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Best use of a song in a horror movie?

post #1 of 66
11/17/06 at 12:47pm
Thread Starter 
I always enjoy it when a song that may not necessarily have an eerie quality about it is juxtaposed with a scene in a movie that gives it a whole new feeling. Mr. Sandman in Halloween 2 would be an obvious example.
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post #2 of 66
11/17/06 at 1:11pm
The first thing that comes to mind is "Blue Moon" from American Werewolf in London.
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post #3 of 66
11/17/06 at 1:13pm
The use of the Looney Tunes footage and music during Eric Balfour (I think it was Balfour)'s death in the TCM remake was nice and creepy. That film was much better than it had any right to be...
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post #4 of 66
11/17/06 at 1:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ratty
The first thing that comes to mind is "Blue Moon" from American Werewolf in London.
The entire soundtrack of that film (and the film itself) was golden.

Arguably, Zevon's "Werewolves of London" during the Picadilly Circus sequence is all it needed.
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post #5 of 66
11/17/06 at 1:21pm
"When the Man Comes Around"
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post #6 of 66
11/17/06 at 1:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ratty
The first thing that comes to mind is "Blue Moon" from American Werewolf in London.
I can't hear that song without thinking about David Naughton screaming in pain.

Amazing soundtrack.
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post #7 of 66
11/17/06 at 1:27pm
Interesting topic, as a lot of the best horror films couldn't afford rights to popular music, so you get things like "Fool For a Blonde" droning in the background of the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre, which ends up adding in its own way.

Not exactly a horror film, but "Singin' In the Rain" during the rape scene of A Clockwork Orange was kind of horrifying. Great contextual perversion of a song.
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post #8 of 66
11/17/06 at 3:25pm
The beginning of Rosemary's Baby, thought it wasn't necessarily a song, it still freaks me out to this day.

That and Blue Velvet in Blue Velvet.
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post #9 of 66
11/17/06 at 3:36pm
I'm guessing "Dream Warriors" won't get a lot of traction in this thread.
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post #10 of 66
11/17/06 at 3:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by 70sCinema

Not exactly a horror film, but "Singin' In the Rain" during the rape scene of A Clockwork Orange was kind of horrifying. Great contextual perversion of a song.

Also not STRICTLY horror, but the scene in Lynch's 'Blue Velvet' with Dean Stockwell miming 'In Dreams' into a hand-lamp...Freaky.

"The candy-colored clown they call the Sandman..."

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post #11 of 66
11/17/06 at 3:40pm
I'm always amazed how many children's nursery rhymes and lullabies are used in horror. Music box and carousel tunes as well... Something about fun innocent music that contrasts and adds to the creepiness. It takes you back to a time when the idea of monsters under the bed seemed very real.

One, Two... Freddy's coming for you...

Old tunes as well... nostalgia (often used by Stephen King flicks) tends to play on old record players when ghosts and restless spirits come around. Percy Faith's "Theme from a Summer Place" used to be a pretty tune. Not anymore. Now it gives me the willies. "Sleepwalk" (from Sleepwalkers, duh) is another example.
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post #12 of 66
11/17/06 at 3:55pm
Stephen King's Pet Cemetary The Romones I don't wanna be buried...

I remember the TV STAND Series playing Don't fear the Reaper during the previews which was VERY VERY effective.

Also White Zombie's MEET THE CREEPER in Jeepers Creepers was awesome (but I think that was only used in the Previews/Trailer and not the movie)
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post #13 of 66
11/17/06 at 4:06pm
Yeah, and that old-timey Here Comes the Boogey Man tune from Jeepers Creepers was pretty effective as well (or was that just during the credits?).

I love Rob Zombie's tunes and usually whenever they're used, but those f**king Scary Movie trailers that overuse I'm Your Boogie Man, the NB4Xmas, and Beetlejuice themes have got to stop.
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post #14 of 66
11/17/06 at 4:48pm
Don't pretend you can't sing along to all the Trianglz songs from The Terminator.

Sure, it's not precisely a horror film, but it's definitely scarier than the sequels.
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post #15 of 66
11/17/06 at 4:55pm
IF YOU WANT IT HERE IT IS, COME AND GET IT from THE MAGIC CHRISTIAN.
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post #16 of 66
11/17/06 at 5:08pm
Blue Monday from ORGY in "I KNow what you did last summer" was actually pretty cool. It made the movie a lot better than it actually was.

The whole soundtrack to SCREAM was good.. but in particular the song "RED RIGHT HAND" was probably the most memorable.
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post #17 of 66
11/17/06 at 5:59pm
Maybe it's borderline, but "Don't Stop Me Now" in Shaun of the Dead was brilliant.
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post #18 of 66
11/17/06 at 6:19pm
"Hip To Be Square" Huey Lewis and the News in American Psycho
&
"When the Man Comes Around" Johnny Cash, the opening credits to the Dawn of the Dead remake.
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post #19 of 66
11/17/06 at 6:22pm
I've always been partial to "96 Tears" in Cat's Eye.
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post #20 of 66
11/17/06 at 6:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by neaux
The whole soundtrack to SCREAM was good.. but in particular the song "RED RIGHT HAND" was probably the most memorable.
I actually attempted to post this earlier, but somehow failed to hit the "submit" button. So, I will simply tip my hat to you. Good call.
I'll also add "Every Woman in the World" from our film du jour, Slither.
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post #21 of 66
11/17/06 at 6:38pm
With SLiTHER I'm more partial to "(Gonna) Shine Up My Boots" by The Corb Lund Band during the alien rape/Deer Cheer scene.
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post #22 of 66
11/17/06 at 6:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by neaux
I remember the TV STAND Series playing Don't fear the Reaper during the previews which was VERY VERY effective.
The also opened the second part of the series to two characters using a battery powered record player (the power's out) to play "Don't Dream It's Over". Intercut with their scene, if I recall correctly, are shots of the decimation: cars burning, corpses everywhere, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria... It was surprisingly well done.
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post #23 of 66
11/17/06 at 6:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by neaux
The whole soundtrack to SCREAM was good.. but in particular the song "RED RIGHT HAND" was probably the most memorable.
Liked it in Hellboy better.

Ditto on the Slither shoutouts.
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post #24 of 66
11/17/06 at 6:58pm
Definitely ditto to the Slither shoutouts.
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post #25 of 66
11/17/06 at 8:11pm
"Bad to the Bone" in Christine. Fantastic opening. In fact, every song they play works pretty well for the scene it is in. Especially "Itty Bitty Pretty One" when Christine slowly approaches the fat kid.
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post #26 of 66
11/17/06 at 8:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Boogen
"Bad to the Bone" in Christine. Fantastic opening. In fact, every song they play works pretty well for the scene it is in. Especially "Itty Bitty Pretty One" when Christine slowly approaches the fat kid.
Forgotten that!...Nice catch!
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post #27 of 66
11/17/06 at 8:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Boogen
"Bad to the Bone" in Christine. Fantastic opening. In fact, every song they play works pretty well for the scene it is in. Especially "Itty Bitty Pretty One" when Christine slowly approaches the fat kid.
Second (third?) that.
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post #28 of 66
11/18/06 at 1:18am
Inna Gadda Da Vida in Manhunter.
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post #29 of 66
11/18/06 at 6:41pm
"Who's Gonna Mow Your Grass" never sounded so creepy as it did in "House of 1000 Corpses". Even if you didn't like the movie, that was a great soundtrack.
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post #30 of 66
11/19/06 at 2:20am
No mention of "Freebird" in The Devil's Rejects? For shame.

But my faves are "Blue Moon" in Werewolf/London and "When the Man Comes Around." Just gives me chills.

Allow me to mention the children's rhyme in The Birds, as Tippi Hendren waits on the bench unaware of the birds flocking to the jungle gym behind her.

Also, from the "Home" episode of The X-Files (I know it's TV, but I think it's a valid mention), Johnny Mathis' "Wonderful, Wonderful" is used to great effect.
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post #31 of 66
11/19/06 at 3:05am
If the song doesn't have to be used for a scary purpose...

Grandaddy's "A.M. 180" during the Supermarket scene of 28 Days Later. Perfectly accentuates the sudden bizarre, much-needed happy-go-lucky nature of the situation, and provides a stark contrast to the rest of the film.
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post #32 of 66
11/19/06 at 12:27pm
Dammit, nekkerbee beat me to it! I was gonna bring up the Johnny mathis song in the X Files episode as well. There's something really creepy, and yet dementedly sad about that tune's use in this show.

I also agree w/ all those who mentioned 'When the Man Comes Around" in DOTD. That's the perfect song for that intro.

And even though I hated "The Stand", "Don't Fear the Reaper" which is a song I've always liked in and of itself and never thought was particularly frightening, suddenly becomes a bit frightening the way they used it.
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post #33 of 66
11/19/06 at 1:25pm
"Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen in Shaun of the Dead
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post #34 of 66
11/19/06 at 2:54pm
I really liked the subtle use of "Don't fear the Reaper" by Blue Oyster Cult in the original Halloween. I didn't notice it at first but when Annie is driving Lori and they smoke a doob, Don't fear the Reaper is playing in the background. I also like the use of Powermad's music in Lynch's Wild at Heart, especially in the long trailer. I think the tune is called Slaughterhouse. I've got it around her on MP3 somewhere.

EOD
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post #35 of 66
11/20/06 at 12:53pm
Speaking of Johnny Mathis, "Do You Hear What I Hear?" in Gremlins (during the kitchen scene with Billy's Mom). I love that flick's Xmas fun-poking (the Gremlins caroling!). "New York, New York" in Gremlins 2 was a silly and fun musical number.

Shit, how can I forget my 2 favorite creepy musicals: Little Shop of Horrors and NB4Xmas! Take your pick of the songs in those.

Ditto on the great use of Queen (and other tunes) in Shaun o Dead.
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post #36 of 66
11/20/06 at 2:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DARKMITE8
Speaking of Johnny Mathis, "Do You Hear What I Hear?" in Gremlins (during the kitchen scene with Billy's Mom)
That rocked.

Quote:
Originally Posted by nekkerbee
No mention of "Freebird" in The Devil's Rejects? For shame.
Agreed. That sequence was wonderful. My personal favorite was the use of "Midnight Rider" by Allman Brothers Band in the opening credits. God, I love that song.

Let me give a shout-out to "Lep in da hood/Come ta do no good," as well. A classic rap, from a classic film.
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post #37 of 66
11/20/06 at 4:08pm
I know I'll get flak for this, but I must admit I thought the "Don't Stop Me Now" scene in Shaun of the Dead was just a bit too silly. Yeah, I know it was a comedy, but by and large the film avoided much of that outright kind of zaniness, and I found myself rolling my eyes at that scene rather than laughing.

I think Shaun is 99% brilliant, I'm just less than thrilled with that particular scene.
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post #38 of 66
11/20/06 at 5:42pm
Consider yourself "flak-ed".
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post #39 of 66
11/20/06 at 6:20pm
Another good one from Shaun of the Dead is when, Shaun and Ed are stumbling out the bar singing "White Lines (Don't Do It)" by Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel & The Furious Five.
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post #40 of 66
11/20/06 at 6:36pm
Freebird in Devil's Rejects was close to being great, but it really does stretch on too long towards the end.
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post #41 of 66
11/20/06 at 6:38pm
Silence, or we'll sick the leeches on you!
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post #42 of 66
11/20/06 at 6:42pm
Quote:
I really liked the subtle use of "Don't fear the Reaper" by Blue Oyster Cult in the original Halloween. I didn't notice it at first but when Annie is driving Lori and they smoke a doob, Don't fear the Reaper is playing in the background.
Subtle use? It doesn't elevate any kind of atmosphere, and it's not an essential part of the scene. They're two kids listening to BOC, smoking a joint. It's not one of the film's genius moments.

Quote:
Silence, or we'll sick the leeches on you!
I just personally think the use of Midnight Rider was a lot better. It fit well, it set the tone for the movie PERFECTLY, and it's a fucking great song.
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post #43 of 66
11/20/06 at 6:44pm
Yeah, it's one of my favorite songs; I hadn't heard it in years at the time I saw the film (I'm poor and don't have a radio - another reason why I loved the "Freebird" sequence, as others have mentioned the song is overplayed to death on classic rock stations). I have an irrational hard-on for the film, the way it uses music and the filters and dialogue and everything, so I'll defend it to it's death as perfect (even though I know full well it isn't).
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post #44 of 66
11/21/06 at 6:49pm
Surfin' Dead by The Cramps, which featured in one of the all time classic 80's horror movies - Dan O'Bannons "RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD".
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post #45 of 66
11/21/06 at 7:57pm
"Freebird" is fun at the end of DEVIL'S REJECTS, but it does get a little tiresome watching cops load their guns in slo-mo whilst we wait for the guitar solo to kick in.

I kinda loved "Dark Night" by The Blasters at the start of FROM DUSK 'TIL DAWN. It's cheesy, but fits the tone of the movie perfectly.
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post #46 of 66
11/21/06 at 8:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ian Challis
I kinda loved "Dark Night" by The Blasters at the start of FROM DUSK 'TIL DAWN. It's cheesy, but fits the tone of the movie perfectly.
Good call. I'm also a sucker for the Tito & Tarantula tracks as well. Salma Hayek table dancing don't hurt the mood either.
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post #47 of 66
11/21/06 at 8:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ian Challis
"Freebird" is fun at the end of DEVIL'S REJECTS, but it does get a little tiresome watching cops load their guns in slo-mo whilst we wait for the guitar solo to kick in.
*shakes fist at logic*


No love for Richard Cheese's cover of "Down With the Sickness" in DOTD '04?
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post #48 of 66
11/21/06 at 10:30pm
MUCH love for Richard Cheese in DOTD.
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post #49 of 66
11/25/06 at 3:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DARKMITE8
Liked it in Hellboy better.

Ditto on the Slither shoutouts.
Ditto on the Hellboy use. It suits the scene perfectly.

Blue Velvet is of course obvious, though I actually like the songs in Lost Highway best. Not a lot've people seem to have seen that, though.
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post #50 of 66
11/26/06 at 12:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Patrick Ripoll
Freebird in Devil's Rejects was close to being great, but it really does stretch on too long towards the end.
Not only did it stretch on too long, but they cut off the song at the best fucking part!!!!

Ditto for the Richard Cheese and Johnny Cash, DOTD had some of the best and most appropriate music since An American Werewolf In London.
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