*Digs self out of
snow bank* Helloooo Internet! It's my spring break and it's 37 degrees out,
because Minnesota that's why. So I'm staying inside and watching movies and
getting some writing done, until I leave for NYC on Monday.
I've had a crazy
week full of all the deadlines and responsibilities one's senior year is not
supposed to have. While caring for my life as a suburban hack, I've been
listening to a lot of music, specifically, the Catching Fire Movie Soundtrack.
It has brought together all my favorite artists to make badass post-apocalyptic
music. My favorites are "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Lorde
and "Silhouettes" by Of Monsters and Men. This got me thinking about
all the great soundtracks of movie adaptation of books. Here are my top picks:
1. The First Hunger Games Movie
While the Catching
Fire soundtrack focused mostly on the sinister capital and the cruelty of the
arena, the first movie's soundtrack explored Katniss's rural roots of District
12, making for an awesome folk rock album, the best of which are the haunting
"Safe and Sound" by Taylor Swift ft. The Civil Wars and "Run
Daddy Run" by Miranda Lambert ft. The Pistol Annies.
2. The Twilight Saga: New Moon
The Twilight movies
got a lot of things wrong, but the soundtracks are not one of them. New Moon's
soundtrack is filled with dreamy, alternative rock love songs that can almost
make me forgive Lautner's acting (almost). My favorites are "Meet Me by
the Equinox" by Death Cab for Cutie and "Satellite Heart" by
Anya Marina.
3. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
No original songs on
this one, but like the book, the movie is centered around beloved late 80s and
early 90s tracks. The soundtrack includes memorable pieces such as "Come
on Eileen" by Dexys Midnight Runners, "Heroes" by David Bowie,
and, who can forget, "Asleep" by the Smiths.
4. Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland
When remaking a
childhood classic starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, it's important
to know one's audience. So the producers chose the punk pop artists they knew
their slightly alternative teenage audience (myself included) would love. I've
had "Painting Flowers" by All Time Low and "Always Running Out of
Time" by Motion City Soundtrack on my iPod for years.
Why are
movie-adaptation soundtracks so awesome? Language and music are intertwined.
Readers find songs that fit the books that they are reading. Many writers write
listening to music that fits their scenes. Music lets us relive and enhance the
feelings we had while reading or writing our favorite stories. Plus, listening to one
song is also a lot quicker than rewatching an entire movie or rereading an
entire book.
