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Led Zeppelin in movies.


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  • 4 weeks later...

Led Zeppelin loosens its grip on using its music in films

Led Zeppelin licensed songs for two films considered contenders in this year's Oscars race.

By Glenn Whipp

December 3, 2012, 9:51 a.m.

While cutting “Silver Linings Playbook” with editor Jay Cassidy, director David O. Russell was watching the scene in which Bradley Cooper’s bipolar protagonist Pat Solitano melts down in his parents’ attic looking for a copy of his wedding video. The frantic search had been triggered by a highly charged first evening with Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a woman, Pat subconsciously realizes, who might derail him from his manic mission to reunite with his estranged wife.

Russell wanted to marry the dialogue and visuals to a piece of music, heightening its cinematic appeal. And he found what he calls the perfect bipolar song, Led Zeppelin’s “What Is and What Should Never Be.”

“It starts so gentle and loving and then gets really loud and crazy and then gets quiet and gentle again,” Russell says. “It was like a theme song written for Pat.”

One problem: Led Zeppelin has been notoriously picky about allowing its music to be used in films. The band members' reluctance has lessened a bit over the years, but their asking price remains high, often in the neighborhood of a seven-figure fee. That kind of payout isn’t possible for a modestly budgeted movie like Russell’s.

And even if you have the money, as Ben Affleck did when he approached the band to use its sludgy anthem “When the Levee Breaks” for his period hostage drama “Argo,” you basically have but one option: Dogged persistence.

“You have to be like a man determined to marry somebody,” Russell says, laughing. “And you keep coming back humbly, and humbly asking, ‘May I please show you the film? Do you know how much this means?’ It’s a slow process, and you have to go about it passionately. Otherwise, you won’t get the song.”

Both “Silver Linings Playbook” and "Argo" are considered contenders in this year's Oscars race.

When Affleck shot the scene in “Argo” depicting the hostages’ last night in Tehran before their escape attempt, he didn’t know what song he’d use behind the footage. He filmed Tate Donovan putting the tone arm down on the first track of a vinyl record. In the editing room, Affleck and editor William Goldenberg tried some 40 different songs, settling first on The Eagles’ “Hotel California” before deciding that the lyrics “you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave” were too on the nose.

Affleck had always leaned toward using Zeppelin, and after trying several songs, including “Kashmir,” he settled on “When the Levee Breaks.”

“It’s got an ominous feeling, but it’s celebratory in a sense as well,” Affleck says. “Zeppelin, to me, is the greatest rock 'n' roll band. People say, ‘The Beatles, the Stones.’ No. It’s Zeppelin.”

The band eventually signed off on the song, but had one request. Since “Levee” is the fourth song on side two of “Led Zeppelin IV,” they asked Affleck if he could digitally change the shot so it looked like Donovan was putting the tone arm down at the correct spot on the record.

“So not only did we have to pay for the song,” Affleck laughs, “we had to pay for an effects shot. You have to appreciate their attention to detail, though.”

David Chase’s coming-of-age, rock 'n' roll film “Not Fade Away” doesn’t contain any Zeppelin songs, as it’s largely set in the mid-'60s, before the band was formed. But it does have 52 musical cues, including four each from the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, meaning that 10% of the movie’s budget went to music rights alone. And that’s at the discount rate that the movie’s music supervisor, E Street Band guitarist and “Sopranos” alum Steven Van Zandt, was able to procure, thanks to his connections in the business.

“When we made the deal with the Beatles’ and Stones’ people, especially the Stones people, we told them we would not use the big hits,” says Chase, who used the Rolling Stones’ music on several episodes of “The Sopranos” as well. (“I could have scored the whole ‘Sopranos’ using just Stones songs, he says.)

Chase did stick with lesser-known songs such as “Tell Me” and the Stones’ cover of bluesman Willie Dixon’s “I Just Want to Make Love to You” ... until he hit on a late inspiration that required the band’s signature hit, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.”

“That wasn’t in the script,” Chase says. “I needed a guitar riff that went along with living in an age when everything could be destroyed in an instant. I needed ‘Satisfaction.’ Thankfully, we got the rights. The right song means everything.”

http://www.latimes.c...0,6146243.story

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This is a good topic.

As much as I would like to post a picture of this, I don't think it is possible. However, in the movie "Stanley and Iris" featuring Robert DeNiro and Jane Fonda, there is a scene when Bobby DeNiro approaches a kid in the streets and the kid is wearing a Led Zeppelin T-Shirt. I guess you have to see the scene in which I am refering too. Regardless, it is there to see. If anyone has ever seen this under-rated movie, then you will know what I am talking about.

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In a film The Client (1994), the kid in the main role is wearing some Zep T-shirt as far as I can remember. His lawer (Susan Sarandon) even talks with him about Zeps there...

I am also pretty sure, that in Waines World (and imo both I and II), there is plenty of Led Zeppelin requisites.

EDIT: Googled this link to what the T-shirt in "The Client" is, with the dialogue as well... the site itself seems to contain much more... gotta browse it... ! :)).

http://ledzeppelinre...ites/client.php

EDIT2: OH MY GOD... you HAVE TO visit the site... http://ledzeppelinreferences.com/ !!!!!!!!!!!

Edited by Stormbringer
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  • 1 month later...
  • 4 weeks later...

I really thought the scene with "What Is And What Should Never Be" in Silver Lining Playbook was very well done. If the scene had just been described to me I wouldn't have thought it would work, but watching it, the director used the song to build that scene in a way that after watching it, I cannot think of any other song they could have possibly used.

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I really thought the scene with "What Is And What Should Never Be" in Silver Lining Playbook was very well done. If the scene had just been described to me I wouldn't have thought it would work, but watching it, the director used the song to build that scene in a way that after watching it, I cannot think of any other song they could have possibly used.

I can't wait to see that movie. :)

This one probably goes without saying...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXQMnwSeJig

Edited by lightandshade
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There are numerous Led Zeppelin references in the WGN/WB series "Supernatural"

"While original scores are used throughout episodes, another important aspect of the series' music is classic rock, over which creator Eric Kripke threatened to quit when the network would not allow its inclusion. Most of the songs are from Kripke's private collection, although one of his favorite bands—Led Zeppelin—is too expensive to use. Some episode titles are references to Led Zeppelin songs."[42]

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  • 2 weeks later...

Does the movie The Banger Sisters feature any Zep references?

I know that they are a loosely disguised parody of the Plaster Casters, who immortalised the erm, privates of stars like Hendrix.

Yes, there is a reference to Led Zeppelin in this movie (actually a reference to Jimmy Page's penis).

It is a scene in which the Banger Sisters (Goldie Hawn and Susan Sarandon) were getting high in the basement and looking through a box full of Polaroid pictures of Rock Stars penises. They would look at the picture and try and remember which Rock Star penis it was. They looked at one picture, say something (can't remember exactly what), and then turn the picture over (the name of the person was on the back) and both of them say "Jimmy Page". Actually pretty funny.

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Yes, there is a reference to Led Zeppelin in this movie (actually a reference to Jimmy Page's penis).

It is a scene in which the Banger Sisters (Goldie Hawn and Susan Sarandon) were getting high in the basement and looking through a box full of Polaroid pictures of Rock Stars penises. They would look at the picture and try and remember which Rock Star penis it was. They looked at one picture, say something (can't remember exactly what), and then turn the picture over (the name of the person was on the back) and both of them say "Jimmy Page". Actually pretty funny.

Ha ha that's the one! Classic :)

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  • 1 month later...

Just got back from watching "Oblivion" (the one with Tom Cruise in it) - cue "Ramble On"....(cue cheesy smile on my face when this happened)

....and is it just me or is Zeppelin now a little more lenient with every other movie using their songs now?

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There is a scene in the 1996 film "The Rock" between Claire Forlani and Sean Connery with a Zep reference:

Your mother, well... she was very special. Yes, she was. But I don't think that we should romanticize what happened between you and her. Meeting in a bar after a Led Zeppelin concert, ya know? And I was the result. Well, I'd like to think it would have led somewhere if only... If only what? Six federal marshals hadn't kicked down her door and dragged you back to prison?
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  • 1 month later...

Back in 1993 or around there I watched a movie at a friend's place, I don't remember what it was about or what it was called, but I do remember there was a young girl, around 5 years old or something, and at one point in the movie, she comes out of her room all pissed off, and blurts out to everyone "Who stole my Led Zeppelin bootlegs"???

I had just had a big collection of my Zeppelin bootlegs stolen just before that time and it hit home, I knew how she felt and knew I wasn't alone after seeing that...The face she made and the way she was pissed off I totally understood.

It would be nice to remember what movie it was...

Edited by luvlz2
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