Stereothematica
Welcome to Stereothematica, a podcast where two women geek out over music.
When Christina moved from LA to Texas, Christine suggested a weekly challenge to stay in touch: pick a song that fits a chosen theme. This game opened them to new perspectives on each other while deepening their own understanding of the music that shapes their lives. Each week Christina and Christine recreate the magic of their song exchange on a broader scale, deconstructing their thematic picks, providing personal anecdotes and historical insights, and sharing transformative tracks rarely spotlighted on the Billboard Hot 100.
Stereothematica
REVISIT: Movie Sing-Alongs
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We’re taking another week off, so we’re revisiting one of our most controversial episodes: Movie Sing-Alongs. And since we’re on the topic of movie music, Christine gives an update about her magical night at the Hollywood Bowl for Music from the Films of Wes Anderson. Special thanks to the concert obsessed Nancy German for capturing the evening. In case, you missed it, here are a few highlights with many more on Nancy’s YouTube page:
Devo - Gut Feeling (Slap Your Mammy) - So technically this wasn’t the opening number, but it was the first one that Christine lost it over.
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Movie magic is back (again)! This time we’re talking sing-alongs! Not the big staged numbers, but those unplanned, diegetic moments when characters just start singing along to a song because they must. Whether it’s in a bar, a bus, or a car, these are the scenes that sneak up on you and stick around long after the credits roll.
VIDEOS
The Deer Hunter - Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You
!!!THE RULES!!!
WHAT DOES NOT COUNT:
Lip Syncing
Anything A Capella
Stepbrothers - Sweet Child Of Mine
Clearly Choreographed Performances
10 Things I Hate About You - Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You
Bridesmaids - Hold On (Sorry, Christina! Staged and lip syncing from main cast)
Karaoke (Limbo)
Lost In Translation - Brass in Pocket & More Than This (And God Save the Queen)
Debatable
WHAT WORKS:
Broadcast News - Edition Speciale
Before Sunset - Just in Time (49 on NYT list)
Wayne’s World - Bohemian Rhapsody (debatable)
Átame - Resistiré (CZP's original favorite)
The Silence of the Lambs - American Girl
EXTRAS
Interview Magazine - Cameron Crowe
Vulture - The Real Penny Lane Has a Few Things Left to Say About Almost Famous
Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!
If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.
And email us at stereothematica@gmail.com! We will write back!
Hey everyone, we are taking one more week off. So we're revisiting one of our favorite episodes.
SPEAKER_03Movie sing alongs. This was traumatic for me. And our listeners, because you were so crazy about the rules to the movie sing along.
SPEAKER_02Okay. I feel like I don't know. I I had a rule. I usually don't make you stick to the rules. We're usually we're we are usually a little more flexible with the rules, but for some reason, and not even some reason, I thought I was just so specific this time that like why wouldn't you stick to the rules?
SPEAKER_03Wow. Okay, shots fired, but I will say what came out of this was a great episode. It was fun. I learned a lot about Deer Hunter.
SPEAKER_02Oh, good, good, good.
SPEAKER_03We got in our first fight though. Our first recorded fight.
SPEAKER_02Yes, okay, that's true. And was it technically our first? And was it our only?
SPEAKER_03Probably. Probably there's some there's some gentle ribbing from here to here and there, but not too much. But I wanted to ask, yeah, any other cool stuff come up with movie sing alongs since we had this episode?
SPEAKER_02As a matter of fact, just a couple weeks ago, I was very lucky to go to the Hollywood Bowl to see Wes Anderson do his movie music thing with a bunch of amazing people, pod favorites. Beck, Devo, Jason Schwartzman. My FOMO was off the charts. It was so much fun. Opening was Devo performing gut feeling, which of course was in life aquatic.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Another highlight, Beck doing Alone Again or. Oh, like total chills. And then Karen O. What'd she do? Making time from Rushmore. Yeah. Wow. No, that that was truly iconic. I loved it. Every moment of the show was perfect. Oh, and I I gotta share. There's a YouTuber, an obsessive concert goer, who recorded a few videos of pretty much all the show, the ones I just mentioned, plus some others. I think you might appreciate Jackson Brown. Oh, yeah. So he's he's doing the one from what's what's the one? The Tenamont Rose. Oh, these days, right? Yes, he's doing these days. Yeah, Nico Nico sent it. I saw the performing. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03But also the way Wes was watching him was like so sweet.
SPEAKER_02It's very sweet. No, it was such a fun show. And if you want to relive the memories, like I have been doing, obsessively watching, re-watching them on YouTube. Um, and if you just want to experience for the first time, we'll be sharing a few of those videos at the top of the show notes for this revisit episode of such a good call out to mention that we are also on YouTube now. Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_03You can't see our faces because we're not that tech savvy, but you can listen on YouTube if that tickles your fancy.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, some people like that.
SPEAKER_03Go for it.
SPEAKER_02I've heard a lot of people.
SPEAKER_03I mean, you might not make any money off of this. Yeah, but we're just giving you another platform.
SPEAKER_02No, it's just fun. Yeah, just easier for some people.
SPEAKER_03It's also fun to see what videos get suggested as a follow-up.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. No, I think that's the thing that's kind of interesting about YouTube is yeah, they're kind of pushing your stuff out there a little bit more.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Just dope. Thank you, YouTube.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. And let's see.
SPEAKER_03Listeners enjoy. But if it makes you want to fight Christine, reach out. I need a support group.
SPEAKER_02Let's see who is right.
SPEAKER_03Ooh. Can't wait for this. Hi, I'm Christina. And I'm Christine. Welcome to Stereo Thematica. Music is the heartbeat of our lives and the connected tissue of our friendship. Christina and I met at work in LA, but when I moved to Texas, we started a weekly challenge. Pick a song that fits a chosen theme.
SPEAKER_02This game opened us to new perspectives on each other and deepened our understanding of the songs that shape our lives. Each week we recreate the magic of our song exchange on a broader scale. Hey Christina, how are you doing? I'm good. How are you?
SPEAKER_03What have you been up to?
SPEAKER_02I've been obsessing over something. And what is that? The New York Times top 100 movies of the 21st century list. You know what's so funny? I've been avoiding it.
SPEAKER_03Oh yeah? Tell me. Tell me more. I don't know. I get so annoyed with like lists and best lists and people's opinions. And yet here I am with my own opinionated music podcast. Exactly. I finally did look at it. Okay. At your beginning. Okay, good, good. And I am curious. Okay. What's fun about it to you?
SPEAKER_02Well, I think I do like lists. Especially, I think what's what's enjoyable about this list is that you get to see what famous people, directors, actors are picking these. Yeah. That's very fascinating. And then it's fun because they like have a check box so you can say if you've seen it or not seen it.
SPEAKER_03That was fun.
SPEAKER_02And if you want to see it, you can add a check for that. And then you'll get two lists of your own. You'll get like all the movies you've seen. Uh-huh. And then you'll get a another one for the ones you want to see. So it's nice to help you keep track.
SPEAKER_03How many of the 100 have you seen?
SPEAKER_02I think it was 81.
SPEAKER_03Oh, that's a lot. Yeah. Mine was 62.
SPEAKER_02Okay. Interesting. So a few months ago they did one for books. And for books, mine was Was it the same thing? Yes, exact same thing. And it was like 62. And I thought it was strange. Well, it is, but then I'm like such a reader, you would think it would be more.
SPEAKER_00True.
SPEAKER_02And it is focused on the 21st century, which we have to remember starts in 2000.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, tell me. It took me until the end of the list till I got to number one that I realized that it was of the 21st century. I was like, there were no old movies on this list. Because I am a freaking idiot.
SPEAKER_02But no, I I think part of the reason I saw so many more movies than read books is because reading It's easier. Yeah, it's easier. Well, okay, it's easier, but it's also like a collaborative experience. Collaborative in the sense that you're like going with people to see it. So it's oftentimes not just what you want. True. Whereas books are. Like books are 100%, I think, for the most part, unless you're doing like for school or something. Book club. Yeah, book club.
SPEAKER_03So or Christine gives me a lot of books I have to read.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, you do too.
SPEAKER_03I have one for you, actually. Oh okay. That's actually funny. Can I say something? And this is not meant to be pretentious at all.
SPEAKER_02Uh-oh. Uh-oh.
SPEAKER_03I like to read more than I like to watch movies.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. No, but that's my point. I do too, which is why I thought it was strange that I have so many more movies.
SPEAKER_03But it it is easier. I mean, I and I'm saying that in the way where it's like you can sit down and watch a movie in two hours. Whereas for me, I'm not a fast reader, even though I like to read more. But I'm impressed that you've read 62 of the 100 books and seen over 80 of the 100. Because that that does take some dedication. It does. There were some movies on there that I was like, haven't seen it, don't want to see it. Don't care. Yeah. I mean, there's only one that I put on want to watch. Oh, yeah. What was that? I'm curious. What was it? It was worst person in the world.
SPEAKER_02Oh, yeah, you have to watch it. Was that good? That's good.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Okay.
SPEAKER_02So what I do is when I get a list like this, then I make my own list.
SPEAKER_03Oh.
SPEAKER_02From the list. What was on your want to watch? Yee was one of them. After Sun.
SPEAKER_03Oh, that's the one with the cutie guy.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, the cutie guy.
SPEAKER_03Paul Meskell.
SPEAKER_02Okay. I'm gonna share of the ones. I'm not gonna share all 10 of my top movies of the 21st century, but I want to share a couple of them. Superbad. Have you seen Super Bad? Oh my god, I love it so much. It's very funny. It's very funny. And then Amore, which very, very sad. I don't know. A Michael Haneka movie. That's another one that I loved, and I like start crying within the first five minutes of watching it. And then Borat. Oh yeah. So silly. But the thing that these movies also have in common is amazing soundtracks. Borat opened me to like a world of music. Oh, I don't even I can't even see the soundtrack. I saw this movie, I think whenever it came out, was like 2006. And I think I knew about Gorin Bregovic, but somehow this soundtrack, like hearing Kochani or custards like Shiki Shiki Baba, I lost my mind. And we will share that.
SPEAKER_03Oh, I can't wait.
SPEAKER_02And then there's this version of Born to Be Wild by Fanfare Chocarlia, a Romanian band. But like another really good movie, Lost in Translation. I know you like that. I do. That was 30 on the list. Would you count that as maybe in your top?
SPEAKER_03Lost in Translation, very, very good. Very, I mean, you know, we love Sophia with her soundtracks. Yeah. She's a music, she's she's one of us.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. And then she's got a scene. You know what scene I'm I'm talking about? I do know. Yeah. Karaoke? Yeah, of course. Scarlet Johansson singing Brass and Pocket turns it over to Murray with more than this. So good. And I think that might be a good transition to today's theme. I see what she did there. Back in episode 13, I don't know if you remember, we talked about diegetic versus extra-diegetic music. Of course I remember. So I've shared so many times how much I love exploring songs and their functions in movies, especially like when they're part of the functional world that the character actually inhabits. So today's theme, we're gonna get into that idea like pretty deep. And we're gonna talk about sing-alongs and movies. Specifically, sing-alongs that are unstaged. They're diegetic sing-alongs. So they're a part of the world. The characters are hearing the songs, and they aren't performing for an audience, but they're singing because the moment calls for it. Christina, please talk about your initial reaction to the theme.
SPEAKER_03Okay, the way that Christine described this theme to me was so confusing. She goes, an unscripted singing part of a movie. And I'm like, what the frick? How am I supposed to know if it was scripted or unscripted? I think I said unstaged, but okay. Well, maybe you meant maybe you said unstaged, and I didn't understand what that meant. And so I was like, how is she so tuned in to movie knowledge? Where because I thought you meant it was like truly an organic part of like they hadn't scripted it, and so they were like, oh, the the actor just starts singing a song and then it becomes part of the movie. And I'm like, that's the most niche-breaking I've ever heard of. And I did get really mad.
SPEAKER_02But you then you proposed something, you you proposed a song.
SPEAKER_03And I thought it was a really good pick. Once Christine picked, like helped me understand what the actual theme was. I picked Move Yourself from the Breakup, which is truly one of the funniest movies scenes. It's so funny because John Michael Higgins, who is such a hilarious actor, he is in an a cappella group, right? In the movie. And I don't know if you know this, I was in an a cappella group in high school. But he cracks me up because he's getting everybody in the family to play along. And like it's so hilarious. Because obviously, if you haven't seen the movie, just go watch the scene, we'll put it in the notes. Yeah, yeah. But that was a good pick. Why did you say I couldn't do that one?
SPEAKER_02Because it wasn't technically a sing-along in the way I envisioned it. And I think I could have been clearer. I realize that, which is why I I want to break it down more now.
SPEAKER_03You better for our listeners. Make up for your past transgressions.
SPEAKER_02So I should have said the things that don't count. Anything a cappella. So that would be the breakup move yourself. Stepbrothers, sweet child of mine, which cute scene, doesn't count. Remember, stepbrothers? Not really. Okay, well, we'll we'll show that one too. Vacation, the the family is harmonizing, mocking bird. Oh no. Okay. That sounds bad. It's bad. It's silly. Then you got lip syncing, doesn't count. Okay, I wouldn't have picked lip syncing. I'm not an idiot. But funny enough, a scene that I really liked in 13 Going on 30, Love is a Battlefield. I feel like we've talked about it. Yeah, we've no, we've talked about it because I actually I thought that she was singing in it, but she's really just lip syncing, so that wouldn't count either. Oh, okay. And then karaoke. I feel like I don't know. Like that's borderline limbo territory. I'm gonna say, like, it probably doesn't count. So karaoke in a movie not counting. Okay, so what works? Car sing alongs for sure. We've got Jerry Maguire's Free Falling, that's a pretty classic one. Tommy Boy, they sing superstar. Which superstar? That's the Carpenters, of course. Barbie. Oh, that one was closer to fine. That's cute.
SPEAKER_03That was cute. Harold and Kumar, hold on. Which is also Bridesmaids.
SPEAKER_02Oh, is it?
SPEAKER_03But I don't remember if they're singing or lip syncing.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_03You remember at the end?
SPEAKER_02Kind. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think so. Okay. And then actually, probably the sing-along that got me into sing-alongs was the Spanish movie, the Almoldovar movie, Atame. At the end, it's very Stockholm syndrome. She goes away with her kidnapper, who is um, yeah. Spoiler alert. Antonio Maduras. I would probably go with him, too. Yeah, it's such a cute thing. They drive away singing the Spanish song Resistere. A lot of singing with Almodovar. She gonna say, I know, exactly. Yeah. There's a lot of good examples, and I'll share more in the show notes. But another one that I thought was really good in my runner-up is Silence of the Lambs, when she is singing Tom Petty's American Girl. In her car, right? Yes, yeah. So she's singing and she's like just singing with such abandoned she's like not a care in the world, and then she sees somebody over the side of the road, pulls over, the music like stops suddenly, and there's silence. It's I know it's like I I could remember that. My chest hurts thinking about it. Like, just that's what everything changes. So, like that contrast really yeah, really heavy.
SPEAKER_03Two good musical moments in that movie because Q Lazarus Horses is also very iconic. Not singing along, just I'm saying a very, very memorable scene.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, oh my gosh. Now, my pick for best unstaged sing along now that we have all the rules. Yes, everyone, everyone clear out there? Are you clear? I feel like I feel like you're still not clear. No, I okay. You made it crystal clear. So my pick for best unstaged sing-along, and I I challenge anyone to top this, I don't think you can, is from the 1978 film The Deer Hunter. A little context for the scene. A group of friends finishes their shift at a still mill in a small Pennsylvania town. One of them is getting married the next day, so they hit the bar, go on a spontaneous deer hunting trip after that, and then the wedding happens. After that, three of them are shipped off to the Vietnam War. So there's this sense of impending doom in the first act because of the prospect of the war, the horror, and they're not quite aware of how bad it is at the moment. I mean, it's 1968 when the film starts, so at this point, the characters don't know exactly how bad things are going to get, but the viewers know because it's coming out in 78. So that's hanging over you as you're watching the scene. So the scene, this perfect scene, happens within the first 20 minutes of the movie, and it's so unexpectedly beautiful, like it'll make you want to watch the entire three-hour movie. The song they sing along to, Frankie Valley's 1967 hit, Can't Take My Eyes Off of You.
SPEAKER_03Okay, so I did watch this scene, and I'm so glad that you gave me the context because I have not seen The Deer Hunter, and I've heard about it a lot. I don't, I just I don't know why I thought it was like a very scary movie or something. But what I loved about the scene is of course Christopher Walken.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Why I mean so beautiful, I know young and very God, he's such a good actor. So good. So wild. I can't say I was like prompted to go watch the movie. I still haven't seen it, but I was very intrigued and confused about what was going on, especially when they go outside, they're drinking heavily and go outside and it's daylight.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's weird. The timeline is very strange because they get off of work in the afternoon, it's daylight, and then they go to the bar and it's it's daylight, and then they go deer hunting and it's like night into day, and then the wedding is the next day. Okay, so before we get a little bit more into the movie, I just want to give just a quick word about the song itself. Can't take my eyes off of you, was Frankie Valley's first big solo hit after breaking out from the four seasons, and it almost didn't even get released. I guess a few Reat Radio DJs started playing it on their own, and it ended up climbing to number two on the Billboard charts. And while I do love this song on its own, and indeed played it at my wedding, it's the scene really that gives it so much weight. So Thomas introduced me to the film. It was one of our blockbuster dates. We used to go to Blockbuster on Larchmont in LA and share our favorite movies with each other when we first started dating in 2001. So cute. And this is one of his favorite movies. He watched it as a youngster in Hungary. The scene comes early in the movie and establishes the rapport between the characters played by some pretty major stars. We got Robert De Niro in there, Christopher Walken, and John Cazal. And it really like grounds them in this working-class Pennsylvania life right before the war tears them apart. The vibe of the scene was kind of shaped by the director, Michael Chemino's style. He encouraged a naturalistic, almost documentary style approach. The actors were like encouraged to linger, to drink, to stay in their character. And I really again beg everyone to go watch the scene. Christopher Walken, as you mentioned, Christina is hamming it up. He's like, did you notice he's chewing gum? I didn't. Yeah, he's like drinking and chewing gum. And like before they break out into song, he's kind of just mouthing it a little bit. And you're just like, is he gonna sing? Like, you don't know at this point. And there's these like side conversations happening, and it's like all loose and alive, and like full of this like nostalgia. And I really do get choked up every time I watch it.
SPEAKER_03I think what I like is like I don't I've not seen the movie. Yeah, I'm not from that era or that part of the world, but I think what I liked was like the lack of machismo that's happening in the scene where it's like these three steelworker men that are singing with each other, and it's just like sweet and nice, but there's sadness, there's like this deep sadness.
SPEAKER_02No, I know. There there is, and and so there's another whole layer to the sadness, and I just learned about that when I was preparing for the episode. John Gazal, this was his final role. Yeah, he had lung cancer while filming, and every one of his scenes was shot early to accommodate his illness. Yeah, he died before the movie was released. Wow, that's so sad. And in this particular scene, he's the first in the group to really start singing. He's been comforting the John Savage character Steven, who's getting married the next day, and suddenly he stands up and sings with this like aching sincerity, and like now knowing that he was dying, like it just gives it so much.
SPEAKER_03Wow.
SPEAKER_02So according to Meryl Streep, who was also in the film and Kazal's partner in real life at the time, he was practically uninsurable due to his illness, but Robert De Niro covered the costs because he just wanted Gazal in the film. Yeah, quite immense. I know.
SPEAKER_03It took me a minute to recognize that that was De Niro too. Like I saw it and I was like, that looks like him.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03But then I was like, is it him? And then when I yeah, I saw, I was like, how about that?
SPEAKER_02No, it's funny because we actually re-watched it recently, and I forgot that he was in it. Of course, like Christopher Walkett. Yeah, forgettable. But like Robert De Niro kind of he blends in a lot in this in this role. It looks like they colored his hair or something. Yeah, it's a little like they're supposed to be sort of, I mean, Russian Eastern Euro, like Russian Orthodox, it seems, Polish. Yeah. But so the scene has so much going on. At one point, Steven's mom comes marching over. It looks like she has like a rolling pin before her hand. And she's like marching over the to the bar to pull out Steven because like she's pissed he's gonna get married the next day, and he's all she's also angry because the woman he's marrying is pregnant with another man's baby. And and then, of course, there's probably just that like sadness, and and she herself is scared because you know, going off to war. Yeah. Although it's weird because in the movie they really do celebrate like that these guys are going off to war. You don't see it so much in this scene, but in the next one of the next scene big scenes, the wedding scene. It's it's a wedding for sure, but the three guys going off to war have these big portraits and they're just like hanging up on the walls and and they they even get like shouted out by the the MC like talking about how how great it is that these guys are gonna serve their country.
SPEAKER_03Foreshadowing.
SPEAKER_02Yeah very interesting but really it just again it's a perfect counterpoint to the brutality and the chaos that comes later on and it gets really brutal most war films do but I think this one especially and it's just so sad and and dark. But you hear at the wedding reception the song comes on again but this time it's sung by a lounge singer. Not quite the same energy but it does kind of reinforce that togetherness and kind of that emotional core this this connection that they have to each other that's going to be torn apart pretty soon. The Deer Hunter went on to win five Oscars including best picture and best director and it kind of helps emet De Niro's and Walkins' reputations. And in that bar scene it's Walkin's subtle like physicality he steals the scene in that moment like for sure yeah and then of course his presence there becomes like a big contrast to what his character will become in Vietnam so does that make you more in yeah a little bit a little bit I don't like violent stuff. It's it's yeah I don't want to say too much about it but okay yeah maybe you you you probably aren't gonna dig the rest of good headspace maybe yeah anyway I hope I have painted a clear enough picture of what a sing along according to my standards because I realize there are many types of sing alongs in movies.
SPEAKER_03You did you did and I forgive you for your rules and my misunderstanding but you know what I have a really good one that I picked. Yes and as a matter of fact Christine it was on the New York Times oh yeah top 100 of the last 21st century which explains why your movie wasn't on there. Yep yep yeah I get it and I I do appreciate a good sing along and I think I picked mine in retaliation to your roles because of how corny and good it is because my pick is Tiny Dancer from the Cameron Crow classic almost famous.
SPEAKER_02She just left all is not that bad you make sustain initial thoughts initial thoughts I thought classic pick yeah you know it's it's funny because I had seen the movie in probably 2000 when it came out I completely forgot about the details of the movie. I remember the scene yeah and I also remembered actually the other s one other scene from the movie when the the young version of the main actor is comparing himself to the older boys who are indeed older not just looking older and they're doing another pick of yours ogum boogum.
SPEAKER_03Yeah that's right that's so funny. I have a hard time imagining that any of our listeners haven't seen this movie because it it just feels like so common that I don't know everyone's seen it right I don't I'm maybe I'm being presumptuous but it was it really is one of those movies that like I really love it and also struggle with it because like there's some sexism and of course it like comes with the time and whatever. But just in case you listener have not seen this movie Almost famous is the story of a teenage journalist writing for Rolling Stone magazine in the early 1970s and he of course is touring with the fictitious rock band Stillwater and writing his first cover story on the band and it sounds so far-fetched and far flung and of course there is a lot of far-fetched far flung elements but it is somewhat a semi-autobiographical story about Cameron Crow who he himself was a teenage recorder for Rolling Stone and some other publications so I love that what a funny and fun element back in 1973 a 15 year old Cameron Crow interviewed Poco, a band I don't really care for or know much about, but who are considered by some the founders of the Southern California country rock sound. I mean if you just Google Cameron Crow teenager you'll see some incredible photos of him as a teen in the 70s interviewing some of the hottest rock and roll stars of the moment. Like I remember seeing a photo of him on the bus with Neil Young and just like can you imagine oh I guess how fun and like what like I of course I love Neil Young but I just can't imagine yes this awe-inspiring experience that he had and I think that's what makes it so lovable. And they also picked the perfect actor to play William Miller character. He's so cute and so innocent looking and just like constantly looks like somebody just tousled his hair and whatever. But I think it's like and I don't want to speak on your behalf but for me somebody who loves music and especially when I was a teen felt so many strong feelings about music and the musicians who made it what a chance of a lifetime to be a kid oh my god to meet his heroes go on tour with them. Like I said it's equal parts unbelievable and incredible and just like really fun to watch.
SPEAKER_02No and we we actually watched it last night. Oh really yeah that's cute I and I think I liked it more this time just being in a different headspace I was able to appreciate it so much more I mean this came out 25 years ago.
SPEAKER_03Oh yeah the good call it did come out in the year 2000. Yeah I was more cynical then yeah I was a literal child and I'm sure I watched it for the first time in high school but the scene is sweet. It's a little bit saccharin sweet and it is very funny because you know they've had this big you know night out where William the young journalist is trying to keep everybody in line and he's seeing all this stuff happen and he's like wow it's like gold for his article and whatever and then they all get on the bus there's been a big fight and they turn on the radio it's Elton John tiny dancer. Everyone knows all the words they're all singing along and it's very cute. But there's also this one very good part which I don't know if it was scripted or unscripted. I read that it was unscripted but the guy the teen William he goes I really need to go home and Kate Hudson's character who's Penny Lane the quote unquote band-aid she waves her fingers in front of him and says you are home and it's just oh oh so sweet he's with his his home he's on the road whatever but it's cute it's very it's very fun and it just makes you feel like oh I have to go home you are home well funny Thomas like is like this is such a stereothematica companion piece movie because we have talked about a lot of the music. Well the music but then also exactly the band aids who are you know what their little term for the groupies and you know I've already talked about it but Penny Lane was inspired by Pamela DeBar who was the you know the queen of the Sunset Strip which we talked about with our our podcast that we both really like and Pamela actually met Cameron when he was 15. And I read an article where she had said the singing on the bus would have never happened. And I think that's so hilarious. She even said I never she wasn't around for the bus parts she was flying on jets and you know she was so cool and whatever. I just cracked up knowing that she had a lot of I think maybe a little bit of spite towards this movie just thinking well and funny enough Cameron Crow invited her to the premiere. Oh she's watching the movie she said this is so about me like this doesn't even remind me there was a a famous um I think groupie named Penny Lane and um she said it's more about me than anybody else even the girl looks like me you know the Kate Hudson's character and so she cornered him at like I think it was like a Duran Duran show and she's like that movie was based on me. You should have given me a consulting credit like whatever. I guess Kate Hudson even said that she read Pamela's um I'm with the band book and put up pictures of Pamela around her trailer when she was filming. So that cracks me up I just I really yeah I don't know it's just it is a good companion piece. Yeah. So yeah listener if you like our podcast and you've you know heard about us talking about these musicians and you haven't seen the movie great opportunity. Yeah and maybe some people will come to us because of watching almost famous oh yeah good call yeah and the funny thing about this song Tiny Dancer which I I don't think my parents were like big Elton John fans growing up like we weren't it's not something we really listened to. But of course that was on the radio and whatnot. But the song was written by Bernie Taupin supposedly about his wife at the time who sewed patches on Elton's jackets and pants you know seems just for the band. Fun fact I've worn one of Elton John's jackets. Oh my god how my friend Michelle Van Boogie who was one of our sunset gals she got it from him somehow I don't I don't truly know but she let me wear it and took some photos of me in it and she is so cool. She was a is a big Elton fan so just an interesting tidbit there. But the song was never really a big hit it it maxed out at 41 on the US charts because it's over six minutes long and that's not good for radio as we all know unless you're trying to go have a bathroom break. But it got a big boost from Almost Famous in this scene which I guess doesn't really surprise me. Maybe things were a little bit more chill back then in the year 2000 but I have a funny memory of um being at a college party and someone playing piano playing tiny dancer and everyone gathering around and singing along and at the time I felt intense disgust.
SPEAKER_02Oh wow why I was like you losers you freaks that it just felt so it felt too manufactured even though it was very organic like somebody's just sitting at the piano you didn't sing along did you sing along I didn't well we just like crossed arms like yes standing with my beard and singing nerds freaks but now I look back on that moment and I would do that I would I I love to sing and I just think it's so funny it was so college right just a little sing along yeah silly yeah no but that's interesting because I feel like that that feeling you had in a weird way I think maybe even when I watched this for the first time like I had a little bit of that like oh this is too cute like I don't know it was just a little too perfect but I think now with age and and distance and just like not being as cynical I'm like oh this is just a lovely movie.
SPEAKER_03And for the moment in the movie it's really needed. Like there was a big low people seem upset with each other there's fighting then they all kind of bond over a song in a car which like who hasn't been there when you're maybe having a tense moment like you're on I don't know whether in the car or at the house your song comes on and you sing and smile and look over at your whoever it is it just kind of eases the tension a bit.
SPEAKER_02No and that's that's part of why I picked this theme is just it's I feel like it's it is something everyone can kind of like get excited about yeah and get excited and like it creates a sort of nostalgia that you just can't like whether whether you've you were a part of that moment or not you feel the nostalgia for something.
SPEAKER_03That's true. Which well I don't know good choice Christine I'm glad that we eventually we we found a consensus and some common ground that I still love lose yourself. Even though it doesn't count even if it doesn't count okay well do you want to tease us about next week's theme? Next week we're gonna talk about nonsense my god I have no idea what that's about I've stumped my co-host I love it well thanks for listening to Stereothematica if you like what you're hearing please consider a review a rating or sharing with a friend. And subscribe now on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on Instagram at stereothematica where you can share your favorite movie sing alongs and visit stereothematica.blog for more fun loop move yourself you always live your life never thinking of the future