Song and Screen: The Sporadic Chronicles of a Beginner Blogger, Pt. 2

There is no dog guitar quite like a golden retriever puppy dog guitar.

Because she is a blogging superstar, the amazing Miss Zoë of The Sporadic Chronicles of a Beginner Blogger (famous for her film, TV, and book reviews as well as her recently completed, epic Alfred Hitchcock Blogathon) decided to do another edition of Song and Screen! Click here to read her excellent part one. Once you’ve done that, read on, dear friends, to see yet other memorable uses of songs in film. Take it away, Zoë!

 

Well howdy do folks? I have returned for another edition of Cara’s awesome feature, Song and Screen. This is just bucket loads of fun, and I promised this one quite a while ago but then I got busy. Sorry lady! Anyway, enough rambling from me, let me get right down to it!

 

In Time (Mark Collie) – The Punisher (2004)

Alright, I am sure by now you all know that I am a huge fan of The Punisher and all that, and I know that this movie isn’t as popular with some of you guys, but I am addicted to it. I watch this one over and over and it thrills me endlessly. I watched it when it came out, I was a lot younger then, and my appreciation for it has just grown over the years. There is a track in here that Harry Heck sings to Frank Castle when he randomly drops in on him in the diner that Joan works at. The entire scene just works – the way that Heck enters the place, walks to a table, sits down, unsnaps his guitar case, plucks out a tune on his guitar and starts singing. The song is absolutely stunning, while we’re at it, and perfectly fitting for what was to come. It was just enough creepy and menace to get you worrying. This was probably aided by Heck informing Castle that the song was specially written for him and would be sung at his funeral.

 

Time Is On My Side (The Rolling Stones) – Fallen (1998)

This song pretty much summed up the whole movie for me. While I enjoyed Fallen much more when I was a kid, I have never heard this song again without thinking of Denzel Washington and possession – they have pretty much become synonymous.

 

Hip To Be Square (Huey Lewis and the News) – American Psycho (2000)

Not necessarily a fan of the band or the music or anything like that (pretty far out from what I listen to), but after watching American Psycho I just cannot hear this song playing anywhere and not think of plastic kill suits and butchers knives and Christian Bale being all crazy and Jared Leto. Damn.

 

Free Bird (Lynyrd Skynyrd) – The Devil’s Rejects (2005)

I know that most people didn’t like this movie, but I love Rob Zombie and I thoroughly enjoyed his movies. It cannot be denied, however, that when that crazy trio drove for the end of everything that this song was not perfectly suited to capture their final performance. Out in a blaze of glory, if you really want to look at it that way, and seriously, they were not exactly the world’s most likable group in all honesty. But they did go out with a  bang.

 

Don’t Stop Me Now (Queen) – Shaun of the Dead (2004)

I love Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now! It is such a feel-good track and it can (almost always and without fail) turn my mood around almost instantaneously. Shaun of the Dead is a real fun film, and the group’s luck is progressively getting worse as they try to leave the zombie apocalypse behind and move into the pub, where they are sure they are going to be safe. When Ed screws around with the jukebox, a lot of things start coming loose at the seams. As the zombies breach the pub, we are met with Don’t Stop Me Now, and it was used wonderfully.

 

I have to say, Zoë has great taste–especially on that last one, which I may or may not have used for a Song and Screen of my own. 😉 Thanks so much, lady, for another fantastic list! And if any of the rest of you want to get in on this, just send your list of memorable uses of songs in films to caragale123@gmail.com. I am always accepting them, so send something any time! Happy Monday, y’all! Hope your week is off to a tolerable start. 🙂