I have not been shy in the least about my giddy excitement about our recent partnership with @risingstargame and you can read all about that in this post. I think the excitement stems from how powerfully both music and film have impacted me throughout my life and putting the two together just seemed "right". That was the same train of thought when we developed this week's contest topic because we ALL know that magical moment when the perfect song was used in the sweetest perfection in the perfect scene and we just really wanted to hear what such song moved you.
When I first started contemplating this contest topic my head began to spin at the endless incidents where the exact placement of a song in a movie or scene felt like the epitome of art....that the musical director touched divine inspiration and placed it within celluloid! I began to think of the countless strokes of genius by Quentin Tarantino that can be found from using Twisted Nerve for the the Bride's Theme to fading to black in True Romance to the infectious You're So Cool by Hans Zimmer. My mind then flashed to the artistry to which Baz Luhrmann used songs in his films.
Thinking upon Baz Luhrmann instantly made me think of the unique arraignments of popular songs to fit in his creative period piece Moulin Rouge. For me this would not be my #1 choice of the most perfect song in a movie but it is a close, close 2nd when Ewan McGregor stops Nicole Kidman (and the entire audience) dead in their tracks when he belts out the first line of Elton John's Your Song. I get chills thinking about right now!
The power and the passion that is captured in this performance is so moving that it absolutely had to be mentioned in my post about the best use of a song in a film. I added a link to the in-movie performance and if you've never seen this version of this classic song, you owe it to yourself to check it out.
That leads me to my favorite use of a song in a movie and it just so happens to be in one of my favorite (if not THE favorite movie of mine) movies, Apocalypse Now. This soundtrack was one of the most seductive blending of original score and established songs to ever be created and I have written a previous post detailed just that..lolol
No opening scene is as powerful as the one to this epic tale and a decent amount of it's dark, brooding power comes from the use of The End by The Doors in the opening sequence. It sets the tone for the entire movie and begins the marked decent into madness that the viewer embarks upon with Capt. Willard. The unique chords of the song and the rising and falling of the tempo paired with the beginning scenes in perfect harmony to set the stage for one of the greatest films ever created. The soundtrack only builds from that point, culminating in a auditory masterpiece worthy of being associated with such a stellar film.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my post and remember that I love you all and each of you deserve greatness! Don't forget to pick up your "Video Vic" special Rising Stars card before they are completely sold out! Only 100 are minted and that is it!
All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter,
Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost
-Tolkien
