The Runaways Soundtrack

The Runaways movie is all about the music, as it should be. Here’s all 34 songs from the movie with notes on the scenes they were in. The soundtrack album to The Runawayshas less than half of the songs from the movie on it and you can only download it as all 15 or nothing. There are great tunes on it – so that’s not as big a deal for this album as for other soundtracks – but why should you have to snag all of them when just a few will do.

I was pleasantly surprised that Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning could pull off Joan Jett and Cherie Currie. When I heard about the casting, I had some serious doubts. But they have chops and I think they pulled it off. In fact, some of the more interesting musical moments of the movie – like the parts where they were hashing out Cherry Bomb in the trailer and performing I Love Playin’ With Fire at the roller rink combined vocals from Stewart and Fanning over the guitar riffs, bass chords and drums of the original Runaways tracks.

The music also just takes you back (before I was listening to music) but songs which I have since grown to love. Bowie in his day, from Lady Grinning Soul to one of my favorites of all time – Rebel Rebel. And you are reminded just how much ass Iggy Pop has been kicking for decade stacked on decade. The beginning of I Wanna Be Your Dog has been sampled like crazy, but it’s so damn good that it should be sampled a  million times over. It sounds like it could be cut today.

I was a bit surprised that there wasn’t more from the Sex Pistols or the Ramones, but the story focused early and quick so maybe that would have been at the tail end of the tale.

But I’m not complaining – The Runaways includes an amazing list of 34 songs. It’s a good starter set for anyone looking to rediscover what was a major shift in the musical landscape being born. The soundtrack album has 15 of them, but I would not pass up the 19 that are missing. There is some gold lamé jumpsuit goodness in there.

Here’s the complete list of songs in the order they appeared in the movie and with notes on most of the scenes they were in. There are links to downloads for almost all of them as well.

• Opening scene – Roxy Roller – Nick Gilder
• Store with the rockabillies – Fujiyama Mama – Wanda Jackson
• Running, opening credits – The Wild One – Suzi Quatro
• Playing guitar sitting at the fence – The Wild One – Kristen Stewart
• Talent show – Lady Grinning Soul – David Bowie
• Guitar lesson – Old Smoky – Kristen Stewart
• Playing guitar on bathroom floor – It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World – The MC5
• Club – Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah) – Gary Glitter
• Second song at club – Rebel Rebel – David Bowie
• Music playing while on phone – Say It Like You Mean It – The Yo and Flo Orchestra
• Garage – I Wanna Be Where the Boys Are – Kristen Stewart, Stella Maeve and Michael Shannon [Runaways version]
• (unknown scene) – Wild Thing – Kristen Stewart
• Club – Gimme Danger – Iggy & the Stooges
• Singing in bedroom – Fever – Peggy Lee
• Making up song for Cherie – Cherry Bomb – Dakota Fanning and The Runaways
• Jumping cars – Hollywood – The Runaways
• Picking up trash – California Paradise – Dakota Fanning
• (unknown scene) – You Drive Me Wild – The Runaways
• Sound check – Queens of Noise – Kristen Stewart and Stella Maeve
• Show – Dead End Justice – Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart
• Rainy car song on the radio – Vincent (Starry, Starry Night) – Don McLean
• Roller rink – I Love Playin’ With Fire – Kristen Stewart and The Runaways
• Kiss – I Wanna Be Your Dog – The Stooges
• We got signed – School Days – The Runaways
• Sign contract – I Wanna Be Where the Boys Are – The Runaways [Live in Japan version]
• Making Sex Pistols t-shirt – Pretty Vacant – Sex Pistols
• Trailer – Don’t Abuse Me – Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning [Joan Jett version]
• Photographer – Secrets – The Runaways
• Plane bathroom – I Want You – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
• Japan show – Cherry Bomb – The Runaways
• Grocery store – Vincent (Starry, Starry Night) – Don McLean
• Joan Jett in bath tub – Love is Pain – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
• (unknown scene) – C’Mon – The Runaways
• Couch and jumping on bed – I Love Rock N Roll – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
• After call to the radio – Crimson and Clover – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
• End credits – Bad Reputation – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
• Second end credits – Love is Pain – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

The Hot Tub Time Machine Soundtrack

First of all, the soundtrack to Hot Tub Time Machine is awesome, which is fitting, because so is the movie. It’s hysterical. There are only 15 songs on the soundtrack album but you can find all 41 of them here, with notes on all the scenes they were in.

The first 30 minutes of the movie are the funniest I have seen in a year. And I could not help but love when the string of eighties songs kicked in. Men Without Hats, Nu Shooz, INXS and Bowie back to back was fantastic. Throw in New Order, Echo & The Bunnymen, Talking Heads and Spandau Ballet – and how could you go wrong.

The writers also had a lot of fun throwing in random 80s movies references, from “I want my two dollars” in the ski lodge to the oh-so-Sixteen-Candles counter scene in the house that they broke into.

But the real musical thrill of the movie was the use of Motley Crue’s Home Sweet Home again and again. Holy crap the end video was funny. But it also played when he was singing in the car in the garage and a couple other times throughout the movie. Throw in a combo from Poison and hair band goodness is back.

Here’s the complete list of songs from Hot Tub Time Machine in the order they appeared in the movie and with notes on each of the scenes. Enjoy.

• Opening scene – Turn Up the Radio – Autograph
• (unknown scene) – Heaven’s Sake – Perfect
• Second Life? – About to Burst – Ken Tamplin
• Lou driving in Trans Am – My Block – Cham Pain
• (unknown scene) – Mystery – The Little Wands
• Singing in car in garage – Home Sweet Home – Motley Crue
• ?Driving to the mountains – Occam’s Razor – Ocha la Rocha
• Arrive at the lodge – Venus – The Jerry Ross Symphosium
• ?Quarters – Cubicle – The Ultra-Infidels
• (unknown scene) – The Stripper – David Rose
• In the hot tub – Louder than a Bomb – Public Enemy
• Skiing – Kickstart My Heart – Motley Crue
• Ski to the lodge – Perfect Way – Scritti Politti
• Walk into the lodge – The Safety Dance – Men Without Hats
• Cassette tape – I Can’t Wait – Nu Shooz
• Meets his mom – What You Need – INXS
• Jenny’s room – Modern Love – David Bowie
• Bump into ski instructor – Smooth Up in Ya – Bullet Boys
• (unknown scene) – I Heard a Rumor – Ghost Swami
• Bath – Push It – Salt N Pepa
• Lou tells girl he was hit by a truck – Talk Dirty to Me – Poison
• Girl with the ice – Obsession – Animotion
• Lou changes the song – I Want to Know What Love Is – Foreigner
• Poison show – Cry Tough – Poison
• Jenny – Bring on the Dancing Horses – Echo and the Bunnymen
• (unknown scene) – Keep Your Eye on the Money – Motley Crue
• (unknown scene) – Bar Bet – Jake Monaco
• Cusack writing bad poetry – (I Just) Died in Your Arms – Cutting Crew
• Tool – Skin I’m In – Static Revenger featuring Luciana
• Break into the house – Save it For Later – The English Beat
• Sitting on counter (16 Candles style) – True – Spandau Ballet
• At bar talking about future – I Will Dare – The Replacements
• Flashback to performing – Careless Whisper – Craig Robinson [link to George Michael version]
• Performing on stage – Jessie’s Girl – Craig Robinson
• Performing song from the future – Let’s Get it Started – Craig Robinson
• After performance – Blind Man – Newton Talks
• On the roof – Home Sweet Home – Motley Crue
• Ski patrol house – Bizarre Love Triangle – New Order
• (unknown scene) – Patrolio – Jake Monaco
• Fights the ski patrol guy – Hero – Enrique Iglesias
• Rams into Blaine the ski patrol guy – Yes Man – The Little Wands
• Comes home after returning to the present – Once in a Lifetime – Talking Heads
• Music video during the end credits – Home Sweet Home – Motley Crue
• Original music for Hot Tub Time Machine – Christophe Beck

The Bounty Hunter Soundtrack

You can find all 17 songs from The Bounty Hunter here.  They did not release a soundtrack album to the movie containing the songs, but not to worry, links to all the songs are below, including a couple songs from Ke$ha, plus Lolene, D. Sardy, Run DMC, Marvin Gaye, The Rolling Stones and more.

I’m in Austin for sxsw so I haven’t seen the movie yet. If you have questions about or insights into the scenes the songs were in, I’d be happy to add them to the mix. Just add some comments below.

One thought about the movie. It has been compared a lot in the press to The Ugly Truth, probably because Gerard Butler plays a surly turned charming character that (i’m gonna guess) gets the girl in the end. The Ugly Truth had a good soundtrack, which definitely made the movie better. What do you think? How does The Bounty Hunter compare to The Ugly Truth?

• Fire Burning – Sean Kingston
• In Yer Own Bed – Blurtonia
• She Got The Goldmine (I Got The Shaft) – Jerry Reed
• Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked – Cage The Elephant
• Hang Fire – The Rolling Stones
• Tik Tok – Ke$ha
• This Town – Frank Sinatra
• It’s Tricky – Run DMC
• Stayin’ Alive (Teddybears Remix) – Bee Gees [link is to the original song]
• Juan-Les-Pins – John Parricelli
• Let’s Get It On – Marvin Gaye
• On My Mind – The Boneless Ones
• Flight Of The Serpents – D Sardy
• Rich – Lolene
• Hungry ‘N Tipsy – Marika May
• Get Fresh With You – The Teddybears
• Your Love Is My Drug - Ke$ha

Original music for The Bounty Hunter – George Fenton

Alice in Wonderland soundtrack

I’m thinking of a word that starts with “M”. There were five memorable musical moments in the movie Alice in Wonderland. Three were part of the score by Danny Elfman, one I could not figure for the life of me and only one is actually a credited song in the movie.

There was opening song with a chorus of female vocals: “Alice’s Theme” from the score. Then the engagement party featuring classical music (“Proposal/Down the Hole“). There was a tea party playing music that sounded like it was from the 40′s (unknown).  And then there were two songs that played during the closing credits: “Alice” by Avril Lavigne, followed by “Alice Reprise #5” by Danny Elfman.

As for the movie itself, I was very pleasantly surprised by Alice in Wonderland. Of course it was bizarre and dark – it is after all a truly bizarre story, and Tim Burton cannot help but shade even the most positive storytime tales.  But I would actually say the movie was delightful. It took me a bit to get past the ever-present sallow eyes, and it was certainly a better movie if you have a pretty clear understanding of the original storyline, but I really quite enjoyed it.

Mia Wasikowska and Helena Bonham Carter stole the screen. Both were fantastic. While Johnny Depp seemed a bit too much like a leprechaun playing a jolAly roger for me. And Anne Hathaway was much too flitty – all arms and no acting. While the CGI for the Red Queen’s monstrously large head worked perfectly, the stretched Stayne played by Crispin Glover just seemed awkward and lilting like a claymation scarecrow from the era of the first Clash of the Titans.

The producers of the movie worked with a lot of very cool artists to release a tribute album to the movie called Almost Alice. I was hoping that more than just one of the songs would actually be in the movie, but I can understand that they may have thrown off the feel of the movie.

Here’s the list of songs from Almost Alice. I would love to see a director’s cut or re-dub of the movie with these songs instead of the score.

• Alice – Avril Lavigne [the only song from this album that was actually in the movie, during the end credits]
• The Poison – The All-American Rejects
• The Technicolor Phase – Owl City
• Her Name is Alice – Shinedown
• Painting Flowers – All Time Low
• Where’s My Angel – Metro Station
• Strange – Tokio Hotel & Kerli
• Follow Me Down – 3OH!3 featuring Neon Hitch
• Very Good Advice – Robert Smith
• In Transit – Mark Hoppus With Pete Wentz
• Welcome to Mystery – Plain White T’s
• Tea Party – Kerli
• The Lobster Quadrille – Franz Ferdinand
• Always Running Out of Time – Motion City Soundtrack
• Fell Down a Hole – Wolfmother
• White Rabbit – Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

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The Brooklyn’s Finest Soundtrack

The Brooklyn’s Finest soundtrack has 24 songs, from Motown to Hip Hip, The Platters to Notorious B.I.G. There are a bunch of songs from The Evil Genious Green Lantern and Dead Prez, featuring folks like Busta Rhymes, Mavado and Johnny Polygon. It’s a good mix of tunes, even if Culture Club and The Rolling Stones may seem a bit out of place. Still, you can’t go wrong with the Isaac Hayes track off of Hot Buttered Soul, one of the best album names ever.

Too bad the soundtrack album for Brooklyn’s Finest doesn’t come out until three weeks after the movie is released. And even then, it looks like it is just going to have the score from Marcelo Zarvos. Not to worry, you can find almost all of the songs here in the order they appeared in the movie.

A non-musical note on the movie: Brooklyn’s Finest brings half the family from Training Day back for another gritty take on life as a cop – this time in the rough and tumble of Brooklyn. Ethan Hawke plays an Ethan Hawke cop. Richard Gere takes on the role of father cop. And you can never go wrong with Don Cheadle. Plus it’s good to see Wesley Snipes getting straight with the feds. It’s a good cast matched with some good songs.

Here’s the complete list of songs from Brooklyn’s Finest in the order they appeared in the movie. Check back for info on the scenes they were in (or pipe in below and I will add notes to the post).

• Sincerely – Harvey and The Moonglows
• Murder – Malcolm Kirby Jr. and H. Martin
• The Great Pretender – The Platters
• Stylin – Papoose [note: this song may be out of sequence]
• The Champ – Fogg
• NYDP – DJ Green Lantern and Dead Prez
• Who is He (And What is He to You) – Bill Withers
• Without Love There’s Nothing – Clyde McPhatter
• You’re Nobody (Til Somebody Kills You) – Notorious B.I.G.

• Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic – Isaac Hayes (from the album Hot Buttered Soul, the best album title ever)
• Informer – The Evil Genious Green Lantern and Dead Prez, featuring Mavado
• Soothe Me – The Simms Twins
• Sympathy for the Devil – The Rolling Stones
• Bullet Bullet – The Evil Genious Green Lantern and Dead Prez, featuring Johnny Polygon
• However Do You Want It – Maino
• BK Where You From – Joell Ortiz
• Woman’s Gotta Have It – Bobby Womack
• When You Love Somebody – Leela James
• Time (Clock Of The Heart) – Boy George, Michael Craig, Rob Hay and John Moss
• Sea Of Love – George Khoury and Philip Baptiste
• Where’s My Money – The Evil Genious DJ Green Lantern and Dead Prez, featuring Busta Rhymes
• You Don’t Know What You’re Doing – Sound Experience
• #!*% You Tonight – Sean Combs, Robert Kelley, Daron Jones, Christopher Wallace[performed by Notorious B.I.G.]
• Hey Love – The Delfonics
• Here Comes Trouble – Maino [this is actually the 25th song - i missed it the first time]

The Cop Out Soundtrack

The movie Cop Out has 16 songs in it, but only one of them is on the soundtrack album released by the studio. It’s a strange mix, but one that fits the film. The soundtrack includes the theme songs from Knight Rider and Fletch as well as the Spanish version of Insane in the Membrane and Black Betty by Ram Jam, which can be found on an album called Mullet Rock. But it doesn’t stop there. Cop Out also features music from Poison, the Beastie Boys, Run DMC and Eric B & Rakim.

Update: But the funniest part of the music experience that is Cop Out, is that Kevin Smith called on Harold Faltermeyer to recreate the buddy cop/intrepid investigator movie music vibe from 80s classics such as Beverly Hills Cop and Fletch. It kept on cracking me up through the entire movie. The irony of Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan debating the word “homage” just before playing the first homage to 80s buddy cop synthesizer music was perfect.  The whole movie wasn’t perfect, but that part was.

Throw in a little Wang Chung (Dance Hall Days, which I actually much prefer to the Wang Chung standard Everybody Have Fun Tonight) and you have quite a musical mix. Not to mention, there’s “Soul Brother” by Patti LaBelle, the only song from the movie that’s actually on the soundtrack album for Cop Out.

Here’s the complete list of songs from Cop Out. Hope you enjoy. Update 2: I’ve added the scenes that I remember off the top of my head and will post additional scene info when I review my notes.

• Opening scene – No Sleep Till Brooklyn – Beastie Boys
• Ringtone in interrogation room – Knight Rider – Stu Phillips
• Chase dressed as a cellphone - Follow the Leader – Eric B & Rakim
• Going through the trash - Every Rose Has Its Thorn – Poison
• Teddy bear cam - King of Rock – Run DMC
• Dance Hall Days – Wang Chung
• Rhythm Is A Dancer – Snap
• Big Boi – Basko
• Take Me Out to the Ball Game – Albert Von Tilzer
• Drag Sean William Scott behind car - Duelin’ Banjos – Arthur Smith
• Breaking into the house - Black Betty – Ram Jam
• Po boy driving back from the funeral - Vato Sencillo – Cartel de Santa
• Po boy arrives at his house – Loco En El Coco – Cypress Hill
• Wedding song - Don’t Disturb This Groove – The System
• Bit By Bit – Harold Faltermeyer, Franne Golde and Stephanie Mills [this is the theme from the movie Fletch]
• End credits – Soul Brother – Patti LaBelle

Original music for Cop Out – Harold Faltermeyer

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Soundtrack

There are only six songs in the movie Percy Jackson and the Olympians, but with both Lady Gaga and Ke$ha in the set, the music producers clearly decided they wanted the soundtrack to pack some punch.

There aren’t any songs until about halfway through the movie, when Percy and crew jump on the bus on the start of their journey to visit Hades. AC/DC’s Highway to Hell definitely fits the scene. The music comes back in again when they are heading to Nashville. Dwight Yoakam provides the background music for the beaten up pick-up they are driving.

Vegas provides most of the music, starting with A Little Less Conversation by Elvis and then Poker Face which plays in the Lotus Hotel. Once he says no to the flower, Three Dog Night kicks in with Mama Told Me Not to Come. And Ke$ha rounds out the musical turn as Percy tries to wake up his friends from the Lotus club. The rest of the movie returns to the musical score by Christophe Beck.

Here’s the list of songs from Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, in the order they appeared in the movie and with notes on the scenes they were in. Enjoy!

• Getting on the bus – Highway to Hell – AC/DC
• Driving to Nashville – I’ll Pretend – Dwight Yoakam
• Vegas – A Little Less Conversation (JXL Radio Edit Remix) – Elvis Presley
• Lotus Hotel – Poker Face – Lady Gaga
• Says no to the lotus cookie – Mama Told Me Not to Come – Three Dog Night
• Club in the Lotus / Waking up his friends – Tik Tok – Kes$ha