Alejandro Amenábar (in his 2nd movie) is that they're hopeless retards. And now that we're at Crowe, I also got much love for Jerry Maguire and its soundtrack. The initial montage over The Who's "Magic Bus" to that first date under Springsteen's "Secret Garden"... Oh, jeez, I'm welling up... A fan favorite? The moment with Cruise in his car after his first "deal" with Jerry O'Connell, flipping thru his radio until he finds Tom Petty's "FreeFallin'" and starts singing along... Total. Absolute. Electricity.
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post #49 of 52
2/12/08 at 6:10am
Crazy double/quadruple posting went on here. Tried editing and then my post vanished. In short, my addition to the thread is:

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World -- Boccherini's La musica notturna

The cello/violin piece from the end of the film. Great, great stuff.
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post #50 of 52
2/12/08 at 6:10am
Double posts hate you!
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