Music
Recently, I made a film called Detention 101 (which I promise to release soon) and I picked a lot of stereotypical “canned ad” music (as I like to call it) to drive home the points I was trying to make with the project. This got me thinking about music in films and how it isn’t just there to support the action. It can add to the story, build humor, enhance characters, make a point, set the scene, add to the dialogue or sadly be the best part of a film. (Read as: The film bombed, but the soundtrack made millions.)
Let’s take a look at some examples and specifically focus on 80s teen films because they are fun!
The Soundtrack Was Worth Making the Film
Take the iconic roller skating film Xanadu (Robert Greenwald, 1980). This is a very endearing film that tried really hard to be unique but ultimately failed at the box office. (It is a cult favorite though. So it did find an audience.) So pretty much it was panned, but the soundtrack was a big success from Olivia Newton John’s rendition of “Magic” to Cliff Richard’s “Suddenly” to the title track of the film sung by Olivia Newton John.
The Music Added Humor
Gremlins (Joe Dante, 1984) set during Christmas time uses Christmas music to make suspenseful moments a little humorous. One of the great moments is when Billy’s mother goes searching for Gremlins because she hears them moving about her house and the record player plays “Do you hear what I hear?…” as the mother is rounding a corner with a large kitchen knife. Classic fun moment that really takes the scene to another level of enjoyment.
The Songs Brought Out the Characters
Stand By Me (Rob Reiner, 1986) is a powerful film that keeps things light by its use of 1950s music. It’s a journey of boys becoming men and facing death but the moments of showing (not telling) how the boys are maturing differently come through in a powerful way in scenes like the one in which two boys are singing “Lollipop” like the kids they are and the two other boys are having a deep conversation about life.
Footloose (Herbert Ross, 1984) had a slew of hits come out of it and the songs reflected the inner monologues of the characters in many ways. Who can forget Kevin Bacon dancing in the barn (with gymnastics moves by his double Chuck Gaylord) and “Never” playing in the background.
The Tracks Related To The Theme and Connected withe Film’s Audience
Pretty in Pink (Howard Deutch, 1986) which should have ended with the original ending of her leaving with Duckie and not the wealthy guy which was totally unrealistic, was a film that captured teens who were not part of the hip and in crowd and related to their angst. The music backed this up with songs like “Left of Center”, “Shell Shock”, “Pretty in Pink”, “Bring on the Dancing Horses”, “If You Leave” and more. Everyone one of these songs were driving home the theme of living on the outside or wanting to break free of it all.
The Music Set the Scene
The Lost Boys (Joel Schumacher, 1987) sets the vampire scene of LA by using the Door’s song “People are Strange”. When you watch the characters drive past the boardwalk which is all sunny and happy, it turns that fun LA vibe dark very fast.
The Music Intertwined with the Dialogue and Become Part of It
A film like The Princess Bride (Rob Reiner, 1987) had a soundtrack that sold millions without any real “pop hits” and it really helped the film be fun and exciting and make it into a cult classic. For example, the music that plays behind the climb up the “Cliffs of Insanity” really backup Wallace Sean’s commentary and the music behind the over the top, conversational sword fight between Mandy Patinkin and Cary Elwes makes it all the more hilarious. In fact, the music is a commentary on the conversation in some ways and in others it puts the period at the end of the sentences being spoken by the actors. People listened to the soundtrack not just because it’s great music but because it brought back images and classic moments of the film because the music and the picture were so intertwined.
The Theme Made the Final Point of the Film
And who can talk about 80s teen films without mentioning The Breakfast Club (John Hughes, 1985). This film is great on its own, but the theme song that blasts at the end is not just an intro to the credits, it’s the final point being made by the film. It’s not simply background. It’s sort of a summation of it all with the title line “Don’t You Forget About Me”.
So don’t forget picking the right music for your project.