Music at the movies

What I was afraid of has finally happened. The Academy Awards presentation has been reduced to a fashion show. How else explain the longer time allotted to the red carpet walk. Traditionally, just a walk, this has now become a star-studded full production that includes pre-taped segments. Why, even hosting has taken on a fashion flair. Did you count how many wardrobe changes host Anne Hathaway had?

And speaking of Hathaway, what was that jibe against Hugh Jackman? Just because he refused to do a duet with her at the Oscars, she had to diss Wolverine in a strident, badly re-worded rendition of On My Own. Why, just so co-host James Franco could come out in drag to crack a Charlie Sheen joke! If this is not the pits, then the Academy Awards show is getting there fast.

On My Own was the worst but the other musical numbers were only a little better. Because the Oscars is mostly about trophies and speeches, I had always looked forward to the musical numbers and these had mostly been entertaining in the past. This time was different though. Gwyneth Paltrow must have been silently praying, where oh where is Cee Lo? They were a hit at the Grammy Awards where the numbers are getting better and better every year.

Maybe the producers did not think they could do much with this year’s nominees for Best Original Song and could only come up with anemic stagings. Only time will tell if there is another Moon River among them but winner We Belong Together by Randy Newman fromToy Story 3 is not so bad. Still Randy is no Elton or Stevie on stage and I must say that is You’ve Got A Friend In Me from Toy Story is the better song. 

What was really affecting during the show were the old movie themes played as interludes. Nothing brings back memories of a classic movie better than its great music. They played the first bars of Tara’s Theme and I started to feel goose pimples coming on as scenes from Gone With The Wind came to mind. And to think that the epic Civil War movie was made in 1939.

A short while later there was the theme from Titanic. There were not only goose pimples, I started to get teary eyed. It was then that I thought of how powerful movie music is, of how a few notes, so old, but so utterly recognizable can rouse the mind into remembering the motion picture. It was the realization that the music is preparing you for the magical experience of beautiful cinema.

I do not know if years from now we will think of Facebook when we hear the now award-winning original score from The Social Network. I can assure you though that we have more than enough movie music from the past to indulge our remembering with. Here are some of the others.

 You hear the light and airy theme from Forrest Gump and you see this white feather wafting in the breeze. You hear the theme from ET and your bike soaring to the moon. You hear the Harry Potter theme and you see the great hall of Hogwarts filled with young wizards. What about the haunting melancholy of The Good, The Bad And The Ugly which brings the narrow-eyed Clint Eastwood into view. And what must be, the most iconic soundtrack for two generations, the theme from the Star Wars series. 

If you like movie music and collect soundtrack albums or want to start now, here as per the tabulation of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), are the biggest selling soundtrack albums of all time.

The Bodyguard, 17 million albums sold, mostly thanks to I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston, plus I Have Nothing, Queen Of The Night and others.

Saturday Night Fever, 15 million units sold. It features The Bee Gees with How Deep Is Your Love, and Staying Alive and memories of a strutting John Travolta.

Purple Rain, 13 million albums sold. It is by the biggest selling album by Prince thanks to the theme song.

Forrest Gump, 12 million CDs sold. The theme is included but there are also old recordings by Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Joan Baez and others used in the soundtrack.

Dirty Dancing, 11 million albums sold. For those who think that Time is a Black Eyed Peas original, listen to this and enjoy I Had The Time Of My Life with memories of the dancing Patrick Swayze as a bonus.

Titanic, 11 million units sold. One of the very few movie soundtracks to make No. 1, includes the theme melody and Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On.

The Lion King, 10 million albums sold. Stars Elton John and his Can You Feel The Love Tonight.