It’s time to take a quick break out of your busy holiday routine (which may or may not mainly consist of hiding underneath a pile of coats until the first week of 2012), stop paying attention to whichever 24 hour cable news channel is screaming at you about what’s wrong with America (my guess is not nearly enough Republican presidential candidates—is there time to squeeze in another Mormon with nice hair before the actual nomination?), and take a gander at Film Slate Magazine’s latest arbitrary list.
Trying to advance the cause of indie film is a somewhat serious business, but we’re all film fans here, first and foremost. And what makes a good (or bad) movie even better than having a memorable soundtrack? And as everyone knows, the key to a memorable soundtrack is having a theme song with the title of the movie in it. We’ve rounded up ten classics (some classically good, some not so much) here that reflect a certain sensibility when it comes to the synergy of movies and music.
Just two caveats: most musicals were left out of consideration, given the nature of the genre (one exception was made—live with it); and what can only be described as a rash of movies in the last twenty years or so that merely take their name from a song for the hell of it also were mostly left on the cutting room floor.
“Lethal Weapon” – This terrible song from Honeymoon Suite plays over the credits of the first movie in the long running “Lethal Weapon” franchise. A classic, heartfelt ballad/rocker with plaintive vocals and super cool 1980s keyboards and shimmering guitars, it seems just a tad out of place. Maybe Loverboy wasn’t available.
“Animal House” – The godfather of the slob comedy and the basis of a million inferior imitations which came later also boasted a fantastic soundtrack including “Shout” and a John Belushi led rendition of “Louie Louie.” The theme song, with lyrics by Stephen Bishop, contains the immortal lines, “Do the Bluto, come on baby dance with me. Baby if we do the Bluto, we will get an A in lobotomy.” If you are lucky enough to have the soundtrack on vinyl (which I do), you also get an official membership certificate into the Delta Tau Chi Fraternity.
“Ghostbusters” – When this movie came out in 1984, MTV was in full swing (and actually showing videos as well), and movie and TV execs had figured out how to tie together marketing, celebrity culture, and pop music. The theme song by Ray Parker Jr. was a hit, the video featured numerous celebrity cameos (I believe even Carly Simon is in there somewhere), and the song was all over the place that summer. Of course, as every good theme song should, it spawned a lawsuit when Huey Lewis (who had been initially approached about writing a theme song for the movie first) sued Parker because the song sounded too similar to “I Want a New Drug” which he recorded with his band the News.
“Pretty in Pink” – Your classic rich boy/poor girl love story took its title from the 1981 Psychedelic Furs song of the same name, which was re-recorded by the band for the movie (it’s a lot less dark and more poppy than the original). Released in 1986 and written by John Hughes, “Pretty in Pink” was a fairly pedestrian romp starring Molly Ringwald, Andrew McCarthy, Jon Cryer, and a constantly leering James Spader. People generally remember the movie for one of two things: it was the last time Hughes and Ringwald would ever work together and it had a kick ass 1980s soundtrack.
“Super Fly” – Released at the beginning of the Blaxploitation era, the movie may have been thin on plot, but the soundtrack from Curtis Mayfield is one of the best from any decade. There are few grooves better than “Freddy’s Dead,” “Pusherman,” and of course, the one, the only “Super Fly.”
“Xandadu” – The movie’s plot doesn’t matter. It really doesn’t. Reincarnated Greek muses force a man to create a roller disco…I’m sure there was a lot of coke involved. A lot. But this theme song from Olivia Newton John and Electric Light Orchestra will stick in your head forever once you hear it. Be warned.
“Heavy Metal” – Love or hate Sammy Hagar, it is hard not to like this balls out rave up dedicated to everyone out there who likes their music on the loud side. The titular animated cult classic released in 1981 is at times spectacular and at times middling. But it was ambitious and cool, and few movies like it (before or since) have ever been made.
“Theme from Shaft” – An easy choice. The wah-wah guitar, the driving bass, the images of Richard Roundtree as John Shaft making his way through the mean streets of New York. Isaac Hayes knew what he was doing when he wrote this song. While the legend of the movie has more impact than the film itself, the soundtrack set the stage for an entire genre.
“Car Wash” – Once again, quite a forgettable movie, but Rose Royce sang the hell out of this song.
“A View to a Kill” – How does this get chosen over several other memorable Bond themes? It just does. While an aging Roger Moore was stumbling his way through his final outing as 007, Duran Duran’s theme song is the perfect blend of pop timing and evocative imagery. You’ll get no qualms from me if you prefer “Live and Let Die” or “Goldfinger,” but there is just something about “A View to a Kill.”
