SYNC THAT SCENE
SYNC THAT SCENE
I’ve always been interested in film and music, and how both can make you think, feel, see and feel seen. When the right song is paired with the right scene, it deepens these feelings in a way that can range from the visceral to the transcendent. Here, I’ve synced some of my favorite film scenes — all of which, not coincidentally, portray the unique agony and ecstasy of being young. Hopefully the result makes you feel connected to what’s onscreen a little more deeply, too.
Everyone knows you’re trouble
Romeo + Juliet, Baz Luhrmann, 1996
Is love at first sight real? The jury’s still out. But on a more certain note, Metronomy’s The Look emulates that playful, giddy and buoyant feeling of developing a crush – or at least the warmth you feel when you first set your eyes on the cutie across the bar, on the bus, through the fish tank, et al.
Beverly Hills wet dream
Clueless, Amy Heckerling, 1995
Is driving in an open-topped Jeep, feeding cherries to dudes on study break, and a computer-generated outfit-maker (in 1995) all fodder for fantasy? Absolutely yes, even one so fantastical it could easily be categorized as erotic. Wet Leg’s teenage dream anthem Wet Dream feels on the nose in both lyrics and the mood-mimicking glee of being alive before adulthood.
Digital love me by your name
Call Me by Your Name, Lucas Guadagnino, 2017
Does the excitement of the two girls at the beginning of this scene (with ‘80s hairdos in all their glory) mimic the undeniable joy that any millennial feels when Daft Punk’s Digital Love comes on? Even though the song technically came out 18 years after Call Me By Your Name takes place, its synths feel reminiscent enough of the era to nearly not be anachronistic, and simply two decades ahead of its time.
Massive attack (on Kathryn)
Cruel Intentions, Roger Kumble, 1999
The brutal-yet-deserved takedown of Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Kathryn Merteuil character is the late ‘90s cinematic equivalent of proclaiming “Off with her head!”. Massive Attack’s Teardrop mimics the moody, dark and seductive tale of remorseless, incestuous step-siblings and a bet gone wrong with similar command to the original.
MIX THAT MUSIC
MIX THAT MUSIC
The last thing the world needs is another aspiring DJ (at a party, on the blogosphere, or beyond). That being said, teaching myself to beat match and transition some of my favorite songs has been nothing short of a delight as I re-learn the joys of experimentation and play.
Slow wave bye to summer
A mix of melancholy, nostalgia, elation and finally, ease. Nothing like the changing of seasons to take stock of the transitional, ephemeral nature of time — and, well, life (am I right?).
Seventeen again
The 2006-2012 indie sleaze era instantly conjures images of sweaty dance floors, bass-heavy headbangers and American Apparel fashion. Consider this an ode to some of my favorite remixes — most of which, (pause for dramatic effect) aren’t on Spotify.