Indie Movie Montage Moments
For those who don’t know, March in the Midwest is like our own coming-of-age montage. The weather dolls out its final wintery teenage angst as it toils in this back-and-forth warming and cooling act across a land that ripens into a matured, fruitful spring. These theatrical displays of nature fittingly represent the quintessential montage scenes for our favorite quirky main characters in our favorite quirky indie movies, the ones whose character development shines in quick cuts set to the right tune. This playlist is for your montage moments.
The Vibe
You are the main character. No matter how normal you may seem, you are not, and your life is just as equally and unequivocally not normal. Your mind and your reality is boggled by the idiosyncrasies and the abrupt challenges and pains that life brings. Your dreams and aspirations are forever on a mountaintop while the muck and the routine and daily mundanity slides down the valley to your face.
Maybe you’re a clerk at the local grocer who collects old and broken boomboxes in your off hours. Maybe you’re in university and you always seem to see the one you love but can’t talk to flirting with douchebags at house parties. Maybe you only find peace in walking through dark, brick alleyways at night chain-smoking cigarettes in what feels like a ghost town. Maybe you have a best friend with green hair who always quotes long-dead authors and gets you into anarchic trouble. Whatever the case may be, your peculiarity, your individuality echoes the same path of the indie movies (films if you’re a snob) that we watch, or maybe these movies echo your path. Only you can decide.
In either case, indie movies always seem to retain a certain set of characteristics that define their music choices. Their soundtracks feature virtually unknown artists, Top 40 hits from the 2000s, a romantic obsession of the 80s, vintage country hits, pop/soul hits, covers of classic songs, David Bowie songs, covers of David Bowie songs, etc. This playlist has all that and more: a combination of songs featured in indie movies and songs that I hope to be featured in future indie movies. Whether it comes from a car stereo in a scene that crescendos into the encompassing score for a montage, or an abrupt press of the “PLAY” button by the composer at the climax, these songs were chosen for your moments that collage together in your memories to construct your perception of self.
The curator
This month’s playlist was given over to Zac, former Head Cleaner of Planet Fitness in Joplin, MO, the highlight of his life. Zac is probably, most definitely Hannah’s best friend and is currently a NorthWest Arkansas resident, becoming an increasingly snobby liberal while simultaneously dressing as a trust-fund-rich Southern conservative (even though he doesn’t have the money to do so). He watches a lot of movies, and he listens to a lot of music, making him the perfect person to make this month’s playlist.
You can find Zachary Jeremiah Moreland at the link below