'(500) Days of Summer' has the best soundtrack I've heard in a long time
I love soundtracks, always have. Purple Rain, The Graduate, Electric Horseman. In fact just last night, I played both Vision Quest and Butch Cassidy on vinyl for my daughters (and no, they did not run sobbing). Unfortunately, my desk these days is littered with crap 'tracks from, say, Transformers 2, crass marketing ploys featuring loud Nickelbacky sludge that has little to do with the flick.
That's why the soundtrack for romantic comedy (500) Days of Summer -- which hits theaters July 17 -- is so good, so refreshing. I have no idea if the movie works (although you gotta admit, that trailer is brilliant). But I can say for certain that the accompanying album is a smartly, bittersweetly nuanced mixtape featuring old weepers (Simon & Garfunkel, the Smiths, Hall & Oates) and new jobs (Regina Spektor, Doves, Wolfmother). All the cuts you hear in the trailer are also on the album, available July 14.
By the way, for fans of our Stuck in the '80s podcast, (500) Days of Summer might as well be called The Steve Spears Story. Proceed with caution, my sobby brethren.
"Wonder Boys" is a great soundtrack. And Bassnote, if you liked "Legend", you might want to look at other TD soundtracks like "Sorcerer" and "Miracle Mile." You'll love them.
Posted by: Mike | July 11, 2009 at 02:14 PM
That's good stuff, Wade. I had you pegged for 98 pounds in high school. Of course, I shouldn't talk. In high school, I played tennis (No. 5 singles, No. 2 doubles) and soccer (first goal scored in Camp Hill High history). I wasn't exactly the toughest guy. Not like the wolverine I am today.
Posted by: Sean Daly | July 10, 2009 at 11:43 AM
I saw a sneak preview of the movie last night. GREAT movie. Hit home a couple times, but not bad enough to cause lasting harm.
Good enough to buy on DVD and play nonstop in the Spears Lair for weeks on end? Probably not. That'd be a tad bit too depressing. It's no Beer Fest!
Posted by: Spears | July 10, 2009 at 10:31 AM
Wonder Boys? Really? I guess I'll have to revisit that one.
Posted by: Douglas Arthur | July 09, 2009 at 11:23 PM
Sean,
Did you grapple in high school? Vision Quest is the quintessential (real) wrestler flick. At Gaither High School in the mid-1990s, we walked out to "Lunatic Fringe" at every meet. To this day, I hear the song and feel the adrenaline rush — and hungry from starving myself to make 112 or 119 or 125 — depending on the year. Good times. OK, go ahead, insert singlet joke.
Posted by: Wade Tatangelo | July 09, 2009 at 09:01 PM
Douglas,another great soundtrack from the past 10 years was "Wonder Boys".
Posted by: Miguel | July 09, 2009 at 08:29 PM
I agree it looks good!
Most soundtrack compilations over the years have sucked beans, especially the last 10-15 years. A few exceptions, of course. Tarantino almost made it safe for soundtrack albums again, but my favorite of the last couple of decades is from Wes Anderson's Rushmore. The Life Aquatic ain't bad either. As far as pure scores go, its hard to beat some of Elfman's finest. The original Batman soundtrack from '89 is classic, as is Beetlejuice, and I am quite fond of Mars Attacks! (The exclamation point is in the title, I didn't add that for emphasis, though, I would have)
Spearsy...if you read this, how about a column on great soundtracks of the 80's? or 80's rockers who turned to film scoring? I can think of 4 or 5 off the top of my head...
Posted by: Douglas Arthur | July 09, 2009 at 07:41 PM
This movie looks and sounds great!
Also love this new one -- Silversun Pickups
Panic Switch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG8fugqFn9Q
Posted by: Silversun Pickups | July 09, 2009 at 04:29 PM
looks promising.
Posted by: don in tulsa | July 09, 2009 at 03:43 PM
Might be interesting.
Maybe romantic comedies aren´t dead after all.Zooey is very cute and talented,both as actress and singer.
Posted by: Miguel | July 09, 2009 at 01:01 PM
This. Movie. Looks. Awesome.
Posted by: Brad | July 09, 2009 at 12:43 PM
Sean, you give me yet another reason to enjoy how awesome you are.
I too am a soundtrack junkie. I'm still on the hunt for a good CD of the "Lethal Weapon 2" soundtrack, and I won't tell you how long I searched for a copy of the "Legend" soundtrack by Tangerine Dream.
I'll definitely be checking out this soundtrack, even though I already own the older songs on it.
Posted by: Bassnote | July 09, 2009 at 11:25 AM
I adore Zooey Deschanel. The soundtrack sounds like a weiner to me because I'm quite fond of compilations. I think they best serve my intermittent adult ADD.
Posted by: Marissa | July 09, 2009 at 10:16 AM
If I wasn't so charmed by the trailer, I'd be crying in my breakfast (Wild Turkey and Count Chocula) right now.
Posted by: Spears | July 09, 2009 at 06:28 AM