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"Please Mr. Kennedy" from Inside Llewyn Davis |
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'American Hustle' tumblers for Oscar party style! |
Make sure to honour the movie music of 2013 by setting your
Oscar pre-party to the soundtrack of the movie year. As you nibble the popcorn you made in the science oven and say “cheers” to Philomena with some Guinness, set the
mood for the show. Enjoy original songs (“The Moon Song”), vintage tracks (“Way
Down Sally”) and songs inspired by the movies (“Shudder to Think”). Enjoy
subtly effective tunes (“Blue Moon”) for the arty types at the party and
offensively on-the-nose credits songs (“Heroes”) for those who prefer Broscars.
Likewise, rock out to “Please Mr. Kennedy” instead of
lamenting the snub of Inside Llewyn Davis.
Have a roaring party to the tunes from “The Great Gatsby” and ask how on earth “Young
and Beautiful” isn’t winning the Oscar--it isn't even nominated! (One of the
worst snubs of the year.) Show off your film snob side by talking up the
wonderful Belgium bluegrass of The Broken
Circle Breakdown. I limited myself to two BCB songs, but I recommend listening
to “Wayfaring Stranger” while prepping your Oscar noms. (Note that the video
contains spoilers.) Represent the fine soundtracks of documentary, too, by
taking in a track from Muscle Shoals,
plus a soulful tune from one of the subjects of the nominated doc 20 Feet from Stardom. Be extra academic
by pausing as a group to discuss what “Gimme Shelter” might sound like without
the haunting "Rape! Murder!" back-up vocals by Merry Clayton.
The Oscar party playlist can also be a fun game. As host,
challenge the guests to pick out which of the songs on the playlist are the
Oscar nominees for Best Original Song. They might recognize “Let it Go” from Frozen,” but will they know “Happy” or
that love-it-or-hate-it song from Mandela:
Long Walk to Freedom? Finally, end the pre-party by offering the titillating
bit of movie song trivia by noting to guests that the Oscar race of 2013 saw
the rare overturning of a nominee, for Bruce Boughton’s much-derided title
track for Alone Yet Not Alone had its nomination rescinded due to
unethical campaigning. It's unfair to disqualify “Alone Yet Not Alone” from the
Oscar playlist, though, since it might go down in history as the Oscar song of 2013
(albeit for all the wrong reasons). Enjoy it as bonus track away from the other
Oscar-related songs, but still as a part of the pack. Alone yet not alone, one
might say.
Oscar Party Playlist:
1. “The Boy who Wouldn’t Hoe Corn” from The Broken Circle Breakdown
2. “Fare Thee Well (Dink’s Song)” from Inside Llewyn Davis
3. “Desperation” from 20
Feet from Stardom
4. “Young and Beautiful” from The Great Gatsby
5. “Let it Go” from Frozen
6. “10538 Overture” from American
Hustle
7. “Lay Down Sally” from August:
Osage County
8. “Roll Jordan Roll” from 12 Years a Slave
9. “If I Needed You” from The Broken Circle Breakdown
10. “The Moon Song” from Her
11. “Happy” from Despicable Me 2
12. “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” from Saving Mr. Banks (and, yes, Mary
Poppins)
13. “Blue Moon” from Blue
Jasmine
14. “Pressing On”
from Muscle Shoals
15. “Heroes” from Lone
Survivor
16. “Take You Away” from Mud
17. “Please Mr. Kennedy” from Inside Llewyn Davis
18. “Gimme Shelter” from 20
Feet from Stardom
19. “Mrs. Robinson” from The
Wolf of Wall Street
20. “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)” from The Great Gatsby
21. “Far l’amore” from The
Great Beauty
22. “Shudder to Think” from Dallas Buyers Club
23. “Ordinary Love” from Mandela:
Long Walk to Freedom
Bonus track: “Alone Yet Not Alone” from Alone Yet Not Alone