B Movies Blog

Hello, Movie Mavens! Welcome back to the B Movies Blog. Today, we’re popping another edition of Lights, Camera, Albums into the ol’ VCR. 

I was fortunate enough to grow up in a glorious time when pop punk was king. Any time you would see Fueled By Ramen as the record label, you knew it would be good. I also kept the black eyeliner industry in business with the amount I slathered under my eyes. 

Now, as a 31-year-old, a ton of the albums I grew up with are turning 15+ years old. From Three Cheers to Revenge to A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, all of my albums are starting to drive (unlike me), registering to vote, and, sometimes, even hitting the legal drinking age. 

When I was planning our editorial calendar for this year, I wanted to start out with an album I truly love but also one that spoke to little Baillee and all her angst. It didn’t take long to land on From Under the Cork Tree.

I sincerely love Fall Out Boy (and I’m actually going to see them this year), and I really wanted to challenge myself to find movies to go with their lyrics. And, surprisingly, I did. 

If this is your first LCA, welcome! We’ve previously covered artists like Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, and Olivia Rodrigo, and you should definitely check out those pieces if you haven’t. However, if you want to start here with the ol’ FOB, I’ll give you a quick rundown. 

LCA is a series where I break down an album and pair each track with a different movie. I also try to use new movies with each piece. Additionally, there are some pairings that might only make sense in my brain, but hey, I do what I can. 

Alrighty, I think that’s enough context for today. Without further ado, I present to you, Lights, Camera, Albums: Fall Out Boy’s From Under the Cork Tree. 

“Our Lawyer Made Us Change the Name of This Song So We Wouldn’t Get Sued” as The Bling Ring 

I really like these two together because “Our Lawyer…” is all about using people for their notoriety, much like how The Bling Ring broke into celebrity homes and got addicted to the thrill of it all. What really sealed the deal for me is the chorus (or hook? Y’all, I’m a movie person, not a music person): 

“We’re only liars, but we’re the best (we’re the best)

We’re only good for the latest trends

We’re only good ’cause you can have almost famous friends

Besides, we’ve got such good fashion sense.” 

“Of All the Gin Joints in All the World” as Saltburn 

Okay, this one took me a minute. I decided to take a break from this piece to scroll through Instagram when I saw a reel about Saltburn, and it hit me. “Of All the Gin Joints in All the World” started off with the lyrics: 

“You only hold me up like this

‘Cause you don’t know who I really am

Sometimes I just want to know what it’s like to be you” 

And boy, oh, boy does this work for the relationship between Felix (Jacob Elordi) and Oliver (Barry Keoghan). Oliver is dying to partake in the pleasures Felix is afforded, and he holds Felix up to this standard that no human being could ever uphold. (Or does he?) 👀

“Dance, Dance” as Climax 

I know this one might seem like a bit of a stretch, but hear me out. The pacing of “Dance, Dance” matches the chaos of Climax. Patrick Stump is busting lyrics out at a mile a minute, and the fast-paced rhythm of “Dance, Dance” matches the tone of the film perfectly. Climax is obviously a lot darker than the song, but I think it works. 

Saltburn (2023) 

“Sugar, We’re Goin Down” as Anna and the Apocalypse 

This was an easy one for me. Anna and the Apocalypse is an annual rewatch for me, and I watched it right before taking a shower and listening to this album. I see “Sugar, We’re Goin Down” sung from Nick’s (Ben Wiggins) perspective because he’s a douche, but there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes. 

Nick likes Anna (Ella Hunt), but he’s at the “perfect” teenage boy age where he doesn’t know how to articulate his feelings, nor can he handle them. You can also take it in the literal sense, as Nick and Anna are fighting zombies together. 

“Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner” as Something Borrowed 

To me, Something Borrowed is almost like Jennifer’s Body sans horror. Rachel (Ginnifer Goodwin) has fully outgrown her friendship with Darcy (Kate Hudson), but they’re still in that awkward spot where neither can let go. When Rachel and Dex (Colin Egglesfield) start having an affair, Rachel sees Dex as her “best kept secret and [her] biggest mistake,” but is he really? 

Additionally, it’s clear that Darcy is insecure and treats Rachel the way she does because Rachel lets Darcy have power over her. All of the lines about jealousy just SCREAM Darcy to me. I’ve had friends like this in the past, and I can honestly say that finally standing up for yourself is a relief beyond description. 

“I’ve Got a Dark Alley and a Bad Idea That Says You Should Shut Your Mouth (Summer Song)” as Charlie Bartlett 

I LOVE Charlie Bartlett. It came out when I was in high school, so I was at the perfect age for it, and I’ve been a huge fan ever since. Loving this movie as a high schooler also makes it the perfect mate for a Fall Out Boy song. 

Charlie (Anton Yelchin) wants to fit in more than anything, which is how he winds up in the position of the school’s unofficial psychiatrist. However, it also lands him in a world of trouble after all the kids he’s worked to help rebel. I can see Charlie singing “I’ve Got a Dark Alley…” after the kids have trashed the lounge, and he’s on the way to Susan’s (Kat Dennings). 

I had the BIGGEST crush on Kat Dennings in high school, but I wasn’t out, so I just called her one of my “favorite actresses.” 

“7 Minutes in Heaven (Atavan Halen)” as Otis 

I bought a bunch of DVDs when my hometown Blockbuster and the Blockbuster down the street from my college went out of business in 2010. Otis was one of the DVDs I picked up. I haven’t watched it in a hot minute, but I remember all of the basics. 

I matched “7 Minutes in Heaven (Atavan Halen)” with Otis because Otis (Bostin Christopher) kidnaps Riley (Ashley Johnson) and plays out some high school prom fantasies, and these two lines really sold me: 

“I’m not going home alone

‘Cause I don’t do too well on my own” 

“Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year” as The Lost Boys 

“We’re traveled like gypsies

Only with worse luck and far less gold

We’re the kids you used to love

But then we grew old”

As soon as I listened to those lyrics with my LCA ears, I screamed, “THE LOST BOYS” in the shower. I see either David (Kiefer Sutherland) or Star (Jami Gertz) singing this song to Michael (Jason Patric), which I love because it shifts the perspective. I feel like David would be singing this song to convince Michael to join them while Star would sing it while lamenting about her undead status. 

“Champagne for My Real Friends, Real Pain for My Sham Friends” as Goodfellas 

This was one the last pairings I made, but I’m truly giddy about it. First and foremost, I LOVE Goodfellas. I think it might be one of the best movies ever made, and I’m not kidding. Secondly, I LOVE the scene where Karen (Lorraine Bracco) finally goes off on Henry (Ray Liotta, RIP) in their bedroom about everything. 

I can absolutely see Karen singing this song in this scene. It references the affair Henry’s been having, all of the shady things Henry’s been doing, etc…I just see this song as her breaking point. 

“I Slept with Someone in Fall Out Boy and All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me” as Fright Night 

I would like to go on record that, in my defense, I had a lot of vampires on the brain because of the iconic music video for “A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More ‘Touch Me.’” I digress. 

I went with Fright Night for this one because it screams Jerry’s (Chris Sarandon) character to me. I see him singing this to Charley (William Ragsdale) while he’s trying to seduce Amy (Amanda Bearse – who, it should be noted, is a teenage girl, and it’s hella icky). Jerry sees himself as untouchable, and the scent they can’t get rid of is his vampiric curse. 

Me when I was finally starting to warm up to Jacob Elordi, only to find out he’s allegedly dating Olivia Jade Giannulli (but clearly not for her rowing skills). 

“A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More ‘Touch Me’” as Freaky

This is a fun one because I think it goes back and forth between Millie (Kathryn Newton) being both herself and The Butcher (Vince Vaughn). I also thought about how Booker (Uriah Shelton) always sets his watch early, and it winds up saving Millie in the end. Plus, Freaky just rules. 

“Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying (Do Your Part to Save the Scene and Stop Going to Shows)” as Can’t Buy Me Love 

The grip Can’t Buy Me Love had on me growing up. I wanted Cindy’s (Amanda Peterson) infamous white fringe jacket more than I can ever express. I was also totally into guys like Ronald (Patrick Dempsey) when I was growing up…and kind of still am. Moving on. 

Ronald gets popular and becomes a total jerk, and Cindy, understandably, gets upset and tells a party full of people about the deal they made. I see Cindy singing this song to him either right before or right after spilling the beans. Also, please give us a Can’t Buy Me Love musical.

“XO” as Empire Records 

Empire Records is one of those movies I can watch on repeat. This movie has everything. GWAR. The iconic Liv Tyler 90s outfit. A foxy Anthony LaPaglia. The works. It also has Rex Manning (Maxwell Caulfield), one of the sleaziest fictional singers in cinema history. 

I see “XO” being sung from Rex Manning’s POV because he seeks the girls in the store out for nefarious reasons. I also feel like you could rearrange this song to make it poppier to match the vibes of “Say No More Mon Amour”. 

You can’t tell me this car upholstery by way of Dolly Parton look isn’t serving.