By Julia Kelm
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Wes Anderson is known for his well-crafted soundtracks and — for me — The Royal Tenenbaums is the cream of the crop. Not only are the song choices just plain good songs, but they also fit the emotion of every scene they’re in. If you’ve seen The Royal Tenenbaums, you probably remember the use of Needle In The Hay by Elliott Smith, which is a tough scene to watch. At the same time, the song perfectly encapsulates the feeling of dread, uneasiness and loneliness. Other notable tracks include Judy Is a Punk by the Ramons and of course, These Days by Nico.
Pulp Fiction (1994)
I’ll be straight with you — I’m not a huge fan of the film Pulp Fiction. It just isn’t my favorite Quentin Tarantino movie, but I’d be lying if I didn’t mention how hard the soundtrack slaps. Tarantino does a lot of questionable things, but I’d let him on aux any day if he played Urge Overkill’s Girl, You’ll be a Woman Soon, Chuck Berry’s You Never Can Tell, or Misirlou by Dick Dale & His Del-Tones. Every song not only fits the quirky, fast-paced vibe of the film, it’s just banger after banger — say less!
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1966)
I can sense your side-eye through the paper. You’re thinking, “Who listens to The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly soundtrack?” I do buddy, and I must say it’s definitely the best soundtrack to listen to on a eight-hour-long drive back home. When The Ecstasy of Gold – L’Estasi Dell’oro by Ennio Morricone and Edda Dell’Orso starts playing, suddenly, I’m on horseback on the open range and my only worries are those of avenging my father’s death. Long gone are my troubles with homework and tuition costs; I only seek justice.
Megamind (2010)
If you didn’t expect Megamind to be on this list, then you need to WAKE UP. Because Megamind might just have the best, most well crafted, down to every last minute detail, soundtrack out of any film. 7-year-old me gained consciousness when Will Ferrell shouted, “Presentation!” as that blue alien glided down to the sweet sound of Guns N’ Roses’ Welcome To The Jungle. Absolute cinema.
The Muppets Most Wanted (2014)
I think I’ve mentioned before that I’m not a huge fan of musicals — I lied. I love this movie so much and I’m pretty sure it’s my favorite musical of all time. I’m Number One, sung by Constantine and Ricky Gervais, is just the greatest villain song ever, and The Big House by Tina Fey and Josh Groban is also a regular on my playlists. If for some reason you’re not already locked into the Muppet soundtracks, give this soundtrack a listen first.
Julia is a journalism major at Cal Poly Humboldt. She loves film and is a regular on Letterboxd. To quote Robin Williams in her all-time favorite movie, Dead Poets Society, “The powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?”
Be First to Comment