Movie Soundtracks

I'm that person who sits with the credits playing on DVDs on my laptop pressing play and pause repeatedly to write down literally every song in the movie. Some of my favorite music comes from movies. It's like getting a playlist from your favorite directors.... or your favorite music supervisors. Either way, music is such a giant component with movies and it can really make or break a movie. Also, it can lift up a mediocre movie. Soundtracks tell so much about the movie and the progression of plot and a strong association between a great movie and great music can make me like that music even more. Here are some of my favorite soundtracks in no particular order!

1. (500) Days of Summer

Directed by Marc Webb

This soundtrack is full of beautiful, happy music that just takes you away. It's music that I can immediately visualize into movement. Featuring The Smiths, The Temper Trap, Carla Bruni, Regina Spektor and of course Hall & Oates, it's a soundtrack that rises and falls gracefully with every breath of the movie. Plus there's this:

2. School of Rock

Directed by Richard Linklater

This movie instantly became a classic for me when I saw it. It continued the music education that my brother had begun with me and that my parents had been secretly instilling in me since birth. With Jack Black's manic energy and a script literally about educating youth about rock music (with some not-so-honest intentions) the soundtrack had to be just as epic and manically energetic. It completely succeeds with the likes of The Ramones, The Clash, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, and even Aretha Franklin.

3. P.S. I Love You

Directed by Richard LaGravenese

Before you start rolling your eyes, trust me with this one. Sure the movie's not spectacular but it would have been much worse without the soundtrack. With both The Pogues and Flogging Molly bringing the Irish storyline to life and Paulo Nutini and others tugging at your heartstrings, the result is a tender soundtrack with energy in all the right places.

4. The Breakfast Club (and everything Hughes)

Directed by John Hughes

John Hughes is one of those directors who is known as much for the music in his films as the hugely relatable and classic story lines. Simple Minds defined the movie as much as the breakfast club itself and the final parting shots wouldn't have the same resonance without it. Similarly, Pretty in Pink with Duckie employing Otis and "Try a Little Tenderness" and Ferris Bueller's Day Off with Ferris highjacking a parade float and calling The Beatles and "Twist and Shout" to his aid have both provided unforgettable defining moments in great films.

5. Almost Famous

Directed by Cameron Crowe

Another director whose work speaks in part through the brilliant music choices and a movie about his own experiences with rock 'n' roll. The huge selection of Led Zeppelin acting as score is transcendent. Plus, any movie that starts with the Chipmunk Song is magical in my book. With Yes, The Beach Boys, The Who, Elton John and Joni Mitchell all playing vital roles in the emotional integrity and ebbs and flows of the story, a diverse and expansive library is presented.

6. Juno

Directed by Jason Reitman

This wonderful soundtrack is as offbeat as Juno MacGuff herself, which is why it works. Going for often understated and quirky, the soundtrack is almost unnoticeable in that it seamlessly works with the movie to create such an emotional impact. Kimya Dawson presents a multitude of cheeky, smart, beautiful songs for the movie with The Kinks, The Velvet Underground, Belle and Sebastian, and Mott the Hoople rounding out the rest of the soundtrack.

7. Pulp Fiction (and everything Tarantino)

Directed by Quentin Tarantino

As punchy and audacious as the film it accompanies, this soundtrack is as encyclopedic in scope as Tarantino's knowledge of obscure films and of course, music. It is electric and helps to sear the incredible scenes into your memory. "Jungle Boogie," "Son of a Preacher Man," and "Comanche" among many others provide one of the most memorable cinematic experiences in history, and it would be completely different with a different soundtrack. Though it wasn't one of my favorite Tarantino films, Django Unchained had a spectacular soundtrack.

So I left out scores because if I got into that bag of worms I'd never find my way out -- far too many brilliant scores! Bottom line, I love the way music and film works together to create the ultimate emotional impact.


Did I miss any?

We'll Always Have Paris

Hi all,

My couple month absence from blogging was due to a few things including general end of the semester craziness and THEN, taking the most amazing 2-week study abroad trip to Paris with the fashion department here at Marist. We were studying fashion in Paris and there is nothing better than that! Though I was happy to be on American soil at the end of the two weeks, I find myself missing it so much now. I don't think I've ever learned more in two weeks. So, here are some highlights:

The view from our roof in Montmartre

The beautiful food of Ladurée

Being tourists

Walked past it every day for 2 weeks and only took 2 pictures

Holiday Glamorific

So what with dressing like a boy rather often (chunky sweaters, corduroys, heavy boots, frizzy hair -- bet you really want to take style advice from me now) sometimes I just have to whip out the sparkly dresses and go to town. This past Saturday I had the perfect occasion. My mom and I had tickets (as we do every year) to go see Boston Ballet's new Nutcracker. Besides being 1000% anxious because I practically knew the old version by heart, I was thrilled and excited. I always like to dress up when I see ballets or go to the theater (I could rant for an hour or so on the practice of wearing jeans to the theater) and I don't look out of place when I do to see The Nutcracker because there are a bajillion little girls with curled hair and poofy dresses yearning to be Clara. I opted for a very light blush lace dress inlaid with silver, metallic yarns, and heels the same color worn under my black dress coat and a fabulous circle scarf with faux fur as the lining (yay animals!).

LOFT dress and belt, ALDO pumps, Urban Outfitters watch

Ann Taylor coat, Aerie scarf

Unintentionally coordinated!

I kept my hair and makeup simple and pretty. I used a pretty glossy coral NARS pencil on my lips and I used Benefit creaseless cream shadow/liner in a shimmery champagne color on my eyes. For eyeliner I used some black sparkly eyeshadow. To use it as a liner I took an angled liner brush, wet it, and applied it right at the lash line in smooth strokes. Using an eyeshadow instead of a cream liner created a less harsh, slightly softer, more diffused look. Then I applied Mally mascara (incredibly smooth application, no clumps, and beautiful end results!) to top off the look. I just blow-dryed my hair and put on a sparkly headband.

My main advice for dressing for the holidays and special occasions is to find silhouettes above all that suit you and find something that makes you feel a little special. This dress was calling my name the second I saw it. It's my preferred silhouette and I don't get washed out by such a light color miraculously. The silver and the skinny belt made it a done deal! Accentuate your body with the right silhouettes and then add a little sparkle. You don't need to go so over the top, but adding certain pieces like my scarf gives an outfit a little extra drama with practically no effort! Being glam is in the attitude as much as what you're actually wearing. If you feel comfortable and confident, you'll pull if off effortlessly! Go for what makes you feel amazing, not necessarily what's the hottest trend.

Happy Holidays!

Song of the Moment: What Christmas Means to Me by Stevie Wonder

Election day? Have some fun!

Alright, so I'm not that politically invested (I voted, calm down) so in honor of election day, I'm doing what I do and celebrating with a movie and by staying way off of Facebook... come on, how many people really need to post statuses saying GO VOTE! We get it, really, and many of us have probably filled out absentee ballots weeks earlier. SO, take the edge off, relax if you've got time, and have some fun. Here are some of my favorite politically themed movies.

1. The Ides of March (2011)

This movie directed by George Clooney is a quietly electric peek inside a campaign trail fraught with scandal and obstacles. Ryan Gosling shows just how good he is, as an all star who gets in over his head. The cast is basically perfect, with Clooney himself, Paul Giammatti, Evan Rachel Wood, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Marisa Tomei and it's as close to politics as I ever want to get.

2. Election (1999)

For some creepy comic relief, take Reese Witherspoon as the definition of over-ambitious, in a role as a teen running for student council president. With Matthew Broderick playing a teacher working endlessly to bring her down, this is an off-beat comedy from none other than Alexander Payne that'll make you cringe.

3. All the President's Men (1976)

This isn't directly political so much as it is history that revolves around the government, but that's close enough for me. Dusty and Rob provide stellar performances in this movie based around the Watergate scandal.

Happy voting day!

5 Awesome Things

Hi peeps - here are 5 awesome things that are on my mind! Enjoy!

1. Almost Famous

I know, it's Almost Famous so everybody should be aware of its awesomeness, but on the off chance that you have not yet experienced Kate Hudson's brilliance before she only took dumbed down romantic comedy scripts, Billy Crudup and Jason Lee and a kind-of fake band, and Patrick Fugit as, essentially, Cameron Crowe, then get on that! Also, Frances McDormand, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Zooey Deschanel, and brief cameos from Eric Stonestreet and Jimmy Fallon among others. This is one of those movies that is just everything and you don't want it to end. It's got one of the best soundtracks ever and is possibly my favorite Cameron Crowe movie (sorry Lloyd...). The style is great, the lifestyle is outrageous, and everything in between is stellar and from a perspective that you don't often think about.

2. Pushing Daisies

This show is weird, I'll be straight with you. Pushing Daisies is also charming, clever, and sometimes a tad creepy. Starring Lee Pace, Anna Friel, Chi McBride, Kristin Chenoweth, Swoosie Kurtz, and Ellen Greene, who made up one of my favorite ensembles ever (here's looking at you Arrested Development), they worked together and played off of each other perfectly. Pace is Ned, a pie-maker who wakes the dead. After 60 seconds of being alive again, someone else dies, but if Ned touches said alive again person again, they're dead forever. Friel plays his alive-again first love from childhood, the girl named Chuck. McBride plays a knitting detective who becomes partners with Pace. Chenoweth is an employee at the Pie Hole, Ned's literally pie-shaped restaurant. Kurtz and Greene play Chuck's formerly synchronized swimming duo shut-in aunts. The show has such an incredible energy infused in it. It's a fairy tale land that's halfway in between this world and some far off world of princesses and magic. Plus the dialogue is spectacular, and Jim Dale narrates! What more could you want? Great clothes? Yep, they've got those too! It's a show with the saturation turned all the way up in every sense.

Season 1 Spoilers abound!

3. hitRECord

I still have a hard time not calling it hitRECord.org all the time, but if you've got any artistic chops (or good taste) at all, head on over and start RECording... anything, everything. If you're not familiar, hitRECord is an open, collaborative production company started by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and his late brother Dan. Preferring to go by regularjoe on the website, he and many others create projects for people to work on and create things out of other people's art. Everything that you post on the site (provided it's 100% from you, or in the public domain) is fair game for any other member to REmix and add to! It's huge fun and it's amazing the things they produce and the many ways that people can get involved. Every form of art is welcomed with open arms.

One of the pieces from hitRECord

A taste of their live shows

4. Colorblocked Tights

That's right, I am talking about one color on the front, one color on the back tights! I love a black and white combo, but many color combinations make tights like these look amazing. They're an instant statement and they bring a whole bunch of 60s mod to any outfit, which I think, no matter the trends, we could all use a little more of. I'm eyeing this pair from Anthropologie:

5. Chapstick

It's getting colder which means, at least for me, I'm about to tear all the skin off of my lips. Thank god for chapstick huh? I am loyal to no one and so have tried many a chapstick and have found that I like regular old Chapstick, Burt's Bees (the one with the red cap - I think it has some pomegranate in it), and Eos lip balm, which not only works well but goes on really well because it's a little sphere!


Enjoy these 5 awesome things. Catch you on the flip flop.

Song of the Moment: (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding

Frankenstorm Sandy Style

If you find yourself on the east coast and needing to venture out in these next couple days, turn it into a style adventure and play up the water-resistant fabrics!

Coat

Start off with a great coat as the foundation for your hurricane-braving look. There are absolutely amazing options out there of trench coats with bright colors, prints, and quirky silhouettes! If you want to go full out Singin' in the Rain, choose a rain slicker instead of a trench, which again, are no longer boring, but are beautiful, bright, and bring the sun along with them!

A classic trench from Gap, a peplum trench from Zara, and a rain slicker from Modcloth (comes in blue too!)

There are great options at good price points  from Modcloth, Zara, and Gap, among others!

Shoes

Next, keep your toes warm and dry with some rain boots. Okay, they're not the BEST style option out there, but it's a freaking frankenstorm. Make an exception. There are about a million options. You can go with the traditional Wellies, or go with heels or short rain boots. Now, there are choices for every style.

Top: A short and sassy boot from Modcloth, and a quirky sneaker-boot by Keds
Bottom: Hunter Wellingtons in all the color of the rainbow!

Modcloth and Target usually have some less expensive pairs, while Coach and Hunters will cost a little more, but will also hold up longer!

Overhead Cover

Whether you Gene Kelly it with a fedora AND and umbrella, or you just stick to an umbrella, pick something that matches your style, in color, print, and shape!

Umbrellas from Modcloth

Enjoy and stay dry!

Rainy Day Movie Marathon

What better to do on a rainy, gross day (other than splashing in puddles, of course) than cuddle up and watch some movies? This might seem like a random collection, but there's a method to my madness!

1. Singin' in the Rain

1952

Directed by Stanley Donan and Gene Kelly

Start yourself out with THE classic movie musical, much more about movies than about rain. It's brilliant, hilarious, and a completely love letter to making movies. Gene Kelly is never better than in this, with Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds by his side. The musical numbers are unbeatable. With Make 'Em Laugh, Moses Supposes, and the titular song itself, this is sure to put your feet and your heart in a happy place.

2. Casablanca

1942

Directed by Michael Curtiz

Follow up with another classic that'll make your happy heart weep a little. With some of the most iconic lines and scenes in cinematic history, Casablanca is the tops. It's sharp, centered around World War II, and a little bittersweet. There are too many things that make this movie good, not the least of which are Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. It's a brilliant story of love and sacrifice.

3. Brick

2005

Directed by Rian Johnson

I know it seems odd to go from a movie released in 1942 to a movie released in 2005, but Brick is really a movie from a bygone era at heart. Written and directed by Rian Johnson, this is a brilliant noir set in a modern high school. The twists of genre keep everything about this movie completely fresh and original while giving a generous nod to the past. Every detail is exact, every shot counts. All of the actors give an enormous level of commitment to a tricky script with a slang that is at once difficult to understand and alluring as well.

4. Inception

2010

Directed by Christopher Nolan

Transitioning from the moody, complicated, detective-noir-thriller starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt to the moody, complicated, heist-thriller starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt is as easy as pie! Yeah, your brain might hurt a little after from everything Chris Nolan put you through, but you'll be awed and a little jazzed up from the always magnificent Tom Hardy, unsure of the state of Leonardo DiCaprio, and hating Marion Cotillard a little bit.

5. Ocean's Eleven

2001

Directed by Steven Soderbergh

The classic heist film starring the troupe of guys who would gladly welcome Tom Hardy (at least, the Tom Hardy of Inception) into their gang: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Bernie Mac, Elliott Gould, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Eddie Jemison, Shaobo Qin, Carl Reiner, Matt Damon, and Don Cheadle. Throw in Julia Roberts as the one who got away and Andy Garcia as the villain and it's a party like no other.

Happy Marathoning!

Song of the Moment: Old Yellow Bricks by The Arctic Monkeys