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Film Discussion => News and Theory => Topic started by: AlguienEstolamiPantalones on June 26, 2003, 10:46:39 PM

Title: Music in Period Pieces
Post by: AlguienEstolamiPantalones on June 26, 2003, 10:46:39 PM
i have this weird thing

i want to know if anyone else has this

in Period Pieces  i hate when they use music that was not around during that era

it kills a movie for me, i become  very larry david at that moment and i start to hate the movie

rock star with marky was ruined for me because of this, and god so many other movies

music in movies is very important to me, its one of my most important factors, and i hate when they fuck it up like this

and i think i am not alone here, because scrosesse feels the same thing, he wanted to use " shes so cold" at the end of of goodfellas during the coke car scene but the song was not out yet so he decided aginst it

i was not around during the early 80's so i dont know if sister christian was out during that time that the coke scene in boogie nights took place, but god i hope so because that song and scene work so FUCKING GREAT  together

but check this out, i am so anal about this issue that i would take out the perfect song if i found out that it had not come out yet during the scene it was meant to be used in .
Title: Music in Period Pieces
Post by: Ghostboy on June 26, 2003, 11:00:11 PM
So what are your thoughts, then, on techno or rock music in films like Gangs Of New York or A Knight's Tale?
Title: Music in Period Pieces
Post by: Alethia on June 26, 2003, 11:03:26 PM
wow you must have hated moulin rouge then
Title: Music in Period Pieces
Post by: AlguienEstolamiPantalones on June 26, 2003, 11:03:29 PM
Quote from: GhostboySo what are your thoughts, then, on techno music in period pieces?

Der Fuhrer would of loved house music No question
Title: Music in Period Pieces
Post by: AlguienEstolamiPantalones on June 26, 2003, 11:10:17 PM
Quote from: ewardwow you must have hated moulin rouge then

yes yes i did, but not because of the music, the music was meant to be that way in moulin rouge

in films like rock star however, its just sloppy film making

and i take it as a sign of bad directing, But only in extreme cases

like if sister christian was a few months off in boogie nights, i wouldnt say that PTA is a idiot, if he used a bon jovi song from 88 in a scene that is meant to take place in 84 well then yes he would be a idiot

like if i am writting a scene that takes place in say  decemember of 1989, and i had the charecters going to the movies, i would do research and find out what was playing during that week or month, i am very big on this
Title: Music in Period Pieces
Post by: Alethia on June 26, 2003, 11:20:28 PM
i once wrote a screenplay that took place in the present as i was writing it, and every single song i had in mind for it was either from the 70's, 80's, or before the 70's.....and i began to panic - i'm over it now and have accepted the fact that music is music and if it fits the mood then it fits the mood, altho i do agree with you about the whole "this scene takes place in december 83 and this song came out november 87, ahhh!" that tends to bug me as well (that wasn't sarcastic, just colorful) - but anyways, what r ur thoughts on the story i told about my screenplay a few years back?  how do u feel about that sort of musical placement?
Title: Music in Period Pieces
Post by: AlguienEstolamiPantalones on June 26, 2003, 11:29:59 PM
ohh i am sorry i didnt clear up what i meant, i love writting modern scenes with old songs, all my modern scenes are set to old songs

like for example Hollywood homicide uses old motown , PERFECT

I love that

so yeah, you can use a song that came before the era but not after the era

so for example if the scene takes place in 83, you can use a song from 77 but not from 85
Title: Music in Period Pieces
Post by: modage on June 27, 2003, 12:51:31 AM
man ludacris, you should see the taylor hackford movie "the idolmaker".  it will piss you off to no end, (as it did me).  it takes place in the fifties and the performers are supposed to be like these frankie avalon type pinups, but theyre singing all these non-existent 50s songs that sound like they were written in 1979 (because they were).  plus the sound of the instruments and drums is not the sound they were capable of at that time.  watch it and simmer in hatred.
Title: Music in Period Pieces
Post by: MacGuffin on June 27, 2003, 01:47:50 AM
Quote from: themodernage02man ludacris, you should see the taylor hackford movie "the idolmaker".  it will piss you off to no end, (as it did me).  it takes place in the fifties and the performers are supposed to be like these frankie avalon type pinups, but theyre singing all these non-existent 50s songs that sound like they were written in 1979 (because they were).  plus the sound of the instruments and drums is not the sound they were capable of at that time.  watch it and simmer in hatred.

Don't you dare put that movie down. That is the Ray Sharkey's best film, based on a real manager. The music is so damn catchy, especially the end song with Peter Gallagher singing "However Dark The Night."
Title: Music in Period Pieces
Post by: ©brad on June 27, 2003, 02:24:36 AM
okay, here's the thing. music in movies should be about tone instead of period, mood instead of popularity. i have NO problemo w/ mixing genres/eras or whateva when it comes to music, whatever can and does work i say go for it. like the opening gangs of new york music i thought was amazing. music should be like the 2nd dialogue in a movie. doesn't matter where it comes from.
Title: Music in Period Pieces
Post by: Sleuth on June 27, 2003, 02:26:19 AM
Thank you, ©brad
Title: Music in Period Pieces
Post by: AlguienEstolamiPantalones on June 27, 2003, 02:55:02 AM
Quote from: ©bradokay, here's the thing. music in movies should be about tone instead of period, mood instead of popularity. i have NO problemo w/ mixing genres/eras or whateva when it comes to music, whatever can and does work i say go for it. like the opening gangs of new york music i thought was amazing. music should be like the 2nd dialogue in a movie. doesn't matter where it comes from.

in gangs of new york, he is using it as score so its not what i am talking about

what i am talking about is for example on the bottom of the screen it says

1969 and the music playing in the background is freebird which came out in the 70's

see they are using freebird in the scene to set the mood of the time they are projecting, however they are wrong because that song is not from that time

so sloppy film making

argh dont make me admit this but ok, my friends and i were bored the other night and we saw dumb and dumberer , well in it it says it takes place in 1986 and they mention 1986 quite a bit and yet they have two scenes  one a full blown dance number set to Ice Ice baby which came out in 1990

so that is another fucking example of what i mean
Title: Music in Period Pieces
Post by: SoNowThen on June 27, 2003, 09:10:45 AM
I totally see what you're saying. Score can be anything, but when someone has Source playing (the point being that source should be direct in terms of time and place), then it should be era-correct. I so agree.

But in terms of score, yes, directors should be able to do anything. How much EVEN COOLER would Gangs have been if Marty would have opened with that Clash song, like originally planned?!!

I always wanted to score with way out of place music, then that cocksucking movie Knight's Tale came out and ruined everything for me.
Title: Music in Period Pieces
Post by: Alethia on June 27, 2003, 11:11:23 AM
i liked gangs of new york, but did anybody else feel that the opening battle was just awkward?  leading up to it was amazing but then all the little gimmicks that go on during the battle and what not - i don't know.....i just didnt respond well to it.  but i quickly forgot about it tho.

not that this has anyhing to do with anything just thought i bring it up
Title: Music in Period Pieces
Post by: Cecil on June 27, 2003, 11:23:22 AM
Quote from: SoNowThenBut in terms of score, yes, directors should be able to do anything. How much EVEN COOLER would Gangs have been if Marty would have opened with that Clash song, like originally planned?!!

are you joking, if not which song?
Title: Music in Period Pieces
Post by: SoNowThen on June 27, 2003, 11:29:22 AM
Can't remember, but I believe it's in Scorsese on Scorsese, when he talks about projects not yet done (because the book was published way before), he says that he and Jay Cocks conceived this crazy movie to bring the book to screen, and it's hardcore as hell, and they wanna use rock music, particularily this Clash song, that was to play as the battle ended, and then over the shot of the harbour (the one that kept getting higher and higher above earth)... if I remember correctly.
Title: Music in Period Pieces
Post by: modage on June 27, 2003, 01:12:51 PM
Quote from: MacGuffinDon't you dare put that movie down. That is the Ray Sharkey's best film, based on a real manager. The music is so damn catchy, especially the end song with Peter Gallagher singing "However Dark The Night."

regardless of the performances, whoever composed the music should be shot! its horribly horribly out of place.  it doesnt even sound like they were TRYING to make it sound 50's.  laughably so.  other than the music, the movie was fine.

Quote from: SoNowThenCan't remember, but I believe it's in Scorsese on Scorsese, when he talks about projects not yet done (because the book was published way before), he says that he and Jay Cocks conceived this crazy movie to bring the book to screen, and it's hardcore as hell, and they wanna use rock music, particularily this Clash song, that was to play as the battle ended, and then over the shot of the harbour (the one that kept getting higher and higher above earth)... if I remember correctly.

yeah i remember reading that too.  im pretty sure its in scorsese on scorsese.
Title: Music in Period Pieces
Post by: AlguienEstolamiPantalones on June 27, 2003, 02:59:51 PM
Gangs to me is not what i was talking about, now had he used a depeche mode song during the billy bats scene in goodfellas then i would be pissed

he used donnovan, a perfect choice

it didnt comment on the scene and it was not even the type of music that those guys would listen to but

It set the mood and that is the most important thing to me

like jessies girl in BN Or island girl in storytelling

i rather a song set a mood then have it comment on the story

for example if PT Used a song that was about drugs killing your soul rather then jessie's girl, that would of been fucking cheesy and hack like
Title: Music in Period Pieces
Post by: SoNowThen on June 27, 2003, 03:06:06 PM
Yeah, Atlantis might just be my pick for "perfect song for that specific scene" ever.
Title: Music in Period Pieces
Post by: AlguienEstolamiPantalones on June 27, 2003, 03:12:29 PM
Quote from: SoNowThenYeah, Atlantis might just be my pick for "perfect song for that specific scene" ever.

and again thats why you fucking rock

you know what i mean about mood, that song takes that scene and lifts it to the heavons . I love source music but i do have my rules as i have said

but the rules force you to be creative, which is more fun

Boogie nights to me had a perfect soundtrack , and the music was all over the place
Title: Music in Period Pieces
Post by: SoNowThen on June 27, 2003, 03:21:15 PM
Another two movies which I thought had amazing source were:

Radio Days (with all the standards.... Woody actually arranged the movie's narrative around the songs, if I'm not mistaken)

Raging Bull (the most subdued of Marty films in terms of music, but there's some wonderful stuff -- including the brilliant original fight announcers -- and the great jazz playing in the bg when DeNiro has Pesci punch him in the face, which I think was "Sing, Sing, Sing"... but I can't quite remember)
Title: Music in Period Pieces
Post by: AlguienEstolamiPantalones on June 27, 2003, 03:32:05 PM
color of money,  everytime i hear one more night by phill collins i feel like its thursday night 1 37 AM and i am in a dark poolhall , in the middle of a great game

thats fucking great film making
Title: Music in Period Pieces
Post by: Mesh on June 27, 2003, 05:43:43 PM
I think I remember hearing that Wes Anderson conceived scenes with certain Brit. Invasion songs in mind for Rushmore.

So, like, does Rushmore's use of non-period music bug you?  Probabaly not, because it's assumed to be 90s and all the music is 60s/70s, right?
Title: Music in Period Pieces
Post by: AlguienEstolamiPantalones on June 28, 2003, 01:04:40 AM
Quote from: MeshI think I remember hearing that Wes Anderson conceived scenes with certain Brit. Invasion songs in mind for Rushmore.

So, like, does Rushmore's use of non-period music bug you?  Probabaly not, because it's assumed to be 90s and all the music is 60s/70s, right?

i love rushmores music, and the music in the royal tennanbaums

i said its ok to use songs from before that era but not songs from after that era

infact i would use a lot of old songs, i love finding obscure and weird old songs

its great when you find a album track from a big star , a song that is forgotten , or a cool old one hit wonder single

and you use it in a scene and re invent it

like " drivers seat" that song was forgettn about and pta took it and rocked the mother fucker
Title: Music in Period Pieces
Post by: chainsmoking insomniac on June 29, 2003, 01:17:44 PM
Or "Spill the Wine" at the pool party scene in BN....gives me chills, so fucking great.

What effect do you guys think Jessie's Girl had on the firecracker/crack smoking scene?  Did it inject a surreal quality to the whole scene, or perhaps a kind of irony.  I don't know. For me, it definitely gave the scene a bizarre sort of kineticism.