Movie Soundtracks!

I am very into movie soundtracks. I think the music in a movie can just completely set the mood. I don't usually purposely pay attention to the music, but some soundtracks have just stood out to me. This is a list (AGAIN, another list. I am a major list person, if that's not already becoming apparent) of my favorite movie soundtracks that I can think of. I picked a song from each that I like, which is what the link on each connects to (just in case anyone is interested). Anyone agree? Or have their own favorites?


Gattaca - Michael Nyman

Stardust - Ilan Eshkeri

The Young Victoria - Ilan Eshkeri

Life as a House - Mark Isham

October Sky - Mark Isham

LOST - Michael Giacchino (I know that LOST is a TV show but I am still counting it because this music is incredible)

Atonement - Dario Marianelli

Life is Beautiful - Nicola Piovani

How to Train You Dragon - John Powell

Meet Joe Black - Thomas Newman

Inception - Hans Zimmer

Opening Titles

I usually do not pay much attention to the opening movie titles in movies. They usually just go on during the beginning of a movie in a natural way while everything else is going on, so I don't really pay much attention to them. However, there are a few title sequences that really stand out to me because they have tried to do something different and unique in some way.

The Fall -- Ok, if you have not seen this movie, you MUST. And if you have no desire to, watch the opening sequence and see if that changes your mind. Most. Amazing. Ever. I'm in love with it.

Casino Royale -- Who doesn't just love this opening title sequence? And it didn't even need naked ladies!

500 Days of Summer

Jane Austen Book Club

(I couldn't find the last 2 on YouTube, but if you haven't seen them and you get the chance, you should cause they are fun too.)

Are there any opening credits that stand out to you?

Repeat Viewings

I have had the experience several times where I saw a movie and didn't really like it, then saw it again some time later and ended up really enjoying it upon a second viewing. I don't know why this is, necessarily, but I guess maybe some things stand out in a different way when I re-watch a movie. I'm sure I can't think of all the times this has happened to me, but here are a few examples of movies this has happened with:

-The Talented Mr. Ripley
-Match Point
-Donnie Darko
-The Fall

(Note that two of these are on my "favorite movies" list.)
Another thing about these movies is that they all have really strange endings that some people might find unsatisfying. This is probably part of the reason why I didn't like them the first time around, but I've now come to love the unconventional endings in them.

Then there are the movies that I like more the more times I see them, as I grow to understand and appreciate them more. Some of these movies include:

-The Prestige
-Gosford Park
-Hudsucker Proxy
-In the Land of Women
-Jane Austen Book Club

I love it when movies get more enjoyable the more you watch them.

Favorite Movies

I have a lot of "favorite movies." They're all my favorites for different reasons from each other, which makes it really hard for me to narrow the list down. One of my least favorite questions people ask me is, "What are your 5 favorite movies?" or something to that effect. Does anyone else find it impossible to only choose 5???

In any case, I've decided to make out a list of my favorite movies and which category (genre) they fall under:

Action/Adventure:
Count of Monte Cristo
Equilibrium
Minority Report
The Lord of the Rings trilogy
Matrix
Scarlet Pimpernel

Drama:
Brideshead Revisited (Jeremy Irons version)
Catch Me If You Can
The Fall
Gosford Park
In the Land of Women
Life is Beautiful
Little Women
Prestige
Sense and Sensibility

Comedy:
Mean Girls
She's the Man
Some Like it Hot
What's Up, Doc?

Romance/Romantic Comedy:
Emma (both the Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Beckinsale versions)
Never Been Kissed
Penelope
Pride and Prejudice
Return to Me
Someone Like You
While You Were Sleeping
The Young Victoria

Mystery:
Rebecca
Rear Window
The Talented Mr. Ripley

Musical:
Beauty and the Beast
Hunchback of Notre Dame
Lion King
My Fair Lady
Newsies
Slipper and the Rose
The Sound of Music

I realize that this is probably a crazy amount of favorite movies to some people, but I feel like I've really cut it down to a few that I really like from each genre. I also know that some of these films have more substance than some of the others, but I'm rating these not for their substance, but for how much I enjoy them.

I've been wanting to write a blog for a while now, and will maybe end up getting around to writing one about my life and the things that happen in it...but right now my life is pretty uneventful, and I would not ever have any idea what to write about. So I decided to start writing a blog about something I have a great interest in--Movies! I love movies. I love thinking about all the little parts that go together to make a final product: the music (the score and the song choices), film editing, cinematography, screenplay, the acting and directing, etc. I don't know the details of exactly what about movies I'm going to write, but I guess I'll just see how this goes!