Round 2, Block 1, Matchup 70
#25 Best That You Can Do (Arthur)
VS.
#89 Against All Odds (Against All Odds)
#25 Best That You Can Do (Arthur)
#89 Against All Odds (Against All Odds)
Round 2, Block 1, Matchup 71
#9 The Godfather
VS.
#56 You Know My Name (Casino Royale)
#9 The Godfather.
#56 You Know My Name (Casino Royale)
Round 2, Block 1, Matchup 72
#105 Vertigo
VS.
#41 Dueling Banjos (Deliverance)
#105 Vertigo.
#41 Dueling Banjos (Deliverance)
Some tough ones here.
I like Ghostbusters and Stayin’ Alive both quite a bit, but ultimately Stayin’ Alive’s use seems like a bigger value-add to its movie, so it gets my vote. And that is not to say that Ghostbusters’s title track isn’t significant to its movie also, because it is.
I had to shrug and go with Vertigo over the excellent Dueling Banjos because Vertigo’s is actually a theme rather than an iconic song associated with a movie.
Arthur’s Theme vs. Against All Odds being a second-round matchup while Schindler’s List is already bounced out of the tourney is…yeah. I’m not mad that Psycho won, I’ll surely be voting for it a lot now in future blocks, but dammit that was an awful first-round draw.
Arthur’s Theme is perfect. Against All Odds is the theme song of my youthful heartache (side by side with Romeo and Juliet by Dire Straits). I don’t think I can choose.
Close your eyes
and go to sleep
Round 2, Block 1 Justifications
Dangerous Minds vs. Crimson Tide-It’s always a little less fun doing these writeups beyond Round 1, because I’ve already said plenty about most of these songs. For this matchup, I guess I just gotta enjoy playing the two songs. Even though I had a hard time moving Coolio’s car when he was recording the album that included Fantastic Voyage, feeling bad about that won’t be enough to push him over Crimson Tide. He was right, I was driving it a little hard. Wow, it is super impressive that so many of you are trying to bounce a final 4 contender. I get it, Hans is kind of like Duke. But as much as I love Coolio, this is absurd but also quite funny. Hahahahans Zimmer.
Da Vinci Code vs. Braveheart-Holy s*it, Hans is having a bad day on here. I don’t know why I’m reminded of Syracuse in March Madness but somehow I am. Will his last chance to take down this competition also get bounced? I guess we’ll see. Braveheart for me here.
Indiana Jones vs. The Exorcist-I didn’t really think anyone could seriously succeed Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones believably, but I recently found a contender in Brandon Sklenar from 1923. I think he could pull it off and it’s even a bit funny to me that he’s in a show with Ford, even though they’ve yet to share a second of screen time. This is an easy win for Indiana Jones over The Exorcist for me, even though as I said before this not among my favorite Williams themes.
Jurassic Park vs. Blade Runner-I am not listening to Blade Runner Blues again. It is too long and does nothing for me. Jurassic Park takes this easily for me.
Ghostbusters vs. Stayin’ Alive-I’m trying to do my part in bouncing Bee Gees but apparently some of you think Bee Gees are too bouncing to do that. I disagree. I found an interesting story about that song worth sharing. It wasn’t really written for the movie (conceived without seeing any footage) and was more intended to be about the struggles of survival people face in scary old NYC in 1977. No one killed them during their music video shoot, after what I’m sure was a large increase in noise pollution in the areas they shot, so it must not have been that bad.
Arthur vs. Against All Odds-Arthur.
The Godfather vs. Casino Royale-Just for LKJ, I will pick The Godfather this round.
Vertigo vs. Deliverance-Even though my mentor was an incredible banjo player who once played with The New Christy Minstrels, Vertigo is my preference by a long way here.
Round 2, Block 2, Matchup 73
#4 Lose Yourself (8 Mile)
VS.
#61 Lord of the Rings
#4 Lose Yourself (8 Mile).
#61 Lord of the Rings
Round 2, Block 2, Matchup 74
#29 Knocking on Heaven’s Door
VS.
#93 The Shining
#29 Knocking on Heaven’s Door.
#93 The Shining
Round 2, Block 2, Matchup 75
#13 The Last of the Mohicans
VS.
#77 Eastbound and Down (Smokey and the Bandit)
#13 The Last of the Mohicans.
#77 Eastbound and Down (Smokey and the Bandit)
Round 2, Block 2, Matchup 76
#20 Rocky
VS.
#45 Jaws
#20 Rocky.
#45 Jaws
Round 2, Block 2, Matchup 77
#5 Inception - Time
VS.
#60 Sherlock Holmes
#5 Inception - Time.
#60 Sherlock Holmes
Round 2, Block 2, Matchup 78
#28 Can You Hear the Music (Oppenheimer)
VS.
#92 Austin Powers
#28 Can You Hear the Music (Oppenheimer)
#92 Austin Powers
Round 2, Block 2, Matchup 79
#12 The Good the Bad and the Ugly
VS.
#53 Fame (Fame)
#12 The Good the Bad and the Ugly.
#53 Fame (Fame)
Round 2, Block 2, Matchup 80
#108 Star Trek TMP
VS.
#85 Superfly
#108 Star Trek TM.
#85 Superfly
Rocky vs. Jaws? you have got to be kidding me.
Round 2, Block 2 Justifications
8 Mile vs. Lord of the Rings-In a battle of two themes that do nothing for me, I choose Lord of the Rings. Choose better drums next time Eminem or be against something ridiculous if you want a chance at my vote again.
Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid vs. The Shining-I don’t care about this matchup either, so I’m going with The Shining.
The Last of the Mohicans vs. Smokey and the Bandit-I confess I’m not going to be listening to some of these songs again, either because I know them well enough or don’t like them well enough to sit through them again. That’s the case on both ends here. I’m picking Smokey and the Bandit.
Rocky vs. Jaws-Would Jaws be able to take Rocky in a fight or would Rocky just end up a barely alive bloody mess? I don’t know, unless the competition is theme music related. There would be no rematch in a music competition because the Jaws theme ate Rocky, unless there is some poor voting going on.
Inception vs. Sherlock Holmes-Well Hans finally won a matchup in the 2nd round…vs. himself. His now best chance at winning has stayed alive even longer than Bee Gees in that music video. Inception.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly vs. Fame-I did end up watching TGTBATU. It’s a pretty good movie with a lot of great visuals. It even had a second song make it into the zeitgeist. The bridge scene was spectacular, and I was marveling at how much that scene must have cost and how intense the choreography must have been. Frankly, though, the movie was way too long exacerbated by Pluto turning it into a 4 hour epic with commercials. How good are the other ones in comparison? As for Fame, it didn’t get a good enough matchup to move on for me.
Oppenheimer vs. Austin Powers-Quincy wins it for me.
Star Trek vs. Superfly-It is agony to pick against my own nominee, the great Curtis Mayfield, but that is what I have to do here. The Star Trek theme is too iconic and fitting for the movie for me to pick against.
I assumed I would be voting Rocky, but that was probably the first time I’ve listened to the entire Jaws theme and it’s really awesome.
Fame vs whatever, I’ve got to stick with my theater people and vote Fame.
The only Fame I acknowledge.
