So I finally got around to finally watching Django Unchained this evening, and although it wasn’t my favourite Tarantino film, I still did enjoy it (for the record I think my dislike for Jamie Foxx is what took away from this movie).  The other part of the film which I wasn’t crazy about was the music.  As most people know, Tarantino is known for incorporating both well known, and some not so well known songs throughout all of his films.  So with that in mind, I had a little conversation with a friend about some of the best uses of songs, found with in films created by Quentin Tarantino.

(for this weeks edition I will post the scene from the movie along with an actual version of the song….for those of you who don’t know Quentin Tarantino, some of the scenes could be mildly disturbing).

1 – Stuck In The Middle With You, Steelers Wheels (used in Reservoir Dogs)

What’s really great about this song is how beloved it really is, in the big scheme of things.  Every cover band in the world has taken a shot at this jam at some point in their career.  When you watch the scene in the movie the song almost adds a sick sort of comedy to a super crazy violent scene.  It’s a wonderful blend of two extremes.

2 – Girl You’ll Be A Woman Soon, Urge Overkill (used in Pulp Fiction)

A fantastic job done on this tune, originally pumped out by Neil Diamond.  When the song first starts, the evening for the two characters seems to be pretty well laid out…needless to say Tarantino does a great job of doing a complete turn of events and by the time this song is finished were set up for one of the most intense scenes he’s ever filmed.

3 – Didn’t I Blow Your Mind This Time, The Delfonics (used in Jackie Brown)

Jackie Brown is probably my least favourite Tarantino film.  I’ve tried to go back and re-watch it a few times, but always end up turning the DVD off.  However, this song is an absolute gem and it does bring a certain level of realism to the scene.

4 – You Never Can Tell, Chuck Berry (used in Pulp Fiction)

Who doesn’t remember the dance off at Jack Rabbit Slims.  Travolta finds his groove (both literally and figuratively) in this scene and movie.  Breaking down in a twist, followed up with what I like to call the Bat dance (jump to the 1:30 mark) going right into the toe rise, this scene is fantastic.  Eat your heart out Step Up.

5 – Please Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood, Santa Esmeralda (used in Kill Bill Vol. 1)

Visually this has to be one of the best scenes Tarantino has ever put to film.  The way the camera pans around and really accents the snow on the ground is just breathtaking and how about that track.  You really can’t go wrong with a song that starts out with handclaps.  It might not be one of the more noticeable songs he’s picked, but in my mind, it’s definitely memorable.