Songs I Love from Movies I Watched in January

by Adam Riske

I forgot that I wrote this so here it is in May.

Song: “Better Way”
From: Beverly Hills Cop II
Artist: James Ingram



I love the soundtracks for both Beverly Hills Cop and Beverly Hills Cop II. One of my favorite, less discussed tracks is this one from the sequel by James Ingram. It’s the perfect song to listen to at 6am when you get out of bed. It’s empowering and sensitive all in one irresistible combo! One of the best parts of getting older is starting to like all the music you were trained as a kid to think was lame and James Ingram is a prime example of that for me. Have you heard “I Don’t Have the Heart”? That’s some ‘hold up a lighter and wave back and forth’ music right there. I like doing that nowadays because I’m old and have less mobility.

Song: “Bordello of Blood”
From: Bordello of Blood
Artist: Anthrax



I recently revisited Bordello of Blood with a family member who had just watched the entire television series for the first time and had never seen the movies before. It was a fun night! I was stopped dead in my tracks during the end credits of Bordello of Blood by a kick ass song on par with a lot of the best jams in Demon Knight. It was sitting under my nose all this time and I didn’t even know it. I’m pretty sure when 2023 ends and YouTube sends me my “Year in Music” email that “Bordello of Blood” by Anthrax will pop up on there as one of my most listened to songs of the year. A bonus is now I know, hypothetically, what to get signed by members of Anthrax when they are booked as guests at horror conventions.

Song: “You’re a God”
From: Bruce Almighty
Artist: Vertical Horizon



I’m not a card-carrying member of the Vertical Horizon fan club but I really like their big single, “Everything You Want” and this tune from Bruce Almighty is good too! I was sort of taken aback when I rewatched that movie a week or so ago (as part of my 20th anniversary 2003 revisits) because I really enjoyed it and I don’t remember liking it that much in 2003. Early Jim Carrey is what I think of when I look back on his filmography but I gotta say I have a soft spot for his “normal guy” movies like Liar Liar, Yes Man and Bruce Almighty. They’re still funny! The discovery though of Bruce Almighty for me on this revisit though is how great Jennifer Aniston is in it. She takes a nothing character (on paper) and got me to care a lot about her. It might be my favorite performance of hers. P.S. After this music video the Crypt Keeper would be all “Poor Tiffani Thiessen…”

Song: “Caught in the Rain”
From: Daredevil
Artist: Revis



One of the first movies I revisited for its 20th anniversary this year was Daredevil and I liked it way more than I used to. I must be nostalgic for the pre-MCU/pre-Dark Knight era (era) of superhero movies. I love this song by Revis that plays over the end credits. It’s so emo. It feels like it could have easily been on the soundtrack of one of the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films. It’s the tops, yo! This song makes me want to drink a Mountain Dew and launch a kayak while screaming “Here’s to the next step!” at the heavens. Like, everything will change from here. I was caught in the rain but now I’m not hearwhatI’msayin’.

Song: “Open Arms”
From: Heavy Metal
Artist: Journey



Patrick hosted a screening of Heavy Metal recently, so I got to see it for the first time and on the big screen to boot! I liked it! Picking a favorite song from a movie that’s wall-to-wall soundtrack is difficult, but it was between “Heavy Metal” by Sammy Hagar (that chorus!), “True Companion” by Donald Fagen (I like lounge music) and this power ballad by Journey, which I’ve been familiar with forever but is clearly the all-timer of that group of three. Steve Perry really felt this sh*t. It’s fun placement in the actual movie because this musical outpouring of emotion is played over a non-romantic one-night stand, but hey that’s the kind of movie Heavy Metal is and I ain’t mad at it.

Song: “Under the Same Sun”
From: On Deadly Ground
Artist: Scorpions

On Deadly Ground is a ridiculous movie with decent action and an insane ecological presentation at the film’s epilogue delivered by the film’s lead actor and director Steven Seagal. It’s easy to think it was better than it was though because of this song by Scorpions that plays over the end credits. It’s so earnest. I want to give it a hug. This song would be perfect if you have long hair and a motorcycle and your significant other just dumped you and you ride past their place and see them with their new partner.

Song: “I Believe in You and Me”
From: The Preacher’s Wife
Artist: Whitney Houston



I’ve had Whitney Houston on the brain lately since the biopic I Wanna Dance with Somebody (which I haven’t seen) came out in December and I finally saw her 1996 remake, The Preacher’s Wife on Christmas Eve while I was home sick with a cold. The movie was pleasant and just what I was looking for on the holiday, but man is there a scene (when Houston sings “I Believe in You and Me”) that elevates the whole film. The thing I love about Whitney Houston is she’ll sing the build of a song and just stand there knowing she is going to deliver a TKO during the chorus.

Song: “Rockin’ Over the Beat”
From: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III
Artist: Technotronic featuring Ya Kid K



We should be thanking Technotronic and Ya Kid K every day for their contributions to Turtles tunes. This song makes me feel like I’m 8 and need to get ready for little league practice. Good vibes and sunshine all around.

Song: “Lemon”
From: Thirteen
Artist: Katy Rose



Thirteen was one of my new-to-me 2003 watches recently and boy was it a tough sit. The movie’s good and the performances are great across the board but it’s a draining experience to say the least. A minor salve was this song that plays over the end credits. It’s sad but also kind of soothing and compliments where the movie lands in its final moments. “Lemon” also makes me want to seek out more Katy Rose music and it’s always great when a song featured in a movie puts you onto a musician you’d never heard of before.