Thursday Movie Picks - Oscar Edition: Best Original Score/Song
1) Atonement - Dario Marianelli - This is one of the best scores I've ever heard. I loved how he incorporated Briony's typewriter into her theme at the beginning of the film.
2) The Lion King - Hans Zimmer - This is one of my all time favorite animated films and the music is a big part of that. I still listen to songs from this soundtrack fairly often.
3) Star Wars - John Williams - I have to include this iconic score. The excitement that comes from hearing Williams' song boom in before the title crawl is such a feeling.
4) "Falling Slowly" from Once - This is a song that sold me on a film. I hadn't seen Once before its Oscar win, but watching this song preformed at the ceremony that night made me immediately go out and rent it the next day. (lol remember video stores?) This is why I'm such a supporter of the Best Original Song nominees getting to perform their songs at the telecast. Look what we could be missing?
5) "Lose Yourself" from 8 Mile - I think we can all agree this is likely one of the greatest rap songs of all time, right? I loved it so much that when Eminem randomly showed up over a decade later to perform it at the Oscars when he originally skipped out, I just went with it.
6) "My Heart Will Go On" from Titanic - Despite my huge hate-boner for James Cameron, Titanic is a perfect movie and I know it's kind of a thing to clown on this song now, but it's perfect too. It fits the film so well.
I love Atonement, at least as much as you can love something so ultimately sad, it's a beautifully done film from top to bottom with the three actresses managing to make it believable that they are all Briony at different times of her life since you can see echoes of the others in their actions.
ReplyDeleteI like but don't love Star Wars (it's fun and well done I just don't see the slavish devotion) and Titanic (technically brilliant but the love story is so much hogwash that would never have happened in 1912 British society) but agree that SW music does a great deal to setting the feeling of the film. That woman's keening bleat of My Heart Will Go On however is headache inducing.
The Lion King isn't my thing but the music for better or worse gets stuck in your head. I hate rap, find Eminem risible and found 8 Mile a torture to sit through. I haven't seen Once, it is on the long to see list but I am familiar with Falling Slowly. It's a nice song, not terribly memorable but that seems to be the trend with the winning songs any more.
I like to hear all the song nominees performed on the broadcast too, the other unnecessary production numbers not so much. It's best if they can get the original artists but in lieu of that at least someone who can do justice to the song.
I did a theme within the theme! All mine are songs (my last is a bit roundabout) that share their title with the film they came from and we're all successful on their own.
The Way We Were (1973)-Fiery, opinionated Katie Morosky (Barbra Streisand) meets handsome goyish guy Hubbell Gardiner (Robert Redford) in college during the 30’s. While he admires her moxie and she his writing talent they move in different circles. As WWII is winding down, they meet again and despite their vast differences they fall in love and marry but those very differences eventually tear their relationship asunder. Both the film and the title tune by Marvin Hamlisch, Alan & Marilyn Bergman were gigantic hits, the Streisand’s recording of the song going to # 1 on Billboard as well as winning the Grammy as Record of the Year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNEcQS4tXgQ
The Days of Wine and Roses (1962)-Gut wrenching chronicle of young couple Joe & Kirsten Clay’s (Jack Lemmon & Lee Remick-both Oscar nominated) descent into blackout alcoholism. Fittingly for something so dark the title song by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer has a mournful quality but a soulful lilting beauty. Recorded by many artists it reached # 9 on the Billboard charts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNlT7Rx77y8
The Joker is Wild aka All the Way (1957)-Joe E. Lewis (played by Frank Sinatra) was a rising singer on the Chicago nightclub scene of the Roaring Twenties until he angered a mob boss by switching clubs. In retaliation the mobster has Lewis’s throat cut, slashing his vocal cords and therefore his career. He slowly worked his way back as a comic over the next decade. Sinatra’s recording of All the Way written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn was so popular (# 2 on the Billboard charts) the film was retitled to match it upon re-release.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxxDK0sFENo
I knew you'd have some picks that would be way out of left field for me! The Way We Were is the only song I was familiar with.
DeleteYou like dark films so I think you'd enjoy both of the other two. The Sinatra film tells an interesting story with a good cast even if Joe E. Lewis isn't well remembered today. Days of Wine and Roses is pitch black.
DeleteBoth their songs are lovely though.
True lol. I do like the weird ones.
DeleteI really like Titanic as a movie, but I still think it would be better if it started with Rose's comment about them calling it the ship of dreams and ending with her calling herself Rose Dawson on the docks. I hate the framing story so, so much.
ReplyDeleteThat would've been a solid ending too.
DeleteI totally like those choices though I really hate "My Heart Will Go On" as I heard that song too many times. It was EVERYWHERE including in my junior year at high school. Plus, I think Titanic is an excellent film but... oh come on... we all knew that there was more than enough room for Jack and Rose to be on that wooden part of the ship. They just needed to be on top of each other and if they wanted to avoid hypothermia. They could've just had sex and then they be found but they're stuck to one another and Jack's boner hasn't gone away. They are freed by hot water but chose to stay together and be with each other... forever until they both die of old age peacefully. The End.
ReplyDeleteI'm still waiting for Kate and Leo to reunite for... a comedy. You know there's a great comedy for them.
I know a LOT of people that share you sentiment with My Heart Will Go On, but I never got sick of it. I love it lol
DeleteYES for Falling Slowly, what a song. It might be an odd choice but I walked down the aisle to that song on my wedding day <3
ReplyDeleteThat's so beautiful! I love that.
DeleteI loooove Falling Slowly. I also unapologetically love My Heart Will Go On. I prefer the film version to the more pop-ish version for the radio too. Lose Yourself was a song I listened to constantly when I was working out. I've not seen Atonement but your other two picks are solid. I love that I can hear the Star Wars theme, or Indiana Jones or HP and just KNOW what movie it's from. Iconic.
ReplyDeleteYes! and I love the instrumental "Rose" from the soundtrack, which is basically that with piano only.
DeleteAs you already pointed out, we have the song from Once in common :) I really like your other picks too though! I almost picked the score of Atonement myself as well.
ReplyDeleteI always have to squeeze Atonement in here somewhere.
DeleteNice picks! I always forget that Hans Zimmer did The Lion King. Titanic, 8 Mile, and Star Wars were on my lists before I decided to do a theme within a theme this week. Seeing Eminem come back to perform Lose Yourself was so awesome. He did such a good job even though he had audio issues. The audience reactions were priceless too.
ReplyDeleteHe did! I loved how confused, yet into it everyone was.
DeleteI'm so happy to see Lose Yourself :D
ReplyDeleteYaaaaaaaaasssss!
DeleteInteresting choices, and we match with Star Wars. I don't understand the hate for 'My Heart Will Go On' - it's a wonderful ballad!
ReplyDeleteIt is! But it was definitely overplayed for a while.
DeleteThose are all amazing picks!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteI'm here...difficult week and friends visiting. I can't stand Atonement and don't remember the music at all. Glad you chose Star Wars which is iconic. The Lion King has some great songs and is.a.perfect choice. I Hate The Love Boat Sinking except for the costumes, the acting is good, the spe ial effects and the music. The song is good and I still laugh when Celine Dion.sang it at the Oscars. When she hot her chest with her fist and put it in the air, I thought she did the Romulan salute. I can't stand m & m's song. It's just not my cup of tea. The song from. ONCE is OK but rather bland for me that is.
ReplyDeleteI hope you had a good visit with friends! I'm glad you like The Lion King at least from my picks lol
DeleteI don’t think I saw the Oscars that year and only looked up their Oscars performance when I had seen Once. I’m so glad they won because it’s so good and it’s such a little movie.
ReplyDeleteAgreed!
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