Friday, August 18, 2023

La Fin de la Semaine Essay Question: Special "The Magic of Cinema" Edition

Oh. My. God.

Look what all of us missed in theatres this week!

A restored version of the Citizen Kane of airborne aquatic predator horror flicks.

I am depressed.

On the other hand, I was previously unaware -- and was immensely tickled to learn -- that the band responsible for the wonderfully Ramones-ish theme song to said flick is named...wait for it...Quint.

As in the character portrayed by the great Robert Shaw in the original Jaws.

Heh.

Okay, and now to business. To wit:

...and your favorite (or least favorite) post-Elvis pop/rock/soul song either written specifically for, or merely utilized in, a movie is...?

Discuss.

Arbitrary rule: And don't give me any of that Barbra Streisand "Evergreen" shit, 'cause I don't want to hear it.

Oh, and by the way -- I'm voting for Van Morrison's "Into the Mystic" as heard in a heroin-shooting scene in the 1971 cult classic Dusty and Sweets McGee.

Have a great weekend, everybody!

25 comments:

getawaygoober said...

Stones - You Got the Silver - Zabriskie Point
Yardbirds - Train Kept a-Rollin - Blow-Up

Anonymous said...

Zu Asche, Zu Staub (To Ashes, To Dust) from Babylon Berlin which I only recently started watching. Great song and fabulous series. The video is the relevant scene from episode 1.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdM36y-Dkyg

- Paul in DK

Sal Nunziato said...

I hadn't ever paid attention to King Curtis' "Whiter Shade Of Pale" from the Live Fillmore album until it was used over the opening credits of "Withnail & I." It's huge!

edward said...

Memo From Turner - Mick Jagger - Performance
Gone Dead Train - Randy Newman - Performance
Crawling to the USA - Elvis Costello - Americathon
Unwanted Number - Elvis Costello - Grace of My Heart
Look Over Your Shoulder - Alan Price - O Lucky Man (and the whole damn soundtrack/album)

Many more, but I have to go to work

Alzo said...

Ari Aster's 'Midsommar' end credits: Frankie Valli's 'The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)"

paulinca said...

Zeppelin's "Tangerine" at the very end of Cameron Crowe's "Almost Famous," when William, Penny and Russell all part. The last thirty seconds of the film are black screen and the end of the chorus, as if Crowe is imparting to us that 1973 was truly a lifetime ago.

paulinca

Allan Rosenberg said...

Loraine Newman singing "Since I Don't Have You" in "American Hot Wax'.

Captain Al

Gummo said...

Jesus I Was Evil - Darcy Clay

From the fantastic cult film, I Woke Up Early the Day I Died, a loving Ed Wood tribute from 1998 by Billy Zane, from a script by Ed Wood and featuring an amazing array of cameos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKX8ntjWeas

I was lucky enough to grab a dvd of this out-of-print movie back when I was doing bittorrent. It's a cherished disk in our house.

Very sadly, Clay committed suicide at the age of 25. But he left us this magnificent song.

pete said...

Live and Let Die

Anonymous said...

Girl, you 'll be a woman soon - urge overkill in Pulp fiction

elroy said...

Somoene has to mention Shaft I guess...

dorethyroad@aol.com said...

I guess that the "William Tell Overture" from Clockwork Orange doesn't count...;-)
rob

Squints said...

I will jest here (I think), but I was wondering how "Into The Mystic" became a must-cover by ever guitar-strumming guy in a bar these days. I get how "Shout!," "Do You Love Me" and "Unchained Melody" got their must-play-at-wedding status via inclusion in movies.

But "Into The Mystic" seems like a phenomenon of the last ten years or so. And I'm darned if I can tie it to any linked cultural event.

dorethyroad@aol.com said...

Sqiunts -,check out Wiki
rob

M_Sharp said...

Ramones - "I Want You Around" in "Rock 'n Roll High School"

Captain Beefheart - "Hard Workin' Man" in "Blue Collar"

"Free Bird" in Devil's Rejects

"The Way I Walk" and "Shitlist" in "Natural Born Killers"

The entire "Paris, Texas" soundtrack

...and of course, "Tequila" RIP PW

MJConroy said...

I see "That Thing You Do" was already listed, as it should be!

I'll add "A Girl Like You" that Pat Dinizio wrote for the movie "Say Anything" after reading the script, but Cameron Crowe decided not to use it. It is on a recent expanded lp release of the soundtrack.

ken49 said...

Mott the Hoople's All the Way to Memphis opening sequence in Scorsese's Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore 1974

ChrisE said...

This ia slightly cheating. because it's in a TV show (albeit a pretty cinematic one), not a movie but... Nils Lofgren's "Black Books" in the SOPRANOS - Season 3, Episode 8. It's a beautiful song to begin with and it's used really effectively in the episode.

Half Glass Fool said...

How is it that "A Hard Day's Night" is not already listed? Or did I misread the rule?

Anonymous said...

Lust For Life - Iggy Pop - Trainspotting

Stroll On - The Yardbirds - Blow-up (already mentioned but seconded)

Philadelphia - Neil Young - Philadelphia

Born To Be Wild - Steppenwolf - Easy Rider

Wasn't Born To Follow - Byrds - Easy Rider

Everything Works If You Let It - Cheap Trick - Roadie

Are You Man Enough - Four Tops - Superbad

Memo From Turner - Mick Jagger - Performance (seconded)

Alone Again Or - Love - Bottle Rocket

Waiting For the Man - David Bowie - Almost Famous (scene in re-created Swingos, Cleveland) this is the Santa Monica 1972 performance which would have only been available as a bootleg in the 1973-1974 setting of the film. Namely, David Bowie In America on Trademark of Quality.

The End - The Doors - Apocalypse Now

Shaft - Isaac Hayes - Shaft (seconded)

Mrs. Robinson - Simon & Garfunkel - The Graduate

Everybody's Talkin' - Nilsson - Midnight Cowboy

Miserlou - Dick Dale - Pulp Fiction

Porpoise Song - Monkees - Head

Emotions - Love - Medium Cool

Who Needs the Peace Corps? - Mothers - Medium Cool (stroboscopic nightclub scene where the Litter is on stage with the Mothers dubbed over them). Marianna Hill may have been the first female that made me fully aware I was attracted to other girls. Even when she just had bit parts on 60's TV series she awakened my "sinful" desires:) Robert Forster was also attractive in 1968. I'd bed 'em both in the realm of fantasy.

Sitting There Standing & Don't Need Your Lovin' - Chocolate Watchband - Riot On Sunset Strip (Mimsy Farmer another one I like also Laurie Mock. That LSD sure kicks in fast. But oh how I'd love to trip with her.)

????? - Mickey Rooney Jr. & Band - Hot Rods to Hell (Again Mimsy Farmer & Laurie Mook. The latter can't act but it really doesn't matter. She almost, almost went bad. And she was digging it. Mimsy's character is named Gloria. In Excelsis Deo. She comes around midnight).

Last Train to Clarksville - Monkees - After Hours

VR

Anonymous said...

(Never Again) Sweet Ride - Moby Grape - The Sweet Ride

Old Souls - Jessica Harper - Phantom of the Paradise (delicious 3 minute love song - Karen Carpenter got nothin' on this)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENYqLrzxhxA

Aren't You Glad - Spirit - Model Shop (like the soundtrack version better than the one on The Family That Plays Together)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjJF7eufSq8

Cymbaline - Pink Floyd - More (Mimsy Farmer again druggin' it up)

The Look of Love - Dusty Springfield - Casino Royale

Between Trains - Robbie Robertson - The King Of Comedy

If 6 Was 9 - Jimi Hendrix - Easy Rider

Dolly Dagger - Jimi Hendrix - Rainbow Bridge

VR

Anonymous said...

stand by your man by Lyle Lovett in The Crying Game.
entire soundtrack for Local Hero by Mark Knoepler
rs

Anonymous said...

True Stories soundtrack by Talking Heads especially Wild Wild Life rs

M_Sharp said...

"These Eyes" by Michael Cera & The Stoners in "Superbad"

Squints said...

"check out Wiki."

When I want pedantry, I'll beat it out of you.