Wednesday, August 16, 2017

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Class of '86: Best Original Song

I love Bernadette Peters. Don't you wish she was handing you an Oscar? I love even more that the Original Song nominations named the songs' performers. Do they still? It seemed new when I watched this presentation. Or old, I guess.


It should be no surprise that Top Gun's "Take My Breath Away" went home with the win. Sure, "Glory of Love" from The Karate Kid: Part II spent more weeks at #1, but "Take My Breath Away" was the music of Maverick, baby! It was the number one movie of the year - hell, it was the number one soundtrack of the year, nine times platinum, one of the best-sellers of all time! You can't compete with those numbers baby.

Except on an awards ballot. So let's take a took at the nominees - in order of my rankings, from the bottom to the top. After the jump.
"Life in a Looking Glass" from That's Life!
music by Henry Mancini
lyrics by Leslie Bricusse
ABSTAIN
I did not see this movie. Couldn't find it. Won't judge it.


"Glory of Love" from The Karate Kid: Part II
music by Peter Cetera & David Foster
lyrics by Cetera & Diane Nini
**
What on Earth? I don't even remember this song!


"Somewhere Out There" from An American Tail
music by James Horner & Barry Mann
lyrics by Cynthia Weil
****
Not my favorite of the film's songs, but there's a reason it was a hit. Hopeful, lovely, and what an emotional moment!


"Mean Green Mother from Outer Space" from Little Shop of Horrors
music by Alan Menken
lyrics by Howard Ashman
*****
So integral to the film's narrative, you can't imagine the production without it - of course, that takes a certain unfamiliarity with the source material, but isn't it perfect when a new song slips in without standing out?


"Take My Breath Away" from Top Gun
music by Giorgio Moroder
lyrics by Tom Whitlock
*****
Wonderfully executed in the film, as both the recurring love theme and in full during the sex scene proper. Honey! Take my breath away, indeed!

---------------------------------

Yup! For the second day in a row, I side with the Academy and award my vote to...

MORODER & WHITLOCK
for
"TAKE MY BREATH AWAY"
from
TOP GUN

Man oh man, I'm looking forward to tomorrow, though: Best Actor! I'm talking Dexter Gordon, Bob Hoskins, William Hurt, Paul Newman, and James Woods, in 'Round Midnight, Mona Lisa, Children of a Lesser God, The Color of Money, and Salvador. It's gonna be something!

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