Best and worst use of music (not scores) in movies and tv
Posted: Wed June 18, 2025 11:07 pm
by daft twat
I was watching an episode of Your Friends and Neighbors, and they used Blind Melon’s “Change” so perfectly. It got me thinking of this topic. The Bear is coming back this month, and that show excels at this. Reacher is also surprisingly good at this.
With movies, my favorite lead-in to the credits is RATM’s “Wake Up” at the end of The Matrix followed closely by Weezer’s “Suzanne” in Mallrats.
The biggest ball drop was not starting “Man of the Hour” before the credits in Big Fish. It should have played during the final scene.
Re: Best and worst use of music (not scores) in movies and t
Posted: Wed June 18, 2025 11:13 pm
by doug rr
using Franz Schubert's allegretto for the flyover of nantucket scratched the itch...
Re: Best and worst use of music (not scores) in movies and t
Posted: Wed June 18, 2025 11:15 pm
by LoathedVermin72
I doubt anything will ever top how The Walker Brothers's "The Electrician" is used in Bronson for me.
Re: Best and worst use of music (not scores) in movies and t
Posted: Wed June 18, 2025 11:17 pm
by Simple Torture
I’m not picking a specific movie, but that era when every other movie featured All Star by Smashmouth was like 9/11 for American culture before 9/11.
Re: Best and worst use of music (not scores) in movies and t
Posted: Wed June 18, 2025 11:18 pm
by daft twat
doug rr wrote:using Franz Schubert's allegretto for the flyover of nantucket scratched the itch...
Re: Best and worst use of music (not scores) in movies and t
Posted: Wed June 18, 2025 11:19 pm
by LoathedVermin72
Simple Torture wrote:I’m not picking a specific movie, but that era when every other movie featured All Star by Smashmouth was like 9/11 for American culture before 9/11.
a glorious era
Re: Best and worst use of music (not scores) in movies and t
Posted: Wed June 18, 2025 11:42 pm
by The Argonaut
Elliott Smith in Royal Tanenbaums is my first thought, devastating moment that could probably work if it was silent but is elevated by the music. That's always impressive, when a moment doesn't lean or rely on the music too much
Re: Best and worst use of music (not scores) in movies and t
Posted: Wed June 18, 2025 11:45 pm
by spike
Alan Thicke could write some mean 80s sitcom themes.
Re: Best and worst use of music (not scores) in movies and t
Posted: Thu June 19, 2025 7:20 pm
by lvc
Gangs of New York was not helped by a U2 song coming in before the credits rolled. "Oh, you were immersed in this time period?" *yoink*
Re: Best and worst use of music (not scores) in movies and t
Posted: Fri June 20, 2025 2:10 am
by spike
lvc wrote:Gangs of New York was not helped by a U2 song coming in before the credits rolled. "Oh, you were immersed in this time period?" *yoink*
This is a problem in a lot of period piece films/shows. Peaky Blinders comes to mind.
I blame that 90s Romeo & Juliet movie.
Re: Best and worst use of music (not scores) in movies and t
Posted: Fri June 20, 2025 12:19 pm
by lvc
spike wrote:
lvc wrote:Gangs of New York was not helped by a U2 song coming in before the credits rolled. "Oh, you were immersed in this time period?" *yoink*
This is a problem in a lot of period piece films/shows. Peaky Blinders comes to mind.
I blame that 90s Romeo & Juliet movie.
I mean at least Bas went whole hog with it. You gotta be either all the way in or all the way out. No half measures.
Of course, Gangs of New York also wasn't helped by Leonardo DiCaprio having to shit out such majestic dialogue as "now there's a prim stargazer".
Re: Best and worst use of music (not scores) in movies and t
Posted: Tue July 01, 2025 2:05 pm
by Malloy
watched some of the bear with me folks and was glad to hear a shellac and talk talk tune. not sure how well they were deployed. still a maudlin jerkoff fest.
Re: Best and worst use of music (not scores) in movies and t
Posted: Tue July 01, 2025 3:43 pm
by warehouse
best:
any time scorsese uses the stones
the entire arrival scene in vietnam in forrest gump.
'let down' in the bear season one finale
'yellow ledbetter' in friends
'sunshine of your love' in goodfellas
'hurricane' in dazed and confused
worst:
the inevitable use of 'nothing compares 2 u' in a move/doc about donald trump
Re: Best and worst use of music (not scores) in movies and t
Posted: Tue July 01, 2025 5:52 pm
by lvc
warehouse wrote:best:
any time scorsese uses the stones
the entire arrival scene in vietnam in forrest gump.
'let down' in the bear season one finale
'yellow ledbetter' in friends
'sunshine of your love' in goodfellas
'hurricane' in dazed and confused
worst:
the inevitable use of 'nothing compares 2 u' in a move/doc about donald trump
Speaking of Forrest Gump, when Jen-nay is on the ledge and they're playing the most manic part of the Freebird solo, that works pretty well.
Re: Best and worst use of music (not scores) in movies and t
Posted: Tue July 01, 2025 7:07 pm
by DissidentRival4
One of my all time favorites is Head Over Heels in Donnie Darko.
Re: Best and worst use of music (not scores) in movies and t
Posted: Tue July 01, 2025 10:32 pm
by oasisfan35
lvc wrote:
spike wrote:
lvc wrote:Gangs of New York was not helped by a U2 song coming in before the credits rolled. "Oh, you were immersed in this time period?" *yoink*
This is a problem in a lot of period piece films/shows. Peaky Blinders comes to mind.
I blame that 90s Romeo & Juliet movie.
I mean at least Bas went whole hog with it. You gotta be either all the way in or all the way out. No half measures.
Of course, Gangs of New York also wasn't helped by Leonardo DiCaprio having to shit out such majestic dialogue as "now there's a prim stargazer".
Yeah, that soundtrack went pretty damn well with the film.
Nothingman being used in Californication S2E10 is tremendous.
Re: Best and worst use of music (not scores) in movies and t
Posted: Thu July 03, 2025 12:51 pm
by lvc
I think every single music cue in High Fidelity is perfectly executed but the most perfect is when Dylan's "Most of the Time" starts as Rob Gordon is leaving the wake.
I need to watch that movie again. It's been a while.
Re: Best and worst use of music (not scores) in movies and t
Posted: Thu July 03, 2025 1:24 pm
by VinylGuy
DissidentRival4 wrote:One of my all time favorites is Head Over Heels in Donnie Darko.
yes yes yes
Re: Best and worst use of music (not scores) in movies and t
Posted: Thu July 03, 2025 1:24 pm
by VinylGuy
lvc wrote:I think every single music cue in High Fidelity is perfectly executed but the most perfect is when Dylan's "Most of the Time" starts as Rob Gordon is leaving the wake.
I need to watch that movie again. It's been a while.
also yes, i love that soundtrack. I was obsessed with it when it came out.
Re: Best and worst use of music (not scores) in movies and t
Posted: Thu July 03, 2025 1:30 pm
by warehouse
i think Goodfellas and Forrest Gump have almost perfected this. Goodfellas was on tv the other night, shocker i know. "Layla" is the obvious example, but it's almost all perfect. Same thing with Forrest Gump, I can probably pick 4-5 songs off the top of my head from that movie that are perfect. i might add Dazed and Confused.
the murder scenes in American Psycho with Huey Lewis and Genesis are pretty great.
there was a scene in Stranger Things when they played "Psycho Killer". i wish this was the song that stuck instead of 'running up that hill'
anytime "The Man In Me" played during The Big Lewbowski