The right pop song can take a good sequence and make it iconic (“Layla” in Goodfellas) or even be used as the main focus of a scene itself (“Day-o” in Beetlejuice). But can a single song inspire a great movie?
Yes, yes it can. And here are five Shining (wink) examples - Halloween style:
“Wolfman Jack” - Todd Rundgren
Tagline: Radio host by day, ferocious wolf by night!
Brief Synopsis: Dr. Jack Wolfe (not a real doctor, played by Stacey Keach) is the host of the popular daytime dating advice radio show. One night, on a full moon, the doctor was taking a stroll in the park when he was suddenly struck by LIGHTNING turning him into a ferocious Werewolf!!! Every full moon the symptoms get worse and worse. Things get tricky when Wolfe is promoted to prime time, 8pm… caller 13 will win a date… with DEATH!
“Halloweenhead” - Ryan Adams
Tagline: He’s a head of the game… the game of KILLING.
Brief Synopsis: Matthew Sweenstien is the village nerd of a small town in Delaware who gets bullied by just about everyone (even the old ladies make fun of him when he walks past the nursing home from school). That is, until one fateful Halloween night when he eats a magical Snickers bar from 1930 that turns him into a horrendous Halloween head monster. Tonight, Sweenstien’s revenge is full steam ahead!
"Runnin with the Devil" - Van Halen
Tagline: Don’t forget to stretch.
Brief Synopsis: Billy Crystal (in the 1980’s) has a dream to be a professional marathon runner, but he’s just too damn slow. He’s tried everything under the sun to improve, but he hasn’t tried... what’s under the earth. Though now on the fast track to Olympic legend, Billy couldn’t foresee the painstaking agony he’d have to go through after striking a deal with the DEVIL. And this ain’t a problem he can just… run away from.
“The Killing Moon” - Echo & the Bunnymen
Tagline: The moon doesn’t wait for love.
Brief Synopsis: In a sleepy suburban town, young lovers begin to disappear every full moon. What can it be? A serial killer? Terrorists? The Government? No… there’s one scientist who doesn’t play by the rules (obviously Nicholas Cage) with a crazy theory and the guts to fly into space and take on America’s greatest enemy… THE MOON.
“Ghostbusters” - Ray Parker, Jr.
Tagline: I am not concerned about ghosts.
Brief Synopsis: A Dave & Busters finds itself the center of unexplained phenomena when skee-ball machines start firing balls everywhere and the Big Buck Hunter game starts hunting people. Local scientist and avid arcade goer, John Ghost (also played by Nick Cage), believes the spooky occurrences may be due to a surge in paranormal activity. With nowhere else to turn, John assembles a motley crew of spectral investigators - the GhostStoppers!
All of these films coming to a theater near you, Fall 2018. Happy Halloween everyone!
