This week on The Film Vault, Anderson and Bryan talked movie bands. Admittedly, I was bit wary when the title surfaced in my feed–not the best top five they’ve ever come up with, but I turned the corner soon after the show’s “flickfessions” segment. Lots of bands I forgot, and a few I never thought of as “bands.” Both hosts were firing on all cylinders, and the rapport was filled with as much tongue-in-cheek acrimony as Vault fans have come to expect.
I can’t say there were a ton of surprises as far as the top five were concerned. One tiny spoil: kudos to Anderson’s “Berserker” pick from Clerks.
However, there is one band they overlooked. And maybe that’s because the band has no name (as far as I can tell). Johnny Suede was a little slice of superficial, fifties-era cool, starring a young Brad Pitt and an equally young Catherine Keener.
Not a great film, but there was this song. Brad Pitt and a lineup including the incomparable Samuel L. Jackson embraced the “loud, quiet, loud” structure championed by bands like the Pixies and Nirvana, and they did it with Ricky Nelson’s panache. It holds up in my opinion and deserved an honorable mention at least.
