We're kicking off 2008 the best way we know how: by looking back on the brilliant, strange, and bloody year that was 2007. We'll post our favorite albums, songs, videos, and whatnot "of the year" over the next couple days. But, for now...let's talk MOVIES.
Besides music, food, and each other, there is very little in the world that we love more than a great movie. Between the two of us, we saw over fifty films this year alone. Unfortunately, two of our very favorite movies, No Country For Old Men (Phil) and Little Children (Lindsay), had little music in them. However, music played a very integral part in many of our other top picks. So, without further ado, here are some of our favorite soundtracks, film scores, and music-in-movie moments of 2007!
***ONCE***
We'd rather not say much about this one, besides saying that it's one of our favorite movies of all time. Other than that, we'll let the music and this scene do the talking for us.
We'd rather not say much about this one, besides saying that it's one of our favorite movies of all time. Other than that, we'll let the music and this scene do the talking for us.
***SUPERBAD***
We're almost positive that everyone in our circle of friends has seen this. If you haven't....then we really don't know what to do with you. Anyway, this scene, at the very least, is definitely worth watching again. (And cop our buddy Mike singing for real below in JUNO!)
Also, the song from the greatest opening credit sequence EVER:
***KNOCKED UP***
Loudon Wainwright is truly a jack-of-all-trades: Singer, songwriter, actor, father of uber-diva Rufus and uber-"Bloody Motherfucking Asshole" Martha. Loudon makes a small cameo as Ben and Alison's deadbeat OB/GYN, but his greatest contribution to one of our favorite comedies of the year is the pretty little ditty "Daughter".
***JUNO***
Kimya Dawson of the Moldy Peaches contributed the bulk of Juno's fittingly fun and quirky soundtrack. The poignant birth scene is coupled with the Moldy Peaches' cut of Anyone Else But You (This is the point where I start weeping openly, without fail, until the end of the movie. Every. Time.), but the reprise of the song sung by our hero and heroine, Sir Cera and Princess Page, is what really seals the deal.
***CHILDREN OF MEN***
If you've seen this film, then you'll understand why we included this song. It's used more than once to great effect, and along with those mindfuck steadicam shots and Clive Owen's criminally underrated performance, it will stick with you long after you've finished the film.
***CONTROL***
It makes no sense. Jamie Foxx can win an Oscar by basically doing an above average Ray Charles impersonation for two hours, but Sam Riley (above left) can't even score a nomination for his role as Joy Division singer Ian Curtis. He's passionate, cool, somber, and pitch-perfect in every scene. And he does his own singing! Here's a song from the movie performed by Riley and his band of actors (including Across the Universe's Joe Anderson [Max - see his big scene below!] on bass, above right) performing a classic Joy Division song. And as a bonus, a cover of JD's "Shadowplay" by the Killers from the soundtrack.
***DEATH PROOF***
We love a great Tarantino soundtrack just as much as we love a great Tarantino flick, and this was no exception. It could be argued that Tarantino used the jukebox in the bar as a cop-out for such an eclectic and yet strangely calculated mix, but you ignore that fact due to the sheer awesomeness of these songs. Listen up, and catch the deleted scene below - in which Butterfly
uses the aforementioned "jukebox in the bar" to excellent effect, much to Stuntman Mike's delight.
(I can imagine Kurt Russell intentionally sabotaging this scene so that they could keep shooting it over, and over, and over, and over...-Phil)
(...even though she looks like a pug. -Lindsay)
(Yep. -Phil)
***ACROSS THE UNIVERSE***
The movie was very cheesy and inconsistent. However, there is a general consensus among us, twelve year-old girls who have a crush on Jim "Wish I Was Ewan McGregor" Sturgess, and my mom that the revamped Beatles tunes are choice. And with the lady who brought The Lion King to Broadway (and is doing the same with Spiderman...WTF?) at the helm, you know you're going to see at least one or two cool visuals. Our favorite songs are below, followed by a clip of our favorite scene.
***LA VIE EN ROSE***
We almost missed this tiny film about the tiny songbird with a big voice and even bigger heartbreaks. She died at forty seven, but Edith Piaf will always live on through Marion Cotillard's complete, Oscar-worthy (WE'RE CALLING IT!) transformation into the tragic superstar, whose voice is truly the soul of France.
***I'M NOT THERE***
STOP THE PRESSES. We have breaking news.
I'm Not There = BEST MUSICAL/BIOPIC/MUSIC MOVIE OF ALL TIME
Don't believe us? Watch it on Youtube.
(Seriously. Search "I'm Not There Entire Movie." It's in twenty one parts.)
What's so great about it? Well, for starters, if you don't like Bob Dylan or only have a less than familiar relationship with his music, this movie is not for you. STAY AWAY. However, if you love Bobby, transcendent acting (Cate Blanchett needs a fucking award in her hands NOW), the sixties, the death of the sixties, westerns, drugs, poetry, androgyny, Heath Ledger's penis, black children named "Woody Guthrie," blues music, folk music, soul music, rock music, punk rock music, music, music, and music, then sit back and let it cast its spell on you. And don't say we didn't warn you.
Here are some of the best songs from the soundtrack, chock full of brilliant Dylan covers. Our favorite is the last one. Surprise? =]
***AMERICAN GANGSTER***
Technically, this shouldn't be on this list. It wasn't in the movie, and the album isn't the soundtrack to the film but rather just an album that Jay-Z knocked out after seeing a screening of the movie. But, hey...when the beat is this hot and Jay sounds this hungry, who cares about a technicality? It's still one of the best songs and albums of the year. Plus, the video is a fucking movie by itself!
***THE SOPRANOS***
Now, now, we know - you may be asking yourself, "What the F, Lindsay and Phil? Isn't The Sopranos a TV show?" Well, in the sense that it was never released in theaters and only shown on television, yes. However, in the sense that the final season was five hundred times better than half of the movies released this year and the final, greatest-song-of-all-time scored scene rivals Hitchcock for sheer fucking suspense, it definitely earns its spot on our list, no question, no doubt, fuck you, shut up, get the fuck outta here.
And that's that!
Love, Phil and Lindsay
