8 Mile: Say what you will about Eminem's first (and last) starring role in a movie, the "freestyle" rhymes and amazing battle finale kept this movie on steady syndicated play, including a spot on VH1's Movies That Rock. Solid performances by Mekhi Phifer and Kim Basinger also helped, but it was the songs, including the Oscar-winning "Lose Yourself," that truly gave the movie its oomph.
Hustle and Flow: I will be honest and say that this movie didn't need the music to save it; Terrence Howard exploded onto the scene in this movie, and everyone played their roles nearly to perfection. The plot was thin but watchable, and Ludacris's role was great to see. But it was the raps, one of which also won an Academy Award, that got my attention. And if I never remember anything else from that movie, I'll always know that it's hard out here for a pimp.
That Thing You Do: Honestly, Tom Hanks couldn't save this movie by himself. The plot was contrived, the bit characters forgettable, and the lead singer was acted so horribly that I still cringe at his "I Quit" song. But to this day whenever "That Thing You Do" comes on my computer I sing along as loud as I can and dance like I was in the 60s.
Once: This movie's plot was very loose, the acting was questionable, and an overload of Irish accents can drive a man insane. However, I came away from the movie with an incredibly positive experience, and that's because the songs are nearly perfect. "Falling Slowly," yet another Oscar winner for Best Song, completely takes the listener for a spin and puts them right into the movie. There are few movies that completely make you forget its faults because the soundtrack is so strong, but Once is certainly one of those films.
Almost Famous: Another movie that really didn't need to be saved. There wasn't a ton of original music in this movie, but the few songs that were there, along with the influential scene involving "Tiny Dancer," definitely puts this movie on the list.
And, perhaps the movie that needed the most help from the music (or anything, really)...
Rock Star: Mark Wahlberg, Jennifer Aniston, and even cameos from Zakk Wylde couldn't save this movie. Matter of fact, the awesome 80s metal tracks by Steel Dragon weren't much help either. The movie loosely based off of Judas Priest was ruined by poor writing and ridiculous moments (the "I Eat Pussy, tons" bit comes to mind). The soundtrack was the one redeeming quality of the movie, and even that wasn't enough to get the image of Marky Mark in frilly clothing and big hair out of my mind. Okay, so this movie betrays the subject title. Definitely not great. But the music at least made it not terrible.
I'm sure there are plenty more, but these are the ones that stick out in my mind. Maybe these soundtracks will get graded one day. Most likely not, though, since I'm not trying to dig into the vault too much for reviews seeing as the next few weeks have so many potentially good albums to review (Kanye! The Killers! Guns N Ro...The Killers!)
Sit tight til the next grade,
RRC
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