"Late Night Tales at the Movies" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Late Night Tales presents ‘At The Movies’ (Various Artists, Compilation, 2010)" – Album Guide to Tracks and Key Scenes

Overview

Is this a movie soundtrack or a soundtrack of movies? This Late Night Tales entry is a curator’s tour of iconic cues—from Bernard Herrmann and John Barry to Giorgio Moroder and Vangelis—sequenced for start-to-finish listening. It’s a 2010 CD release in the long-running Late Night Tales series (sub-banner “presents”), re-serviced digitally/physically in later years.

The program jumps eras and genres with purpose: concert pieces used memorably on screen (“Rhapsody in Blue” for Manhattan), needle-drop canon (“Mad World” as performed by Gary Jules for Donnie Darko), and original score highlights (Moroder’s “Chase” from Midnight Express, “Tears in Rain” from Blade Runner). Liner commentary by Bill Brewster frames the selections as cinema’s emotional shorthand.

Questions & Answers

Is this a film from 2010?

No. It’s a various-artists compilation in the Late Night Tales series (original CD 2010), later reissued/streamed.

What’s the label and original release code?

Late Night Tales / Night Time Stories; MusicBrainz lists 2010-08 with catalog ALNCDM001 (GB release).

Is there an official continuous DJ mix?

Yes—the label posted the original 2010 CD continuous mix; an official playlist/mix also appears on their channels.

Who curated or introduced it?

The set is under the “Late Night Tales presents” banner; liner notes are by Bill Brewster.

Does the album include both score and songs?

Yes—canonical themes (Barry, Herrmann, Newman), source songs (Gary Jules “Mad World”), and classical pieces used in films.

Was it reissued?

Yes—later vinyl/digital editions and a 2021 Bandcamp listing consolidated the tracklist for current platforms.

Notes & Trivia

• Original GB release in August 2010 (catalog ALNCDM001); later label pages list a 2021 Bandcamp edition and continuous mix.
• Four sides on the vinyl program close with a sci-fi/noir quartet: “Chase,” “Theme from Shaft,” “Bullitt Main Title,” “Tears in Rain.”
• Classical excerpts appear as heard in films: “Rhapsody in Blue” (Manhattan), “Also sprach Zarathustra” (Deodato’s version, Being There).
• Two Thomas Newman cues are included (“Horse” from Jarhead; “Brooks Was Here” from Shawshank).

Genres & Themes

Orchestral grandeur → modern anxiety: Barry, Herrmann, Williams, Glass. Meaning: myth-scale feelings built from motif and harmony.

Electronics & groove → propulsion: Moroder’s sequencer, Carpenter’s synth minimalism, Hotei’s swagger. Meaning: velocity, dread, bravado.

Needle-drop nostalgia → irony: Ray Noble’s 1934 ballroom tune (Kubrick) and Gary Jules’ “Mad World” recast familiar melodies as unease.

Tracks & Scenes

“Rhapsody in Blue (excerpt)” — Columbia Symphony Orchestra / Leonard Bernstein
Scene: Manhattan (1979) opening montage: cityscapes in B&W, fireworks over Gershwin (non-diegetic). ~00:00–00:03.
Why it matters: Pure thesis—romance with a city as orchestration swells.

“Mad World” — Michael Andrews feat. Gary Jules
Scene: Donnie Darko (2001) finale montage: the town waking to aftermath (non-diegetic). Final minutes.
Why it matters: Melancholy cover that became shorthand for reflective endings.

“Cavatina” — John Williams (guitar)
Scene: The Deer Hunter (1978) reflective passages and end titles (non-diegetic). Multiple uses.
Why it matters: Gentle motif bearing enormous weight—friendship and loss.

“Adagio for Strings” — Nick Ingman / London Sinfonietta (Barber)
Scene: Platoon (1986) combat/aftermath sequence (non-diegetic). Mid-late reels.
Why it matters: A concert work that cinema turned into a lament.

“Midnight Cowboy” — John Barry
Scene: Midnight Cowboy (1969) theme recurring through Joe & Ratso’s odyssey (non-diegetic). Various.
Why it matters: Harmonica as urban loneliness.

“Outer Space” — Bernard Herrmann
Scene: The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) theremin-laced sci-fi textures (non-diegetic). Early sequences.
Why it matters: The sound that defined an era’s “unknown.”

“Midnight, the Stars and You” — Ray Noble & His Orchestra
Scene: The Shining (1980) the Overlook’s spectral ballroom and closing image (source/non-diegetic blend). Finale.
Why it matters: Sweetness turned sinister by context.

“Tubular Bells (excerpt)” — Mike Oldfield
Scene: The Exorcist (1973) Georgetown walk, dread coalescing (non-diegetic). Early.
Why it matters: Minimal motif = maximum unease.

“Halloween Main Theme” — John Carpenter / Mark Ayres
Scene: Halloween (1978) stalking motif across multiple sequences (non-diegetic). Recurring.
Why it matters: 5/4 pulse as pure adrenaline.

“Chase” — Giorgio Moroder
Scene: Midnight Express (1978) title/escape momentum (non-diegetic). Several minutes.
Why it matters: Sequencer propulsion that rewired thriller pacing.

“Theme from ‘Shaft’” — Isaac Hayes
Scene: Shaft (1971) opening stride in NYC (diegetic-feeling swagger). Opening credits.
Why it matters: Funk as character study.

“Bullitt Main Title” — Lalo Schifrin
Scene: Bullitt (1968) San Francisco cool before the chase (non-diegetic). Titles.
Why it matters: Jazz tension coiled tight.

“Tears in Rain” — Vangelis
Scene: Blade Runner (1982) rooftop monologue in rain (non-diegetic). Climax.
Why it matters: Synth elegy for memory and mercy.

Note: Timings above are scene-relative (platform cuts vary).

Music–Story Links

The set reads like a miniature history of how movies tell feeling: orchestral lyricism for longing; minimalist pulses for fear and pursuit; antique ballroom charm for dread by contrast. The sequencing moves you from personal interiority (“Mad World,” “Cavatina”) to public myth (“Shaft,” “Bullitt”) and back to existential hush (“Tears in Rain”).

How It Was Made

Late Night Tales (Night Time Stories Ltd.) assembled and licensed the recordings; the “presents” tag denotes a label-curated concept entry rather than a single artist mix. Liner notes by Bill Brewster sketch why these cues endure. Official channels later published the 2010 continuous CD mix and playlists.

Reception & Quotes

Coverage and storefront notes emphasized the crate-dig breadth—canon themes alongside left-field choices (Glass, Kamen)—and the front-room listening arc.

“We’ve collected together some of the classic themes and motifs… pour something smooth and make believe.” liner/label note

“A series built on after-hours curation, now flipping the lights of cinema back on.” series capsule

Additional Info

• Track highlights on official listings include: “Rhapsody in Blue,” “Midnight Cowboy,” “Mad World,” “Adagio for Strings,” “You’re My World,” “Horse” (Jarhead), “Brooks Was Here” (Shawshank), “Tubular Bells,” “Halloween Main Theme,” “Chase,” “Tears in Rain.”
• Continuous CD mix (2010) available on the label’s stream; Bandcamp edition released November 5, 2021.
• Format history: 2010 CD; later 2×LP and digital storefronts; playlist editions on official channels.
• Series context: part of Late Night Tales’ curator-led compilations (Night Time Stories imprint).

Technical Info

• Title: Late Night Tales presents “At The Movies”
• Year: 2010 (original CD release); later reissues 2021
• Type: Compilation (various artists; film themes & cues)
• Label: Late Night Tales / Night Time Stories
• Catalogue: ALNCDM001 (GB2010-08)
• Program range: 1930s ballroom to 2000s ambient/electronic; both score and source selections
• Availability: CD (2010), 2×LP & digital/streaming (later issues)

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: MusicBrainz label/release metadata (2010 GB issue, ALNCDM001); Late Night Tales official Bandcamp page (full track program & notes); Late Night Tales YouTube sampler & playlist for the album/mix; official continuous 2010 CD mix stream.

November, 12th 2025