Tag: movies

Eight Incredible Music Moments in Quentin Tarantino Films

July 25, 2019

In the mid-’90s, no college dorm room was complete without a Pulp Fiction poster on the wall. But writer-director Quentin Tarantino’s film wasn’t only a dorm aesthetic—the movie also introduced its younger fan base to a stellar soundtrack that included Chuck Berry’s “You Never Can Tell” and “Surf Rider” by The Lively Ones. Pulp Fiction, though, was only one of his many works to feature standout song choices. In celebration of Tarantino’s upcoming ninth movie, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, we’re looking back at some of his classic music-driven scenes.

Creating unforgettable, impactful matches between music and action in all his films is essential to Tarantino’s creative process—from when he writes a screenplay to when he’s shooting it to when he’s editing. He touches on this frequently in the Spotify exclusive podcast Once, created in partnership with Sony Pictures, in which Tarantino is interviewed by Rolling Stone’s David Wild. On the use of José Feliciano’s version of “California Dreamin’,” for example, he points out that “right where the movie is feeling at that moment is actualized by the song … and so the song and the movie almost hold hands for a moment while they play together in unison.”

True to form, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood resurfaces songs from the likes of Neil Diamond, The Mamas & The Papas, and more. “I tried to lean toward songs that I liked the most that were the least famous,” he said in his Once interview. So odds are, it won’t be long until a scene from this new film takes its place alongside Tarantino’s other seminal moments committed to cinema history, but in the meantime, here are eight of his incredible pairings of sight and sound.

Reservoir Dogs

Mr. Blonde tortures his prisoner as the ironically peppy “Stuck in the Middle With You” by Stealers Wheel plays over the radio.

Pulp Fiction

Vincent Vega arrives at Mia Wallace’s house as she watches him through the security system and “Son of a Preacher Man” by Dusty Springfield plays.

Jackie Brown

In the opening credits, Pam Grier walks through the airport as “Across 110th Street” by Bobby Womack plays. Tarantino told The Guardian that he started writing the script with that song and sequence in mind.

Kill Bill Vol. 1

“Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” by Santa Esmeralda plays over the slow-motion sequence of Beatrix/Black Mamba and Cotton Mouth drawing their samurai swords for the movie’s epic fight sequence.

Grindhouse: Death Proof

“Staggolee” by Pacific Gas & Electric plays as the movie’s villain, Stuntman Mike, casually feasts on nachos ahead of luring his next potential victims into his deadly car.

Inglourious Basterds

“Cat People” by David Bowie plays as Shoshanna prepares for the Germans to arrive at the theater for the movie’s climactic scene.

Django Unchained

Written and recorded specifically for Django Unchained, “Freedom,” by Anthony Hamilton and Elayna Boynton, plays as Django recalls his past just before he exacts revenge on the film’s villains, the Brittle brothers.

The Hateful Eight

“Apple Blossom” by The White Stripes plays as the film’s three main characters ride in a stagecoach just before complete chaos ensues for the rest of the plot.

Stream Tarantino’s guest curation of our Film & TV Favorites playlist to hear memorable music from his film archive and listen to the director’s podcast interview with Rolling Stone’s David Wild, available beginning Friday, July 26 at midnight ET, only on Spotify.

8 Popular Christmas Songs That Have Nothing to Do With Christmas

December 19, 2018

You’ve heard “All I Want for Christmas is You” approximately 150 times since your last plate of Thanksgiving leftovers, Hulu has a new crop of Christmas movies every time you log in, and your holiday playlists are on heavy rotation. But you may not have noticed that some of the most iconic songs of the season never actually mention decking the halls or trimming the tree.

So how do those tunes make it sound a lot like Christmas? It’s because many of those wintertime favorites are also part of some serious holiday movie magic. Whether part of an original soundtrack or playing in the background of a pivotal scene, here are some classics that have become synonymous with Christmas.

“Pennies from Heaven” – Elf (2003)

Louis Prima’s croony tune might not say much about the North Pole, but whenever you hear “shoob doobie,” there’s a good chance that visions of Buddy the Elf hopping across New York City crosswalks will dance in your head.

“God Only Knows” – Love Actually (2003)

The finale of this holiday fave featuring a collage of sentimental characters at Heathrow airport is enough to make any grinch’s heart grow three sizes. It only makes sense that The Beach Boys’ soul-warming tune has become just as associated with the holidays as the film itself.

“Heat Miser/Snow Miser Song” – The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974)

“Whatever I touch starts to melt in my clutch” might not seem very aligned with the joyous spirit of December, but the Miser brothers’ bickering is the perfect (and unshakably catchy) comic touch to a beautiful Christmas story about the importance of believing in yourself.

“Put a Little Love in Your Heart” – Scrooged (1988)

This call for kindness highlights the end scene of Richard Donner’s modern take on Charles Dickens’ classic, A Christmas Carol. Although it never mentions the holiday or time of year, the song appears on many a Christmas playlist.

“My Favorite Things” – The Sound of Music (1965)

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “My Favorite Things” has become a December-feeling tune, despite the fact that the song is not linked to Christmas at all. But woolen mittens, sleigh bells, and snowflakes … when you’re feeling sad, this does the trick.

“Catch My Disease”– Just Friends (2005)

Don’t let the name fool you—this upbeat tune accentuated the holiday romcom with its consistent, festive, jingle bell beat. And you can’t say that interlude at 2:20 doesn’t sound at least a little bit like Christmas.

“The Polar Express” – The Polar Express (2004)

It’s a movie about a train chugging through the cold on Christmas Eve, but the melody of “The Polar Express” reminds everyone that you’re never too old to believe in Santa.

“Thankful Heart” – The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

The lyrics, “With an open smile and with open doors I will bid you welcome, what is mine is yours” might not say “Christmas,” but the sentiment is the same.

All of these are classics—but if you’re looking for something different to stream this Christmastime, check out our New Music Holiday playlist.

Composer Carter Burwell Reflects on the Vital Role of Film Music

December 12, 2018

A piano melody that brings you close to tears. A suspense-inducing crescendo that has you at the edge of your seat. An experience-enhancing soundtrack is key to any great movie—something the film music producers at Varèse Sarabande Records know well. In celebration of its 40-year anniversary, the prolific record label is putting out a retrospective of film music from the last four decades, since the release of their first soundtrack in 1978.

The company is behind soundtracks such as A Little Princess, Back to the Future, Part III, Driving Miss Daisy, The Sixth Sense, The Matrix, Whiplash, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and How to Train Your Dragon, as well as the composers of said works—Patrick Doyle, Alan Silvestri, Hans Zimmer, James Newton Howard, Don Davis, Justin Hurwitz, Carter Burwell, and John Powell, respectively.

We sat down with one of these composers, Carter Burwell—the mind behind most Coen brothers movies, including Oscar-nominated scores for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri as well as soundtracks for films such as Todd Haynes’ Carol—to find out what goes into the making of a movie score.

The first movie soundtrack Burwell fell in love with was that of the James Bond film Goldfinger. “I thought I was going to grow up to be a spy,” he tells Spotify. But he didn’t—he became a composer. But more than that, he became a filmmaker.

“I feel that I have two jobs, and my number one job is to make a great film. The number two job is to also make good music, make interesting music. What I’m paid for is job number one, but for my own pride and satisfaction, I try to also achieve job number two.”