36 replies to this topic

[Limbonaut]

I think the lyrics this song from Team America: World Police(which I first heard in a South Park episode explains it best

The hour's approaching to give it your best,
and you've got to reach your prime
That's when you need to put yourself to the test,
and show us a passage of time

We're gonna need a montage! MONTAGE!
Ooh, it takes a montage! MONTAGE!

Show a lot of things happening at once,
remind everyone of what's going on!
And with every shot show a little improvement,
to show it all would take too long!

That's called a montage! MONTAGE!
Ooh, we want a montage! MONTAGE!

In anything that we want to go,
from just a beginner to a pro
We need a montage! MONTAGE!
Even Rocky had a montage! MONTAGE!

MONTAGE!

MONTAGE!

Anything that we want to go,
from just a beginner to a pro
We need a montage! MONTAGE!
Ooh, it takes a montage! MONTAGE!

Always fade out in a montage
If you fade out it seems like more time has a passed in a montage
Montage

Rocky is the all-time classic training montage. What makes it effective isn't just the Bill Conti song "Gonna Fly Now" but that Sylvester Stallone is really doing the running, push-ups, sit-ups, and weight lifting.

My favorite romantic montage is from On Her Majesty's Secret Service(1969), while having the least memorable Bond(George Lazenby) was still one of the best. It has the only montage sequence in the series where Bond falls in love with Tracy(Diana Rigg) while Louis Armstrong sings "We Have All the Time in the World" written by John Barry.

Edited by Limbonaut, Mar 29, 2009 @ 1:49 PM.

[AimingforYoko]

My favorite romantic montage is from On Her Majesty's Secret Service(1969),

My favorite romantic montage is from Naked Gun to Herman's Hermits I'm Into Something Good. The best part is when they come out of the movie theater laughing uproariously at Platoon.

[furrylump]

There was a faboo one in Slither where they played a romantic song called "Every Woman In The World," over shots of Starla seeing a bloodied up mural of pictures of herself and Grant, Bill and Kylie stumbling down the street trying to stay out of sight of the alien zombie things, and best of all, the Mayor waking up hungry and chowing down on a nearby corpse. It was charming.

[smallpea8]

One of my all-time favorite montages is the "You're the best!" one in Karate Kid during the tournament. And then South Park used the same song during the little league montage! Priceless. Absolutely priceless.

[ikar]

I saw this thread start up over the weekend, and then I saw I Love You Man last night. They had a brief montage in the movie, a bonding thing, and I had the Team America song in my head. Thanks thread!

[AimingforYoko]

One of my all-time favorite montages is the "You're the best!" one in Karate Kid during the tournament. And then South Park used the same song during the little league montage!

My favorite South Park montage parody was when they had Cartman training for the Special Olympics to the "Take It To The Limit" song from Scarface.

[CantThinkUpName]

My favorite South Park montage parody was when they had Cartman training for the Special Olympics to the "Take It To The Limit" song from Scarface.

When I first saw that episode, I didn't know it was from Scarface. It was so hacky I thought it was a satirical song like Montage. When I re-watched Scarface, I was surprised to hear it. Of course it ruined the montage for me.

I love "test-taking" montages like in Summer School and Soul Man.

[zelmia]

Just saw Haunting in Connecticut. When they go to find out more about the history of the house, I turned to my friend and whisper-shouted, "The research montage!"

Seems like all "based on a true story"s and courtroom dramas have them. Philadelphia, Lorenzo's Oil, A Few Good Men just to name a few.

[Limbonaut]

Another montage I love are the ones for the two Ghostbusters movies. I particularly like the one for Ghostbusters 2 because I love the Run DMC song they play over it!

[GageWhitney]

I'm seconding Ghostbusters -- that YouTube clip is awesome. IMO, those are the best montages in anything ever. SO much fun. I love the "Is it just a mist, or does it have arms and legs?" line.

The montage in O Brother, Where Art Thou? is one I really like, too. It intercuts scenes of the three main characters camping in the woods, hitchhiking and finally stealing a car while the record they cut quickly gains popularity without their knowledge. "I'll Fly Away" from the soundtrack plays over it, and it's just such a nice collection of scenes. It's on YouTube here.

[acsgrlie1]

I know it's cliche but the 'falling in love' montages always get me.

How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days, Sleeping With the Enemy, 13 Going on 30, just to name a few.

And like Rocky- who doesn't love a sports montage?
Remember the Titans, Miracle, Invincible. The music in Remember the Titans is my favorite.

[zelmia]

Hey, let's not forget the road trip/traveling-bonding montage! You know the one: where the main characters who previously didn't get along (for whatever reason) are now inseparable and spend the rest of the movie genuinely looking out for each other for entirely different reasons.

Bolt immediately springs to mind -or for that matter just about any Disney/Pixar offering.

Edited by zelmia, Apr 26, 2009 @ 3:00 PM.

[xaxat]

I'm not sure if they are technically montages, but I'm a sucker for "getting the team together" scenes. A staple of science fiction and disaster movies, it usually consists of the second in command reading off the resumes of those chosen to save the world as the leader of the team stands nearby looking heroic. Cut to shot of the person being discussed doing something crazy/brilliant/tough, whatever their defining characteristic may be. (Liv Tyler and Bruce Willis telling NASA about the other drillers in Armegeddon, Lee Marvin walking down death row in The Dirty Dozen). They just seem so dramatic, even in the cheesiest of movies.

[Limbonaut]

They count. The one I like the Soderbergh's Ocean's Eleven where Clooney and Pitt putting together a team I would say is more of a sequence than a montage.

[CantThinkUpName]

but I'm a sucker for "getting the team together" scenes.

I don't know if it officially started with "The Seven Samurai" but I've seen a lot of commentaries where directors will call such a scene their "Seven Samurai moment."

[IttyBittyFlavur]

I know it's cliche but the 'falling in love' montages always get me.

So much a cliche that they're in Roger Ebert's Glossary of Movie Terms:

Semi-Obligatory Lyrical Interlude (Semi-OLI)

Scene in which soft focus and slow motion are used while a would-be hit song is performed on the sound track and the lovers run through a pastoral setting. Common from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s; replaced in 1980s with the Semi-Obligatory Music Video (q.v.).

Semi-Obligatory Music Video

Three-minute sequence within otherwise ordinary narrative structure, in which a song is played at top volume while movie characters experience spasms of hyperkinetic behavior and stick their faces into the camera lens. If a band is seen, the Semi-OMV is inevitably distinguished by the director's inability to find a fresh cinematic approach to the challenge of filming a slack-jawed drummer.

[avid_reader]

but I'm a sucker for "getting the team together" scenes.

I love those! Next to "training" montages, they are my favorite. When it's a whole team training montage? That's the best.

I love the part in Bring it On where they are trying to choreograph a new routine for the big competition!

I actually love all montages. Everywhere. And "We Need a MONTAGE!" song is so very true. A montage makes almost any movie better!

While that may seem like a lot of exclamation points - that is truly how much love I have for this ridiculous movie convention.

[xaxat]

One of my all-time favorite montages is the "You're the best!" one in Karate Kid during the tournament.

That reminds me of another category of montage I like, the "preliminary competition" ones. Cobra Kai showing no mercy in Karate Kid, Clubber Lang beating the crap out of all comers in Rocky III, Jean Claude Van Damme and Bolo Yeung competing for fastest knockout in Bloodsport, the rise of the Knights in The Natural. Love all of them.

[Split Ends]

Does anyone else remember the old Eric Roberts' movie, The Best of The Best? I haven't seen that movie in years, and I can't remember much of it, so I'm curious if it had a team-building or pre-climactic fight montage. It seems perfect for one.

[samsnee]

I definitely think it had a team-building montage. I just remember the end when the Asian dude on the American team could have killed the Korean dude to avenge his brother, but he didn't, cuz you know, America's cool.

[Split Ends]

I am far too ashamed to ever go rent the thing, or even Netflix it, so I guess I'll never know unless say, the Spike Channel picks it up and airs it secretly at 3 a.m.

You're bringing back some memories, samsnee. Something about Eric Roberts' holding his shoulder? Anyway. I hope it had a montage.

(I had to seriously resist adding the Rocky IV montage song to my iPod recently. I shall give in eventually, I'm sure.)

[samsnee]

I had to seriously resist adding the Rocky IV montage song to my iPod recently. I shall give in eventually, I'm sure.

I actually have "Training Montage" by Vince DiCola, Hearts on Fire, and No Easy Way Out on my ipod. Laugh if you must, but they make for a great workout mix. When No Easy Way Out comes on, it makes me focus harder as I visualize about the time I raced Apollo in my short shorts on the beach.

[Split Ends]

Oh, I completely agree that No Easy Way Out is fantastic. It's on rotation for spin class. However, I am so completely bummed that I can't get a copy of the Bullet For My Valentine version. I am sure I'll succumb to the rest soon.

Edited by Split Ends, May 25, 2009 @ 9:13 PM.

[Limbonaut]

I just got back from seeing Up and I have to say the eight or so minute montage at the beginning is probably the best one I've ever seen. Just silent with music and it tells so much.

[Trini Girl]

Wow, I didn't even know there was a specific thread for this!

Another montage category is the "growing up" or "growing older" montage, in which we see a character/s go from child to adult; or older like with Up.

I was thinking about the montages in Disney's Tarzan the other day, and I realized that I don't think I've seen montages in any of the anime movies I've seen.* At least not in the way that they're usually used: to show a long period of time in a short period of time. Or in any of the Asian produced films I've seen either.

I'm just wondering if this is a cultural difference in storytelling; or something I'm imagining.



*It's very possible that I may have forgotten.

[lastdaughterfk]

I'm just wondering if this is a cultural difference in storytelling; or something I'm imagining.

I had seen a lot of Anime and it seems they don't like doing montage on growing up. They rather had the character have some flashbacks to important scenes from their childhood if they need to, or just show them as kid, place whatever important scene they need and then fast-forward to adulthood, IME, YMMV.

[Corporal Agarn]

The first Rocky is best, but I'm a sucker for III's montage because I adore Carl Weathers. My husband likes IV's because he's partial to Dolph Lundgren. Also, in Rocky Balboa, I cry during that montage because of the scruffy little dog. Love him.

The montage in O Brother, Where Art Thou? is one I really like, too. It intercuts scenes of the three main characters camping in the woods, hitchhiking and finally stealing a car while the record they cut quickly gains popularity without their knowledge. "I'll Fly Away" from the soundtrack plays over it, and it's just such a nice collection of scenes. It's on YouTube here.

I second this. Great movie. Cinematography is awesome throughout, but it especially suits that montage.

I normally hate falling-in-love montages, but I get a warm fuzzy from the one in Tootsie. Love that song, and love how much Dustin Hoffman and Charles Durning can say with just a look. That scene at the dinner table especially gets to me. For a movie that's so funny, it's the lovey-dovey montage from which I literally can't tear my eyes.

[cpcathy]

The other great montage in Tootsie is his/her rise to fame, as we see Dorothy being photographed for magazines. Such a fun scene, Michael Dorsey is finally famous!

[Ankai]

I had seen a lot of Anime and it seems they don't like doing montage on growing up. They rather had the character have some flashbacks to important scenes from their childhood if they need to, or just show them as kid, place whatever important scene they need and then fast-forward to adulthood, IME, YMMV.

I think that it may be because the important memories of the past or of childhood need to be remembered, not sped through. Anything worth remembering is worth showing as clearly as possible, whether it be romanticized or horrible. The consequences of past actions or personalities are directly felt in the present, so they deserve as much respect as the present, if not more. Characters revisit the past for what they were, they analyze what information could prove useful, they mourn what was lost. The past is not a series of quick shots or a means to move from one age to the next. That is often why movies and shows have extended flashbacks or consist of pretty much one long flashback. A montage would be irrelevant at best. This is not to say that there are no growing up montages at all in Asian media, but I am guessing that this is why it is less common.

[Jeebus Cripes]

From the first page:

I love "test-taking" montages like in Summer School
and Soul Man.

Love them, too. Also? The Real Genius studying montage is epic.

Cosigning all of the Rocky montages. I also like the montages in Clueless; There's more than one if memory serves. The Buffy the Vampire Slayer film has a couple that I like as well.