The video taps into a shared cultural appreciation for The Beatles and "Project Hail Mary," offering a deep dive into a specific, well-executed creative choice. By connecting a popular song to a beloved movie and revealing hidden details, it provides value and sparks curiosity, encouraging engagement.
Summary
This video discusses the masterful use of The Beatles' song "Two of Us" in the movie "Project Hail Mary." The creator explains the song's dual meaning, relating to both Paul McCartney's personal life and the band's internal struggles, and how it perfectly complements a pivotal moment in the film. The video also highlights numerous other Beatles references embedded within the movie's narrative and its dedication.
Structure
1Introduction to "needle drops" in film
2
Original caption
There’s nothing quite like a well timed, perfectly curated needle drop in a movie. The original score takes a backseat briefly while an existing track not made for the movie sets the vibe the filmmaker was looking for. PROJECT HAIL MARY has one of my favorites from this year, but let me know if you’ve heard any other good ones recently #movies #filmtok #music #projecthailmary #tiktokmilestonechallenge
More from @jbillinson
More breakout videos from this creator.
The Beatles' "Two of Us" in Project Hail Mary
3The cost and difficulty of using Beatles songs
4Dual meanings of the song and its context
5Other Beatles references in the book and movie
6Why this song choice works better than alternatives
Product placement
Project Hail Mary (movie): appears as the subject of the video, its use of music is discussed. Removing it would change the video. The Beatles (band): appears as the subject of discussion, their song "Two of Us" is played and their album titles are referenced. Removing them would change the video. Rolling Stone (magazine): appears as a source of information, showing an article about Mad Men paying for a Beatles song. Removing it would change the video.
Call to action
let me know what you think, and if you have a better needle drop you've seen in a movie lately.
On-screen text
this project
hail mary
needle drop...
FOR JOHN, PAUL, GEORGE, AND RINGO
Animals are going to die to
Abby rode horses competi
her grandfather's dairy farm
abstract concept to kids. But
entirely.
I sit on my bunk and sigh. "You make a good point. I should
at least try. It's been a hard day. Night. Whatever. A hard day's
night." I lie back in the bunk and pull the blanket over me.
"That sentence make no sense."
We are at Condition Yellow," Stratt said.
Condition Yellow. Submarine Two.
us.
I'll let it be for now. The
temperature eventually. And
floating randomly around me
in the airlock that can get hu
I've been on his tablet. "Three minutes...mark."
Weir hid every single
beatles album title in
the text of the book
throughout in different
ways that are
really hard to spot,
you can find them.
Transcript
I think this is the best needle drop we've seen in a while. I've been thinking again about Project Hail Mary because Two of Us by the Beatles came up on my phone as music on the way to work this morning. And it's just such a perfect song, but the way it is used in the movie is fabulous. One, a Beatles needle drop is rare because it is very, very expensive to do. You have to convince the rights owners at Apple Corps that you're a good steward of that legacy and you should be allowed to do it. And then you have to cut a very large check. But deeper than that is the dual meanings of this song. And I have no reason to doubt him that this song was about his burgeoning Linda Eastman, who he would later marry, Linda McCartney. It's about going on adventures with her and the partnership that they shared. And I believe that's true. But the song can't be divorced from the context that it was recorded and released in, which was the Beatles going through a really, really, really, really bad breakup. Specifically, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, childhood friends, lifelong partners, one of the most lucrative partnerships in the world was going their separate ways. They were at each other's throats. They did not see eye to eye the way they had before. And this song sort of serves as Paul McCartney sending a love letter to his old friend. If you watched them record it in Let It Be and later Get Back, and it's just a fabulous song. So the way it's used in the movie is great because the Beatles are central to Andy Weir's book. There are so many Beatles references hidden in it. Spoiler alerts for Project Hail Mary. The book is dedicated to John, Paul, George, and Ringo, which serves a dual meaning that Andy Weir was a big Beatles fan and also that the "beetles" probes were named John, Paul, George, and Ringo. Actually a fifth one named Pete that they used to test. It's referenced to Pete Best, the former drummer of the Beatles before Ringo. Weir hid every single Beatles album title in the text of the book throughout in different ways that are really hard to spot, but if you know, you can find them. So to use a Beatles song was good, but what they did here is not take the obvious route because the obvious route would be Here Comes the Sun. And it's a great song, I love George Harrison, too, on the nose. This one works so much better because where the song plays, it's a moment in the story where Grace has to make a decision, whether he's going home to Earth and in turn, say goodbye to his partnership with Rocky, reflecting on it, it's saved his life, it saved the universe, but he's not gonna have it anymore. Or whether he's gonna go home with Rocky to go save him, to go on adventures with his new partner, his Linda. It sort of works either that was the intention. Maybe the intention was just that this is a great Beatles song to use there. The obvious intention was to pay tribute to Andy Weir's love for the Beatles, but the way that it works is fantastic. I loved it, I can't get enough. Let me know what you think, and if you have a better needle drop you've seen in a movie lately.
