25) Colors of the Wind, Pocahontas
Sung by Pocahontas (Judy Kuhn)
Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
Fun Fact: This has been covered in 13 different languages. Wow, overkill.
24) Don't Rain on My Parade, Funny Girl
Sung by Fanny Brice (Barbra Streisand)
Music by Bob Merrill and Jule Styne
Lyrics by Bob Merrill
Fun Fact: Robin Williams sang the song as Mrs. Doubtfire in the film Mrs. Doubtfire.
23) Gonna Fly Now, Rocky
Sung by Deetea Little
Music by Bill Conti
Lyrics by Carol Connors and Ayn Robins
Fun Fact: Spoiler Alert! He doesn't end up flying. Ever.
22) Part of Your World, The Little Mermaid
Sung by Ariel (Jodi Benson)
Music and Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken
Fun Fact: This song was cut from the film at one point, but at the strong insistence of the lead animator on the sequence, Glen Keane, it was put back in the film.
21) Springtime for Hitler, The Producers
Sung by various cast members
Music and Lyrics by Mel Brooks
Fun Fact: Mel Brooks originally wanted "Springtime for Hitler" to be the title of the film. It totally should have been.
20) Good Morning, Singin' in the Rain
Sung by Don Lockwood, Kathy Selden, and Cosmo Brown (Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, and Donald O'Connor)
Music by Nacio Herb Brown
Lyrics by Arthur Freed
Fun Fact: Cover versions include Kanye West (that's not right), Lionel Richie, Blackfoot, The Beatles, and The Alkaline Trio.
19) Beauty and the Beast, Beauty and the Beast
Sung by Mrs. Potts (Angela Lansbury)
Music and Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken
Fun Fact: No, this isn't the love song about Rihanna and Chris Brown.
18) You'll Be in My Heart, Tarzan
Sung by Phil Collins
Music and Lyrics by Phil Collins
Fun Fact: Promoting beastiality since 1999.
17) A Whole New World, Aladdin
Sung by Aladdin and Jasmine (Brad Kane and Lea Salonga)
Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Tim Rice
Fun Fact: Nick Pitera provides a cover version in which he sings both the male and female parts. Not a joke. It's on youtube.
16) So Long, Farewell, The Sound of Music
Sung by the von Trapp children
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Fun Fact: The most polite way to say "We out bitches."
15) You've Got a Friend in Me, Toy Story
Sung by Randy Newman
Music and Lyrics by Randy Newman
Fun Fact: It lost both the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Song to another Disney song, "Colors of the Wind," which appears on this list at number 25. Lower than this one. Shows what we think about that stupid award.
14) Do Re Mi, The Sound of Music
Sung by Maria (Julie Andrews) and the von Trapp children
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Fun Fact: The song that brought together female deer, the sun, running, a household skill, a random syllable, and drinks with jam and bread through the majesty of song.
13) Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, Mary Poppins
Sung by Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews) and Bert (Dick Van Dyke)
Music and Lyrics by the Sherman brothers
Fun Fact: According to the song, it is defined as "something you say when you have nothing to say." According to the definitions of the roots of the word, it can also mean "atoning for educability through delicate beauty."
12) Eye of the Tiger, Rocky III
Sung by Survivor
Music and Lyrics by Survivor
Fun Fact: Stallone asked Survivor to write this song because he could not get permission to use "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen.
11) Can You Feel the Love Tonight, The Lion King
Sung by Timon (Nathan Lane), Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella), Simba (Joseph Williams), Nala (Sally Dworsky), and Kristle Edwards
Music by Elton John
Lyrics by Tim Rice
Fun Fact: It was a number one hit in France as well as in America.
10) (I've Had) The Time of My Life, Dirty Dancing
Sung by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes
Music and Lyrics by Franke Previt, John Denicola, and Donald Markowitz
Fun Fact: This song topped the charts in America, the Netherlands, and Australia.
9) Under the Sea, The Little Mermaid
Sung by Sebastian (Samuel E. Wright)
Music and Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken
Fun Fact: Darling it's better down where it's wetter. Take it from me.
8) Tonight, West Side Story
Sung by Tony (Jimmy Bryant) and Maria (Marni Nixon)
Music by Leonard Bernstein
Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Fun Fact: Yes, this is the movie with the gang members doing ballet. You got a problem with that?
7) My Heart Will Go On, Titanic
Sung by Celine Dion
Music by James Horner
Lyrics by Will Jennings
Fun Fact: This is the only significant cultural contribution made by this film.
6) Circle of Life, The Lion King
Sung by Lebo M. and Carmen Twillie
Music by Elton John
Lyrics by Tim Rice
Fun Fact: Lebo M. was invited by composer Hans Zimmer to come up with the now famous opening chant for the song, supposedly improvising the entire opening chant in 15 minutes.
5) Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters
Sung by Ray Parker Jr.
Music and Lyrics by Ray Parker Jr.
Fun Fact: The song that finally answers the question "who you gonna call?" This song provides the answer we've been waiting for since the invention of the telephone.
4) Hakuna Matata, The Lion King
Sung by Timon (Nathan Lane), Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella), young Simba (Jason Weaver), and adult Simba (Joseph Williams)
Music by Elton John
Lyrics by Tim Rice
Fun Fact: "Hakuna Matata" is a Swahili phrase that literally translates as "there are no worries."
3) When You Wish Upon a Star, Pinocchio
Sung by Jiminy Cricket (Cliff Edwards)
Music and Lyrics by Leigh Harline and Ned Washington
Fun Fact: It was cover by Gene Simmons (the guy with the long tongue from Kiss) on his solo album. Wait what now?
2) Over the Rainbow, The Wizard of Oz
Sung by Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland)
Music by Harold Arlen
Lyrics by E.Y. Harburg
Fun Fact: And thus, the mandatory female audition song was born.
1) Singin' in the Rain, Singin' in the Rain
Sung by Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly)
Music by Nacio Herb Brown
Lyrics by Arthur Freed
Fun Fact: This song, as with most of the songs in Singin' in the Rain, was written in the 1920s and not for the film specifically.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Friday, June 8, 2012
Prometheus (R)
Directed by Ridley Scott
Written by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof
Sorry about the hiatus, but we're back. Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator) returns to the genre that made him famous in this sci-fi epic. It follows the story of Dr. Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and her partner Dr. Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) in the year 2093 as they explore a planet to meet our makers. The theory is that humans were engineered by a faraway species rather than evolved from apes. Once there they discover a little more than they bargained for. They are accompanied by an android named David (Michael Fassbender) who has an affinity for Lawrence of Arabia, a pilot named Janek (Idris Elba), a robotic supervisor from the Weyland Corporation named Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron), and several other barely important characters. The film itself has what you'd expect from a sci-fi film like this, which is marvelous special effects. The art direction strongly resembles the brilliant art direction of the original Alien. Michael Fassbender's robotic performance is the brightest light in the acting realm, with Noomi Rapace giving a strong central performance as well. Ridley Scott directs it wonderfully and the writing is strong as well. The film itself is an experience. There is one scene in particular that is one of the most unwatchable and yet watchable scenes I've ever seen on film. The most frustrating thing about this film is that it doesn't tie as tight a knot as you may want. It leaves many questions unanswered, and some of those questions are big ones. It decides to be a completely ambiguous film and leave it up to the interpretation of the viewer. Viewers who do not like to think may find this a negative aspect, but as I discovered on the car ride home, it promotes a lengthy discussion with questions flying everywhere and theories about what it means in the fictional universe that the film (as well as the Alien series) takes place in. It incites interesting discussion and that's exactly what an ambiguous film needs to do to go from frustratingly bad to good or great. Very little actually gets fully answered in the film, but there are enough half-answers and clues to make you think that the filmmakers have provided enough for you to get the answers yourself. Who knows if they actually have or if it's just an illusion, but it's wonderfully perplexing. And as for it's proximity to the Alien franchise, the cameo you're all waiting for does happen and received an ovation at the midnight premier I attended.
Scores (out of 10)
Acting: 7.5
Directing: 8
Writing: 7.5
Overall: 8
Written by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof
Sorry about the hiatus, but we're back. Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator) returns to the genre that made him famous in this sci-fi epic. It follows the story of Dr. Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and her partner Dr. Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) in the year 2093 as they explore a planet to meet our makers. The theory is that humans were engineered by a faraway species rather than evolved from apes. Once there they discover a little more than they bargained for. They are accompanied by an android named David (Michael Fassbender) who has an affinity for Lawrence of Arabia, a pilot named Janek (Idris Elba), a robotic supervisor from the Weyland Corporation named Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron), and several other barely important characters. The film itself has what you'd expect from a sci-fi film like this, which is marvelous special effects. The art direction strongly resembles the brilliant art direction of the original Alien. Michael Fassbender's robotic performance is the brightest light in the acting realm, with Noomi Rapace giving a strong central performance as well. Ridley Scott directs it wonderfully and the writing is strong as well. The film itself is an experience. There is one scene in particular that is one of the most unwatchable and yet watchable scenes I've ever seen on film. The most frustrating thing about this film is that it doesn't tie as tight a knot as you may want. It leaves many questions unanswered, and some of those questions are big ones. It decides to be a completely ambiguous film and leave it up to the interpretation of the viewer. Viewers who do not like to think may find this a negative aspect, but as I discovered on the car ride home, it promotes a lengthy discussion with questions flying everywhere and theories about what it means in the fictional universe that the film (as well as the Alien series) takes place in. It incites interesting discussion and that's exactly what an ambiguous film needs to do to go from frustratingly bad to good or great. Very little actually gets fully answered in the film, but there are enough half-answers and clues to make you think that the filmmakers have provided enough for you to get the answers yourself. Who knows if they actually have or if it's just an illusion, but it's wonderfully perplexing. And as for it's proximity to the Alien franchise, the cameo you're all waiting for does happen and received an ovation at the midnight premier I attended.
Scores (out of 10)
Acting: 7.5
Directing: 8
Writing: 7.5
Overall: 8
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