There are few filmmakers who can integrate music (from preexisting sources) into their films in a manner that enhances rather than detracts from the narrative. Martin Scorsese's facility at this is unmatched (evidenced in all of his feature films except The Departed and Age of Innocence). Francis Ford Coppola's use of The Doors' music in Apocalypse Now, the soundtracks to Easy Rider and Charles Burnett's Killer of Sheep are other notable instances in which music seamlessly compliments or serves as a counterpoint to the image. Quentin Tarantino, Jim Jarmusch, and Sofia Coppola are also very adept at using music to great effect. But often filmmakers tend to use music either as a crutch (to supplement elements that are lacking in the dialogue, acting, or overall tone of the film) or to no purpose at all (tantamount to burning a large chunk of money from one's production budget). Sometimes the music too closely mirrors the content of the scene in which it is used (ex. My Blueberry Nights) squelching the scene's impact through overexposition.
Wes Anderson, who has garnered justly deserved praise for his soundtracks as well as for his films, has asked Jarvis Cocker (Pulp) to write the soundtrack for his upcoming film, The Fantastic Mr. Fox according to Time Out Chicago. I read the book on which the film is based as a child and if I recall correctly, it is about a wily fox who steals poultry from some farmers to feed his family. It seemed like odd material for a Wes Anderson film when I first got wind of this project a year ago, but it'll be one more reason besides Alejandro Jodorowsky's King Shot to go to the movies in 2009.
Apocalypse Now (Opening Scene - The Doors' "The End")
Easy Rider (Opening Credits - Steppenwolf's "Born To Be Wild")
Jarvis Cocker and Beth Ditto (The Gossip) perform Heaven 17's "Temptation" at the 2008 NME Awards
Jarvis at Seattle's Showbox (4/30/07) covering Hendrix' "Purple Haze"
Jarvis Cocker - Black Magic (Jarvis, 2006)
Jarvis Cocker - Fat Children (Jarvis, 2006)
Pulp - Sorted for E's and Wizz (Pulp, 1995)
No comments:
Post a Comment