Excellent pick!
The Big Lebowski - Kenny Rogers, “Just Walked In”, a song I’d grown fond of after scoring a Best of Kenny Rogers in a bargain bin, in my strapped-for-cash student days, because it was so unlike the rest of the CD. Hearing that particular song in any movie was a delight. That it was Lebowski was a bonus.
Die Hard - “This is christmas music!” Christmas in Hollis (Run DMC). Because this is where the fun starts.
The Wedding Singer - Miami Vice theme. The moment the door of that car opened, upwards of course, and this sounded from inside it, was when the ridiculousness of it all hit my core. This is the moment Adam Sandler movies clicked for me, and went from obnoxious to enjoyable.
‘89 remake of D.O.A. - The Waterboys’ “Don’t Bang The Drums” (in my opinion a great song that was drowned out by the popularity of their other big hit at the time, “whole of the moon”). When I saw that scene for the first time, it took me a few seconds to identify the intro to a song I hadn’t heard in five years, which deepened my connection to the lead character’s confused state at that point.
1.Grosse Point Blank - “Under Pressure” by David Bowie/Queen - Always love that scene where this plays and Martin is holding the baby.
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Somewhere in Time - “Somwhere in Time” theme when he sees Elise’s picture for the first time.
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Tron Legacy- “Separate Ways” by Journey - It’s weird but when that plays when the jukebox comes on in the arcade and he’s walking among the old arcade games for a split second I had a rush to my youth. A feeling of longing for a time long past.
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Fletch Lives - “Zip-a-dee-doo-dah”
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The Replacement Killers - “Keep Hope Alive” by the Crystal Method
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Kick-ass - “Bad Reputation” by Joan Jett
Actually, as big a fan of that movie as I am, this particular scene/song always struck me as the film’s only misstep. Hired killer finds his conscience by staring into a baby’s face? Just a little trite. That whole soundtrack is just great though, all the stuff I used to listen to as a teenager.
Martin was finding his conscience long before that or he wouldn’t have been seeing Dr. Oatman despite his denials…it was already established he was getting burned out. I don’t think that particular scene was meant to show any great change just Martin being focused on that moment. I mean really when was the last time he ever held a baby. I thought it fit perfectly.
No, the Oatman scene was there to indicate out how completely out of touch Martin was with any kind of morality, how completely lost he had become. The baby scene was intended to be a turning point, the culmination of his coming home and re-establishing contact with his roots. Unfortunately that point was applied with a sledgehammer.
He wasn’t going to Oatman for the heck of it, he had issues he wasn’t dealing but wanted to deal with; obviously the killings were starting to get to him but to admit it outright is a different thing . Don’t agree at all…have watched it many times and never felt that was the great moment of change…he had been having them all along. Sure it was a moment of clarity or wonder but I didn’t think it was that exact moment that he had doubts…those doubts were there already. Whatever, I love that part.
Several in here that I would have gone with, so having to revise on the fly :)
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Se7en - “Closer” by Nine Inch Nails - The song just feels like it was written specifically for the opening credits
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The Crow - “Burn” by The Cure - One of my favorite sound tracks in general. This song plays during Eric’s “awakening”, I guess you would call it. Perfect song for the scene.
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Donnie Darko - “Mad World” by Gary Jules - I may be cheating on this one. Originally a Tears For Fears song that was remade by Gary Jules specifically for Donnie Darko. I don’t think any other song could have captured the tone of Donnie Darko the way this song does.
Yeah, I really can’t think of any other song that could have done the job better. The audio in that scene is almost a better “establishing shot” than the visuals!
Ghost World - Jan Pehchan Ho - This opening credits song from Ghost World made me say, “What is this, I don’t even…” on first viewing, but is so catchy, interesting, and weird, I just fell in love with it. Accompanied by surreal (to me, at the time) footage from the movie that it WAS made for, a 60s Indian movie apparently called Suspense Thriller Gumnaam, I have no idea what’s going on as a man in a black mask and white suit sings to a manic dancer in a gold dress. Yes, I like it strictly because it is so weird; sue me. I also like the fact that there is absolutely zero possibility that I would have discovered such a song on my own. Still, you can dance to it, and it certainly could have been the Gangnam Style of its day, had the internet been as pervasive at the time that Ghost World came out.
O Brother Where Art Thou - Man of Constant Sorrow - So many good songs in this movie. I’d like to chose Down the River to Pray, also, but that would be cheating, so I have to give it to the Soggy Bottom Boys. Like Ghost World, this movie introduced me to a completely different genre of music than I would normally listen to (if 1960s Indian Pop is a genre). Also, I can sing the hell out of this at karaoke.
Karate Kid - The Best - You are the best around, nothing’s gonna ever keep you down. This is one of those songs that I never actual realized was in the movie until hearing it out of context at a later date. Hmm… now that I think about it, though, it might have been made for this movie? Still, there’s no better anthem for 80s accomplishment and getting pumped up to do a Crane Kick. Plus, it was in Saint’s Row 3! Also, it’s impossible to buy the single on iTunes, as it’s Album Only. Jerks.
I tried REALLY hard to think of an animated movie that had a song like this in it, but the best I could come up with was Hello Dolly in Wall-E, which isn’t that exciting to me, though I love that movie.
So sorry for the necro, but I was watching 40 Year Old Virgin tonight and, man, I really love the use of “Aquarius”. Also amazing how many famous comedic actors are in that movie (and pretty much just getting their start).