Tag Archives: Bekah Landers

Weekly playlist: Movie soundtracks

By Chase Gosman and Bekah Landers

This week A&E is honoring the 84th Academy Awards with a compilation of movie soundtracks from the past year.

1. “Hugo’s Father” by Howard Shore From Hugo

2. “Immigrant Song” by Led Zeppelin from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

3. “At The Kinograph Studios” by Brussels Philharmonic- The Orchestra Of Flanders from The Artist

4. “I Didn’t Mean It” by The Belle Brigade from The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn

5. “Voldemort’s End” by Alexandre Desplat from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Top 10 love songs, movies continued

To see the first five choices, check out page in the Bagpiper or look at this issue’s PDF’s.

By Marah Harbison

10. “What You Thought You Need”- Jack Johnson: This song by the mellow majesty, Jack Johnson, is a delicate ditty about how all people need in life are the bare essentials and the love they have for one another. With lyrics like, “Well I will make the table into a bed. The candle is burning down, it’s time to rest. I can’t take back things already gone, but I could give you promises for keeps,” and Johnson’s peaceful pipes, this song will have lovers swooning.

 

9.” I Wanna Be Loved By You”- Marilynn Monroe: This song was made popular in the 1959 classic Some Like it Hot, which is one of my all time favorite movies, but we will save that for another list. “I Wanna be Loved by You,” embodies that giddy feeling that occurs when one falls in love. The bubbly big band in the background and the quirky quality of Monroe’s voice help to make this song a classic. With lyrics like, “I wanna be loved by you, just you, nobody else but you. I wanna be loved by you alone, boo boo bee doo,” sweethearts will be sure to know they are the only ones for each other.

 

8. “Somebody Loved”- The Weepies- The married couple Deb Talan and Steve Tannen make up the two-member folk group that sings the next ballad on my list. Talan’s eery voice and Tannen’s soothing acoustic guitar playing will sway listeners to snuggle up to one another. Not to mention, their lyrics about how they change each other for the better will surely stroke everyone’s soft spot. “Now my feet turn the corner back home. Sun turns the evening to rose. Stars turning high up above. You turn me into somebody loved.”

 

7. “The Luckiest”- Ben Folds: Before everyone knew Folds as a judge on NBC’s “The Sing-Off,” the rest of the world knew him as a superb song writer and a prime pianist. While Folds’ most famous tunes are more upbeat and show off his crazy piano chops, he can write a splendid love song as well. In this one, he sings about how he is the luckiest man in the world because the fates allowed him to meet his special someone. “In a white sea of eyes I see one pair that I recognize and I know that I am the luckiest. I love you more than I have ever found a way to say to you.”

 

6. “If Not For You”- Bob Dylan: Dylan is known for being one of the best song writers of our time, and for having the most poetic lyrics the music industry has known. Out of all of the famous Bob Dylan love songs, however, I picked this one for the simplicity of its lyrics. There is no feeling greater than being told a loved-one’s life would be nothing without you, and that is what Dylan says in this song in the clearest of terms. “If not for you my sky would fall. Rain would gather too. Without your love I’d be nowhere at all. I’d be lost if not for you. ”

By Bekah Landers

10. Notting Hill: This unconventional love story stars Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant. Roberts plays Anna Scott, an internationally famous American actress. While filming a movie in London she goes to a bookstore where she meets William Thacker, a star struck fan who Anna is very polite to. Their relationship wouldn’t progress any further than that, but they run into each other again, literally. William smacks into Anna in the middle of the street and spills his drink all over her. From then on, watch as the awkward couple’s love develops and both of their lives change forever. William and Anna’s love will fill you with joy this Valentine’s Day watch this with anyone, your mom oryour best friend, either way, this movie is one to make you smile.

9. You’ve Got Mail: This romantic story is a modern day twist of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Kathleen and Joe are business rivals.Kathleen owns a small bookstore and Joe is opening a giant chain store right down the road form Kathleen’s store. The two meet and hate each other instantly. Meanwhile, Kathleen begins an online romance with someone under the screen name NYC152 using AOL. Kathleen, ShopGirl, starts to really enjoy NYC152’scompany and starts to fall for the mysterious messenger. Little does she know,NYC152 is falling for her and NYC152 is actually Joe, the one man she despises.The two plan to meet but when Joe sees that Sally is actually his ShopGirl, he doesn’t show up as NYC152 to the date, he walks by Kathleen as plain Joe and they exchange a few harsh words and Joe leaves hurt. He still emails her because now, Joe really does have feelings for Kathleen. This movie will leave you questioning if Joe and Kathleen will ever get together. Watch to find out in this adorable romantic tale.

8. When Harry Met Sally: When Harry Met Sally tells how Harry believes that, “Men and Women can not be friends, even when the girls are unattractive.” Harry tells his theory to Sally while they drive, hardly knowing each other through mutual friends, to New York together after both needing a ride from Chicago. Sally thinks he is an idiot for thinking so and is even more enraged when Harry tells her that he thinks she is attractive. When they get to New York they go separate ways because they disagree so much. Five years later, they coincidentally meet on a plane and decide to be friends. But by the time the plane lands and they talk some more, they separate and decide that they will never become friends. Five years later, they run into each other at a book store in New York. They get coffee together and continue to talk and this time they really become friends, hanging out and talking on the phone just like any regular friendship. As they get closer, feelings grow stronger and then they start to be attracted to each other. They end up setting themselves up with their best friends and that doesn’t work out because the two friends end up getting married. At the dinner for the friends wedding, Harry and Sally have a fight and don’t speak for almost a year. At a New Years Eve party, Sally feels lonely without Harry and decides to leave, right as he shows up and tells her that he loves her. The two kiss and then, live happily ever after. This movie shows that, maybe men and women can’t be friends. Watch this movie and see for yourself!

7. Grease: The summer lovin’ movie will have you a blast. Follow Sandy and Danny as their love twists and turns to try and find what love they had over the summer. Sandy is a good girl who movies to Rydell High and gets sucked in with the wrong crowd. There she sees Danny, the boy she spent her summer head over heels for. Danny is the biggest greaser at Rydell and he is bad news for the sweet and innocent Sandy. But while Danny swears to never date the “goody good,” Sandy is swept up into a group called “The Pink Ladies” full of the bad girls that Danny likes.  Sandy can’t decide whether to follow her heart and be the one person who she would never be, or embrace the small rebel deep in her to win Danny back. This movie is perfect for someone in need of a change this Valentine’s Day.

6. Ever After: Although this movie is not as popular as the others, it is still no doubt incredibly romantic. Drew Barrymore and Angelica Huston star in the classic Cinderella story. Danielle,played by Barrymore, is independent, kind, and very wise. As a young child her Father, a great man, dies unexpectedly. She is then, of course, left to suffer with her Evil stepmother, Huston, and two “ugly stepsisters.” She is now left working as a slave with the people who helped her father raise her. While she is in the garden working, the Prince of France steals one of her horses and she hurls an apple at him, not knowing that he is the Prince. He apologizes and as soon as she realizes that he is the Prince, she drops to her feet and bows but he treats her with kindness and tells her to keep their encounter a secret.They meet again when Danielle takes on her mother’s name and acts as if she is of high society when she must beg for the return of one of the close servant friends she has after her stepmom sells the man. The Prince sees her again not knowing it is the same girl who threw an apple at him and is intrigued by her not fawning over him. She returns home with the servant and forgets about him…Until they meet again and he still thinks it is the “wealthy” version of Danielle. They spend time together and fall in love and on the night of a masquerade ball she plans to tell the Prince who she really is but before she can, her stepmom ruins it for her. He is taken aback and resents Danielle for lying to him as she runs off she leaves her shoe at the gate. What will happen of Danielle’s life after the tragic night? Does she end up as the new Princess?Well, you will have to watch this Valentine’s day to find out.

Old classics show new tricks

By Bekah Landers and Claire DeFrancisci

While walking through a movie theater it is expected to see posters for new and upcoming moveis, but lately it hasn’t been an unusual sight to see an older movie being re-released in 3D. Movies that people of all ages have grown up with are all becoming digitally enhanced and remastered in 3D. After the re-release of  “The Lion King” that raked in a whopping $94 million, Disney 3D decided to remake four more movies, one being “Beauty and the Beast”. Viewers have mixed opinions on whether or not they like the remakes of the childhood classics

“I don’t like the 3D aspect of it but I do like that they are re-releasing them because it gives younger kids a chance to them on the big screen,” said senior Claire Gapsis.

Others like the fact that the movies are able to be remastered.

“I like having the movies remade because it gives you a chance to see a classic in a new light,” said Great Escape Theaters employee junior Katelyn Rowe.

The 3D effects could go both ways with viewers but one staff member has the real reason as to why the movies are being re-released in the first place.

“They’re re-releasing them as a way to make money. 3D is like any other consumer product. They’re in business to make money so the best way to do that is not make a new movie, but take the old stuff and convert it into 3D,” said radio/TV teacher Tim Dench.

Using 3D does not expedite the process of making movies.

“It takes the same amount of time to convert it [a movie] into 3D as it does to make the movie,” said Dench.

Movies that are in the process of being re-released in 3D include “The Little Mermaid,” “Finding Nemo,” and “Titanic.”