mix for the end credits
The Flying Pickets, PENGUIN VILLA, the Pixies, Simon and Garfunkel, the Smashing Pumpkins
First of all massive thanks to my sister for helping me out with this one. I’ve had a mental list of all these moments in films I’ve seen and thought it would be nice to have it on substack.
They’re basically songs that appear at the end of the movie, right before the credits roll, and in most cases, I’m mind blown and think about the movie for days after.
This week, the format is a bit different. I decided to include the songs as Youtube clips from each movie/ series. Every single one of these blew my mind (I have no synonyms for being mind blown), so I would highly recommend just sticking to the Spotify playlist (or don’t listen at all!) if you haven’t seen any of these. Also, major spoiler alerts for these movies! I’ve never written about my reactions to film, especially in regards to the music at the end, so bear with me.
Only You - The Flying Pickets from Fallen Angels (1995) - Wong Kar Wai
Although Fallen Angels is my least favorite out of all Wong’s films, I already loved the Yazoo version of Only You before watching this film. The general slog (not in a bad way, more like a sticky Hong Kong summer) and unfolding drama in the background of the last scene contrasted by the indifference of Michelle Reis’ character (amazingly eating instant ramen with a fork) feels strangely complemented by the dialogue (you can turn CC on) and the off kilter choice of choosing an a cappella version of a song for racing through Hong Kong’s streets at night. I especially love the scene through the tunnels (a part of Hong Kong I’m so familiar with), and them emerging into daylight with Jardine House in the background. Too iconic.
Acrophobia - PENGUIN VILLA from Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010) - Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives is a film I don’t understand and I’m sure that’s not really the point anyway. The subtle surreal elements somehow manage to blend pretty seamlessly into the film; I want to say that the viewer just begins to accept them. Fittingly, Acrophobia seems to play into this. I think because I didn’t understand the lyrics, the song assumed a very quotidian/ everyday feel, similar to the acceptance that Uncle Boonmee reaches in the end. The song has remained a personal favorite. Here’s a great review of the film.
Where is My Mind? - Pixies from Fight Club (1999) - David Fincher
Where is My Mind is and has been one of my favorite songs from the moment I heard it from a trailer for Fight Club on Youtube when I was around 14. I didn’t watch the movie till I was in my 20s, but the song had been a constant for me for more than half a decade before I actually heard how it was used in the film. I’m not going to talk about Fight Club and spoil it for those who haven’t seen it. I still get chills!
The Sound of Silence (Reprise) - Simon and Garfunkel from The Graduate (1967) - Mike Nichols
This is probably my least favorite film on the list, mostly because I found all the characters annoying. But it has a great soundtrack. The film follows Dustin Hoffman’s “graduate” as he navigates a fling with none other than Mrs Robinson (also a great song). I feel less bad about spoiling this movie, but the rather unserious spontaneity and unbridled “fun” of youth (as shown in the ending scene), is contrasted so well by the austere first notes of Sound of Silence (exemplified for me because of my own interpretation of the song). It lingers with the viewer as much as the characters’ decisions linger with them— a rather dramatic welcoming of so-called adulthood.
Mayonaise - The Smashing Pumpkins from Beef (2023) - mini series created by Lee Sung Jin
Last but not least, we have (the incorrect spelling of) Mayonaise, by the Smashing Pumpkins on Beef. I loved the series (no small part from having watched Steven Yeun from his Walking Dead days, anyone who knows me knows I’m a huge zombie fan), but the ending was really what made it stick. I’d listened to Siamese Dream many times, but for some reason, it took a whole plot about these two people to make me hear this song differently. I could go into all the parts of the song that make it an all time favorite, but honestly, it was love at first (ish) listen.
*To play the full songs listed below, I recommend viewing this post on substack on a computer.*
*streaming can be a great, accessible way to discover new music and an easy way for me to embed playlists into my posts, but I would encourage, if possible, supporting the artists through other platforms and exploring the rest of their work*