A short note to call attention to two great songs I've discovered playing over film credits: I saw Zach Braff in the remake of The Last Kiss, which I mostly enjoyed. And even though Mr. Braff and his namecheck of The Shins in Garden State made me shudder, the guy does have decent taste in music. The Snow Patrol song Chocolate fits perfectly with the mood of the film, and during the end credits there’s a really beautiful song called Star Mile by Joshua Radin (evidently a Friend of Braff). It’s a little Garfunkel-y, a bit Elliott Smith-y and just lovely.

And then last night I saw Stranger Than Fiction (Will Ferrell gets serious...and even gets me to shed a tear. Recommend this one definitely). And not only does the film open with a Spoon song (The Way We Get By), but Spoon frontman Britt Daniel helped with the music on the entire film. And during the closing credits there is a Spoon song that I don’t think I’ve heard before…something with a title about writing something -- anyone know?…and it might just be good enough to make my year-end CD if I ever get to hear it again!

Lastly, I don’t have anything to say about the music in The Queen, but I will say it might be the best film I’ve seen so far this year. Not just for Helen Mirren’s impeccable performance but for the complex emotions at the heart of the film – you may not think you want to see a movie about the monarchy after Princess Di’s death, but trust me, you do.