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In the 2014 film, Whiplash, a young man named Andrew is intent on becoming an amazing jazz drummer, leading to a number of intense musical performances that draw on real jazz music. Although Whiplash is often praised for its outstanding performances by Whiplash's talented cast, or its fast-paced directing by Damien Chazelle, what really stands out about this movie is its use of music. It is no wonder that the film won an Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing in 2015. Whiplash wouldn't be the fantastic movie that it is without the thoughtful use of jazz music.

Whiplash may be a movie about music, but it is far from being your typical movie musical. Instead, Whiplash uses specific jazz songs, sometimes over and over again, to emphasize the difficulty of the genre. Andrew is not joyfully playing this music, but is practically haunted by it. He plays so hard that he sweats and bleeds,...

Birdman and Whiplash are both enhanced by their percussion-laden scores. We dig into the music of both of them...

This article contains spoilers for Birdman and Whiplash (including Whiplash's ending)

What makes a great drummer?

That's the question asked by Whiplash, which was up for Best Picture at the Oscars (although ultimately, as you more than likely know, didn't prevail). Damien Chazelle's thriller - easily the most exciting (and horrifying) account of music practice in cinema history - goes head to head with Birdman, another percussion-heavy flick. While the two share an instrument, though, their answers to that question couldn't be more different.

For Whiplash, it mostly seems to boil down to one thing: how quickly can you drum? The opening track of the album makes that clear, as we hear a snare drum banged repeatedly by Andrew (Miles Teller), faster and faster. "Can someone clean the blood off my drum kit?...

Two knockout performances and some taut direction make Whiplash an unmissable drama. No wonder it's up for Best Picture...

Whiplash is, appropriately, an escalating drumroll of a movie. Starting slowly, picking up the tempo and building drama to a final act where the tension explodes and this drum metaphor stops making sense.

Jazz drummer Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller) is studying at Shaffer Conservatory, a prestigious music school in New York. He attracts the attention of conductor Terence Fletcher (J K Simmons) and is recruited as an alternate in his band. Andrew quickly discovers that Fletcher is a master manipulator, keeping his band under a reign of terror. Whiplash follows Andrew as he engages in a battle of wills with his tyrannical music teacher.

Whiplash’s pace is relentless. Previously, Damien Chazelle directed one little seen indie film (Guy And Madeline On A Park Bench) and has a handful of writer credits to his name,...

‘Tis the season for awards, and while voters are busy weighing the merits of top Oscar contenders, the industry’s intangibles have fallen by the wayside. The year in film is comprised of so many movie moments and overlooked details that go unrecognized by Hollywood, so here’s a list of superlatives and unconventional awards that serve as an alternative to the prim-and-proper Oscars. There’s even more ground to cover than last year, so let’s get started …

Movies

Best Animal Title: Gold: “Birdman” Silver: “The Dog” Bronze: “Foxcatcher” Honorable Mention: “Big Bad Wolves”

Best Movie Set Primarily in One Location: “Locke,...