Last weekend, the movie Psycho Killer hit theaters to minimal fanfare. It made a little over $1.5 million in around 1,000 U.S. theaters. Perhaps more notable than the movie itself is the fact that it shares a title with the great 1977 Talking Heads song.
I couldn’t tell you if the movie title is in fact inspired by the song. Or if the famous song appears in the movie (probably not). But Psycho Killer did get me thinking about other movies that share titles with songs.
Here are three notable ones from three different decades…
Blue Velvet (1986)
One of my all-time favorite movies (if you haven’t seen it, kick it to the top of your watchlist ASAP), Blue Velvet kicks off with the 1963 version of the title song crooned by Bobby Vinton (the song was also a hit for Tony Bennett in 1951). The tune conjures cheery images of a more innocent time as director David Lynch takes us through a sunny suburban small-town landscape. Then the movie goes on to twist and pummel that facade like a Pabst-swilling, gas-huffing maniac on a late-night rampage. Oh yeah, blue velvet also comes into play as a fabric. By the time the movie’s over you may never hear the song the same again.
American Pie (1999)
The 1971 Don McLean song tracks the generational loss of innocence following the death of popular musical artists Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and The Big Bopper in a 1959 plane crash. While the movie American Pie does not include the actual song, it was clearly titled as a double entendre reference (yes, this is a movie where a guy fucks a pie). There are also some thematic connections between song and movie—with the film tracking about the loss of innocence of a group of pre-millennial teenagers trying to get laid before prom. While song and movie may not quite share the same level of artistry, this is a fun teen comedy that forever changed the way we perceive flutes.
Jennifer‘s Body (2009)
Like American Pie, the 1994 Hole song of the same name does not actually appear in the movie Jennifer’s Body—but its fingerprints are all over it. With a chorus that includes the line “found pieces of Jennifer’s body”, many interpret the song to be about violence against women. The use of this title may be a clue about what screenwriter Diablo Cody is getting at with the movie, which tells the tale of a cheerleader named Jennifer whose body is overtaken by a succubus with a craving for teenage boys. Underrated and misunderstood in its time, people are starting to come around on this one. Oddly enough, the Hole song “Violet” plays during the end credits rather than “Jennifer’s Body” (a curious choice).