The 5 Best Music Moments In Jackie Brown (& 5 In Death Proof)

In both Jackie Brown and Death Proof, songs are used to incredible effect – here are some of the most memorable examples.

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Quentin Tarantino’s movies have always been known for their distinctive soundtracks, ever since the cast of Reservoir Dogs walked across a parking lot in slow motion to the tune of “Little Green Bag.” From the Chuck Berry track playing over the Jack Rabbit Slim’s dance contest to the Rolling Stones track playing over the evening of the Tate-LaBianca murders, Tarantino’s movies are filled with memorable music moments.

While Jackie Brown and Death Proof are arguably Tarantino’s two most underappreciated movies, their soundtracks are just as unforgettable as any of his others. Both movies have plenty of needle drops that set the scene beautifully.

10 Jackie Brown: “Across 110th Street” By Bobby Womack

The opening shot of Jackie Brown emulates that of The Graduate as the camera tracks the title character along a moving walkway in an airport. But instead of “The Sound of Silence,” what plays on the soundtrack is Bobby Womack’s “Across 110th Street.”

This song returns in the final scene as Jackie drives off to her bright future, unfortunately without Max. She sings along with the track ahead of the end credits.

9 Death Proof: “The Last Race” By Jack Nitzsche

Jack Nitzsche originally recorded the instrumental “The Last Race” as the theme song for the ‘60s teensploitation sci-fi comedy Village of the Giants, but Tarantino found a great use for it in the opening credits of Death Proof.

The movie opens with a pair of feet up on the dashboard of a car that’s speeding along the road and Nitzsche’s theme sets the tone for the movie’s exploitation homage perfectly.

8 Jackie Brown: “Strawberry Letter 23” By The Brothers Johnson

When Ordell finds out that Beaumont is facing 10 years in prison and therefore likely to turn him in for a reduced sentence, he tricks him into lying in the trunk of his car, saying it’s part of an arms deal. Beaumont gets in the trunk and “Strawberry Letter 23” plays on the radio as Ordell drives to a secluded spot.

The song cuts out briefly as Ordell shuts off the engine, pops open the trunk, and shoots Beaumont in cold blood. Then, the song comes back on when he gets back in the car and drives off. The brief silence adds an interesting layer to Tarantino’s signature juxtaposition of lighthearted songs against shocking violence.

7 Death Proof: “Down In Mexico” By The Coasters

At the beginning of Death Proof, radio DJ “Jungle Julia” tells her friend Arlene that she offered her listeners a free lap dance from her if they address her as “Butterfly,” buy her a drink, and recite lines from the poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.”

After Stuntman Mike arrives at the bar and meets all the criteria, Arlene plays “Down in Mexico” by the Coasters on the jukebox and reluctantly gives him a lap dance.

6 Jackie Brown: “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time)” By The Delfonics

When Max comes over to Jackie’s apartment to retrieve his gun, she invites him in for coffee and plays a Delfonics record as they begin to bond and a romance blossoms.

The song continues to play throughout the movie, like when Max is driving, and it becomes a sort of musical accompaniment for their budding romance.

5 Death Proof: “Hold Tight!” By Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich

Tarantino came up with a fascinating slasher-meets-carsploitation premise for Death Proof. A stunt driver using his “death-proof” car to prey on unsuspecting young women was the perfect vehicle to examine the tropes of slashers and the tropes of muscle car movies.

“Hold Tight!” by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich plays over Stuntman Mike’s first on-screen car crash. Leading up to the crash, Julia has her leg hanging outside the car window, which is nail-biting for the audience that knows the gruesome fate that awaits her (adhering to Hitchcock’s bomb-under-the-table suspense-building technique).

4 Jackie Brown: “Inside My Love” By Minnie Riperton

All throughout Jackie Brown, the title character is continually underestimated by Ordell Robbie, the gun runner she claims to be working for, and the cops, who she also claims to be working with. In reality, she’s playing them both against each other.

When Ordell meets Jackie in a bar and he begins to realize she’s smarter than he thought, Minnie Riperton’s “Inside My Love” plays on the soundtrack.

3 Death Proof: “It’s So Easy” By Willy DeVille

Halfway through Death Proof, the movie basically starts again with all-new protagonists because the protagonists established in the first reel (so to speak) all met an abrupt end by the midpoint.

Willy DeVille’s “It’s So Easy” plays as Stuntman Mike pulls up at a store, lights a cigarette, and identifies his next victims as the new protagonists pull up alongside him.

2 Jackie Brown: “Street Life” By Randy Crawford

Randy Crawford’s “Street Life” plays on Jackie’s car stereo as she heads to the mall to pull off the final gambit. The empowering sound of Crawford’s voice perfectly lines up with Jackie outsmarting the two sides of the law after they both drastically underestimated her.

This track was later used in a montage in Better Call Saul as Jimmy takes to the streets in a tracksuit to sell stolen cell phones to criminals.

1 Death Proof: “Chick Habit” By April March

While Death Proof stumbles a little in its unwieldy second act, which probably led to it being widely labeled Tarantino’s worst movie (including by the director himself), it more than makes up for it in its glorious third act.

The final car chase is spectacularly staged, while the girls dragging Mike out of his busted-up car and beating him to death is one of Tarantino’s most satisfying revenge scenes. Then, April March’s “Chick Habit” plays over the end credits.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/jackie-brown-death-proof-best-music-soundtrack-moments/