Spider-Man 3, musicians' muse

Inspiration’s a funny thing—an artist can find it just about anywhere, even a big budget summer movie that hasn’t even been released yet but which their record label would really like them to contribute a track to the soundtrack for.

At least, if the “inspired by” part of Spider-Man 3: Music From And Inspired By is to be taken seriously.

As a film-goer, comic book reader and film critic, I’ve been enormously impressed with the whole Spider-Man franchise, and was among the more effusive when it came to praising the third one, which general critical and fan assessment seems to agree was the worst of the three (I should note that a second viewing, a few weeks later, made the weaknesses in pacing a lot more glaring than a single viewing—If anything, the film could have used another half hour added onto it’s running time).

I saw a critics’ screening the week before release, and went back with some friends to see it again a few week’s later, and that was the sum total of my experience with the film. I didn’t read any comic book adaptations or novel adaptations (do they still do those?) or play any video games or listen to the soundtrack or anything like that.

At least, not until a couple of weeks ago. Cruising my local libraries website to see what else they might have from some bands I liked, I noticed the Spider-Man 3 soundtrack came up more than once, so I reserved it to see what exactly the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Flaming Lips had to sing about Spider-Man and symbiotes exactly.

I’m not too terribly well-versed in the modern blockbuster soundtrack, and this is the first one to a superhero movie I’ve listened to since, I don’t know, Prince’s Batman soundtrack, probably. (I suspect Ghost Rider probably had a pretty good one though). This one seems to have a lot of original tracks on it, rather than simply songs culled from the contributors’ albums—is that unusual?

What did strike me as unusual was how few of the songs that I remember actually seeing in the movie appear on the soundtrack. The Danny Elfman theme? M.I.A. The marching band version of the old cartoon theme song played during the “Spider-Man Day” scene? Not here. The “Staying Alive” sequence, or Evil Peter’s piano and dance scene? That song Mary Jane sings during her play, or at the jazz club? Not here.

Here’s what was included. (Oh, and you can hear samples of ‘em all at Amazon.com’s entry on it).



1.) Snow Patrol, “Signal Fire” An Irish band? On a Spider-Man soundtrack? What the hell…Spider-Man is as American as Superman, and Superman is as American as apple pie. Why are we looking to the Old World to provide sad love songs capable of bringing a tear to Zach Braff’s eye in his movie?

No mention of spiders, symbiotes, goblins or men made of sand in it, so I guess Snow Patrol was more inspired by the romantic elements of the film.

For example:



In the confusion and the aftermath
You are my signal fire
The only resolution and the only joy
Is the faint spark of forgiveness in your eye


That sounds like it could be about Peter and MJ’s relationship troubles, right?




2.) The Killers, “Move Away” This one sounded familiar too, so maybe it was in the film. Or playing over the credits. Or on the radio this summer. Or something. There’s a lot of talk about ski, and the removal of it in the lyrics, like “Take off your skin when you listen to me,” and “I want to jump out of my skin.” Presumably, this song is about the Venom symbiote’s possession of Peter and Eddie Brock.



3.) Yeah Yeah Yeahs, “Sealings” I really love this band. “Date With the Night,” “Y Control,” “Maps,” “Modern Romance,” “Cheated Hearts,” “Turn Into You”…all of these songs spent quite a bit of time stuck in my skull, and the band definitely puts on one of the better live shows I’ve ever seen.

I was kinda surprised to see them on this soundtrack, but I thought it was pretty cool. They’re NYC-based, after all, and it would be kinda cool if Spider-Man, a very New York film franchise, featured a CD full of NYC bands. I mean, if Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson and Harry Osborn were real people living in NYC, chances are this is a band they may have seen, and would tell people, “Oh yeah, I was into the Yeah Yeah Yeahs before they were big.”

I have no idea what this song has to do with Spider-Man though. Here’s the chorus:



Drop drop
down a floor
Shoot shoot
out your mouth
These days are scraped from ceilings


I guess Spider-Man might, you know, drop down a floor here and there as he’s climbing down walls, and he does cling from the ceilings…?




4.) Wolfmother, “Pleased To Meet You” I bet Eddie Brock likes Wolfmother.




5.) Walkmen, “Red River” Another New York band, who belong here mostly because it’s possible that Peter, MJ, Gwen, Harry or Eddie could bump into them in a club somewhere. I don’t hear anything particularly Spider-Man-y in the song. Spidey wears red in his costume, maybe?



6.) Black Mountain, “Stay Free” Another un-American band, this one from Canada. I like this line: “Beautiful ponies/ So beautiful they’ll kill us all.” You know, I think a pony may be the only animal which Spider-Man doesn’t have a villain named after…



7.) The Flaming Lips, “The Supreme Being Teaches Spider-Man How to be in Love” This is my other favorite band on the soundtrack. This one’s definitely “inspired by” rather than “from,” as I’m sure I’d remember having heard it in the film itself.

Why’s that? Because it’s really fucking weird. Even for the Flaming Lips. Here are the lyrics, in their entirety, so you can explain the song to me:



The first round goes
We go to blows
I’m the Spider-Man
But nobody knows
But the spider conceals the truth

The spectrums raise
Your ringside gaze
I’ve been in love with you for a million days
But the fighter conceals his wounds

I’m in love with you
But I fight the urge
Muhammad Ali makes a third round surge
And the audience can see the truth

His punches land
I can hardly stand
I’ve got the power of a spider
But the heart of a man
But the power is in the truth

Honesty can kill the spider
Muhammad Ali feels the same
The audience can give you the power
And I hear them call my name (Here comes the Spider-Man),
Hear them call my name (Does whatever a spider can).
I hear them call my name (Here comes the Spider-Man),
Hear them call my name (Does whatever a spider can).


At the seventh round
You make a sound
Muhammad Ali only knocks me down
You whisper, “Tell the truth”

I say I’m in love with you
At the knock out count
The audience cheers as the champ wins out
But now you know the truth

Honesty can kill the fighter
Muhammad Ali knows the same
Honestly the truth is power
And I hear you call my name…


Apparently, an earlier draft of the film had Muhammad Ali as one of the villains in it, and he and Spider-Man had to box one another, while MJ was her boyfriend’s corner man.

This is actually the only song on the album that mentions Spider-Man. Or spiders. I like how the boxing theme reflects his origins as a pro-wrestler too…



8.) Simon Dawes, “Scared of Myself” Some of the lyrics mention “crooked dreams” and “finding a way to watch over you,” so maybe this is like, a song from The Sandman’s perspective, addressed at his sick daughter.

But with lyrics like “I’m scared, scared of myself….without you” and “I have found a way to face the burden of my dreams” it’s so damn emotional, you could totally see Peter Parker listening to it and crying his eyes out. At least, the normal Marvel Comics version of Spider-Man. That guy’s always crying.



9.) Chubby Checker, “The Twist” The first time I saw S-M3, I thought it was kinda odd that this young, twentysomething millionaire Harry Osborn was into Chubby Checker, and, when I saw it the second time, the party I went with all laughed derisively during the scene.

On the other hand, selecting a song that old and dated is probably a safer bet than picking something an actual twentysomething would like, as that would seem dated and lame within a year or three. At least “The Twist” is already kind of dated and lame, so the scene won’t age any more when you return to the film a few years later.



10.) Rogue Wave, “Sightlines” This song’s okay.



11.) Coconut Records, “Summer Day” I really liked this one. Check out the link to hear a couple more songs by them. Some of the lyrics capture the Spider-Man-as-hero-who-can’t-catch-a-break feeling, well-illustrated in the opening sequence from the second film.

Check it out:



If it’s a summer day
With not a cloud in sight
Than tell me why
It feels like it might
Rainnn …onnn… me-e-e-e-e-e-e-e



Apparently, this is actor Jason Schwartzman’s current band. Listen close to the back-up singer—that’s Kirsten Dunst, singing with her Marie Antoinette co-star.



12.) Jet, “Falling Star” And now we’ve got an Australian band on this thing? These guys further irritate me by spelling their name in all capital letters. Which I have not honored.



13.) Sounds Under Radio, “Portrait of a Summer Thief” I stopped listening after one minute and fifteen seconds. That’s all I could stand. Maybe it gets more Spider-Man specific near the end. Otherwise, what’s it have to do with the film? Well, um, The Sandman was a thief. And the movie came out in the summer?



14.) The Wyos, “A Letter From St. Jude” Another Irish band, meaning the country of Ireland is as well represented on this soundtrack as the city of New York. I kinda like this song, too. There are some lyrics that really sound like they capture the whole great power, great responsibility hero’s dilemma Spider-Man faces.

For example:


I suppose I should feel something for everyone out there
And I do
And I want to be of help I do
I do want to be of use
I don’t know what to do
with all the prayers coming to


Wait, prayers? Oh, and it’s called “A Letter From St. Jude” too, huh? Well, never mind.



15.) The Oohlas, “Small Parts” Another song that has nothing at all to do with Spider-Man. But it does contain this nice little couplet: “Don’t go out the back door/ That’s what the front’s for.” I like that.

The Spider-Man 4-6 Game Plan

According to yesterday’s Los Angeles Times, Spider-Man 3 made $373 million in worldwide ticket sales over the weekend, beating out both the previous domestic box office champ (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest) and the previous worldwide box office champ (Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith).

I’m quite glad to hear it did so well, because that means there’s going to be another one. And hopefully, it will be another one directed and co-written by Sam Raimi* and starring Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst**. The first one is rumored to be in consideration for and/or considering doing a hobbit movie, Maguire was talking about leaving after the first film, and Dunst has said repeatedly over the years that she thinks three is plenty.

The money oughta change all three of their minds, though and, at the least, they could always take a longer break between films in the future. Because these three, along with J.K. Simmons and Dylan Baker, need to make at least three more movies.

Yes, three more.

Because, let’s face it, MJ and Peter are in a rough patch of their relationship right now, and I’d really, really like to see them get married and have a happy ending, rather than have Raimi switch MJ out for one of the other love interests. But, more importantly, how awesome would Spider-Man 6: The Sinister Six be?

Okay, so here’s the plan.

For Spider-Man 4, Baker finally becomes the Lizard. They’ve been teasing us for three films now, let’s finally make this happen, huh? Seeing that 3 made so much more dough than 1 or 2, I’m afraid that means we might see at least two villains per movie for the rest of the franchise, but I personally think it’s a mistake. Sure, more money was made here, but the last movie was a critical darling and a box office success. Isn’t having a gigantic pile of money that you can feel truly proud of earningworth giving up a few million worth of Vulture action figure sales for? (Mike Sterling says throw Kraven into the Spidey vs. Lizard mix; that would work, but I’d rather see a wedding and more Jonah and the Bugle staff than a big game hunter with a funny vest).

That will bring us to #5, and for that I propose one of two very lame villains—Mysterio or the Chameleon. Why would the movie want to bother with a special effects master-turned-master illusionist or a master of disguise? Simply because either of their powers would make for a neat movie, one that would allow former castmembers to return.

For example, imagine Chameleon played by Topher Grace, acting like Eddie Brock. Peter/Spidey knows he’s dead, but look—there he is! Or ditto James Franco’s Harry, who Peter also knows is dead. Chameleon could pretend to be Eddie, Harry, Norman Osborne, Uncle Ben, Aunt May, MJ, Otto Octavius—any character who has previously appeared, played by any of those actors, so a lot of the great actors who have been killed off could be involved in another film, and players like Rosemary Harris or Dunst could get a little more to do—like fight Spider-Man. Brilliant, no? (My email address is up in the right-hand corner if you want to talk more about this later, Mr. Raimi).

And that brings us to movie #6, the perfect film to close the franchise out on (not counting the J. Jonah Jameson trilogy, which has to happen, of course).

And who would make for a better villain for a sixth Spider-Man than the Sinister Six?

Of the original line-up, we’ve only seen two appear in the movies, and one of those has died. It would be cool to team-up the surviving villains of the first five movies for the blow-out sixth one, with new characters to fill out the roster. Or simply return one or two, and introduce the rest of the Spidey villains Raimi really, really wants to do, particularly the ones like Electro and Rhino who are basically just thugs, and thus don’t need the rich back story that Doctor Octopus got or The Lizard almost certainly will get.

I’d propose Mysterio, the Vulture, the Scorpion, the Rhino, Electro and the Sandman. Or, if we’re going for a greatest hits theme from the other films, Sandman, Venom (um, Brock bonded with the symbiote, and enough of it survived the explosion to reconstitute itself?), the Lizard, Mysterio or The Chameleon (whoever you put in five) and introducing Electro and the Scorpion.

If I were in charge of this franchise, I’d generally steer clear of ever using the Black Cat, whom I think will seem too derivative of Catwoman when it comes to cat-themed, live action super-vigilante types, Kraven the Hunter (whom is a cool Spidey villain, but not as filmic a one as…every other Spidey villain, and the whole, “I hunt the most dangerous prey of all” thing has already been in seven million movies), Morbius (We’ve seen enough vampires in films, thanks) and Man-Wolf (ditto for werewolves), even though that last one would give us a nice Jameson-centric plot, giving Simmons more to do that his wonderful gruff editor schtick and set up a nice conflict for Dunst's MJ ("Oh no, my former fiance has superpowers and is fighting my current super-powered fiance!").

Of course, the bad news about Spider-Man 3 doing as well as it did is the exact same as the good news—it means that they’ll be making another one no matter what, even if Raimi, Maguire and Dunst all decide to work on projects that don’t involve Raimi having to spend much time with Avi Arad, Tobey Maguire helping teach kids about spiders, or Dunst having to do a press junket that involves Comicbookresources.com.

There aren’t that many superhero franchises that have reached the point of three films before—just the first cycles of the Batman and Superman franchises, and X-Men—but it seems to me that they’ll keep doing them until they get so bad they don’t make a lot of money, which means all franchises have to end on a down note (Superman IV: The Quest For Peace and Batman and Robin…I didn’t think X-Men: The Last Stand was much worse than the previous two, but I know the conventional wisdom is that it blew).

So, worst case scenario, maybe Sony will rush out a sans-Raimi Spider-Man 4 featuring Carnage and the Hobgoblin, directed by Uwe Boll.



*But bring that Michael Chabon guy back to help out with the script, huh?

**I realize with the introduction of Gwen Stacy, and the possibility of introducing Felica Hardy somewhere down the line, Mary Jane is probably the least important of these three, but dammit, I really like what Raimi’s done with the MJ/Peter relationship and I really like Dunst, and would rather see a Spider-Man movie with her than without her in it.

Holiday Weekend

This is truly a great weekend in Comic Book Land, with back-to-back national holidays: Today is Spider-Man 3 Day, and tomorrow is Free Comic Book Day (which also makes tonight Free Comic Book Day Eve, I guess).

Regarding the former, it seems I may be just about the only film critic in the country who really loved Sam Raimi's third swing at Spidey. Maybe I'm exaggerating a little, but if so, it's not intentional, and only stems from my not having read every single Spider-Man review in the world. Of the critics I regularly read though, the reviews seems to run from mixed to negative. As IMDB.com's "Studio Briefing" for the day put it, "Spider-Man faces three villains in his new movie, but he's facing a lot more in the film section of your local newspaper."

For the most part, I've understood where a lot of (the better of) the critics who have disliked it are coming from, and yet, I've gotta say—Batman Forever, people! Superman III, dammit!

Also, I'd like to adjust a statement I made last May, when I called X-Men: The Last Stand the Citizen Kane of superhero franchises' third installments; I think Spider-Man 3 has earned that title, and X-Men will just have to settle for being, I don't know, the Gone With the Wind of superhero franchises' third installments.

Of course, as Las Vegas Weekly critic Mike D'Angelo makes clear in his review, it's not only superhero franchises which tend to suffer in the third installment, it's action franchises in general: "This is the point at which folks start tossing out goofy ideas like, 'What if his dad turns out to be James Bond?' (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) or 'Maybe Richard Pryor would attract a whole new demographic' (Superman III) or 'What the heck, let's just kill off almost everyone from the last movie in the first few seconds and start from scratch' (Alien 3)."

Regarding tomorrow's holiday, I'm afraid I might end up missing it completely, due to my work schedule. (If any publishers or shopowners want to send me some freebies, however, the address is up in the righthand corner there; I'd really like the one in the picture). There certainly seems to be a ton of great offerings this year, some of which I ran down previously here. Also, be sure to check out Living Between Wednesdays' insightful rundowns of two FCBD books, Little Archie and Mickey Mouse here.

I'd like to take this opportunity to state for the record one last time that DC giving away JLoA #0 on FCBD? Absolutely retarded.

Contrast it with Marvel's Dan Slott/Phil Jimenez Spidey book. The audience for the day is newbies, an audience likely consisting of three major demographics: kids, grown-ups who are interested in comics but not addicts and people who already read comics, but maybe not one company or one publisher's particular comic books. If any of these dig the Spidey book and want more Marvel Spider-Man comics, shopowners can easily send the kids to Marvel Adventures Spider-Man digests or singles or Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane digests or singles. If they're adults new to comics and mainly interested in Spidey from the movies, there are a ton of Ultimate Spider-Man trades to suggest. And if they're hardcore readers of supehero comics already, just not Spider-Man ones, well, there's the Marvel Universe Spider-Man. If they're like, "Wow, this writer rules, have any more by him?" then shopowners can push a Spider-Man/Human Torch digest their way.

Now if someone reads and enjoys JLoA #0 for some odd reason (it's basically a clip-show, consisting of clips that never happened, haven't happened yet and, in some cases, never will happen, drawn by an all-star cast of artists), and they want more, what can you offer them? If they just like the idea of the Trinity or the Justice Legue, there are trades galore. But if they like this Meltzer chap's writing, well, there's the continuity-heavy Archer's Quest, the conitnuity-heavy Identity Crisis (featuring a controversial rape scene, ethically repulsive behavior by our heroes and a cover-up by our heroes), or the first eight issues of JLoA, featuring a long, drawn-out, extremely violent storyline revolving around many characters whose heyday was in the late '70s/early '80s. Those are three of the last story arcs I'd reccomend to people who haven't been reading DCU comics for 10 to 40 years already.

Me, I woulda reprinted Kurt Busiek's first Superman issue as a flip-book with Paul Dini's first Detective Comics issue, or maybe a preview of or specially-produced prologue to Jeff Smith's Shazam!: The Monster Society of Evil, or, hell, Mark Waid's best eleven 52 back-up stories.

But no one at DC ever asks my advice on these sorts of things.