Music has a way of creating a mood. Some even have characters and narrative stories that are inspirational and exciting.

Anyone have some ideas of songs that should adapted into films?

Here is a list of some I'd like to see:

Watching the Detectives - Elvis Costello
(A film noir crime story)

Narrow Escape - Ray Lamontagne
(Western)

Miami 2017 - Billy Joel
(Science Fiction Action)

Veronica - Elvis Costello
(Romantic Comedy)

Watching You Without me - Kate Bush
(Supernatural Thriller)

Anything by Harry Chapin.  He didn't write songs; he wrote stories and put them to music.


Phil

It appears as if our song choices have given away are ages.
I am not ashamed to have lived at a time when music was interesting.

Quoted from dogglebe Anything by Harry Chapin.

I’ve always thought Taxi had a terrific story behind it and would make an awesome drama.

I would like to see a film version of anything by Leonard Cohen, like The Stranger or Waiting For The Miracle.

Also, the song Brandy by Looking Glass. I’ve always thought that was a beautiful and sad story that would make a good movie. I love movies that make me cry and the song Brandy has always made me sad.


Breanne

I believe the Sean Penn directed film "The Indian Runner" was based on Thunder Road by Springsteen.

"Bring Your Daughter to the Slaughter" -- Iron Maiden. ;D

Quoted from Breanne Mattson I’ve always thought Taxi had a terrific story behind it and would make an awesome drama.

Harry Chapin also wrote a sequel to Taxi, called...well...called Sequel.  It tells what happens ten years later when Harry and Sue meet up again.


Phil

Jim Croce songs are very cinematic also.

I'd like to see Rush's 2112 done up right, maybe Red Barchetta while they're at it.

Mastodon's Blood and Thunder would be cool, and pretty much any old school Slayer is a horror movie waiting to happen...South of Heaven, Reigning Blood, take your pick, they're all good in an evil sort of way...

I know I’m probably going to take a bashing for liking Electric Light Orchestra but they had a little known concept album in the early 80s called Time and I always thought it was an intriguing story. It was a sci-fi story about a time traveler who goes to the future and can’t find the woman he loves. She’s moved on. He can’t find her anywhere and he can’t go back in time.

The future’s very different and he gets lonely because the people have become a lot more emotionless. He tries to have an affair with a robot woman and stuff but, despite all the fantastic future advancements, he misses his love and gets really homesick.

Yes, it’s a very techno sound (which was popular at the time) but I always found the story strangely sad and intriguing. I think the story would make a good animated feature.


Breanne

Black Holed Sun - Soundgarden
Fast Car - Tracy Chapman

Quoted from Breanne Mattson I would like to see a film version of anything by Leonard Cohen, like The Stranger or Waiting For The Miracle.

I love Leonard Cohen. I know NBK was not about any of his songs, but "waiting for a miracle" and "the future" were both in that movie.

Btw, the beginning of NBK was one of the best movie beginnings ever IMHO and the music was a big part.  :)

Quoted from tomson I love Leonard Cohen. I know NBK was not about any of his songs, but "waiting for a miracle" and "the future" were both in that movie. Btw, the beginning of NBK was one of the best movie beginnings ever IMHO and the music was a big part.  :)

Yeah, I knew about that. And I agree that the NBK / Leonard Cohen song was a highlight. I thought NBK started off good but got lost somewhere and turned to crap.

Have you seen Exotica? It’s got Cohen’s Everybody Knows playing several times throughout. I love that movie - though it’s not for everyone.


Breanne

No I haven't seen it, but I will try to now. :-)

Btw, off topic, but, am I the only one that thinks a lot of Jewish men have amazingly sexy voices? Some of them are just amazingly deep and smooth...

Ok, I'm weird. I already know...

Anything by Bread would make good material for a movie.  

'Everything I own' is a song about losing one's father.

'Diary' is about a guy who finds his girlfriend's diary.  In it he reads that she had finally found the love she was looking for only to discover that the love she was referring to was for someone else other than him.  He ends up wishing them happiness anyway.  

Regina Spektor - Daniel Cowman

A psychedelic drug movie directed by Terry Gilliam.

On the day that Daniel Cowman stopped existing
the world should have ended right then and there
at precisely four-fifteen when he stopped existing
the world should have ended
How could it go on?
How could it go on?
How could it go on?

Oh and I don't exist
I don't exist.

So now that we've got that straight
doesn't mean that I can fly
doesn't mean that I can go do whatever I want.
Now that we've got that clear
and you know that I'm not here
doesn't mean that I can go do whatever I please.

The premature ejaculation of his death
(something) hit Daniel in the face like a big round spitball hwk-pfffff.
And everything got hazy in the courtroom and then he stood up
and then he sat back down another two times in the row.
And everything got real slow like a gunshot in the movies
and he remembered heroin boy walking in through the door
bouncing off the walls and the floor
taking off his belt taking off his pants
filling up the bathtub
getting ready to go in for a swim.
Singing I don't exist
I don't exist

and you start remembering and remembering and remembering
and remembering…

The heroin boy, he walked through the door,
and he was screaming
and I was like 'why's you screaming like it's the end of the world?'
and he was like 'well it is.'
and I was sitting in the corner with my pants down
and I was sure that someone next door was blowing up balloons
and it was red and orange.

And there was that swell lady at the bar just tryin to buy gin
and there was this other lady at the bar and she was tryin to sell gin
It worked out good for the boths of them.

And heroin boy started taking off his belt,
started taking off his pants,
started taking off his shoes
started filling up the bathtub
getting ready to go in for a swim
I says "No-o.
You're goin to drown.
he says 'No,
I can't drown.
Simply because…

shhhhhhh.

A man destined to hang
Can never drown,
a man destined to hang
can never drown,
a man destined to hang
can never ever drown.

A man destined to drown
can never burn,
a man destined to drown
can never burn,
a man destined to drown
can never ever burn.

A man destined to fry
can never ever ever
a man destined to fry
can never ever ever
a man destined to fry
can never ever ever die…

in any other way but frying,
lucky that I'm dying
by hanging and not drowning.

So now that we've got that straight
can't I just be left alone?
I want to take a fuckin' bath.

Quoted from mgj Anything by Bread would make good material for a movie.

I perfectly agree with you mgj.

Some country music songs could be perfect too to build a movie around. I particulary think about "I Hate Everything" by George Strait or "I don't even know your name" by Alan Jackson.

Maybe, as a Frenchman, am I too weird to like this kind of music?

Michel 8)

I've always thought the Beautiful South song "Woman in the Wall" would make a good short story.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=SyO_hTq_pX4 (sorry about the sound but it is the only version I can find)

Quoted Text He was just a social drinker but social every night He enjoyed a pint or two or three or four She was just a silent thinker, silent every night He'd enjoy the thought of killing her before Well he was very rarely drunk but very rarely sober And he didn't think the problem was his drink But he only knew his problem when he knocked her over And when the rotting flesh began to stink Cry freedom for the woman in the wall Cry freedom for she has no voice at all I hear her cry all day, all night I hear her voice from deep within the wall Made a cross from knitting needles Made a grave from hoover bags Especially for the woman in the wall She'd knitted him a jumper with dominoes on So he wore it everyday in every week Pretended to himself that she hadn't really gone Pretended that he thought he heard her speak Then at last it seemed that he was really winning He felt that he had some sort of grip But all of his new life was sent a-spinning When the rotting wall began to drip

Quoted from michel Maybe, as a Frenchman, am I too weird to like this kind of music? Michel 8)

Nah, you ain't wierd. Listen to anything you like.