Hey, what's up, everyone? I completely done goofed yesterday and forgot to upload this week's edition, so in penance I'm giving you a special edition: songs from classic movie soundtracks. 

We'll kick it off with a jaunty, happy tune from one of the greatest, most memorable, and most emotionally satisfying comedies of the last fifty years: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987). This song by legendary blues/jazz/country singer Ray Charles is featured in one of the movie's most iconic scenes, the car wreck scene, which results in the near destruction of the protagonist's car (bit of trivia--when they're stopped by a police officer, John Candy's character quips "The dashboard melted, but we still had the radio," a line which was later incorporated into the Modest Mouse song "Dashboard.") This is "Mess Around" by Ray Charles. 

And the scene: 

Next up we have a song that was featured previously in a past edition of this medley, but which is good enough to play again, mostly because of how much I love the film it's most associated with. Predator (1990) is the quintessential scifi action movie. It has everything: big guns, heavily muscled action stars (Ahnold at his finest), a jungle locale, and of course an alien monster that skins people alive. I think that's what's so enduring about Predator is that it takes characters who in any other movie would be untouchable badasses protected by twelve steel inches of character-armor and puts them in the crosshairs of a hidden, implacable menace. This song by rock and roll great Lil Richard is from an early scene, before the fireworks really begin. This is "Long Tall Sally." 

And the scene: 

I couldn't very well have this edition without including perhaps the most memorable scene-song pairing in recent cinematic history. When you think of Quentin Tarantino, there's probably a lot of emotions that come up, whether you're a fan or a detractor. Certainly the more time goes by I find myself utterly without patience for the man. Still, it's hard to deny that the man can put a movie together, especially in his early work such as Reservoir Dogs (1992). The song we're looking at now is innocent enough, but becomes chilling and unnerving when paired with a scene of brutal, sadistic torture. This is "Stuck in the Middle With You" by Steeler's Wheel. 

And the scene: 

Last up we have a bit of a curiosity of a film, one that by virtue of its oddness and inherent charm quickly became a cult classic. Donnie Darko (2001) has the look and feel of a late 1980s teen high school drama, although it was made at the dawn of the 21st century. In actuality it becomes a kind of supernatural parody of the genre, but in terms of its soundtrack, the sound is dead on point. This song by iconic 80s group Tears for Fears is played near the beginning, and sets the tone for the rest of the film.