![]() “Burning Down the House,” “And She Was,” “Wild Wild Life,” and everything else says, “FUN!!!” It lets the audience know everyone’s having a ball being serious. Young Heart, a documentary about an elderly chorus, just had them sing the song. On the other hand, Bill Maher used it to smugly knock on the aimless nature of organized religion. The quixotic nature of “Road to Nowhere” makes it a perfect pair for documentaries about a person or group searching for truth or seizing the day. ![]() Some can even feature a Talking Heads song. Some can be jocular and feature giant desert parties and/or bisexuals and/or singing old folk. Used in: Burning Man: Metropolis Religulous Bi the Way Young Heartĭocumentaries aren’t all about paralyzed, blind Holocaust survivors. “Road to Nowhere” says, “It’s a documentary, but it’s not boring.” As a song, it lets the audience know something’s going to die, but we can still have a good time in the process. In Julie & Julia, it’s all wink, as it plays over Amy Adams (Julie) adorably trying to kill some lobsters. (In the case of Summer of Sam, it was too much to resist, since the song and the movie are about the same psycho killer.) Also, there’s a built-in irony to the jam, which brings a certain wink to the movie it’s in. So, yes, using “Psycho Killer” in a movie about a killer is obvious, but sometimes the song is worth it. ![]() “Psycho Killer” is a hard song to resist for filmmakers: It’s bouncy and sexy there’s some French and some camp there’s that cool “Fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa” part. Used in: Julie & Julia Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon Fierce People Summer of Sam Psycho Killer” says, “Someone is a psycho or a killer, or the opposite.” It’s for when your character is confused but reaaaaal hip about it. This weekend’s Wreck-It Ralph, though lacking a beautiful wife and house, is also wondering, How did I get here? Still, it’s a Talking Heads song, so it’s also just fun. The trailer for Nicholas Cage’s Family Man basically plays it out line by line: “This is not my beautiful wife” - yes, Nicholas Cage, it is, and it’s Tea Leoni. Hot Tub Time Machine Family Man Rock Starĭo you have a protagonist looking to self-actualize? Do you want to send him on a crazy trip through time, space, and video games? Then “Once in a Lifetime” is a your song! Many of the lyrics concern a person uncertain about his modern life (“You may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile”). “Once in a Lifetime” says, “Woah, who/when/where am I?” Lars stands alone, dancing with himself, content but with a hidden sadness. In Lars and the Real Girl, it’s played at a party that Ryan Gosling attends with his Real Doll girlfriend. In Wall Street and later in its sequel ( Wall Street 2: More Walls, More Streets), the song soundtracks the lead in a happy moment (decorating a new fancy apartment, a kids birthday party) that is on the verge of fading. That is the case in This Must Be the Place, as Sean Penn’s character seemingly uses it as a bittersweet anthem. In most of its uses in film, it accompanies a happy character with a lingering (or impending) melancholy. ![]() It’s a love song about a person uncertain if love is really possible (“Home - is where I want to be/ But I guess I’m already there”). The song exudes a certain sort of cracking warmth. Used in: This Must Be the Place Crazy, Stupid, Love Wall Street Lars and the Real Girl He’s Just Not That Into You “This Must Be the Place” says, “Things are nice, but we’re a little bit sad about it.” ![]() We looked at the Talking Heads songs that have gotten the most screentime to figure out what their use says about the films they are used in, other than that the music supervisor has good taste. But what does it mean? What does any Talking Head song placement - whether in the movie itself, on the soundtrack, or in the trailer - mean? In short: something. That being said, the use of one of its most popular songs as the title of (and throughout) the new film This Must Be the Place, takes it to another level. The band Talking Heads is no stranger to movie soundtracks. ![]()
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