Tag Archives: movies

Arachnophonia: Don & Devdas

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Editor’s note: Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.

All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog records for the items in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student manager Kiran (class of 2024) and features two Bollywood films Don and Devdas. Thanks, Kiran!

Don (2006)

Devdas (2002)

UR’s South Asian Fusion team, Bollywood Jhatkas, recently performed to some of their favorite remake songs at the 13th annual Celebration of Dance. At the music library, we have a select number of Bollywood films, two of which are remakes! Don and Devdas are two beloved classics that were redone in the early 2000s. Many of the songs were also reused and were given a more updated take.

Bollywood is notorious for recycling their classics, but it’s also received a lot of backlash in recent years. Critics are saying that they’ve run out of ideas and continue to ruin old movies. Some of the movies and songs are very well done, whereas others take away from the classic charm. Devdas and Don are two very controversial films because of this. Personally, I have only known the newer versions, and I have grown to love them. Shah Rukh Khan can truly play almost any role and knows how to draw an audience in. You can watch these remade films by checking them out at Parsons Music Library!

Arachnophonia: Casablanca

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Editor’s note: Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.

All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student manager Eliana (class of 2024) and features insert title info here. Thanks, Eliana!

Casablanca: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Casablanca soundtrack

Among the shelves of CD’s in Parson’s music library sits the soundtrack of Casablanca, one of the most famous movies of all time with a score that certainly holds its own. The score, composed by revolutionary Austrian composer Max Steiner, will transport you to the 1940s and fill you with the triumphant energy of World War II cinema. Steiner not only utilizes leitmotifs in his scoring, but his songs provide formal and rhythmic continuity for the film as a whole, making his composition a true masterpiece.

The beating heart of the film is the song “As Time Goes By,” originally written by Herman Hupfeld in 1931. It is rumored that Steiner disliked this song and wanted to scrap it altogether, but he was forced to use it because the female lead (Ingrid Bergman) cut her hair for a different production and wouldn’t be able to reshoot any scenes with a new theme song. Notwithstanding Steiner’s disdain, the song is a true masterpiece with the context of the film. “As Time Goes By” represents not only the love that Rick and Ilsa have for each other, but also the past that they shared. When the song is not present in scenes between the two of them, the strain on their relationship becomes all the more apparent. Conversely, the song’s presence denotes a sense of calm between the two. Steiner weaves the song’s melody throughout the film to somehow bridge gaps between scenes, allude to strife, and foster love all at once. It is his compositional ingenuity that sets this film apart from many others.

Other notable songs present in the film are “La Marseillaise,” “It Had to Be You,” and “Die Wacht am Rhein.” You can listen to these, as well as the rest of the score, from the Casablanca CD located in the Parsons Music Library.

Parsons Playlists: Movie Music for a Blue Day

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Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today we’re featuring a collection called “Movie Music for a Blue Day” curated by Music Library student assistant Nathan (class of 2024).

Rainy day - blue

Ever get in your feels on a rainy day? Fully immerse yourself in your emotions listening along to this short but sweet selection!

“Genesis” from WandaVision

“Eating Alone” from Shrek

“Fiona’s Room” from Shrek 2

“Not Meant To Be” from Shrek 2

“Rue’s Farewell” from The Hunger Games

“Ice Dance” from Edward Scissorhands

“Married Life” from Up

“The Piano Duet” from Corpse Bride

Here’s a link to a YouTube playlist version: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU94rco57ZezLp3WGv_VFDKUF4MYpYEZW

Movie Music for a Blue Day

Arachnophonia: The Polar Express

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Editor’s note: Arachnophonia is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.

All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item(s) in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student worker Allison (class of 2022) and features a suite of music from the soundtrack to The Polar Express film released in 2004. Thanks, Allison!

The Polar Express

Polar Express movie poster

In 1985, Chris Van Allsburg wrote the children’s book The Polar Express. His story was released as an animated children’s film in 2004 and was wildly successful. The soundtrack, composed by Alan Silvestri, received much well-deserved praise, including a 2006 Grammy for the song “Believe.”

Although my parents definitely read the book to me previously,my first tangible memory of The Polar Express was in first grade when my class had “Polar Express Day.” On that day we came to school in our pajamas, drank hot chocolate, and watched The Polar Express. As a result, I have always had a certain fondness for the movie.

In 2017, I played “The Polar Express Suite” with my youth orchestra as a part of our annual Christmas concert. Even with our packed program, “The Polar Express Suite” still stuck out as one of my absolute favorites. The suite highlights the main themes from the polar express soundtrack and creates the same majestic feeling the songs have in the movie. The suite is often overlooked but I find it to be just as much of a holiday classic as the movie itself.

Polar Express book cover