An overinflated budget is never a substitute for artistic vision, creative voice, and pure love for the medium. Sometimes a smaller and stranger project manages to outmaneuver all the biggest moneymakers in the medium at a game they started.
There are countless moments in which a superhero enters one big scene or another accompanied by a beloved song that wasn’t written for the film. These needle-drop moments can be minor jokes, character-building flourishes, or integral to the overall feel of a narrative. Everyone has their favorite use of a classic track, but the underrated NetflixseriesThe Umbrella Academyhides some of the best song choices and needle-drop moments in superhero media.
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The benefit of a needle-drop moment is in its ability to convey information and shift the tone of a scene.Often the non-scored musicis diegetic, provided by some character’s speaker system, headphones, or nearby band. These moments can say so much about a character, purely through the music they choose and the moments they need to hear them. Bad needle-drop moments are dull or obvious. There are occasions in poorly written films where a seasoned viewer might be able to guess the track before it even rolls in.There are a few overusedsongs that most could see coming, but fans will find them in parody before they will in anything sincere. The needle-drop is a powerful tool, but one that can be easily used incorrectly. A good one can elevate a scene, a bad one can turn it hilarious.
TheMarvel Cinematic Universe makessome interesting use of the needle-drop, often linking specific tracks or bands to individual characters or traits. Iron Man is heralded by an AC/DC track so many times it becomes predictable. Thor only ran in under orchestral score until Taika Waititi got ahold of them, then he got to fight with Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” at his back.
Captain America: The Winter Soldierfeatures a charming moment in which Sam wakes Steve with a song he’d recommended in the film’s opening.Doctor Strangeuses a few seconds of “Single Ladies” for a gag with Wong and that trends the line between funny and obvious. The franchise does the trick of mentioning a song in the beginning and using it as a punchline, in the end, a bit too often. Perhaps the worst example of Marvel’s needle-drops comes in thegrim opening ofBlack Widow. That sad montage was accompanied by Think Up Anger and Malia J’s cover of “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, inadvertently evoking a dumb trend of similar slow covers amongst bad film trailers.
Marvel is fairly sparring and a bit too obvious most of the time. The occasional outside-the-box pick is appreciated, but their worst excesses suggest a level of unflattering focus testing. DC takes a different and often much worse approach.Zack Snyder is amongst the kingsof the far-too-obvious music choice. Both versions ofJustice Leaguewent heavy on unfortunate needle drops. Snyder’s replaced a White Stripes track with Nick Cave’s “There Is A Kingdom” to an intensely mixed response. Some thought it was genius while others saw it as pretentious and depressing. Perhaps the worst offender is the originalSuicide Squad. The film is overloaded with pop songs, a savvy viewer could guess almost everyone before they drop. The DCEU has a few fun moments, but most of the iconic ones either fall flat or come from exactly one creative mind.
Almost all the iconic needle-drop moments of Marvel and DC’s cinematic history come from James Gunn.Guardians of the GalaxyandPeacemakerhave a ton of perfectly obscure, yet recognizable hit tracks that often perfectly fit the narrative. They’re the best example, but they feel so distinctly tied to Gunn.The Umbrella Academymay not beat those standout examples, but it belongs in the same echelon for most of the same reasons.The Umbrella Academygoes hard with its needle-drops, far beyond the restraint of the MCU. It also very rarely leans into obvious territory, eschewing the most common problems. The thing it does best is variety, and it’s a lesson that most could take from the series.
Some songs are crucial keys to unlocking the pathos behind a particular character. Some are set dressing that make the location feel real. Others are entertaining jokes.The Umbrella Academylovesa montage, and with at least seven main characters, it’s the best way to cover the entire team without leaving anyone out. These montages are almost always set to a perfect track. Fight scenes are lent an anarchic pop-surrealism by upbeat fast-moving pop songs. Classic songs are used in unique and out-of-place ways that make them feel new. Needle-drop moments frequently inform the plot in fascinating and hilarious ways. The series combines the frequency of the DCEU, the character connection of the MCU, and the outside-the-box tastes of James Gunn to create some of the best uses of music in any superhero project.
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