Tag Archives: Kill Bill Vol. 1
Sound & Motion Pictures: great duel scenes
As my first entry of 2016 in my Sound & Motion Pictures series I decided to revisit great combination of music with duel/fighting scenes. Sometimes it is the music itself that make all the difference and changes a rather normal fight in something more, other times it just underline the tension of the images or the combination of the two is so perfect that you cannot really tell what makes the scene special. Here’s my list of favorites, hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
1) Colonel Mortimer vs. Indio – La Resa Dei Conti, Ennio Morricone (1965)
There are many great duels in Sergio Leone’s oeuvre but this is my all time favorite. The chime is so haunting and from a device of hideous sport becomes a means of retribution. Ennio Morricone strikes again!
2) The Bride vs. O-ren Ishii – Please Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood, Santa Esmeralda (1977)
This is Tarantino’s version of a Leone’s duel with oriental flavour, on the notes of a very up-beat cover of Please Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood with a flamenco component… just perfect!
3) Neo vs. Morpheus – Leave You Far Behind, Lunatic Calm (1998)
Techno music as soundtrack for a kung fu showdown (even an amicable one) is a radical choice. The Wachowski siblings have changed the way we view things a lot with The Matrix.
4) Sherlock vs. hulking guy – Rocky Road To Dublin, The Dubliners (2006)
Guy Ritchie comes up with a lot of inspired ideas in his movies and this fight is a great example: slow-motion and regular speed to show a bare-knuckle boxing match with an Irish traditional song to keep the blood pumping!
5) Obi Wan & Qui Gon Ginn vs Darth Maul – Duel of the Fates, John Williams (1999)
Although The Phantom Menace is my least favorite movie of the Star Wars saga, this duel is pretty awesome mostly because of Darth Maul, a pretty cool but very underutilised villain. John Williams’s score is effective and stirring.
Filed under Odds and ends, Sound & Motion Pictures
The wild bunch
This wild bunch is not about Peckinpah’s film but the Summer Blockbuster Cas-A-Thon hosted by John at Hitchcock’s World. John had a great idea for all action movie aficionados: put together a dream team of tough gals and guys to save the Prime Minister of Canada. He was on a flight to a very important U.N. conference when his plane was shot down somewhere over an isolated war-torn location and now he has been kidnapped by Neo-Nazi communist hippy ninjas. Well, that’s the gist of it, just click on the banner if you want to read the rules.
Without further ado, here’s my selection.
Sarah Connor – Terminator 2
She spent more than a decade training and learning everything she could about fighting and survival in preparation for a world apocalypse and a war against machines guided by an evil A.I. She can face anything: Neo-Nazi communist hippy ninjas are just another day at the office. She is also my choice as team leader.
Yukio – The Wolverine
She is superb with a katana, a quick thinker, fearless and she has the power to foreseen the death of people, which can come handy when on a dangerous mission.
Beatrix Kiddo – Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2
She is Black Mamba, one of the deadliest assassins in the world with blade or gun. She is a master of the Hung Gar style of kung fu and the only person to know the “Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique”. Resourceful and relentless, she’s clearly a force to recon with.
Pvt. J. Vasquez – Aliens
She is a trained Colonial Marine with tons of combat experience and not new to search and rescue missions. In addition she handles a M56 Smartgun like no other, she is loyal and, after dealing with Xenomorphs, Neo-Nazi communist hippy ninjas are a walk in the park.
May Day – A View To A Kill
She has super strength, a killer instinct and mad fighting skills. She might live in a moral grey area but when the chips are down she’ll do the right thing.
Isabelle – Predators
A sniper of the Israeli Defense Forces with great survival skills. Only woman chosen by alien hunters for their games and one of the only two survivors, which goes a long way when you have to deal just with humans.
Snake Plissken – 1997 Escape From New York
For him this mission would be: been there, done that. He can fly and land a stealth glider (on a skyscrape at night) with only one eye and he was born ready.
Agent J – Men In Back
Used to be a cop in New York, he moved on to monitor and police aliens on Earth: he runs as fast as aliens, he prevents mankind’s annihilation and he deals with every sort of high tech toys.
Remo Williams – Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins
Ex-cop and veteran Marine, he can dodge bullets and run on water. He’s well-versed in the martial art of Sinanju and tough as nail.
Sing – Kung Fu Hustle
He might not be the sharpest tool in the shed but he knows kung fu and can deliver the Buddhist Palm. Not to be underestimated.
Captain Nascimento – Tropa De Elite
Driven and formidable, he fights guerrilla warfare with the drug dealers of Rio’s favelas. He’s definitely combat ready.
Chan Wing-Yan – Infernal Affairs
Years of deep undercover work within the triad of Hong Kong has prepared him for everything. His nerves might be a little frayed but you can always count on him.
Filed under Odds and ends
Sound & Motion Pictures: cool walk scenes
Strutting along like you own the place, walking tall like nothing can touch you while a great song is playing… here’s a short selection of my favorite cool walk scenes:
1. Saturday Night Fever – Staying Alive, Bee Gees (1977)
The mother of all cool walks… Tony Manero shows who’s boss to the undying notes of Staying Alive!
2. Kill Bill Vol.1 – Battle Without Honor or Humanity, Tomoyasu Hotei (2000)
O-ren Ishii is a force to recon with and she definitely owns the place, another music pearl from Tarantino!
3. Jackie Brown – Across 110th Street, Bobby Womack (1972)
Tarantino again… clearly inspired by The Graduate, he uses the charisma of Pam Grier and the soulful voice of Bobby Womack.
4. Blow – Black Betty, Ram Jam (1977)
When you think you can walk on water, Black Betty is a pretty good soundtrack.
5. The Breakfast Club, Don’t You Forget About Me, Simple Minds (1985)
Raise your fist to the sky as both victory and defiance…
Honorable mention to Guardians of the Galaxy – Cherry Bomb, The Runaways (1976)
I like this tongue in cheek homage to the heros’ preparation and badass walk on their way to save the world.
Filed under Odds and ends, Sound & Motion Pictures