Let’s face it - the compilation movie soundtrack is a bit of a cop-out when it comes to buying music. Flying in the face of the concept of the coherent album, the movie soundtrack (the compilation variety, mind you, not the Morricone or Vangelis type) is usually little more than an amalgam of songs that may or may not be played during the movie for more than a few seconds each. When you buy a soundtrack, you’re usually just submitting yourself to the director’s musical tastes or placing yourself at the mercy of a record label exec with the word ’synergy’ tattooed over the part of the frontal lobe normally responsible for conscience.

And yet, by my estimate, I own at least 30 compilation soundtracks, and probably another 15 instrumental ones.

So there are in fact two sources of guilt to this post (double the guilt, double the fun, right?).

First is the fact that I like some of these compilation soundtracks more than the CDs by the artists found on the soundtrack.

Second, although some (though not all) of the movies I’ll discuss were utterly craptacular, they could also be considered guilty pleasures.

Enough of the movies, I’ll warrant, are probably beloved by various DeadOn readers, something I’ll argue is largely in part due to the soundtracks, so I’m looking forward to some lively invectives in the comments. Don’t disappoint me.

Join me after the break for guilt and cookies.

Okay, maybe just guilt.

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