8 Mile?!?!?! My iPod could make a more complete list than this...
The American Film Institute has revealed yet another in its series of arbitrary, yet frustrating top 100 lists. This time around they have chosen the Top 100 Movie Songs.
Leading the list is "Over the Rainbow" sung by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz. No problem there. I think it's got to be the most iconic scene of someone singing in a movie ever. Take a look at the rest of the list. Of course they list many of the obvious, but there are many that were just left out in favor of crap like "Lose Yourself" from 8 Mile (#93) just so they can say they included a diverse array of musical tastes.
To determine this list they look at a few factors. To be eligible a movie must be an American feature length narrative fiction film in English. They then look at very precise mathematical factors such as tone, mood, characterization, plot advancement, cultural resonance, and legacy. I would love to meet the scientists who spend their days coming up with this chemical formula. I imagine many dark-rimmed glasses and white lab coats dipping DVD's and VHS cassettes into brilliant royal blue mixtures and waiting for the chemical reactions to reveal the proper color of cultural resonance (red perhaps?).
"Aha! If you look here, this crimson color with the mottled neon yellow clearly shows that 'Wind Beneath My Wings' illuminates the movie's overall themes better than 'Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah'" (#44 and #47 respectively).
Personally I think their science is more flawed than the Bush administration's. It's the only way one can account for the absence of just about anything from Gypsy. For every "I Will Always Love You," (#65) they seem to include a "Theme from Arthur" (#79).
There are many songs I think should have been included, such as "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" from Evita or The Breakfast Club's "Don't You (Forget About Me)." No song has ever been as simultaneously campy and terrifying as "I'm Writing A Letter To Daddy" when Bette Davis sang it in Whatever Happened To Baby Jane. My life would not be the same today if not for the songs in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. And although it has no lyrics, the least they should have done was throw an honorable mention to the theme from Jaws. By far the worst travesty on this list though is the exclusion of any song from The Wiz. I'm sure everyone can find fault with the list. And invite you all do to so. Cause it's fun to know better than people. Especially absurd music scientists.
posted by Matt Coleman @ 1:04 PM
9 comments
9 Comments:
I agree with most of the rant. Especially cause the AFI can be just crappy sometimes, like when they don't admit friends of mine to their fancy-schmancy film school. And because they got John Travolta to host this schmaltzfest. But, in their defense, I do think that some of the songs you suggested - such as the music from Gypsy or The Wiz - were written expressly for the purpose of the staged musical versions of those shows, not for the film versions themselves, which is probably a selection criteria for AFI. Or as I like to call them sometimes, Absolutely Freakin' Idiots.
Then how do you account for all the songs from The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, or West Side Story getting on the list. No, many of these songs were not written expressly for the movie and they don't care about that one bit.
I don't think 'Lose Yourself' is crap at all. And I'm not one to be fond of rap. Eminem has something though....as to how it functions as part of 8 mile, I don't know, I haven't seen it. Have you?
I don't think 'Lose Yourself' is crap at all. And I'm not one to be fond of rap. Eminem has something though....as to how it functions as part of 8 mile, I don't know, I haven't seen it. Have you?
I need to be more clear with my criticism. I have nothing against Lose Yourself. I actually think it is his most catchy song. I think it's a crappy entry on this list. Why? Because their criteria consist of cultrual resonance and legacy. I don't think 8 Mile has proved either. But that's the fun of these lists. You can never be satisfied. They stir debate and cause a little outrage from time to time. And if you haven't noticed by now, I love a good outrage.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
i haven't seen the list yet. but i always love those lists! and i did see 8 mile btw, and i thought lose yourself was as great an 11 o'clock number as rose's turn! bravo, eminem!
-ryn
Post a Comment
<< Home