Picture this, Peter Quill AKA Star-Lord slides on his earphones, presses play on his portable (looks like a Sony Walkman) cassette player then dances to the first song of Guardians of The Galaxy’s Soundtrack “Hooked On A Feeling”. He’s singing, grooving and stealing the prized Orb and fighting off bad guys while he’s listening to the swoony lyrics performed by Blue Swede. What an epic moment! The music only gets better from here. The cassette that Star Lord listens to throughout the film is fittingly titled The Awesome Mix Vol. 1. Soundtracks play a role in creating memorable scenes in movies while transitioning viewers through sequences and building emotion, action or suspense. This soundtrack achieves these goals and is pure awesomesauce!
I was fortunate to attend the recent press junket with Director James Dunn and actors Chris Pratt (“Peter Quill/Star-Lord”), Zoe Saldana (“Gamora”), Vin Diesel (“Groot”), Dave Bautista (“Drax the Destroyer”), Benicio Del Toro (“Taneleer Tivan”) and Michael Rooker (“Yondu”). What’s their favorite song from the delectable soundtrack? Read on …
JAMES GUNN: One of my favorite songs of all time is “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5 which is in the movie. My favorite song in the movie strangely is “Come and Get Your Love” by Red Bone which I really think is when the whole idea of the mixed tape started cementing for me so that’s my favorite.
CHRIS PRATT: I wanted to be familiar with the music by the time we shot the movie and so I had them send it to me and while I was working out, I just listened to it on in order on repeat over and over. So some of the songs I really love and some I really hate because I’ve heard them so many times and then I incorporate it while sweating on a Stairmaster to “If You Want Pina Coladas”. I was like, “Oh dude. I’m gonna blow my brains out.” But one song that really worked for me was that “Ooh, Child…” That has beats per minute that’s perfect for my running pace. So when I was running and that song came on, it put me at a nine minute mile which at the time was like my mile. I’m like, “Oooh, child…” I don’t have to listen to the “Margarita” song again. Or “Pina Coladas” or whatever. So, “Ooh, child…,” that’s the one!
ZOE SALDANA: For me, it’s “Cherry Bomb” ’cause I was such a fan of the Runaways. And right there, you know, in the montage when they’re finally getting their courage, their chutzpah, to do something about it, to do something to save the day and save Xandar. That’s just such a great song for them to prep up the motley crew so I thought it was “Cherry Bomb”.
VIN DIESEL: I loved all the music. I had so much fun with the music. I thought it was such a testament to the movie. This is the closest Marvel will ever get to a musical. It was that much fun for me. The movie with starts with kind of an emotional tone with the music and watching Star Lord kicking aliens makes you feel like you’re gonna be covered. It makes you feel like you’re gonna have a really good time. I’m singing the music every day so most of the time when I walk into an interview I go, I start singing, “Hooked on a feeling…” The coolest thing was my three year old son watching the movie and when “Hooked on a Feeling” comes on, he was at the edge of his seat and I’m watching and it’s the first time he’s ever gone to a movie. We’ve never gone to a move together. Obviously, he can’t see Riddick or any of those other movies. So he kinda scoots to the edge of his seat and squints his eyes like this and he starts singing, “Hooked on a feeling, high off believing, that…” And watching him do that just melted my heart. So we listen to the songs at home. My daughter’s going, “Oooh, baby, give me one more…” It’s remarkable how a soundtrack could be so important, so important to the storytelling, so important to the experience. Someone back there said, “I saw the movie and I’m gonna see it six and seven times.” I think the music is gonna make people see this movie a lot. I think the music’s going to make you want to go. You have so much fun in the movie and it’s music that you wanna share with your kids anyway. It’s great because of that. So, I love all the songs. I love “Come Get Your Love”. I just thought it was an incredible collection. I wanted Peter Quill’s soundtrack.
DAVE BAUTISTA: I hate answering this question after Vin ’cause anything I say is gonna sound boring. [LAUGHTER] I don’t have a story. I can’t sing. I don’t have any kids to talk about.[LAUGHTER] Anyway, my favorite song from the film, I think it’s “ABC I Want You Back”. But actually my favorite song in the film is “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and I think it’s just because where it is. It’s such a feel good song to begin with, but also in the scene it’s such a feel good scene. We finally come together and we’re a family and we’ve all found each other and we survived and we’re kinda, you know, out to find some other trouble to get into. It’s just such a feel good moment and the song just fits perfect for it.
BENICIO DEL TORO: Yeah, I liked them all. There’s a Bowie tune there, “Moonage Daydream”. I like that one. I think James Dunn introduced The Collector with that one.
Marvel’s latest film Guardians of the Galaxy is a rocking, bad-ass, super-hero film. In my humble opinion, one of their best yet with a soundtrack that does it poetic justice. I can not wait to hear The Awesome Mix Vol 2 but until then, I will be seeing this film over and over and over…
Rated PG-13 for for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some language. In Theaters August 1, 2014.
