Written by Ava Moon. Illustration courtesy of Gavin Bacher.
When the years start coming and they don’t stop coming, sometimes that A24 movie you saw a while ago about space (or something like that), becomes forgettable. Maybe the characters were well written, the acting was solid, the director was famous – but at the end of the day it wasn’t anything special. Across the land, there’s likely a few angry film critics (and majors) that will rally around with pitchforks, ready to hunt you down and tell you why it was the greatest film of the 21st century. Alas, let us music-lovers remember that there’s only one thing that makes everyone (not just that film bro you went to high school with) agree that a film is exceptional: the soundtrack. A good film soundtrack can take an otherwise “meh” film and make it good. Better yet, it can take a pretty good film and make it great. But if we’re talking films that are objectively brilliant as is with soundtracks that elevate them to all-star status, it would have to be “Shrek” and it’s just-as-good-as-the-first sequel.
If there was an Oscar category for music supervisors, it might as well be named after Marylata Elton or Chris Douridas. Much like the franchise’s titular main character, they shine by their own unconventional merit (seriously, music supervisors deserve more recognition). Elton is responsible for the original “Shrek” film, which premiered April 22, 2001, preceding another cult classic she worked on, “Prince of Egypt” (which also has a killer soundtrack, highly recommend). She curated the perfect mix of fun early 2000s pop-rock anthems with Smash Mouth’s “All Star” and glorious cover of “I’m A Believer”, along with Halfcocked’s also masterful cover of “Bad Reputation” and Dana Glover’s slow ballad, “It Is You (I Have Loved)” as the standouts.
Douridas, a well-known DJ of Santa Monica based radio station KCRW, led the musical quest of the 2004 sequel, Shrek 2. His crowning features being Counting Crows’ original “Accidentally In Love” (which actually was nominated for an Oscar), Frou Frou’s version of “Holding Out for a Hero”, the iconic “Changes” duet with David Bowie and Butterfly Boucher, and fan favorite “Funkytown” by Lipps, Inc.
The real genius, and yet another reason why the soundtracks are such perfection, is the usage of updated covers – which is fitting considering the films are actually adapted from William Stieg’s 1990 book. Arguably the most famous of the bunch is “I’m A Believer.” The song had already been deemed a classic, as it was originally performed by classic rock band The Monkees in 1967, after being written by the legendary Neil Diamond. Smash Mouth revamped the hit, keeping its overall California-esque sound whilst pairing it with lead singer Steve Harwell’s quintessential y2K-rock-star vocals. Halfcocked’s rendition of the beloved Joan Jett track “Bad Reputation”, does something similar – although the instrumentals are almost identical in both versions (perhaps because that guitar riff is everything).
“Holding Out For A Hero,” performed by Frou Frou, as well as the unforgettable Fairy Godmother in the second film (oh, to be that piano), actually originated on another famous soundtrack, “Footloose.” The duo bring their signature electronic edge to the Bonnie Tyler tune, embracing it uniquely their own – much like Princess Fiona does as an ogre throughout the films.
Covers aside, much of the soundtracks’ magic lies in the original songs. “All Star” by Smash Mouth will forever be synonymous with Shrek although beyond the first film, its cultural impact isn’t remiss in the eyes of Gen Z and millennials alike (we all remember listening to it in our fifth-grade class). From their 1999 album “Astro Lounge,” it’s the perfect song to open the film, because “All Star” is an unorthodox self-love anthem – which is the clear underlying theme of the entire franchise. It’s the perfect song to encapsulate why the soundtracks are the best to ever do it. On its own, it’s a certified hit ,but paired with such a shooting star of film it breaks the mold. These soundtracks are what turn the glittering masterpiece that is the first two films to gold. So, ditch that strange as hell A24 movie and appreciate the real crème de la crème that is “Shrek” 1 & 2 and their soundtracks.
