F911: Moore's Use of Music

[nostamj]

I haven't seen a thread yet on the sound of F911, so, here goes...

One of the reasons I will have to see this movie again is to hear it again.

I thought the use of pop tunes, original scoring and, of course, silence was stunning throughout.

From the tiny lick from "Cocaine" during the TANG sequence to the sound collage underscoring the WTC footage to the "Last American Hero" on the carrier, I think Jeff Gibbs (who is also credited as a co-producer) was hugely important to keeping the film moving (both senses of the word!).

I really want to hear his original music again. There was SO much to process in experiencing the film the first time that lots of details are lost.

The Oscar for Sound/Score should go to him.

[skooooo]

1. .other songs..

"We Gotta Get Out of the Place" by the Animals

"Time" by Ten Years After

trying to remember others you didn't already mention...

[nostamj]

2. Vacation! by the GoGos...

was another fav. silly POP underscoring a withering FACT about the absent 'prez'

[skooooo]

4. Shiny Happy People by REM...

...was another one.

[nostamj]

5. yes! is there/will there be a soundtrack?

lots of memories in the song choices!

[KharmaTrain]

7. Neil Young...

Rockin' In The Free World - Neil Young

Now, I'm not sure if Neil's back with us or not these days...he was a big Bushbot in 2000 but I've read he's changed his tune since the Invasion. A definite anti-corporate anthem!

[Octafish]

10. "We got a thousand points of light - for the homeless man...

We got a kinder, gentler machine gun hand."

Yeh. The soundtrack was perfect.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

6. I saw F9/11 yesterday and I'm still humming that Go-Go's tune!

that was used very effectively to underscore Bush's laziness.

[nostamj]

8. me too (since Thursday!)

it's one of those damn tunes that STICK in your head... I may have to BLAST some Wagner this afternoon to dislodge it!

[otohara]

9. Who Does The Song

when he's on the air craft carrier - I'm walking on air...la, la, la...

[nostamj]

11. Joey Scarbury

Look at what's happened to me,
I can't believe it myself.
Suddenly I'm up on top of the world,
It should've been somebody else.

ain't THAT the truth!

[otohara]

12. Thanks - Perfect Song

for that segment of the flick -

[Carolina]

29. oddly enough

that song was the theme for the short-lived TV series, Greatest American Hero.

Maa GWB's WH stint be qually short-lived.

[nostamj]

33. I have no doubt whatsoever

that Moore and Gibbs knew exactly what they were doing in choosing that music for that scene.

[robbedvoter]

20. Theme song of "The Great American hero" eom

[Sparkly]

3. Totally agree

Great choices of music.

[Fleshdancer]

13. Moore is good at what he does

The music, the way the documentary flowed...everything was just so well done.

A scene that had a profound impact was when the screen went black and you heard all the sounds of 9/11. I cried. Just thinking about it gives me chills.

The soldier singing The Roof is On Fire (don't know the actual title of that song, but you know what I mean) was very hard to handle. The music, his voice, and the images were put together in a way that forces me to constantly think about it. Worse than any horror flick I've ever seen.

All in all, I think it's safe to say that the music was very well chosen and is an integral part of the film.

[CatWoman]

14. I started one in the lounge Friday night

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x1324504

[nostamj]

17. thanks!

didn't last much longer than this one... :shrug:

[KittyWampus]

15. May I Mention Moore's Use Of "Visual" Silence Too?

using a black screen while we hear the planes slam into the tower?

Didn't know that was original scoring. Thanks for pointing that out.

And the "Cocaine" clip had me laughing out loud. A lot of people might not get it... YET. :D

I also want to see this a second time.

[nostamj]

16. even though I knew it was coming....

that scene was devastating. (I was in NYC on 9/11)

the final shot of all those papers blowing... chilling and, eerily beautiful too somehow.

and it reminded me of the charred bits of paper that were still falling in my neighborhood (in Brooklyn!) hours and hours later...

[Wind Dancer]

19. I agree!

That scene was extremely powerful, I was afraid I would not be able to regain my composure - a flood of emotions ripped through me and I could barely stop crying!

[anarchy1999]

21. That segment was the one that made me cry the most.

And yes, Michael should win many awards for this film, we shall see. The music he used made the film just flow, masterfully.

The other half of anarchy said just last night Moore should get the best for edit, now add soundtrack, and we all know best documentary or will they come up with something new? "BEST POLEMIC"?

[nostamj]

22. the RW spin is that F911 is not a "documentary"

it is clearly one of Rove's main talking points.

[anarchy1999]

25. We know. That's why I though maybe a new catagory might be necessary.

We've been keeping careful track of what the media is/isn't calling this blockbuster. It is a documentary. I even went so far as to post definitions of documentary on another thread. The WSJ is only using partisan, polemic piece of proganda, except when comparing it to other high grossing documentary style films.

on edit:
5 entries found for polemic.
po·lem·ic ( P ) Pronunciation Key (p-lmk)
n.
A controversial argument, especially one refuting or attacking a specific opinion or doctrine.
A person engaged in or inclined to controversy, argument, or refutation.

adj. also po·lem·i·cal (--kl)
Of or relating to a controversy, argument, or refutation.


doc·u·men·ta·ry ( P ) Pronunciation Key (dky-mnt-r)
adj.
Consisting of, concerning, or based on documents.
Presenting facts objectively without editorializing or inserting fictional matter, as in a book or film.

n. pl. doc·u·men·ta·ries
A work, such as a film or television program, presenting political, social, or historical subject matter in a factual and informative manner and often consisting of actual news films or interviews accompanied by narration.

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=documentary

So what is F911? A polemic or a documentary?

[Canuckistanian]

34. They may be right, it's not a documentary

by the strict definition of a documentary, but is that the only argument against it?

Most documentaries are made with some kind of "point of view", that is, there is a point to be made. I don't think I've ever seen a good documentary that didn't have a point that was contrary to the general public's conception of an issue or a personality. Maybe I just like iconoclasts.

So, what should it be called? Propaganda? The definition is, "information that is spread for the purpose of promoting some cause". Moore's film certainly qualifies for that definition. But propaganda always has a negative connotation that implies lying and spreading of false information. We don't have that situation here.

I haven't see the movie yet, but does Moore actually provide his own conclusions or does he let the viewer make their own?

Moore, when asked why he presents such a one-sided view of events and not the "whole story", says that the other side is more than well-represented. And that, to me, is a classical documentary. Knowledge which is more or less readily available, but has not reached the public yet.

We had not been given the whole story.

[Tuttle]

23. O/T question

can someone point me to an analysis of debris coverage from the WTC scene versus the Pennsylvania 'crash'?

I would imagine all the paper in the offices at the time of attack would have spread much further than the other flight debris being downed by insurgent passengers... has such an analysis ever been performed?

Back to the music -- Mancini's 'Peter Gunn' has briefly quoted, though I forget the context.

I wonder who played the Bluegrass?

Tut-tut

[nostamj]

24. not sure what you mean about the debris

the smoke plume extended over my neighborhood in Brooklyn and bits of paper were falling from it.

the problem with the PA site is it's WAY too big for the official story of it coming straight down.

back to the music:

there was also the Dragnet music, which blew my mind because we use Peter Gunn and Dragnet themes (and Get Smart too) in an arrangement of THE BEAT GOES ON ("The Fear Goes On") in our ?W Revue

[ShaneGR]

18. I thought using the Bloodhound Gang's "Burn M-Fucker Burn"

When he was showing the rise of the insurgency in Iraq with all of them waving guns around. And the cowbow music all the time.

[KittyWampus]

26. That Segment- Showing How TROOPS Used Music

was what put a dent in my head. With that kid, who spoke the words etc.

It seemed these kids/troops are emotionally programmed to approach the violence they are perpertrating as a freaking video game with appropriate soundtrack playing in their tanks.

I suppose humans have used music to march to war for millenia.

But DAMN!

Obviously, it is NOT a game and they're actually blowing Iraqis and the Iraqi environment up.

[nostamj]

27. easily the most *disturbing* use of music

in the film and, that they played the music into their HELMETS...

to drown out the screams maybe???

[Zomby Woof]

28. hell yes

I cracked up when that snippet of "Cocaine" played, LOL. Subtle, indeed.

[nostamj]

31. it got a BIG laugh in NYC

savvy audience!

[givemebackmycountry]

30. The clip with the music from "Bonanza" and the visual

The entire movie theatre I was in erupted in laughter!

[Zomby Woof]

32. yes!

That was like a DU photoshop come to life! Welcome to DU, fellow Zappaphile. :toast:

[Chovexani]

35. Let the eeeeeeeeeeeeagle sooooooooooar

*runs off screaming into the night*

The banjo music cracked me up too.

[cmf]

36. Excellent score!

I caught most of the references, but missed "Cocaine". I plan on seeing it again, and I will look out for it more. Now I can't imagine REM's "Shiny Happy People" without picturing the BFEE cavorting with the Saudis.

They should produce a soundtrack album! :headbang: