The greatest Rolling Stones film cue, ever

Want some great cinema?

In the first few minutes of Not Fade Away (opening Friday), the piercing signal of the Emergency Broadcast System morphs into “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones, defining in nifty shorthand a world suspended between the fear of the bomb and the nascent excitement of the sixties.

It’s a brilliant moment in a film that’s full of them, often thanks to a perfectly judged confluence of picture and sound.

It reminded me that there have been a lot of amazing Rolling Stones cues in the movies (Apocalypse Now? Goodfellas? Even The Fantastic Mr. Fox!), but the very best of all is one of the earliest.

From 1973, here’s Robert De Niro making his entrance in Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets to the perfect analog accompaniment of “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”. This is the greatest actor of his generation arriving—and not just in the film. Find me something better.

Read our interview with Not Fade Away writer-director David Chase in tomorrow's issue of the Straight.