Songs (the short ones)

[kaytodd]

A related topic: I am bugged by a trend that I think started in the 1980's of having a pop song that is heard only during the closing credits of the film qualify for a Best Song Oscar. Usually the song's lyrics will have nothing to do with the film and no part of the song's melody is ever heard during the film itself. It is just a catchy and/or sappy song that happens to be playing over the closing credits of the film and had not been released or recorded before it appeared on the film soundtrack (I do not know the rules for a song to qualify for Best Song Oscar). I do not know if this was something that was commonly done before the 1980's. I always thought they would create some reason for the song to be heard during the film itself. Having it not be heard at all until the closing credits sounds like something fairly recent.

[dws1982]

Never saw Thank God It's Friday or The Prince of Egypt; I imagine they might contend.

Prince of Egypt isn't bad, for a Biblical cartoon. It's a lot better than many of the Disney animated films from that late-90's period, and as far as recent original song winning films go, I'd say it's definitely preferable to Tarzan, 8 Mile, and An Inconvenient Truth. The Red Sea sequence is impressive, and Ralph Fiennes (via voice-over) is worlds better than Yul Brynner in the Rameses role. It's not bad overall--especially for those, like me, who have a soft spot for Biblical epics--but not something you need to actively seek out either.

The winning song isn't anything great or awful (the film version is worlds better than the Carey/Houston version though; "Deliver Us" would've been the more deserving nominee from the film though)--Allison Moorer for "A Soft Place To Fall" would've been my choice.

[Mister Tee]

Funny, I was thinking about the songs this morning as well. I was trying to think what the worst movie with an Oscar winning song in it might have been. Off the top of my head I came up with Papa's Delicate Condition (1963) which featured Call Me Irresponsible. Anything worse?

You Light Up My Life was pretty unbearable (I'm guessing most people weren't as gullible as I, to actually see it). A Star is Born (the Streisand). Dr. Dolittle. Two turkeys from the 80s: White Nights and Top Gun.

Never saw Thank God It's Friday or The Prince of Egypt; I imagine they might contend.

[Big Magilla]

The theme from The High and the Mighty was only whistled except for a single print shown in an L.A. theatre during the qualifying period.

Funny, I was thinking about the songs this morning as well. I was trying to think what the worst movie with an Oscar winning song in it might have been. Off the top of my head I came up with Papa's Delicate Condition (1963) which featured Call Me Irresponsible. Anything worse?

[Mister Tee]

I have no way of testing such a thing, but there wasn't much to I Just Called to Say I Love You in The Woman in Red -- most of what became the hit record (the verses) didn't show up in the movie. (The same was true of Mrs. Robinson, but that wasn't nominated)

Mona Lisa was only snatches, too, as I recall, and in Italian.

[HarryGoldfarb]

Recently I was listening (and laughing at) Blame Canada, and it amazed me that it managed to grab a nod even though it lasts only for 1:36... I started to wonder what was the shortest song ever to be nominated for best song. Mi guess is Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo, which in its original film version last 42 seconds... any other song comes to mind in here?