As a special, extra-OCD ramp-up to the Oscars, Boombox Serenade will spend the next five days looking back at the music that filled the films of 2008, kicking things off today with the top ten grossing films of the year. These juggernauts tend to favor score (especially those by Hans Zimmer and John Powell) but still harbor some memorable non-score moments, most notably Pixar's WALL-E, which aptly and artfully reappropriated music from another film, the screen adaptation of Hello Dolly!
Another truly memorable film-music moment this year took place in Quantum of Solace, which early in the film featured a stylized opera house sequence set to "Tre Sbirri, Una Carrozza" from Puccini's Tosca (also used prominently in Gus Van Sant's Milk this year). This scene hinged on a real production that took place at the Bregenz Festival in Austria and it benefited hugely from the authenticity of this choice as well as the enormous blue eye that served as the set's centerpiece. It was, of course, a reference to the source of Tosca's insane jealousy, but also a handy allusion to Daniel Craig's piercing gaze and Bond's single-mindedness in this chapter.
In terms of soundtracks as a whole, one of the most informed releases this year was Hancock due, no doubt, to the presence of rock star Music Supervisor George Drakoulias, who always finds room for interesting artists like Louisville avant-chamber trio Rachel's, reggae gem Doctor Alimantado, and underground party rapper The 45 King. Certain trends did, understandably, prove too powerful to resist of course. No one including Team Berg/Drakoulias seemed able to turn down "Paper Planes" by M.I.A. in their films this year, making her 2008's undisputed homecoming queen of non-score film music.
Last but certainly not least, of the strongest overall soundtracks this year was the multi-artist Sex and the City release. Whether you embrace the values espoused by this franchise or not, the music was an unapologetic exploration of those values and lived up to its ethos of a fun yet sophisticated take on girl-power. Tracks like the dreamy and glamorous "Click Flash" by Ciara perfectly embody the flirty, cosmopolitan image of Sex, as does a lighter-than-air number called "Kissing" by Bliss, and a champagne bubble of a song called "Look at You Now" by Katie Herzig. The soundtrack isn't all MAC and Manolos though. An achingly soulful cover of Don Henley's "Heart of the Matter" by India Arie gets at one of the supposed underlying themes of the movie, as does the exquisitely dejected "Fool's Gold" by Amy Winehouse. This soundtrack debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, the highest debut for a multi-artist film soundtrack since 2005's Get Rich or Die Tryin'.
And now, the top ten grossing films of 2008:
1. Dark Knight, directed by Christopher Nolan. Music supervision by Hothouse Music. Used mostly score by Hans Zimmer, but also featured two tracks by an innovative Tokyo electronica duo called Boom Boom Satellites: "Scatterin' Monkey" and "4 A Moment of Silence." For the big funeral scene, it also featured a traditional Scottish ballad called "Balmoral," played by The Pipes and Drums of the Chicago Police Department. Hear a version of "Balmoral" here.
2. Iron Man, directed by Jon Favreau. Music supervision by Dave Jordan. Used mostly score by Ramin Djawadi (Blade: Trinity), but also featured a number of non-score tracks including: "Iron Man" by Black Sabbath (trailer), "Back in Black" by AC/DC, "Damn Kid" by DJ Boborobo, "Institutionalized" by Suicidal Tendencies, and "Slept on Tony with Dirt" by Ghostface Killah.
3. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, directed by Steven Spielberg. Used mostly score by John Williams, but also featured tracks like "Hound Dog" by Elvis Presley, "Wake Up Little Susie" by the Everly Brothers, "Little Bitty Pretty One" by Thurston Harris, and "Shake Rattle and Roll" by Bill Haley and the Comets. (For further thoughts on how music was used in this film, read this post.)
4. Hancock, directed by Peter Berg. Music supervison by George Drakoulias. Used a combination of score by John Powell (Shrek, Happy Feet) and licensed tracks including: "Whammer Jammer" by J. Geils Band, "The 900 #" by 45 King, "Move Bitch" by Ludacris (and later another version by DJ No Name), "Tippi Toes" by The Meters, "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" by Freddy Fender, "Water From the Same Source" by avant-chamber trio Rachel's, "Best Dressed Chicken in Town" by Doctor Alimantado, "Colors" by Ice-T, "Paper Planes" by M.I.A., "Two" by Ryan Adams, and "Llego Cachaito" by Roberta Fonseca.
5. WALL-E, directed by Andrew Stanton. Music supervison by Tom MacDougall. Used mostly score by Thomas Newman, but also featured licensed tracks including "Put On Your Sunday Clothes" and "It Only Takes a Moment" (both from the Hello Dolly! soundtrack), "La Vie En Rose" as performed by Louie Armstrong, "Down to Earth" by Peter Gabriel, and "Also Sprach Zarathustra" by Richard Strauss.
6. Kung-Fu Panda, directed by Mark Osborne and John Stevenson. Used primarily score by Hans Zimmer and John Powell, plus the licensed track "Kung Fu Fighting" by Carl Douglas, plus a reprise of it for the credits, this time a cover by Cee Lo and Jack Black.
7. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath. Used primarily score by Hans Zimmer, plus the very Academy friendly original non-score track "The Traveling Song" by will.i.am plus "More Than a Feeling" by Boston and "Copacobana (At The Copa)" by Barry Manilow.
8. Quantum of Solace, directed by Mark Forster. Used primarily score by David Arnold (Venus, Casino Royale), plus the opening credits showpiece, "Another Way to Die" by the White Stripes. This film also had an interesting sequence set to the Puccini's Tosca (an opera that was also featured in Gus Van Sant's Milk this year). This particular production apparently took place during the Bregenz Festival in Austria and the giant eye is Tosca herself (played by Nadja Michael). The section heard most prominently is "Tre Sbirri, Una Carrozza" from the end of the first act.
9. Horton Hears a Who, directed by Jimmy Hayward. Used primarily score by John Powell, plus the REO Speedwagon tune "Can't Fight This Feeling," performed by the characters in the movie.
10. Sex and the City, written and directed by Michael Patrick King. Soundtrack produced by Salaam Remi, who took an "inspired by" approach with "Labels or Love" by Fergie serving as the theme music and "All Dressed Up in Love" by Jennifer Hudson for the closing credits. Other soundtrack highlights include hyper stylized "New York Girls" by Morningwood, a gorgeous and heartfelt cover of Don Henley's "The Heart of the Matter" by India Arie, the floatingly lovely "Kissing" by an "international chill out music pop collective" called Bliss. A second volume of tracks released in September had some good stuff too, especially the dreamy and glamorous "Click Flash" by Ciara, the carbonated sounding "Look at You Now" by Katie Herzig, bluesy and downcast "Fool's Gold" by Amy Winehouse, and the slow dance sweetheart "You Look So Good Tonight," by Owen Brady.
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