Amusing:

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The Thin Man is one of my favorite film series. Based upon Dashiell Hammett's book of the same name, William Powell and Myrna Loy make these movies a joy.

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When The Beatles first set out to make “Let It Be” in 1969, they intended a recording that would be a return to a live performance of just the bare necessities of the band, no studio effects or overdubbing of voices or instruments would be allowed. However, caught in the turmoil of the break-up of the band, the album was re-produced by Phil Spector and never released as The Beatles had originally meant it to sound.

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Another fine flick, The Beatles- Help! The Movie, courtesy of Google Video:

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via limpfish:

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One of the funniest movies ever made . . .

"Pike's Pale, The Ale That Won for Yale."

 

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The full movie, in its entirety via Google.video:

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"More than any time in history, mankind faces a crossroad. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness, the other to total extinction. Let us pray we have the wisdom to choose correctly."

-- Woody Allen

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Robert Deniro & Joe Pesci are Hysterical:

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Oh, goody, yet another list. How f$%&ing original!

For some silly reason, there seems to be all this hoo-haa about the silly Vanity Fair article on the top Movie Soundtracks of all time.

These people are wankers for many reasons: 1) The VF weenies press released to death; b) the article is not even available on line; iii) the editors chose Purple Rain as the greatest film soundtrack of all time.

I remain convinced that the purveyors of these annoying lists select a controversial top pick to generate buzz (tho' you would think this would might encourage online posting).

Regardless, let's not play into their hand. Rather than waste too much time telling you how clueless VF's music editors are, or giving them any linklove, I would rather -- in the spirit of Friday Night Jazz -- compile a worthwhile list of films and soundtracks for your perusal.

A few ground rules:

• We are looking for outstanding soundtracks to outstanding films. (Merely o.k. doesn't cut it).

• Groundbreaking films, soundtracks and performances get bonus points. (Mediocre performances get cut).

• Better non-film versions take points away from the movie soundtrack -- where there are superior versions such as the Broadway soundtrack (i.e., Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, etc.) than those flicks don 't make the cut.

• Pure adaptations of Broadway shows also get cut. In my mind, Cabaret, Chicago, Chorus Line are more filmed stage productions, rather than pure movies.  (totally subjective).

Hence, several films failed to make the cut: Apocalypse Now is fantastic in the way it uses music (especially The Doors' The End, and Wagner's The Ride Of The Valkyries), but its not great as a standalone soundtrack; the wonderful My Fair Lady, with Rex Harrison's mediocre voice, and the dubbing of Audrey Hepburn's voice, also doesn't make the cut.

Alternatively, the film can't suck. The greatest soundtrack in the world becomes irrelevant if its attached to a film like, say, Hedwig and the Angry Inch -- a play that sucked two hours out of my life that I will never get back, and will literally regret on my death bed.

These things are totally subjective, and are rarely based exclusively on mere merits. Pink Floyd The Wall was a great album so overplayed when I was in college, that I simply couldn't pull the trigger on it (the film is a bit ponderous to boot). Again, these things are very subjective. We can certainly debate the order of any list, or the contents, and we probably will (thats what the comments are for).

Here's my subjective top 15:

1. A Hard Day's Night:  A brilliant film and album that both remain as energetic and fresh today as they were in 1964. The Beatles personalities were perfectly suited to the medium, so much so that its hard to imagine a better film/soundtrack combo.

A Hard Day's Night

If you want to consider another Beatles sound track, both Yellow Submarine and Help! are fun -- but neither rise to the sheer genius of A Hard Day's Night. 

~~~

2. Stop Making Sense: Quite simply, the best concert film ever made. Yes, some of you will declare The Last Waltz, (with a few stragglers nominating Woodstock) but there is simply nothing else that ha the combination of showmanship, musical innovation -- and the big suit -- like this film does. Marvelous.

Stop Making Sense

~~~

3.  Blade Runner: Forget the ponderous and boring Chariots of Fire, THIS is Vangelis Masterpiece. Not only is the music hauntingly beautiful, but it fits the filmscape so perfectly, making it even better than it originally was. We've already spilled so many words about BR, that the less said the better. "All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain." 

Blade Runner

~~~

4. The Rocky Horror Picture Show: I could try to explain this, but I couldn't do it justice. Find a theater where this is playing at the midnight show, and go with someone who's gone before.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975 Film)

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5. Garden State: My "surprise" entry. A charming little film with a soundtrack that simply refuses to stop delighting you with its lovely ballads, nearly all of which are by bands which, prior to this soundtrack, were unknown. This disc was played constantly in our car in 2004/05.

Garden State

~~~

6.  Harold and Maude: One of the most subversive, outrageously amusing, black comedies ever made -- hysterically funny to boot. Cat Stevens (before he became Yusaf) created a wonderful collection of songs.   This is , quite frankly, one of the funniest films ever made.

Harold and Maude

~~~

7. The Graduate: Not only is this a seminal, groundbreaking film, but the soundtrack is phenomenal. The way the various songs are interwoven into the action, mood, psychs of the players is amazing (listen as Benjamin's Alpha Romeo Spider runs out of gas). I don't know if Mike Nichols is a genius, or just gt incredibly lucky. Either way, its a great soundtrack and a great movie.   

The Graduate (1967 Film)

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8. (tie):Led Zeppelin, The Song Remains The Same
The Who, The Kids Are Alright: Perhaps its my age showing, but I have always found each of these to be tremendous films and soundtracks. The Zep concert film was utterly ground breaking; The Who film was a fantastic documentary.

The Song Remains The Same

The Kids Are Alright

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10. West Side Story: Leonard Bernstein's musical update of Romeo and Juliet. The combination of Stephen Sondheim brilliant lyrics, the kinetic choreography and the bravura camera work made for a fantastic wide screen film. The soundtrack created the perfect counterpoint to the dance and action.

Sure, its a bit dated (hence, #10), but it remains an all time great.

West Side Story

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11. Pulp Fiction: The film does so many things so well -- but the way the music is integrated into the actual plot is simply terrific.  Plus, Travolta and Uma can each dance. 

Pulp Fiction: Music From The Motion Picture

~~~

12.  Purple Rain: There is no doubt that the purple one can sign, dance, play guitar. Acting, not so much. Regardless, his sheer overwhelming talent is why this manages to get onto my top 10. True Story: We saw this int he theaters in college, and my remark was "He's going to be bigger than Michael Jackson" -- who was huge at the time. Its a toss up if I got that one right.

Music from the Motion Picture "Purple Rain"

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13. Little Shop Of Horrors: A fantabulous musical/horror/comedy. It's all a whole lot of fun, and the musical styles range from honky-tonk to doo-wop to straightforward rock n' roll. The strength of the film carries what otherwise might have been a mere Broadway adaption into an entire different level.
 

Little Shop Of Horrors (1986 Film)

~~~

14. Saturday Night Fever: One of those seminal films that tremendously influenced the culture.

My choice in music  was rock-n-roll, and I had little interest in blow-dried hair, white polyester suits, or cruising discos looking for Staten Island bimbos. (but if you wanted to get laid . . . )

The music works as well on its own, as it does as a classic piece of pop history. And John Travolta makes the list twice!

Saturday Night Fever: The Original Movie Sound Track

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15. The Tao of Steve: Another charming little film that surprises with its wonderful songs. Lovely.   

The Tao of Steve: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Thats my top list; A few Honorable Mentions are after the jump . . .

The Breakfast Club: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

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41 Original Hits From The Soundtrack Of American Graffiti

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Trainspotting: Music From The Motion Picture

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Superfly

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Reader suggestions:

Grease   

Sound of Music   
Pink Floyd - The Wall   
Apocalypse Now
Forrest Gump
Round Midnight
Manhattan   
Oh Brother, Wherefore Art Thou
Grosse Pointe Blanke
Easy Rider
Last Waltz
Sorcerer Lost in Translation   
The Virgin Suicides   
The Motorcycle Diaries 
The Mission
Rushmore
Cabaret
Chicago
Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Hair
Hedwig
Jesus Christ, Superstar
Oliver! (1968)
Absolute Beginners
All that Jazz
Moulin Rouge
Pennies from Heaven
Phantom of the Paradise
Robin & the 7 hoods
Starstruck
Tommy 
True Stories 
Willy Wonka
Beauty & the beast

~~~

If you've hummed along, tapped your feet, or even danced in your seat while watching "Purple Rain," "Saturday Night Fever" or "Trainspotting," you're not alone.

The soundtracks from those movies have been named among the 50 greatest by the editors of Vanity Fair magazine. The full list will be revealed next month in a one-time Conde Nast magazine, Movies Rock, for subscribers of its 14 titles.

"Purple Rain" topped the chart even though it was described as "perhaps the best badly acted film ever," editors at Vanity Fair said, while "Trainspotting" came in at No. 7 and "Saturday Night Fever" was eighth.

Source:
"Purple Rain" greatest film soundtrack: Vanity Fair
Wed Oct 24, 12:30 AM ET
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071024/film_nm/soundtracks_dc

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