Music makes the movie

Oftentimes when discussing and/or critiquing cinema, many casual filmgoers, and yes, even critics such as myself, overlook the importance of music in relation to the overall enjoyment of a flick.\nModern cinema is nothing without music, and to keep this column concise, I'll focus primarily upon the influence of rock and pop within film. Sound isn't quite as important as the visual, but it's awfully damned close. When used properly, a piece of music can convey emotionally or thematically what not even the deftest of shot selections or an actor at the top of his or her game can in a pivotal scene. \nWith Eminem's big-screen debut in Curtis Hanson's "8 Mile," scoring a $50 million-plus opening, this relationship is more pertinent than ever. Despite being a rapper, Slim Shady is the closest thing many of us have to the modern day incarnation of a bona fide defiant rock star. \nMany of today's most admired auteurs gained their notoriety through impeccable rock selections. Just look at Wes Anderson. In the six years since his brilliant yet unheralded debut, "Bottle Rocket," he has become the college cult filmmaker de jour (yes, even supplanting fanboy favorite Kevin Smith). Serio-comedic gems such as "Rushmore" (1998) and last year's "The Royal Tenenbaums" did wonders in solidifying this reputation, as did his inspired use of mostly British Invasion-era rock. \nI mean, what other filmmaker has used the Rolling Stones better than this guy? Whether it be through the inclusion of "2000 Man" at the climax of "Bottle Rocket," Max Fisher's (Jason Schwartzman) unwavering lust for Miss Cross (Olivia Williams) being conveyed through the muted strings of "I Am Waiting" in "Rushmore," or Richie Tenenbaum (Luke Wilson) and his adoptive sister, Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow) making out in a tent to "She Smiled Sweetly" and "Ruby Tuesday" in "Tenenbaums," Anderson has done much to make Mick, Keith and the rest of the Stones proud. Also, Anderson's use of Elliot Smith's "Needle in the Hay" in "Tenenbaums" and the Kinks' "Nothin' in the World Can Stop Me Worryin'…" in "Rushmore," serve as some of the best implementations of rock in films of the last 10 years, if not of all time.\nThe relationship between rock and film has been cemented most clearly in the works of former Rolling Stone journalist Cameron Crowe, and most especially in his semi-autobiographical flick "Almost Famous" (2000). He's one of the few, if not the only, to score Led Zeppelin tracks for the soundtrack of his film (the use of Zep's "Tangerine" in the waning moments of "Famous" is sheer genius). And rarely has rock fueled cinema in such a direct manner as it did during the sing-along of Elton John's "Tiny Dancer" in "Famous" (slightly reminiscent of the equally cool, narrative-breaking, sing-along of Aimee Mann's "Wise Up" from Paul Thomas Anderson's "Magnolia," released one year prior). Or in John Cusack's serenade via boom box of Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" from Crowe's first feature, "Say Anything" (1989). \nAlso, Crowe's film, "Singles" (1992), helped usher in the early '90s wave of Seattle-based grunge music, as it was released within a year of Pearl Jam's Ten and Nirvana's Nevermind -- both seminal works of the genre. The only misstep Crowe's ever made in merging rock and film was to pass Tom Cruise off as a Radiohead fan in "Vanilla Sky" (2001) -- the man's still in braces for chrissakes!\nThe relationship between rock and cinema is a long-standing one. Simon and Garfunkel helped make Mike Nichols' "The Graduate" (1967) what it is today (a cultural milestone, not to mention one of this critic's favorite flicks of all-time), as they both performed and Simon wrote much of that film's music. \nPop maestro Burt Bacharch composed the music for George Roy Hill's classic western "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969). Remember folks: this is a man cool enough to later collaborate with geek rock god, Elvis Costello, and to star in not one, not two, but three "Austin Powers" flicks. \nBut the correlation of rock and film has become most prominent in the past 10 years or so. Aside from both Andersons and Crowe, there are numerous other directors who've further forged this relationship. Aussie filmmaker Baz Luhrmann reinvented the big-screen musical (usually a breeding ground for boredom) with last year's surprise hit, "Moulin Rouge," using a template that was distinctly rock. \nAnd just try to imagine Scorsese's best film, "Goodfellas" (1990), without its concluding montage set to Derek and the Dominos' "Layla." Or for that matter, Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" (1994) minus Chuck Berry's "You Never Can Tell" during that flick's beloved dance number. \nTake it from me, kids. I'm a dude well in the know so far as both music and movies go. After all, I'm the same guy who actually requested to review "Ballistic: Ecks Vs. Sever" this semester and bought a $50 ticket to, and traveled ungodly hours for, a Guns 'N' Roses show. And yes, I'm the same guy who, in his own misdirected leanings as a wannabe filmmaker, hopes to someday shoot a love scene set to either the Stones' "Wild Horses" or Neil Young's "Harvest Moon," or better yet, introduce a flashy black character via Berry's "Brown Eyed Handsome Man." Pretty pretentious, huh? \nDespite my own sordid idiocies, I think I've really stumbled onto something with this (probably obvious) correlation between rock and film. If you haven't seen the aforementioned flicks, what are you doing? Rent, borrow, rape and pillage -- do what you must to see these cultural artifacts of the none-too-distant past. You'll be cooler for having done so, and that in essence, that's what both film and rock are all about.