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. 

Now, I love all of our Lights, Camera, Albums equally, but I’ve been looking forward to doing one on Chappell Roan’s album since it was released. I’m going to be honest, though…this was probably the hardest edition of LCA so far. 

The good news is, SHE DID IT. 

I have officially paired each song in the tracklist of The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess for you today, and I think there are some good ones in here. 

As always, y’all know that some of these are weird connections my little brain has made, so just roll with it. 

If this happens to be your first Lights, Camera, Albums, hello and welcome! This is a series where I pick an album and match a movie with each song on the track list. We’ve covered artists from Fall Out Boy to Olivia Rodrigo, and I recommend checking out the other entries in this series. And not just because I wrote them. 

Without further ado, I present to you Lights, Camera, Albums: Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. 

🙇🙇🙇🙇🙇

“Femininomenon” as 9 to 5

Walk with me for a second. Don’t look at this from a sexual perspective, but just from a feminist perspective. 9 to 5 is all about Judy (Jane Fonda), Violet (Lily Tomlin), and Doralee (Dolly Parton) sticking it to their misogynic boss (Dabney Coleman). And, at it core, so is “Femininomenon.” 

“Red Wine Supernova” as But I’m a Cheerleader 

When Megan (Natasha Lyonne) meets Graham (Clea Duvall) at True Directions, Megan is in denial of her feelings. However, throughout the movie, Megan and Graham get closer, and by the end, they fully accept their feelings for each other. I see “Red Wine Supernova” playing at two different parts of the movie. The first being when Megan and Graham are first together, the second being at the end when Megan embraces her feelings for Graham. Either way, it’s cute and gay as hell. 

“After Midnight” as Party Girl 

Firstly, Parker Posey will be getting her own spotlight soon. I felt the need to specify. Secondly, I chose Party Girl for “After Midnight” because I could hear Mary (Parker Posey) saying something along the lines of “I love a little drama, let’s start a bar fight.” I can see Mary singing this song before she gets arrested and has to leave behind the party lifestyle she’s become so accustomed to. 

“Coffee” as Good Grief 

Okay, I know that I had some hot takes about Good Grief in a Bite-Sized Sunday post, but I still think it works well for “Coffee.” I can see Marc (Dan Levy) singing this song as he’s walking by his old house after realizing he needs to move on. All of the places that Marc and Oliver (Luke Evans) frequented just end with Marc getting back to the same mindset he was in when Oliver died and all of Oliver’s secrets were revealed. 

This is how I think I look walking down the street at any given time 

“Casual” as A Lot Like Love 

Emily (Amanda Peet) and Oliver (Ashton Kutcher, unfortunately) spend years having chance encounters and almosts. But, the more time goes on, the clearer it becomes that this isn’t some “Casual” relationship. Despite what either says or occasionally thinks. 

“Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl” as Kissing Jessica Stein 

I can see Helen (Heather Juergensen) singing this song to herself as she places the ad that Jessica (Jennifer Westfeldt) responds to. I definitely don’t think Kissing Jessica Stein is the pinnacle of gay cinema by any means, but “Super Graphic Ulta Modern Girl” made me think of it because Helen is sick of the dating pool. 

“HOT TO GO!” as Super Hot

I’ll admit that this is a little tongue-in-cheek because of the pizza connection. And yes, I’m very pleased with myself. Silliness aside, Jackie (Kandace Kale) is super into Carmen (Sierra Michelle). The catch is, Jackie is too scared to tell Carmen. I see Jackie singing this song in some sort of daydream sequence, or towards the end…before the twist. 

“My Kink Is Karma” as Kill Bill: Vol. 1 

There are a couple of different directions I almost went in for this one, but I don’t want to reveal those movies in case we use them later. Although both of the Kill Bill movies are about The Bride (Uma Thurman) seeking vengeance against those who hurt her, I think Vol. 1 fits the bill better. 

In Vol. 1, The Bride wills herself out of paralysis and commits the more brutal kills out of the two, IMO. I can see this song playing while Uma Thurman zooms around on her motorcycle, or towards the end of the film. 

Wait, if there’s snow in Kill Bill: Vol. 1, does that mean it’s technically a Christmas movie?

“Picture You” as (500) Days of Summer 

Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) projects feelings and an idealistic image onto Summer (Zooey Deschanel) throughout this entire movie. That’s why I think this song is perfect for (500) Days of Summer; it represents Tom finally asking Summer if she sees him how he sees her. I could see Tom singing this song to Summer when they eventually meet up after the break up, or even pre and post breakup, in two different contexts. 

“Kaleidoscope” as The Half of It 

The Half of It is another movie I believe is criminally underrated. I digress. I picked The Half Of It for “Kaleidoscope” for a couple of reasons. Paul (Daniel Diemer), Ellie (Leah Lewis), and Aster (Alexxis Lemire) find themselves in a love triangle of sorts. It becomes clear that Ellie is in love with Aster, and she’s struggling with her sexuality. 

“Pink Pony Club” as Coyote Ugly 

This was one of the first pairings I did. If you’ve seen Coyote Ugly, you can probably guess which scene made me put these two together. When Violet’s (Piper Perabo) father, Bill (John Goodman), finds out about her job, he gets mad and refuses to speak to her because she is, in essence, “a pink pony girl.” 

There is no piece long enough for me to express how toxic I think this movie is 

“Naked in Manhattan” as Happiest Season 

I see this song as chronicling Abby (Kristen Stewart) and Harper’s (Mackenzie Davis) relationship. This song could honestly play alongside all of the greeting card-style illustrations during the opening credits. I think it also works because Harper has struggled to come out to her family, and some of the lyrics could even allude to her relationship with Riley (Aubrey Plaza) from high school. 

“California” as La La Land 

I have my issues with La La Land, but I do think it pairs nicely with this song. Mia (Emma Stone) is trying to make it as an actor in LA. After Mia and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) get into a fight and a discouraging play, Mia goes back to her hometown for a spell. I can see Mia singing this song on her way back to Nevada or to Seb during their fight. 

“Guilty Pleasure” as Chloe 

Now listen, Chloe is a messy movie. I’ll admit it. But hear me out. I think “Guilty Pleasure” perfectly encapsulates Chloe’s (Amanda Seyfried) mentality. Chloe is clearly attracted to Catherine (Julianne Moore), which leads to her exploiting Catherine’s vulnerable state and seducing her. I think this song represents Chloe wanting Catherine…at any cost.