“Like the cancer that is that ‘Darjeeling’ guy … what’s his name? His completely cancerous approach to using music is basically, ‘Here’s my iPod on shuffle, and here’s my movie.’ The two are just thrown together. People are constantly contacting me saying, ‘I’ve been editing my movie, and I’ve been using your song in the editing process. What would it take to license the song?’ And for me it’s like, ‘Regardless of what you’ve been doing, my song doesn’t belong in your movie.'” — Indie folky Will Oldham’s morose, sometimes spooky Appalachian folk won’t be featured in a Wes Anderson movie any time soon or ever.
We admit this makes us laugh. We like Anderson a lot despite his flaws, but like the Sloan song sang about the now defunct uber-PC industrial band Consolidated back in the early ’90s, “It’s not the band I hate, it’s their fans.” Poor Wes, it’s not his fault, but rather the generation of newbie film fans that began their cinema education with his movies and think he’s the be all end all. Them folks would benefit from being as deeply educated and dedicated a cinephile as he is, but then again, kids don’t really dig Renoir. [ AV Club via Vulture]
Cue: comments digging into Will Oldham, calling him a “nobody.” (For the record both are great artists, but have your fun).
Let me be the first to say: Will Oldham is a Somebody.
Anderson has the fans his movies deserve. Go Will Oldham!
I’m not terribly familiar with Will Oldham’s music so I can’t judge his work but really, one of the douchebaggiest criticisms one can have is on how a filmmaker uses music in their films.
@Alex, then you probably shouldn’t read this blog, as we think how a filmmaker uses music in their film (just like how they direct an actor, chooses a shot, conveys a mood, etc.) is an integral part of moviemaking and an unquestionably valid criticism.
Too often, music criticism (as Oldham demonstrates) is just navel gazing.
A bad performance has ruined a film for me before. Poor directing, cinematography, script, uneven tone, all that has made me say, “I didn’t like it.” But bad music? None that I can think of.
Sure, it’s a valid criticism to make but music is less important than other elements in most films. I’m not going to think a movie I’m enjoying sucks just because the Black Eyed Peas come up on the soundtrack.
I don’t think anyone or Oldham would either (hate a movie because of BEP song), I think you’re making too much about it and taking the context, which is a larger interview that covers multiple topics.
But it’s pretty obvious why Oldham or anyone might be annoyed with Anderson’s film. I love the guy, but it’s pretty obvious that he lathers on music like good and continues to be more unsuccessful with it as time goes by.
All of the Kinks and Rolling Stone songs in Darjeeling? Awesome.
Awesomely placed? No, aside from the funeral moment (which is not perfect, but is better), all the songs seem pretty haphazardly thrown in there.
I love the Dassin song at the end too, but a french pop song comes out of nowhere and does not fit the tone at all and yes, i get that it’s trying to connect to Hotel whatchamacallit it France.
That said, the music in Darjeeling is less obnoxious than it is in Life Aquatic.
the greater irony is when he critiques his own sound:
Regardless of what you’ve been doing, my song doesn’t belong in your movie.