73
votes
Accepted
Is the loudness of a movie in the theater set by the theater or by the publisher/studio?
The overall answer is it can depend, but it's usually set by the movie theater.
Unless the studio has requested an optimal volume range for a movie, the theater is free to set the volume at whatever ...
37
votes
Accepted
What does "a nickel on the dime" mean?
The line is
I wasn't born this morning, eighteen would be just fine.
Why not just go ahead and ask for nickels on the dime?
Both "nickels" and "dimes" are common names for coins ...
25
votes
Why aren't the songs from a TV show credited in the end credits?
Money.
In this case Time which equals money.
The vast majority of TV content is still provided by TV networks who make their income from ads. Every second not devoted to actual content is a second ...
24
votes
Accepted
What is the reason behind this musical reference to Pinocchio in the Close Encounters main theme?
In an 1998 interview with Ian Lace, John Williams explained
"In this spirit, the idea to incorporate When You Wish Upon A Star was Spielberg's. I think for him, it had something to do with the ...
22
votes
Accepted
Was the Psych theme song written for the show?
The song "The Best Man Lies" was included on The Friendly Indians' EP Tiny Badness, released in 2004.
A version song was re-released as "I know, You know" in 2006 after it became popular as the show'...
21
votes
Accepted
What is the relationship between the theme songs in Sherlock Holmes (2009 movie) and Sherlock (BBC series)?
They were not influenced by Zimmer
Michael Price and David Arnold answered this in an interview:
How much of an influence was Hans Zimmer's score from the Sherlock Holmes movie?
Regarding ...
20
votes
Accepted
Which comes first in song-and-dance movies: The soundtrack or the video?
This might be a bit broad [but answerable in a broad sense], and I have no documentary evidence to back things up, but my qualification for this is I am a (retired) professional sound engineer, who ...
16
votes
Accepted
Significance of the song "Should I Stay or Should I Go"?
For me, the scene where Joyce Byers sees the monster for the first time, coming out of the wall in Will's bedroom and runs away from her house, explains it. At that moment she is both devastated by ...
15
votes
Accepted
Did Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman do the singing in Moulin Rouge?
Yes, both of them did their own singing for the movie. Ewan McGregor is quoted in this MTV article talking about the pressure that he felt, as it was more singing than he had done previously for parts,...
15
votes
What is the burning city referred to in the song "I'll Try" from the Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure soundrack?
The song was originally written and performed for Return to Neverland (2002) by Jonatha Brooke then later covered by Jessie McCartney and re-used in Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure.
As Return to ...
14
votes
Accepted
Why do they sing Nirvana in Pan?
From The Huffington Post who interviewed Joe Wright, the director:
One of the most memorable scenes in 'Pan', Joe Wright’s lavish Peter
Pan prequel is when young Londoner Peter is first ...
14
votes
Is the loudness of a movie in the theater set by the theater or by the publisher/studio?
The relative volume (this piece of dialogue is louder/quieter than that sound effect) is determined by the producers and part of the film (or digital video). The absolute volume (this is how high we ...
13
votes
Accepted
What came first? Venom as the movie or as the song?
I would point you to the Wikipedia page for this song which reads:
"Venom – Music from the Motion Picture", more commonly known as simply "Venom", is a song by American rapper Eminem, written for ...
12
votes
What does "a nickel on the dime" mean?
Just to add to the accepted answer, nickels on the dime is a common expression in parts of North America (I have heard it used in Ontario and BC), indicating that you are getting ripped off in a deal.
...
12
votes
Accepted
What is the importance of background music in A Clockwork Orange?
From Interview with Stanley Kubrick regarding A Clockwork Orange by Philip Strick & Penelope Houston (Sight&Sound, Spring 1972):
Question: To what extent do you rationalise a shot before ...
11
votes
Accepted
What was Martian Manhunter singing in the end of Christmas special episode "Comfort and Joy"?
This song got no particular name. They didn't actually write a song for the episode. Voice actor for J'onn J'onzz, Carl Lumbly, came up with what Martian lullaby sounds like.
By the quote from Bruce ...

A J♦
- 57.8k
10
votes
Accepted
Why the discrepancies between setting and music in "Moulin Rouge!"?
The action of Moulin Rouge! takes place in 1899:
In the year 1900, a British writer suffering from depression named
Christian (Ewan McGregor) begins writing on his typewriter (...). He explains ...
10
votes
Accepted
Is the Wonder Woman theme original?
Composer Hans Zimmer says in this video interview:
It was really important for me to figure out how to find, like this
banshee wail ... but it had to be feminine.
...
10
votes
Accepted
Why does the movie Inside Man start with a Bollywood track?
In the director's commentary on the DVD, Spike Lee addresses this. Short version; he liked the song so he used it.
When he was teaching film school, a student recommended the film Dil Se.., where ...
9
votes
Accepted
What is the name of a sound track in Game of Thrones Season 6 Episode 3
The name of the background score is called House of Black and White
Skip forward to 2:57 for this particular track
9
votes
When was whistling music first used in basketball videos?
The song in question is an old jazz song called "Sweet Georgia Brown", in this case a version by Brother Bones. The Harlem Globetrotters, as far as I know, are the ones who first introduced the song ...
9
votes
Accepted
What is the significance of Nimrod to Dunkirk's original score?
Elgar's Enigma variations - and Nimrod, in particular - have long been a part of the British consciousness.
Interestingly, Elgar ended up writing 14 variations (Nimrod being number 9).
Zimmer is ...
9
votes
Significance of repeated use of Irma Thomas's song 'Anyone Who Knows What Love Is'?
It's simply an Easter Egg:
When asked if they had a favorite Season Three Easter Egg, Brooker
immediately mentioned “Nosedive.” “I think my favorite, currently, is
the status update from Michael ...
9
votes
Accepted
Why is Nightcrawler's soundtrack so upbeat?
It seems that the writer, Dan Gilroy, wanted to bring out the humanity of the character rather than just portray him as a sociopath. He seems to have intended the music to be subversive, as he ...
9
votes
Accepted
How does music licensing work when it comes to reruns and DVD/streaming releases of tv shows?
It's not just about the budget, but the amount of negotiation required with different parties.
It will depend on how many record labels and artists are involved, and their relationships with the ...
8
votes
Movies without Film score/background music
Music is meant to add to the atmosphere and experience of a movie, and sometimes the atmosphere of silence adds exactly the mood that the movie is looking for.
An example of a film that used the ...
8
votes
Accepted
What is the song in 'Mars Attacks!' that killed the Martians?
From Wikipedia:
Richie discovers that the Martians' heads explode when they hear Slim Whitman's "Indian Love Call." He and Florence drive around town, using the song to kill Martians. The military ...
8
votes
What is the significance of Nimrod to Dunkirk's original score?
Horuskol, has already given a good answer but specifically Nimrod is played at the Rememberance Day Ceremony that takes place each November in London to honour British and other nations war dead.
...
8
votes
Accepted
Why wasn't Van Halen's music in Back to the Future?
As you alluded to, I think we can safely assume it was money related, rather than image, as this was a major motion picture at the time produced by Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment (nothing ...
8
votes
Accepted
Why is there one broken note in the opening music of The Silence of the Lambs?
There's nothing 'missing' at all - the track does this several times; just your ear has got used to it by the 2nd or 3rd time. This one feels odd because it's the first one that really establishes the ...
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