Someone sent me a copy of that video about how fast the world is changing, and about how China has more economic growth in its little fingernail than we’re likely to have in a billion years and stuff. I’m not sure whether this was an update of the video or what (I know there are several versions of it floating out there); there was no accompanying information.
Anyway, while it was very interesting once again, it left me with a maddening question: What is that background music?
It’s from a movie, a movie I’ve seen. I’m even willing to go so far as to say I might have liked the movie. But I can’t place it.
For some reason, the music suggests something about the Scottish highlands. I picture characters running about on the heath in kilts — maybe something out of a remake of "Kidnapped" — with a wide, moving shot taken from a low-flying helicopter.
But I’m almost sure that image has nothing to do with this music. Maybe I’m thinking of a similar shot of the wilds of New Zealand from the "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. But I don’t think that’s it, either.
Normally, I can place things like this immediately, which is what is so crazy-making about this instance.
Where is it from?
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driving me nuts, too. It’s definitely a big epic film from the last 5 years, a historical period piece. (I first thought Master and Commander but checked out some audio clips and it doesn’t seem to be that). I vaguely remember thinking hearing that while watching whatever film it was, “why are they using this semi-celtic fiddle tune with this movie?” So I don’t think it’s a Great Britain-related movie but something very different. Watch me be wrong, now.
It’s from Last of the Mohicans. It’s the main title track.
If Phillip doesn’t know it, we’re in trouble!
I thought “Master and Commander,” too. (By the way, have you read the books that was based on? I’m very much into them and nobody ever bites when I try to bring them up on the blog.)
Something historical (or perhaps pseudo-historical fantasy, which is why I thought LOTR). Epic. Sweeping. Involving the outdoors. And as you say, a Celtic flavor.
Found it on Youtube site. It’s from ‘The Last of the Mohicans’. It maybe called ‘Elf Hunt/The Kiss’ Someone had found it on limewire as “Last of Mohicans (Irish Riverdance)
Other people who heard it wondered too!
Al’s correct.
Al, bless you, I believe that’s it (Al hadn’t posted yet when I wrote my above response)!
That was definitely it — thanks, folks.
Good to know Phillip and I were on the right track, at least.
Last of The Mohicans is one of those movies that I have to watch to the end if I come across it while flipping through the channels. Daniel Day Lewis is an amazing actor… he was even able to make Gangs of New York watchable despite the overrated Leonardo DiCaprio.
Hey, how about a top five movies post, Brad?
I’ll start:
Raging Bull
Broadcast News
Sideways
Syriana
The Right Stuff
Doug, I think we’ve done the top 5 movie thing before but it’s still fun. Mine change from week to week but here is my current list:
Casablanca
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2001: A Space Odyssey
It’s a Wonderful Life
and a new favorite:
Across the Universe
Dances With Wolves
Jaws
Chinatown
Unforgiven
Raiders of the Lost Ark
I really wanted to squeeze in Babe, a criminally underrated film.
Dumb and Dumber
Outlaw Josie Wales
Saving Private Ryan
American Graffiti
The Hollywood Knights
Yep, we’ve done this before — or rather, I tried to do it before, but it was a bust. Only got four comments.
I’m glad to try again. Here’s what I posted in January 2006. And Doug, "The Right Stuff" is another I wish I had on my Top Five, but I don’t know what to bump…
This is scary. After looking at everyone’s lists I don’t have any real quibles.
Doug, I loved Syriana. It came out in 2006 I think. That had to be the best movie year of all time. I really liked Babel and Little Miss Sunshine which also came out that year.
As for Brad’s old list this is really scary. He had 2 of the 5 movies I listed. Maybe I’m Unparty material after all. Or maybe not.
1. The Big Lebowski
2. The Big Lebowski
3. The Big Lebowski
4. The Big Lebowski
5. The Big Lebowski
The movie has episodes that were filmed in North and South Carolina mountains. One of the scenes I like was the cliff scene filmed at Chimney Rock.
I liked “Across the Universe,” too. But it’s not Top Five, or even Top Ten.
Trouble is, I love too many movies. My Top Five is sort of obligatory — you just GOTTA love those movies — and it shoves down some more interesting picks, such as another bud liked, “Eternal Sunshine.”
Any of y’all subscribe to Netflix? Do you rate movies to help it make recommendations for you? I find that software doesn’t work very well, but I’ve compulsively rated 1,778 movies anyway. I am not making that number up.
And you know how you rate them from one to five stars? I’ve given five stars to 155 of them. “Eternal Sunshine” makes the grade, but so do “The Year of Living Dangerously” and “Tender Mercies” and “Rushmore” and “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” and “Napoleon Dynamite,” and more than a hundred more.
There are many, many awesome movies. We can’t put all of them in our Top Five.
At the other end of the spectrum are the mere 18 movies I’ve given one star, for “hated it.” I regret to say that someone else’s favorite made that list, so the less said the better.
More five stars:
“Bananas”
“Black Hawk Down”
“Cool Hand Luke”
“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”
“His Girl Friday”
“Hoosiers”
“Mean Streets”
“Office Space”
“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”
“Raising Arizona”
“Say Anything”
“Swingers”
“Young Frankenstein”
Maybe movies will be the catalyst for a whole new era of peace on your blog?
Picture Lee dancing to the Twist and Shout scene from Bueller…
Some recent 5 Star ratings on Netflix:
Talk To Me (Don Cheadle, black DJ in DC during the 60’s)
Eatern Promises (Russian mafia in England)
Gone Baby Gone (Boston crime drama)
And for documentary fans:
American Movie
Spellbound
Air Guitar Nation
Grizzly Man
“American Movie” was a hoot.
But “Eastern Promises” disappointed me; I only gave it two, maybe because I expected more.
You want an excellent recent movie with an Eastern bloc-related theme? See “The Lives of Others.” It’s in German (real title, “Das Leben der Anderen”), but it is excellent, subtitles and all. I gave it four stars. I’ve been trying to be a little less generous with my “five star” designations lately, else it might have gotten that.
My top 5, not necessarily in this order:
The Wizard of Oz
Gone With The Wind
Groundhog Day
Batteries Not Included
Independence Day
The Deerhunter
Rear Window
It’s A Wonderful Life
Mars Attacks!
War Of The Worlds (first one)
Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (first one)
Oops! That’s 11. Opinions are cheap, even if seeing a movie at a theater isn’t.
Its a Wonderful Life keeps coming up. Funny how when it came out it was something of a bust in the theaters. I guess timing is everything.
I just recently saw Mr. Smith Goes to Washington for the first time. My impression of that earlier Capra film was that it was a good movie overall but failed to get the ending right. In Its a Wonderful Life Capra got it right. I watch it at least once every December.
Weldon, I’m glad you mentioned Ground Hog Day. That is very much an underated movie.
Yes, “Groundhog Day” is another one on my lengthy five-star list. Wonderful flick.
You know how I first heard about that, or at least first had the thought that I wanted to see it? My pastor at St. Peter’s, Leigh Lehocky, used it as the basis of a homily.
Basically, the idea was that we’re all trapped in our repetitive misery until we get it right the way Bill Murray finally gets that one day right — by making other people, rather than himself, his priority every minute of the day. A very communitarian message — but then, Christianity is very communitarian. And he was right. Viewed that way, the whole movie is one perfectly constructed homily.
And I, Bud, was glad to see you mention It’s A Wonderful Life.
Here’s my movie test. If it’s on AMC or Turner tonight, do I want to watch it?
My answer for all the movies on my list: Sure. And strangely enough, the one movie on the list I could see every two or three days and keep enjoying is one I’d never call a five-star movie, Independence Day. I’ll never get tired of alcoholic pilot Randy Quaid saying, “Up yours!” to the aliens as he flies his bomb-laden plane into the vulnerable underbelly of their ship, and casting Star Trek’s perfect android Brent Spiner as a not-so-competent scientist still trying to figure out the alien craft from Roswell 50 years later was one marvelous irony, too.
A few final notes: One of the great disappointments of all my movie watching was that Batteries Not Included didn’t have the whole world fall absolutely in love with it. Conversely, I’ve always wondered why Forrest Gump, Castaway, Platoon and Schindler’s List got the critical acclaim they did. I HATED Forrest Gump and Castaway, and I walked out of Platoon because the ending was too obvious and the movie just made mee feel tense. Schindler’s List seemed obligatory, and, frankly, pretty boring.
Which just goes to prove that old saying, there’s no accounting for taste. If it works for you, it does, but if it doesn’t, well, it doesn’t.
Me, I’m always glad to see someone on the other side of the political coin have something in common with me. As long as we both like Groundhog Day and pizza, well, I’m pretty sure we can get past our differences to the really important stuff.
Wow, Brad, Bud and Weldon AGREE about something.
There’s hope!
LOTR (all 3)
Fried Green Tomatoes
Fish
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Godfather
Shrek
Karen, I’m old and not really hip with the texting language. And despite all my best efforts to figure it out using context clues I do not know what “LOTR (all 3)” means? So please help me out here.
To pick up on Weldon’s comments my choice for over-rated movie(s) are the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The last one especially was just plain insufferable. I thought the thing would never end.
A Hard Day’s Night
Bonnie and Clyde
A Clockwork Orange
Midnight Cowboy
Stop Making Sense
A Richard Lester selection? Good thinking.
And bud, were you being facetious when you asked what “LOTR (all 3)” meant, and then immediately referred to “the Lord of the Rings Trilogy?”
I’m not sure I know “Stop Making Sense.” Is that the Talking Heads thing?
As for “Midnight Cowboy,” it’s a little-known fact that my nickname was once “Ratso Rizzo.”
Everybody seems prejudiced here against old movies. (except for It’s a Wonderful Life, Wizard of Oz, etc.)Speaking of which, I dearly hope that the new location of the Nickelodeon (with its two screens) will show old films instead of mostly new “art” film releases. Netflix, schmetflix, there’s no substitute for seeing a film on the big screen, but there’s rarely an opportunity to do that with films from the past. (Even NYC has far fewer places that screen old films than it did 25 years ago).
Any list of top ten movies HAS to include All About Eve. How about Hitchcock? My favorite? No, not the 50’s films, but rather “The 39 Steps.”
And if venturing into the comedic realm, if you do not know the films of Preston Sturges you are really missing out. My own favorite of his is “Miracle of Morgan’s Creek.”
By the way, folks, they do make movies in other countries! (Thank you Brad for being, I think, the only person to mention a foreign film here so far). Fellini? “La Strada.” Japan has an unbelievable filmmaking tradition…there’s so much out there.
I should have clarified…about the Nick, I hope they show old films ALONG with new releases.
And bud, were you being facetious when you asked what “LOTR (all 3)” meant, and then immediately referred to “the Lord of the Rings Trilogy?”
-Brad
Actually no. I seriously thought Karen was making some kind of text message reference. Whoops, I guess I stuck my foot in my mouth on that one. Sorry Karen, I was not trying to be a smart alack.
I’m having a dog day afternoon this morning, so I’m adding to my list.
The Remains of the Day
Dog Day Afternoon
Meet Joe Black
The Hudsucker Proxy
Shawshank Redemption
It Happened One Night
The Caine Mutiny
Bringing Up Baby
Charade
North By Northwest
To Kill A Mockingbird
Brazil
The Green Mile
The Day The Earth Stood Still
Rebel Without A Cause
East of Eden
Pride Of The Yankees
Sergeant York
The Third Man
Citizen Kane
The Ten Commandments
Tucker: The Man And His Dram
Gardens Of Stone
The Birds
Mutiny On The Bounty
The Seven Faces Of Dr. Lao
Silkwood
What A Way To Go!
No Time For Sergeants
A Face In The Crowd
Close Encounters
Cocoon
Contact
Straw Dogs
There, Phillip. My list certainly includes some old movies. God bless black and white, technicolor and sepia, too.
Here’s a real old one that I would have in my top 10:
The General
This Buster Keaton silent classic is awesome.
Have to add another old one I just saw for the first time, All About Eve, to my list, too. Hard to believe I never actually watched it before. Man, those people could talk. And act. Back when life imitated art and art imitated something other than a computer-generated image.
I don’t know Weldon. I think there have been many very good movies released over the past few years. As much as I love, and appreciate, the older movies film art continues to improve in my humble opinion (IMHO). The music from the older movies was, at time, annoying. I suspect that is an artifact from the silent era when music was needed to emphasize a particular passage in the movie. Similarly, there was some over-acting and corny dialogue in the old movies.
Mind you, I’m not being critical, I love the old movies and watch them over and over. Yet I find today’s movies, when done well, are more realistic and fit with today’s sensibilities better. As an example, take From Here to Eternity. Excellent movie, but it was not realistic in many respects. The classic beach scene with Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr appears, by today’s standards, too tame. If made today that scene would be far more realistic.
But perhaps that is as it should be. We can’t judge old movies by today’s standards any more than we can compare sports records from 100 years ago with today’s. It wouldn’t be fair. Yet the world record in the mile has improved over that period of time and so has the art of film making.
Point taken, Bud. The art of film has evolved. Technology has improved. Emphases have changed. Film and stage have long since divorced. Movies are more various than ever.
But Third Eye Blind doesn’t go Beethoven one better, Tennessee Williams didn’t improve on Shakespeare, and George Clooney ain’t no Marlon Brando.
The good thing is, thanks to Ted Turner and others, and that ever improving technology, we can experience both the old and the new now and again next week. Whatever we like, it’s available.
That’s even better than buttered popcorn.