Tag: 2001: A Space Odyssey

The Perfect Song for Every Film: “Walk of Life”

Walk of Life

Peter Salomone started out with a brilliant and simple premise about movie endings. His hypothesis: “‘Walk of Life‘ by Dire Straits is the perfect song to end any movie.” Spoiler alert: This post features the endings of several classic films.

Perhaps the truth of his hypothesis is an underlying assertion about the universality of human emotion. Or maybe “Walk of Life” is just so incredibly awesome. Is it really possible to improve The Godfather (1972)? Well, just add some Dire Straits.

Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights(1931) has one of the most perfect endings of any film, where the formerly blind woman recognizes the man who had once helped her. The only way to make it better is to add “Walk of Life.”

Were you confused at the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)? Well, it makes more sense if you think of the star child as Johnny coming along “singing oldies, goldies / Be, bop, a, lua, baby, what I say.”

And it works with more recent movies too, like 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road.

For more examples, check out the Walk of Life Project website, with its dedication and devotion, “Turning all the night time into the day.”

What film would you like to see added to the Walk of Life Project? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    “The Simpsons” Parody of Stanley Kubrick’s Films

    This week, The Simpsons ran its 25th “Treehouse of Horror” episode. One of the three segments in the show was “A Clockwork Yellow,” which spoofed films by director Stanley Kubrick. This clip includes references to A Clockwork Orange (1971), Eyes Wide Shut (1999), Full Metal Jacket (1987), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), and Barry Lyndon (1975). [2019 Update: Unfortunately the clip from “Treehouse of Horror XXV” is no longer available for embedding.]

    Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    10 Most Memorable Movie Edits

    CineFix has put together in one video what it calls the “10 Most Effective Editing Moments of All Time.” While one might argue whether the list includes the actual top ten, it is hard to argue that these clips — from movies like Godfather (1972), Battleship Potemkin (1925), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), and Psycho (1960) — are not at least among the best. I will not ruin which movie they chose as number one. Check it out.

    What movie do you think has the most memorable editing moment? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Montage of Movie Final Scenes

    In this short video, The Last Thing You See: A Final Shot Montage, Zach Prewitt has created a montage of final movie scenes. The video connects final shots by theme, creating a seamless video of wonderful moments in what Prewitt calls, “A meditation on the beautiful, cathartic, and transcendent power of the final shot.”

    The collection is divided into eight parts: Awakening/Creation, The Natural World, Youth, Love, The Journey, Triumph, Celebration, and Transcendence. It opens with scenes from The Tree of Life (2011) and Vanilla Sky (2001) and ends with scenes from 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and The Last Temptation of Christ (1988). Check it out.

    The music for the montage is “Gathering Storm” by Godspeed You! Black Emperor. For a complete list of movies, check out YouTube.

    What is your favorite final scene? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures (short review)

    stanley kubrick a life in pictures If you are a fan of director Stanley Kubrick, check out the documentary Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures (2001). Although the film does not feature interviews with the notoriously reclusive Kubrick, the late director’s voice comes through clips of his movies and through many people who knew and worked with Kubrick.

    I recently re-watched one of Kubrick’s early films, Paths of Glory (1957), the outstanding WWI film starring Kirk Douglas. Seeing it for the second time, I noticed many of the Kubrick touches in the camera angles and story themes and fell even deeper in love with the great film. I have always been a fan of Kubrick’s films, but watching Paths of Glory made me want to know more about the director, so I rented A Life in Pictures on Netflix.

    At 2 hours and 22 minutes, director Jan Harlan’s A Life in Pictures is not a lightweight overview of Kubrick’s career, but covers all of his movies with comments from many who worked with the director such as Jack Nicholson, Nicole Kidman, Malcolm McDowell, Steven Spielberg, and Tom Cruise, who narrates the film. Martin Scorsese, a director who is knowledgeable about film history, provides additional insight, as does Kubrick’s widow (who had a small but important role in Paths of Glory).

    The documentary covers films such as The Killing (1956), Spartacus (1960), Dr. Strangelove (1964), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), A Clockwork Orange (1971), The Shining (1980), Full Metal Jacket (1987), and Eyes Wide Shut (1999). I particularly enjoyed the insight and behind-the-scenes stories about the underrated and misunderstood Eyes Wide Shut. While A Life in Pictures may not change your views of the films or tell you exactly who Stanley Kubrick was, the documentary helps peel back a few layers to give you a greater appreciation of Kubrick’s works.

    Conclusion? Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures is an entertaining documentary about one of the great American directors that is worth your time if you have any interest in film history or in Kubrick’s films.

    What is your favorite Stanley Kubrick film? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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