Musical musings: Watchmen

No knitting content today, but if all goes well I'll have an FO in the coming days!

I just thought I'd share some musings I've had, since ultimately that's what blogs are for. This post is link and video heavy, just to warn you.

I received the soundtrack to Watchmen for my birthday, and I've been listening to it a lot. I don't often find that movie music sticks with me after I watch the film (any score by John Williams is an obvious, if cliche, exception). But when I saw this film, one of the things that struck me was how awesome the soundtrack was--there were many songs I was already familiar with that struck me as completely appropriate for the given scene but mostly for the bleak atmosphere of the film in general. I love that there are three Bob Dylan songs in the official soundtrack, for example, even if two of them are covers. I have no quarrel with Jimi Hendrix's cover of All Along the Watchtower - brilliant. But I sort of wish Desolation Row was the original, rather than a cover by My Chemical Romance. (As a side note, every time I listen to it at a certain point I think my microwave is dinging. But no, it's a guitar. Gets me every time. Anyway). Upon listening to the official soundtrack, however, I noticed that many of the songs I remember from the film aren't on the CD, and I wondered how they chose the 12 that were included.

Then I started thinking about the songs that weren't in the movie, but maybe should have been. It occurred to me that a soundtrack made up of Leonard Cohen songs only would have been quite convincing. There were a few Cohen songs in the movie, but only Hallelujah made it to the CD. (I love Hallelujah, although it's definitely overdone - kd lang's version is awesome, but a bizarre choice for the Olympic opening ceremonies in my opinion...)

Anyway, in the name of procrastination, here's my version of the Watchmen soundtrack with Leonard Cohen songs only.

Note: the following may contain spoilers for Watchmen! You have been warned.

First We Take Manhattan
(Embedding is disabled for the official video on Youtube, but the video is kind of cool in a hilarious 1980s way, so check it out! Lots of people with suitcases on the beach.)
This one is cheating. It was in the movie during the credits, but I think it deserves a more prominent role in the film. It's so brooding. And 1980s. I know, the song itself only came out in 1987 while the film is set in 1985, but whatever. That's no concern of mine.


Democracy

Maybe this goes without saying. The refrain is "Democracy is coming to the USA," and it's ironically hopeful tone adds to the delightful satire. I think it fits the mood and storyline of the film, since most of the action concerns the Cold War and America's own democratic posturing goes right along with that.

Closing Time
Embedding disabled, but this video cracks me up. Ah, backup singers.
While this doesn't come through quite as well in the film, the gritty, grimy, drugged out, and depressed condition of people New York in the graphic novel is clear and pronounced. It reminds me of this song, in some ways, although the song is kind of cheerful about it all. The way love happens in this movie is kind of desperate like this song.

A Thousand Kisses Deep

I think this is a more appropriate song for the sex scene than Hallelujah was, but maybe it's too bleak and depressing.

Alexandra Leaving
Video may not be safe for work since it includes nudes and partial nudes
When Laurie leaves Jon. That's a very literal application of this song, but I think it works, especially because of the line "As someone long prepared for this to happen..." since Dr. Manhattan sees time all at once.

I'm Your Man

Okay, so admittedly the first reason I picked this song is the line "If you want another kind of love / I'll wear a mask for you." Literally and figuratively, since there's a character who at one point *ahem* finds himself impotent (literally) until he dresses up in his superhero costume and has an adventure. A preoccupation with masks and how they affect identity is important to the whole story, though perhaps moreso in the graphic novel than in the movie.

Anthem

Anthem also has a hopeful tone, but I'm not sure if it's ironic or not. "The birds they sang at the break of day / Start again, I heard them say" fits well with the ending of the film.

The Great Event

I think this is one of Cohen's most bizarre songs, although Dear Heather is pretty bizarre. Recited by a computerized voice, it declares that some Great Event is imminent "which will end the horror / which will end the sorrow." Hello, Veidt Enterprises!

That was longer than I'd intended, but I'll stop before I think of more songs to add. There are so many; it helps that most of Leonard Cohen's repertoire is bleak and depressing to begin with. Ack, just thought of The Future, and Everybody Knows. So good...

Dickensian Demons

The Christmas decorations are out at the local mall. This is the first holiday season that I've been here, so I hadn't seen how the mall celebrates Christmas.

There's an array of characters decked out in Victorian garb, include a tree seller with a fistful of American cash, some children laughing at their friend who has fallen on the ice, roasting chestnuts, etc.... It's terrifying. I just had to go out and take pictures and videos of it.

There's a full nativity scene, complete with a stunned looked Joseph, a plush Eeyore-esque donkey, and my favourite: a totally smug camel.


Moving along, there are some Victorian carol-singers making unfortunate faces.


And the best part? All of these figures are robots that move. In slow motion.



I imagine "Christmas on Acid" by the Vestibules playing in the background when I walk past these displays.

When I was taking pictures, a woman came up to me and said something to the effect of, "It's such a nice display. An old-fashioned Christmas!" I laughed nervously. She sounded so proud and satisfied that I felt a little guilty knowing I was taking these pictures in order to ridicule them on the internet. But anyway.

2008: movies

I am pleased to say I watched fewer movies in 2008 than I read books. At least, so says my cunning list, although it may be inaccurate. Plus, I didn't mark down any re-watches, and I know for sure I watched at least two of these films more than once.

Here it is. Looking back on the list, it appears I only saw one film in a theatre. Really? Weird. That can't be right. Whatever.

1. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
2. Bridget Jones’ Diary 2
3. Three Kings
4. I’m Not There
5. Popeye
6. Keeping Mum
7. Sweet and Lowdown
8. Juno
9. 27 Dresses
10. Soylent Green
11. Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
12. Enchanted
13. Mirror Mask
14. Shaun of the Dead
15. The Darjeeling Limited
16. Music and Lyrics
17. Penelope
18. Match Point
19. Brokeback Mountain
20. Batman Begins
21. Prince Caspian
22. Hairspray
23. Howl’s Moving Castle
24. Zulu
25. High School Musical
26. Bon Cop Bad Cop
27. Poseidon
28. 40 Year Old Virgin
29. Marple: The Moving Finger
30. Marple: A Murder is Announced
31. Ocean’s Twelve
32. Shrek 2
33. Casino Royale
34. Ocean’s Thirteen
35. L’auberge Espagnol
36. Fahrenheit 451
37. The Prestige
38. Deathproof
39. Little Miss Sunshine
40. Wall-E
41. The History Boys