Darkmanfilmgeek out of the darkness

Hi All,

Thanks for stopping by and reading my post. I really appreciate it. Agree with me or disagree with me its cool, I am just glad to be writing about what I love most, movies, just like the rest of you do too that come to the drive in and read the blogs.

So, with that out of the way, I know we are gearing up for the new season starting in a couple of weeks. While others are getting ready to go back to school and buy supplies and what not, we are getting ready for a great fall season of classic movies. Texas and the fall time great for outdoor drive in and the line up I see is great.

I know we have Say Anything and Valley Girl starting as a great double feature in a couple of weeks and you might be celebrating kids going back to school, while reliving your teenage years through these great films.

I wanted to focus this session on soundtracks and the importance they play in films. I know Say Anything is a great example of that. If you have not heard the soundtrack you need to get it. This one was kind of milestone in my life because the film came out the year I was heading to college and some of the bands and songs started to get me into alternative music, which the soundtrack has some great songs with that theme but also good pop sensibility as well.  You have bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Depeche Mode, Fishbone and the Replacements along with Joe Satriani, Cheap Trick, Nancy Wilson ( by the way Nancy Wilson was married at one time to director Cameron Crowe) and Peter Gabriel. Gabriel's track In Your Eyes is probably one of the most popular of his songs and I can bet if  you know nothing of Gabriel's work you know this song by heart just from the film.  One of the songs that I wish was on the sound track but featured in the film briefly is Soundgarden's song Flower.  Crowe really used the music to set the tone for the film and help establish a good feel and fit for the down to earth characters that you were introduced to. I know reading the liner notes of the cd Crowe referenced a Seattle radio station that would play music all night with no commercial interuptions that is featured in the film.  I still think these songs are timeless and I can listen to this anytime and reminded of when I was going off to college and starting a brand new life, much like the film itself.

As a freshmen I tried out for the college radio station and was nervous as hell because was told freshmen never make the rouster and never have their own show. Well luckily I proved them wrong had a great audition using Soundgarden's flower as part of my audition and got probably the worst shift ever. I was on from Saturday night into Sunday morning 3 am to 7 am, but you know what I didnt mind cause I acted like no one was listening and I could just play the records I liked and listen to music all night. I still love to do that but dont get the chance like I used to.

Crowe has carried this theme of music and tone in his films, athough not so much for We bought a Zoo but the next film after Say Anything was Singles, which also has a great soundtrack of the Seattle music scene and fits beautifully into that film as well. You need to pick up that soundtrack as well if you dont have it. 

Valley Girl soundtrack does kind of the same thing but with more pop sensibility rather than alternative but early 80's was more the time for new wave rather than alternative. With bands like Men at Work, Psychedelic Furs, Sparks (under rated band in my opinion) and the Plimsouls, who are featured in the film as well. Marthan Coolidge used the music as a good backdrop for the characters and the trendy early 80's setting. Valley Girl was one of the first movies I can remember watching At the Movies with Siskle and Ebert (God Rest both their souls), that got a great review and the music was mentioned as a part of that. The movie has had several resurgences over the years much like Say Anything and in 1995 spawned a second soundtrack with more music from Valley Girl.

Thanks again and thats it for now as I fade back into the darkness. Happy film viewing and music listening.

Peace.