Often I'll become attached to a soundtrack that is "inspired" or lifted from a horrible movie. Or I'll love the movie, love the soundtrack only to revisit the movie years later and discover that it ages worse than insert name of fading reality TV star here. ZING!Let's get Started:
#10. American Wedding
The series was played out half way through the first movie. I can still chuckle at the gang's raunchy exploits but I cringe more than smile. The soundtrack however is the perfect slice (yeah that's right, a pie pun) of New Millennium pop punk. You don't like Sugarcult, New Found Glory or Good Charlotte? I believe you. But at one time I bet you sang along. You did too. Don't worry, you couldn't help it. The songs are just that damn catchy. Throw in some Hot Action Cop and you can't miss. Melodies, crunchy guitars and nostalgia keep this soundtrack rotating in my iTunes.#9. P.S. I Love You
Look at all of her stupid hats. That should be reason enough to dislike the movie. I'll be honest, I never made it through the whole thing. I just couldn't. I was on a 12 hour plane ride, sharing headphones with my then-fiance now-wife and I chose to sit in silence and stare at the seat in front of me instead of watching this movie. I'm sure it has its merits but I'm also sure they are buried beneath a deep layer of "BLECK!" Paolo Nutini, Flogging Molly and the Pogues drew me to the soundtrack and while the majority of songs remind me of a love sick forty something sitting on the couch eating frozen cookie dough and watching Top Chef I kind of like it. Hell, for that reason I love it.
#8. m:i 2
Mission Impossible was one of my favorite movies as a kid. John Woo's caricature of a sequel nearly ruined that for me. I say nearly because on some level I still like the motorcycle-boxing, dove flying, exploding nonsense. Watching it now is more for laughs than thrills. I have an emotional attachment to this soundtrack so take this as you will. The summer this came out was also the summer that we sat in the basement and played Perfect Dark until our eyes bled. When I hear Metallica's I Disappear I think of deploying laptop gun turrets and sniping through walls with alien hardware. I don't really think about the Chimera virus. So yeah, ignore the Limp Bizkit and use the rest of the Nu Metal m:i 2 soundtrack to fuel a gaming session and see how well it suits you.
#7. Spiderman 3
Words cannot express how jazzed I was for this movie. I bit my then-girlfriend now-wife on the shoulder during Spiderman 2 because I couldn't contain my excitement. I knew for sure that on May 1st 2007, someone was leaving the theater after Spiderman 3 with teeth marks. I can't say I hated the movie. I still can't say I hate it. I love the Spiderman characters too much to not enjoy it on some level. I just remember watching it and thinking to myself "This isn't right." But when the credits rolled and I heard Snow Patrol's Signal Fire it almost made me forget about what had just happened. Add to that The Killers, Coconut Records, Wolfmother, Rogue Wave, The Flaming Lips and Chubby Checker and you've got an instantaneous summer playlist.#6. Funny People
I had high hopes for Funny People. I would have followed Judd Apatow into a screening of Gigli I trusted him so. But he abused that trust and tricked me into watching a two and a half hour soap opera populated by petty, deceptive and despicable human beings. I laughed. I didn't completely despise it. It was refreshing to watch Adam Sandler do something. I just can't get behind this thing. But James Taylor playing Carolina On My Mind and following his performance with "Fuck Facebook!" changed my mind about the soundtrack. 3/4 of the Beatles, Neil Diamond, Robert Plant, Warren Zevon give the soundtrack weight and substance and Andrew Bird and Coconut Records bring that emotionality into the modern age. I love these songs. That's right, love 'em.
Stick around, there's a very unpopular decision coming and one of the best violent montages ever yet to come in Part 2.
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