Mark It!

Okay, so I should have published this one weeks ago, but between a new job, and a whole bunch of other stuff, I’ve been slack.

What I’m going to touch on today are some of the wonderful trailers that use a single song as the music for their trailer. That song has to essentially score the trailer, sell the tone, and not leave an audience disappointed with the score the receive with the finished film. The examples I’m using are primarily from some of my favourite bands, so if you don’t like Smashing Pumpkins or Nine Inch Nails, you’ll probably be a little bit less interested, but them’s the breaks. Write your own blog, or respond here if there’s some great ones you think I’ve missed out!

Willard

You know someone in the marketing department knew exactly what to put with this one. Or he Googled “rat + lyrics” into Google. But when the bass line to one of the most recognizable rock songs of the 90s kicks in at about 50 seconds, it’s the shit. Sure, the repetition of “despite all my rage I’m still just a rat in a cage” is a bit weak, but it works for the most part. Being a complete fan of Crispin Glover, and having dug The X-Files and Final Destination, I was down for this flick, and it’s still a fun B grade horror movie.

Watchmen

Another Smashing Pumpkins track. However this one has the most fantastic use of intertextuality I’ve come across in a trailer. Back in 1997, Smashing Pumpkins recorded two tracks for the Batman & Robin soundtrack; “The End is the Beginning is the End” and “The Beginning is the End is the Beginning”. TEITBITE (as it’s known among Pumpkinheads) was the lead single for Batman & Robin’s soundtrack, while the alternate version (TBITEITB) is the darker version only on the full soundtrack album. The message? Remember Batman & Robin? This. Ain’t. It. A perfect way to give message that this is a dark comic book movie, gritty, grimy, and with only limited nipples on costumes. It became an iTunes hit, and the band started playing it on tour around the time of Watchmen’s theatrical release.

Terminator: Salvation

Okay, so this film is hardly a great piece of work. In fact, it’s far closer to being a piece of shit. McG can fuck himself, and that’s coming from a guy who likes the first Charlie’s Angels (Crispin Glover owns it). Using a new remix (with live drums) of Nine Inch Nails’ “The Day the World Went Away” (originally released on 1999′s The Fragile double-album), the editing on this trailer is superb. Sells the tone, sells the concept, and has the Terminator theme just at the end. The moment of Bale coming face to face with Worthington is perfectly timed with the titular lyric. Yeah, it suckered me. Insult to injury? It ain’t on the fuckin’ Blu-ray.

Trivia: Terminator: Salvation was one of the films that the group of Xoe, Adrian and myself (along with Sam Winzar) would take in on opening day at an early afternoon session, as none of us were working jobs with regular hours. It became the genesis of Mark It! Movie Reviews.

PS: Apologies for the crappy sound, I’ll endeavour to upload a better quality version at some point.

300

The Social Network

The only song on this list that isn’t performed by the original artist. Covered by Scala & Kolacny Brothers – a Belgian all-girls choir, Radiohead’s paean to awkwardness is perfectly in sync with Fincher and Sorkin’s depiction of Mark Zuckerberg. It’s creepy, haunting, and reaches that crescendo just at the right moment. Sure, it’s not the best cover of the track (Sad Kermit takes that title, with Prince also nailing an incredible version live at Coachella), but it’s damn good and gives you the idea that “the facebook movie” that you’ve heard about might not just be a stupid teen comedy.

The Social Network: Five Track Sampler cover art

So, some of you know that my favourite film of all time is David Fincher’s SE7EN (yes, I am drooling at the upcoming Blu-ray release!), but probably far fewer of you know that my favourite band is Nine Inch Nails. After experimenting with soundscapes a couple of years ago with the release of Ghosts I-IV, Nine Inch Nails mastermind Trent Reznor has once again worked with longtime collaborator Atticus Ross.

This time it’s for the score to David Fincher’s The Social Network. Yup, the Facebook movie.

I couldn’t have been less interested in the concept until step-by-step some of my favourite artists came on board. Written by Aaron Sorkin (Sports Night, The West Wing, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, A Few Good Men), directed by David Fincher (SE7EN, Zodiac, Fight Club), and now with a score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. Seriously, that’s like the Father, the Son, and the Holy Fuckin’ Ghost in my eyes.

Anyway, Reznor runs The Null Corporation, his new record label since becoming an independent artist and severing ties with his former manager and label(s). They’ve given out a few tasty freebies over the past couple of years, but right now they’re giving away a Five Track Sampler from Reznor and Ross’s score to The Social Network. All ya gotta do is drop your email address in the box to get a link sent to you – don’t worry, Null Corp and Top Spin Media have never sent me any spam, so I can personally assure you that you won’t have a single regret about typing your email address in that little box.

Go get it, and let the countdown begin. Unfortunately for us in Australia, we have to wait seven goddamn weeks after the US gets the flick. That’s going to test my resolve not to hit up a low quality copy, but if anyone makes films worth seeing on a good projector, it’s David Fincher.

My personal favourite moment so far? The Atari-sounding low-tech melody that kicks in around the three minute mark of track 1 (“Pieces From the Whole”). Sounds straight out of an 80s video game.