Movie Recommendations With Oscar Nominated Songs: Glenn Hansard, Barry Manilow, Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin

"FALLING SLOWLY"    GLENN HANSARD and MARKETA IRGLOVA  From "Once"

Steven Spielberg said after seeing the movie "Once", he was energized to continue making films.  A super low budget love story set in Dublin between a vacuum repairman who'd rather be singing his songs meets a single mother who believes in his talent.   The movie is simple but overflowing with heart, emotions, and highly recommended if you missed it.   "Once" was adapted to Broadway and won a Tony Award last Sunday.  The song "Falling Slowly" was used in a great scene where they stumble into a piano store and they first play music together.

"READY TO TAKE A CHANCE AGAIN"   BARRY MANILOW from "FOUL PLAY"
One of the funniest movies of the 70's, "Foul Play" starred Chevy Chase, Goldie Hawn, & a great scene with Dudley Moore.    The movie was a mix of a comedy/thriller.   The plot line sounds ridiculous, a roll of film smuggled into a cigarette carton, warnings of "Remember the dwarf", a plan to assassinate the Pope, and an albino bad guy.   But the film is ridiculously funny and keeps your attention.  Shot in San Fransisco, this was Chevy and Goldie at their best.   They teamed up again for the fittingly titled "Seems Like Old Times". 

"SEPARATE LIVES"  PHIL COLLINS and MARILYN MARTI from "White Nights"

A very underrated film from 1985 was "White Nights" starring Mikhail Baryshnikov, Gregory Hines, and Helen Mirren.   Obviously having two of the greatest dancers of the 20th Century in the same film, the theme of the movie revolved around dance.  A Russian who defected to the U.S. had his plane suddenly having to land back in Siberia, after being recognized by a KGB officer, he's got to find a way out of Russia.  What about his family and the woman he loves that he left behind in the USSR?  There is a great love story with the beautiful Isabella Rossellini, espionage, friction between Mikhail and Gregory (an American who defected to Russia), and two songs from this film got nominated for Oscar.  "Separate Lives" written by Stephen Bishop and the Oscar Winning Song, "Say You Say Me" by Lionel Richie.