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typically i choose my favourite movies by the music in the soundtrack. somehow they always seem to scratch me where i itch with these tunes and it’s the reason i come back to the movie for the millionth time.

Trainspotting dir. Danny Boyle —

- everyone’s favourite tale of everyone’s favourite junkie! - my favourite film of all time. the music just makes the feel of this movie worth the watch, even the 100th time. opening with the legendary “Lust For Life” by Iggy Pop, we enter 1990s Edinburgh in a fast pace environment. with the reoccurring theme of 90s britpop, it features the essentials; blur, elastica, pulp, sleeper, etc etc. sure, these are some of my favourite bands ever but that’s not where the glory of the soundtrack ends. with the closing credit song written by my lord and saviour, Damon Albarn. this soundtrack absolutely hits it out of the park for my favourite film soundtrack of all time.

Garden State dir. Zach Braff —

- the lovely Zach Braff’s debut film followed by a flawless soundtrack. beginning with one of the only good Coldplay songs, “Don’t Panic”, it sets the stage for the feel of the movie. one of my personal favourite songs ever, “Caring is Creepy” by the shins makes a glorious appearance and blends perfectly with the scene as if it was made for it. followed by another one of the worlds greatest songs, “New Slang” by the same band. i always like to pretend i’m a deranged Natalie Portman when listening to this song, it always makes it just that much better!

Rushmore dir. Wes Anderson —

- ah yes, my favourite Wes Anderson film. with my biggest crush at age 15 being Jason Shwartzman, the soundtrack of this film was the soundtrack to my life for the 2 months that i was a big Wes Anderson geek. some original scoring included in this film being a perfect fit for the typical Wes Anderson vibe. this soundtrack also features songs by The Kinks, Cat Stevens, John Lennon and so on. a perfect mix of music for the perfect movie.

Juno dir. Jason Reitman—

- a lovely mix of early 2000 indie rock and throwback alt tunes. the opening song is a staple for this movie, “All I Want Is You” by Barry Louis Polisar. perfect for the vibe of this movie and matches the scoring just right. with most songs included in the soundtrack written by Kimya Dawson, the movie flows to the sound of this melancholic mix of guitar strings. to follow, appearances by Belle & Sebastian, The Velvet Underground, Cat Power and more. whether it may be the soundtrack to your childhood or your teenage pregnancy, each song is hand picked for your own life as a strong lady such as Juno.

Lost In Translation dir. Sofia Coppola —

- i could go all night with the most fantastic movie soundtracks but i’ll end with this beautifully rendered Sofia Coppola classic. starring ScarJo & Bill Murray, this flick includes some of the best songs kept in the vault to bring out in times of heartbreak or deep love. whichever you choose, you’ll find a connection to each song featured. included is one of the best songs to dance to, “Too Young” by Phoenix. a classic indie tune by a classic indie band. next we have our reoccurring My Bloody Valentine number, the first track i’ve heard from the legendary shoegaze band, “Sometimes”. finally the song to close the film with a tear in your eye, “Just Like Honey” by The Jesus and Mary Chain, closes the movie with a sense of confusion, loss and translation error.