Friday, July 24, 2009

Under My Covers, Vol. 4 (Garden State edition)

*So I usually try not to double post on a day, but hey -- first time for everything, right?

*Also, this post is going to be all over the place emotion wise.

So as much as I consider myself knowledgeable in music, I also consider myself somewhat of a movie buff. However, there are still some great movies out there that I haven't seen. Until tonight, one of those movies was Garden State.

I liked it. I think if I would have saw it at a time when everyone else saw it, I would have it up there in my top 10. But as of right now, I can't budge any movies out of there. To me, a really good movie is when I am still thinking about it afterward and this was one of those.

First off, I want to say that I am convinced that the girl I fall for and ultimately be with is someone who shares my taste in music and I find out and immediately become attracted. That is kinda what happened with the Norah chick. I was falling for her because of her playlist, hence the blog nickname. But the scene where Zach Braff meets Natalie Portman and she tells him to listen to the Shins, oh man, I probably would have asked her to marry me right there. I'm not a huge Shins fan or anything, but for a girl to do that is match made in Heaven material.

I related to some of the deep scenes in this movie. Like, the very beginning when it looked like the plane was crashing and he was just all calm. It reminded me of the scene in Fight Club when he prayed for a plane crash. Sometimes, I am just driving and my mind drifts to what would happen if I got in a wreck right at that moment. I know it sounds really weird, but these thoughts come to my head sometimes so it felt good to relate in a way. It's crazy because whether facing a wreck or a plane crashing (i have those images whenever I go to visit Cali) for some reason I am calm about it as well. I'm not ready to die or anything, far from it, but I guess it's just one of those "what are you gonna do about it" kinda things. Also, the scene where he is talking with his dad and he says something along the lines of "we don't have to be happy, we can just be ok being what we are" it made me think of me and my dad's relationship. We have never had that closeness that some father and sons have had, but in the past year or two we have gotten, not closer, but better. And I related somewhat because I think we are both reaching a point where we are ok with being ok.

My only gripe about the movie was at the very end. I liked the scene for what it was, but for the first time in any movie (or wonderfully fantastic tv show) I felt like Braff overacted. When he was talking to her on the steps and when he got her from the phone booth, it was hard to buy into it. But I still liked it. I just wish he would have toned it down a bit.

But of course, what did I like most about the movie? The soundtrack. I mean, the first song was a Coldplay track. For those of you who don't know, Taking Back Sunday and Coldplay alternate between my number 1 and number 2 favorite positions (A Rush of Blog to the Head is a reference to a Coldplay track). But then there was more great music throughout the movie, which prompts today's covers. That's right, two covers.

1) Such Great Heights -- This song was played in the second half of the movie and it was the Iron and Wine version. The original is by the Postal Service on a cd that brings back memories of freshman year of college for me. I love it because both versions are both so different, but sound so great.

Original version by The Postal Service

Cover version by Iron and Wine

2) We Will Become Silhouettes -- Ok, so this song wasn't in the movie. However, the above song was originally by The Postal Service and so is the one below and the cover is by the only band name dropped in the movie -- The Shins. Once again, both versions are different (though, not AS different -- one is just more acoustic). But both, once again, are great.

Original version by The Postal Service

Cover version by The Shins




So there's that.




Random lyric of the day:

We live in a beautiful world,
Yeah we do, yeah we do,
We live in a beautiful world,
Oh, we're sinking like stones,
All that we fought for,
All those places we've gone,
All of us are done for.

18 comments:

  1. garden state is one of my top five favourite movies of all time.
    the soundtrack is fabulous so big ups to you mr o for bringing this to the world's attention.
    i understand that the point of under covers series is to compare remakes with the original but i can completely recommend an original track on the soundtrack: let go by 'frou frou'. it's beautiful and imogen heap has a new album out in a few weeks (yay!).
    oh, and (because i have no other medium in which to say this without sounding like a wanker, i met peter sarsgaard (who plays mark in garden state) and his wife (the equally fab maggie gylenhall) and daughter)) a few weeks ago as we were all staying at the same hotel. great people :)

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  2. Same taste ain't everything. My fella is incredibly obsessed with music, and we had very very different tastes at the outset of our relationship.

    This entry reminded me of this essay on the Manic Pixie Dream Girl and music - you might find it interesting.

    http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-07-20/indie-dream-girls/

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  3. I LOVE Garden State. Growing up in that state I'll just say that it is eerily acurate. The movie is pretty much what Jersey kids do when they are bored.

    Most people who aren't from NJ don't like the movie to much. So kudos to you for liking it! It has a very cultesque (I make up my own words) following here.

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  4. I loveeee Garden State, for a movie to be great and have a great soundtrack, that's like amazingly awesome!

    “What do you do? You laugh. I’m not saying I don’t cry, but in between I laugh and I realize how silly it is to take anything too seriously.” Love that quote! Now I have to go watch Garden State again. Luckily I have it on my iPod and can watch it between swings while I'm golfing today.

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  5. I LOVE this film. The only reason I saw it was because of the soundtrack..pretty much all of my fav bands and sonmgs. You've missed off the best song in the whole flim though:

    Frou Frou - Let Go (check it out on youtube with the garden state video someone has made)

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  6. I love this movie- but it's mostly due to the soundtrack. I adore the Postal Service and have heard both versions of both songs here.

    I also love Iron and Wine and to be honest, I don't know which version I like better.

    Once again, you have me thinking that I need to revisist some old favorite music of mine! Thanks!

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  7. @sas:
    i'm glad you got the whole cover thing, because I probably could have analyzed the whole thing track by track, it seemed that good. But I'm glad you (and miss H) said something about Frou Frou because that was one of those songs that I had heard somewhere before and when I heard it in the movie I was really feeling it. But awesome story about meeting the movie stars. Since i've only seen him in this film, I would have been more excited to see Maggie Gylenhall, haha, but probably because she had scenes with Heath Ledger...

    @RMJ:
    you're right, it's not. Differences are good too because you learn new things. But if we were different on everything else except music I would be good. Will check out the article soon

    @Natalie:
    yea, i'm pretty sure I decided to watch it after seeing it in people's homes (like yours) and making up your own words is as cool as making up your own blog awards (by the way, it would make me super happy to get a one of your awards one day

    @jeanette:
    great movie + great soundtrack doesn't come around too often. But when it does, it's golden. Good luck with your golf game/movie time

    @Miss H:
    Like I said to sas, if I was going through the entire soundtrack this would have been up there. I did go to youtube right after your comment though. But yea, there could be a whole post about the songs featured in the movie...

    @Lola:
    adore the Postal Service? That's my kind of blogger. Thanks for weighing in with your opinion. I think this is one edition where it is truly hard to pick a better version. Hope you have a fun time reminiscing;)

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  8. Sorry, another random question for you Mr. O! I do quite adore the Postal Service and wanted to know your favorite song. Mine's Nothing Better (which thanks to you I re-listened to and now have had to listen to several more times!)

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  9. The Garden State sound track just popped up on my ipod. Just had to come comment. Love it all!

    Zero Seven - In the Waiting Line (It's one of my favorites on the album.

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  10. @Lola:
    never apologize, random questions make the world go round. It's tough though because the whole cd is good. But can I give you a top 3 in no particular order?

    1) Nothing Better (personal reasons)

    2) Clark Gable (first song I was introduced to)

    3) The District Sleeps Alone (probably just because when I hear it, I know the cd is starting)

    Don't tell anybody, but I think you are starting to become one of my favorite commenters ;)

    @Natalie:
    it's fate. I think I am going to have to check out the whole cd. I will get on that

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  11. I loved this Under My Covers post, Mr O. You know from poking around inside my, um, house this week that I'm rather a fan of that movie, so I'm glad to see that you liked it too, even though it wasn't an instant favourite. It definitely has one of the best film soundtracks ever.

    LOVED your choice of cover songs! I'm a huge fan of Iron & Wine, so naturally I think I lean more toward their lullaby-like version of 'Such Great Heights'. That said, I really like The Postal Service, and it's pretty hard to fault the energy of the original. As for 'We Will Become Silhouettes', I have to call this one a tie. It was just too hard to choose.

    Can't wait to get back under your covers next time...

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  12. mr o - peter sarsgaad was also in jarhead (with the other gylenhall) :)

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  13. hey I SERIOUSLY appreciate you taking the time to give me some music to listen to.

    I really liked the manchester orchestra wolves one especially, that was awesome!

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  14. lol I'm with the other ladies ... I love that film, it's so cool, I only saw it by accident but sat there gripped, and the soundtrack is just perfect.

    If somebody made a film of my life, I would want it to be just like that (with Audrey Tautou playing me :P)

    I actually loved both songs and their covers, I'm a bit of an Iron & Wine fan but had no idea that was a cover.

    I'm really liking these Mr O, mainly because I've not even heard of alot of the bands you mention, it's a great way to discover new music :)

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  15. Garden State is one of my fav movies...but I love the soundtrack even more than the film. It is so addictive! You might also like the soundtrack to "Wicker Park"...I could listen to either soundtrack on repeat and never get sick of them. :)

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  16. @the girl:
    ya know, in all my "musical knowledge", this is the only song I know by Iron and Wine. Apparently from yours and others comments I need to get into them. And ties are always good, thank you for your opinion

    @sas:
    i don't know if you are still coming back to this haha, but if I'm not mistaken he is in the new Orphan movie. When I saw it I was like "sas and I are having a nice lil convo about this guy right now" haha

    @Mr C:
    any comment is a good comment, no matter where it is

    @GI:
    1) I need to google Audrey Tatou

    2) I feel like these things are doing a service, now that you know it's a cover

    3) your very last comment was very nice, thank you. When I struggle with pushing publish thinking "does anyone even care about this" those lines are going to pop into my head. Thank you again

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  17. @Lisa:
    you are the second person to tell me about the Wicker Park soundtrack. I may need to check that out. And I hope you check out other Under My Covers as well.

    Welcome my little blogspot!

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  18. Garden State is one of favorite movies of ALL time and I am I LOVVVVVE with the soundtrack. Such Great Heights is a great song and I'll listen to the original when I'm not working ;)

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