Cameron Crowe has made a handful of movies really close to my movie loving heart. His movies are also filled with frigging sweet soundtracks... what are your favorite Crowe musical movie moments discounting the infamous "Tiny Dancer" bus scene? My top three will have to be:
Peter Gabriel's "Your Eyes" in Say Anything. Pure Classic.
Cat Stevens' "The Wind" in the Bootleg Version of Almost Famous truly tugs your heart strings.
Sigur Ros' The Nothing Song in Vanilla Sky is so beautifully haunting as Cruise's character has jumped off that sky-scraper.
'Ladies and Gentlemen we are Floating in Space' by Spiritualized in Vanilla Sky. Crowe didn't know quite how emotionally wrecking it would be for me to have that song at that moment - if he had, pity would have stopped his hand.
And I can't help but love Springsteen's 'Secret Garden' in Jerry Maguire. That and the sly inclusion of Nirvana's 'Something in the Way' in the same movie.
"Magic Bus" opening of "Jerry Maguire."
"Feel Flows" and "The Wind" in "Almost Famous"
"Touch Me I'm Dick" - "Singles"
Being an avid music lover, i think thats one of the main things that draws me to Cameron's movies. To me, there is nothing more effective than a perfectly chosen piece of music to go with a scene to make me lose it.
Say Anything : the obvious Peter Gabriel scene. I remember watching previews of this movie in HBO back when I was younger (i was 10 at the time it came out) and the image of Lloyd standing there with his boom box while "In your eyes" played is something that NEVER quite left me. Never knowing I would become such a rabid fan of Cameron Crowe.
Singles : I cannot think of a single moment in the film which specifically, but when this movie came out, I was heavily into those bands by that time, so I really embraced the movie when it came out, even though the themes in the movie didnt apply to me at the time, as they do now. :)
Jerry Maguire : I love Nancy Wilson's score throughout, and of course, Secret Garden gets a honorable mention :)
Almost Famous : Lets see, Ive seen all good people by Yes when they are first coming backstage, the song playing in the background when William "introduces" Penny to Russell. I believe its Joni Mitchell.(the song that plays right after Feel Flows, when Kate Hudson tears up). The Nancy Wilson score part when William is about to lose his virginity, and we get a tight shot of his eyes, while they reflect the girls moving around him. The obvious Tiny Dancer moment. And another Nancy Wilson moment, the music when William starts running all thru the terminal waving to Penny as her plane leaves.
Vanilla Sky : By far the movie with the most "unforgettable music" moments for me.
Radiohead's Everything in its right place right at the beginning, Solsbury Hill in Sofia's Apartment, Earthtime Tapestry (the music playing right after the car crash, when the scenes open in the park in david's dream), Every bit of Sigur Ros music used in the film, REM's Sweetness Follows when David follows Brian and Sofia (the part where it turns black and white),
Bob Dylan's music when David and Sofia are in bed together (my favorite "love" scene of all time, so intimate and real), Good Vibrations, which initially threw me off, but now i just LOVE the single instant in the movie when you hear that single "I ...." (before "I love the colorful clothes she wears) Its just a single second of ABSOLUTE movie BRILLIANCE for me. The whimsical quality of it, combined with what David is realizing, just completely WORKS for me. Then, after the elevator sequence starts, EVERY piece of music in the film is PERFECT and just floors me every time i watch, with honorable mention to Spiritualized and again, Sigur Ros.
i agree. i saw sigur ros once, ages ago, and was not impressed. (maybe it was because we were waiting for radiohead to come up on stage, and were getting tired of this guy playing his guitar with a bow.) vanilla sky, however, completely turned me around.
also, the chipmunks at the beginning of almost famous had me in tears.
Quote from: Himi agree. i saw sigur ros once, ages ago, and was not impressed. (maybe it was because we were waiting for radiohead to come up on stage, and were getting tired of this guy playing his guitar with a bow.) vanilla sky, however, completely turned me around.
also, the chipmunks at the beginning of almost famous had me in tears.
I totally do not agree. Sigur Rós are great live..the best. But their music is so misplaced i Vanilla Sky. It almost made me angry and I know the band didn't like it as well. :(
why do you feel its misplaced?
most people think it works perfectly, and while Sigur might object for whatever reason they feel, they have to accept that A LOT of people discovered their music thru VS.
Quote from: ProgWRXwhy do you feel its misplaced?
most people think it works perfectly, and while Sigur might object for whatever reason they feel, they have to accept that A LOT of people discovered their music thru VS.
George Holm (Sigur Rós):
well we didn't like it at all. cameron crowe asked for the songs. he used to write for rolling stone and listens to a lot of music, but it turned out to be a weird thing. it was too much hollywood like. we hope to have learned the lesson. (georg whispers laughing: "i hate tom cruise").
I totally agree :-D
wow so the whole reason the music doesnt fit is because the guy from Sigur Ros hate's Tom Cruise/Hollywood, that makes sense... :roll:
I just dont think it fits in. And I feel the same way about the Radiohead song. Maybe it's because Crowe wanted to show us all how good these songs are. But he totally forget how it all worked in the film. This makes me think "This film is superficial and just trying to be hip"
And that's the real problem with this film it's simply trying to be something it's not....HIP
There is a difference between great music and great filmmusic. I think Crowe was just too hooked on sharing his new cd's with us all. "Well, thanx Crowe but I like it all better when I'm not viewing Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruz." :shock:
well, that is your opinion.
Why do you think it doesnt fit?
The Radiohead song doesnt fit?! Even the TITLE (Everything in its right place) fits in perfectly with the context of those opening scenes, and the lyrics even foreshadow a bit of the sour and the sweet theme in the movie. ("Yesterday I woke up sucking a lemon ")
The haunting quality of Svefn g englar, works perfectly for the scenes in which he is describing the feelings that come with being in a coma, and fit very well with the visuals of a dark hallway and his shadowed figure. Hell, in a way, the organ on the background of the song, has a dirge-like quality fitting for any funeral.
Agaetys byrjun (the song) also works with the scenes of him emerging from his reclusiveness. The song has those whimsical sounding keyboards, which fit very well with what he is saying about him trying to come back to his work. Same with Njosnavelin, the music is almost like it was written for those last moments on the roof... haunting, sad, melancholic and unforgettable.
Do you think it wouldve been less "hollywood" to replace all those Sigur Ros instants with a string orchestra doing some sort of dramatic score? zzzZZZzzzZZ! :?
I'm sure I've commented on this before, but I totally agree with Sigur here... he's right... it's like Crowe was music name dropping... "I'm hip cuz I like Radiohead and Sigur Ros"...
The music didn't fit... I hate that everyone says that it fits perfectly because the title fits the scene... that's retarded... Crowe keeps talking about the lyrics in the music fitting on the commentary, but the music doesn't match the scene, it looks pasted over... it reminded me of a music in film class project where kids were supposed to put new music over movie scenes... everyone did thier favorite pop song, but it rarely ever worked... they were just dropped in.
well, thing is, ive explained why i believe it works, with something OTHER than "it just fits"
im have yet to read valid REASONS behind why the music doesnt fit.
You folks are overlooking one of Crowe's most haunting masterpieces! (yeah yeah it was directed by someone else, but its his movie)
Billy Squier - Fast Times (Best Years of our lives)
during the football scene where forest whitaker takes out everbody. sidenote: whatever's playing when spicoli is onscreen, for any scene, is also awesome, because spicoli is onscreen
let's start a spicoli thread. and then one about doc holiday, he was also cool
Quote from: RegularKarateI'm sure I've commented on this before, but I totally agree with Sigur here... he's right... it's like Crowe was music name dropping... "I'm hip cuz I like Radiohead and Sigur Ros"...
The music didn't fit... I hate that everyone says that it fits perfectly because the title fits the scene... that's retarded... Crowe keeps talking about the lyrics in the music fitting on the commentary, but the music doesn't match the scene, it looks pasted over... it reminded me of a music in film class project where kids were supposed to put new music over movie scenes... everyone did thier favorite pop song, but it rarely ever worked... they were just dropped in.
Thanx! You saved me! Damn't like I love you Regular Karate...thanx for saving me! I totally ow you on!
sigur is rk's bitch now.
Quote from: ProgWRXwell, thing is, ive explained why i believe it works, with something OTHER than "it just fits"
im have yet to read valid REASONS behind why the music doesnt fit.
Regular Karate did that!.....and i agree with him.
Quote from: RegularKarateI'm sure I've commented on this before, but I totally agree with Sigur here... he's right... it's like Crowe was music name dropping... "I'm hip cuz I like Radiohead and Sigur Ros"...
The music didn't fit... I hate that everyone says that it fits perfectly because the title fits the scene... that's retarded... Crowe keeps talking about the lyrics in the music fitting on the commentary, but the music doesn't match the scene, it looks pasted over... it reminded me of a music in film class project where kids were supposed to put new music over movie scenes... everyone did thier favorite pop song, but it rarely ever worked... they were just dropped in.
Play What's the Frequency Kenneth by REM during the "backwards and to the left" assassination flashback of JFK. Start the song at the point you see the epileptic having a seizure and you'll see it works really well. I found this out by accident, but see for yourselves...
Quote from: Sigur RósQuote from: ProgWRXwell, thing is, ive explained why i believe it works, with something OTHER than "it just fits"
im have yet to read valid REASONS behind why the music doesnt fit.
Regular Karate did that!.....and i agree with him.
sorry but "it seems pasted in" are not reasons, those are still opinions.
i explained, using qualities of the songs and how those matched qualities of the visuals, why they fit for me...
im looking for someone to tell me in the same way, why they dont.
you see, its one thing when someone says "oh i didnt like the way they used this piece of music there" (which is a personal opinion, and is not wrong) to flat out saying (as if it were fact) "it doesnt fit, period. "
:|
I've had this discussion like 10 times on this messageboard and the PTA-board.... :?
Quote from: children with angels'Ladies and Gentlemen we are Floating in Space' by Spiritualized in Vanilla Sky. Crowe didn't know quite how emotionally wrecking it would be for me to have that song at that moment - if he had, pity would have stopped his hand.
And I can't help but love Springsteen's 'Secret Garden' in Jerry Maguire. That and the sly inclusion of Nirvana's 'Something in the Way' in the same movie.
Actually...I agree with you! :shock:
This is gonna seem way far-fetched, but i loved the song "Vanilla Sky" by Paul McCartney in Vanilla Sky.... :wink:
He totally deserved the 2001 Oscar for best original song but instead they gave Randy Newman a pity award. Ah well.
yeah i love Paul McCartney's song :) its so simple yet fun
pixar should give Randy Newman a rest...its getting SO old that he's always doing the theme songs for their cg-movies...