Film, Music & Media

F.M.M Has Gone To A Better Place . . . . .

2010-07-21T01:43:00.003-04:00

Yes, that’s right! Film, Music & Media at BlogSpot is dead. Don’t worry though because F.M.M is doing just fine now with its own domain! So please make a note of this.

New reviews/articles/interviews will no longer be posted here!!!

Please bookmark filmmusicmedia.com!!!

filmmusicmedia.blogspot.com will continue to run and act as an archive for all the current reviews here. It just seems pointless to re-enter them into the new site.

So again, thank you to everyone and hopefully you’ll all follow the new F.M.M at filmmusicmedia.com!

This will be the last post on the BlogSpot site.

-Kaya

Alan Wake by Petri Alanko (Review)

2010-07-20T12:52:00.002-04:00

Alan Wake is a complex score to approach. When it first starts off it stays pretty low profile. While I was listening I actually started to get aggravated at the fact that all I was hearing was dark ominous tones with no structure. However, patience pays off as this is a very slow developing score. Once it does fully develop and take off this score becomes an amazing noir filled dreary weaving of motifs that transports your mind into a cloud of mystery.

While strings and piano make up most of the score Alanko does add some percussion into the mix to give it the action side. Electronics are utilized to great rhythmic effect. The strings in the score are quite breathtaking at times. There is true heartache felt within the score and that can easily turn into adrenaline pumping action, which can easily turn into intriguing mystery. So, this score does have many faces indeed.

The album itself is packed to the brim with a 75 minute running time, which can lead to some “track fatigue”. Since the score has a very distinct style and slow played out melodies it can feel like it drags a bit. It’s very hard to pick tracks apart from the pack based off sound, but one has to remember this is a video game score. No matter how close the line between film scoring and game scoring is becoming one can’t forget how different of an approach game scoring is.

You will get the occasional long drawn out tracks, but the album itself does a nice job of giving the listener some sort of progression. I’ve heard game score releases that were just loops and loops, which thankfully this is not. Alan Wake is a very cinematic game so the score itself does become a journey in itself. I recommend the score. It’s definitely above what most video games scores are. Towards the end the score transcends into beauty with lush orchestrations. Is this score worth it? Absolutely. It’s a very unique experience that will take a little patience, but in the end the journey is a rewarding one.

Dinner For Schmucks by Theodore Shapiro (Review)

2010-07-20T11:20:00.003-04:00

Comedy scoring. It’s something that can make me smile or cringe. It’s such a hard thing to achieve, but luckily Theodore Shapiro does it superbly. Dinner For Schmucks is a rare heartfelt comedic score with a soul and it truly will captivate you. Since Shapiro is from Washington, DC I feel like he’s my local composer. I too am from the DC area so in a way I feel like I’m seeing my home team play when he’s up to score.

It’s not fair to call Shapiro a comedy composer, but that’s where his specialty lies. If you’ve heard his score to Tropic Thunder then you’re aware of his awesome Hans Zimmer impersonation and how capable he is of action scoring (even though it was done for comedic effect). If you’ve seen Marley & Me you know he’s capable of making you cry as well.

What’s different about Shapiro? Well, this score embodies what makes him stand out. This score is so uniquely heartfelt and emotional yet still manages to be a comedy score. Imagine taking all the best quirky elements of John Powell’s score to Rat Race, making the offbeat element a little less aggressive and then adding a huge “human” element to it. Don’t get me wrong, there is a good deal of “quirk” to this score yet it’s never over the top, and it’s done with such class that it never feels beneath you.

The thing is that good comedy comes from the script. If the the script is well written and the actors successfully execute the script with their timing then comedy is already born. Now, a composer’s job differs a bit pending whether or not the film is satire, character based or slapstick. Yes, you can have a combination of all three of those, but Dinner For Schmucks is definitely a character based comedy.

So what this score effectively does is bring the characters to life. The score doesn’t try to be funny. The score doesn’t have any punchlines. You won’t laugh at this score. The score has a “waltzy” structure to it and you feel the characters within it. “Mouse World” is a fantastic track utilizing some vocals. Tracks like “Barry’s Photos” and “Don’t Stop Asking” contain that central motif and the true heart of the score. When the score gets goofy it does get goofy. I felt a little bit of “pretending to be a spy” element. “Brain Control” has a bit of a Morricone western vibe to it. However, to me the essence of the score is to project a misunderstood loneliness in the Barry character. I feel like”Mouse World” is the track that sealed the deal for me. It allows us into Barry’s misunderstood world.

Shapiro has done something special here. At least for me. It was a score I could truly feel, and in the end those are the ones you remember. Something that can project your emotions and bring them out. The most notable thing for me was that I felt the characters within the score, and that’s pretty amazing. I really urge you to give it a listen, and I hope Shapiro does more work like this in the future.

Countdown To Zero by Peter Golub (Review)

2010-07-20T09:42:00.002-04:00

Peter Golub is a composer whose made a name for himself by doing lower profile films. He’s not exactly a household name, but he’s been composing films since the late 90’s. Highlights include The Laramie Project, American Gun, Frozen River and probably the more known The Great Debaters directed by Denzel Washington. For that score he co-composed with the great James Newton Howard.

Countdown To Zero is a documentary about the nuclear arms race and pretty much looking at how at any moment our entire existence could be ended by the amount of nuclear weapons currently existing in the world. Looking at that subject from a storytelling aspect I can only imagine how difficult it could be to score something like this. I’ve talked briefly with another composer about composing documentaries and he pretty much told me he approached it just like it was a fictional film. He had main characters with goals and he treated it as such. However I feel a documentary of this kind of subject isn’t really aimed at telling a story, but more or less shining a light on information.

So, I guess with that in mind the score for Countdown To Zero is as expected. The melodies are subtle and they carry the tone of the film effectively. They don’t overpower and they don’t stand out for a good reason. Documentary scoring isn’t really a place for a composer to go nuts with lush and grand orchestrations. The score is an electronic based weaving of simple melodies that function as underscore. With that being said there isn’t that much emotion that is evoked from this score, and I truly believe the subject matter doesn’t lend itself to it. While it’s obvious Golub is scoring information and not emotion I do kind of wish the tracks had some emotional structure to them.

Through the listening experience you feel a bit distanced from the score. I think the most emotion gets evoked through the last 2 tracks. So, in the end the experience for me doesn’t truly make me feel like I experienced anything at all. The last track is definitely the highlight because I actually felt something while listening to it. I just feel the entire score overall is more informational than emotional and in the end that just doesn’t resonate with me as an audience. It never tells you how to feel, but I just don’t think it has its feet placed firmly enough on the ground.

Inception by Hans Zimmer (Review)

2010-07-13T15:14:00.002-04:00

As I opened my CD and popped it into my Mac I was completely unaware as to what to expect from Inception. I naturally look forward to every Zimmer score since it’s his music that I grew up on and it’s his music that made me want to be a filmmaker. So, I hit play on iTunes, took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

I really don’t know how to describe what I experienced in those next 50 minutes, but I can say that it left such an emotional impact on me that I was still shaking after it finished. The score swells and boils and builds to an eruption that washes over you like a wave. The wave then pulls back and then washes over you again and again. The score feels uniquely personal especially by being able to isolate and pick out the solo instrumentation. While this is a very electronic heavy score it never feels synthetic and is organic in every sense of the word.

Emotionally it can be aggressive and at times extremely harsh, but it has a gentle side of incredible beauty. What Zimmer does best is that every cue builds like a separate story on its own. Almost like a writer writing a screenplay. You could easily apply the three-act story structure to every cue in this score. The cues each have an introduction, building, climax and then resolution. It’s something I’ve always admired about his score writing and here with Inception it’s extremely evident.

Most of the score stays extremely melodic. Exceptions would be tracks like “Old Souls” and “Waiting For A Train”, which still have identifiable melodies but act more like dreamlike transition periods. “Mombasa” is an intense assault on the senses that will get your heart racing and probably leave you gasping for air. The track actually reminded me of “Fire” from Angels & Demons.

The album finishes with “Time”, which is such an extraordinarily beautiful track that reintroduces the central theme we heard in the first track. If I had to pick one track that defined this score and its composer it would probably be “Time”. This is Zimmer stripped down to the bone. It builds for 3.5 minutes then comes to its climax. It then dies down to strings and piano. Soon the strings disappear and we are left with a piano that plays the extremely simple theme. A haunting echo of what we just experienced. The feeling you have when it’s all over is comparable to waking up in a cold sweat after an incredibly intense and vivid dream you just had.

I can’t say yet if this is the best thing Hans Zimmer has done, but it very well may be. I’ve always maintained that The Thin Red Line was his masterpiece, but after experiencing Inception and the rush of emotions I felt with it I can honestly say this may be my new #1 in the book of Zimmer. As Christopher Nolan said in the liner notes of the CD “That’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard.”

Knight And Day by John Powell (Review)

2010-07-13T15:12:00.002-04:00

John Powell’s style is unmistakable. When I heard he signed on for Knight And Day I immediately got excited. It’s a genre that he’s accustomed to. If you recall Mr. & Mrs. Smith you’ll remember the tango infused score he did for that film.

With Knight And Day he approaches it with mix of French and hispanic influences. It has a “cool” element to it and it’s definitely enhanced by electronics. The score in the film was unfortunately mixed incredibly low in my opinion. Here on CD though the score truly shines.

The most interesting part is the incorporation of Mexican guitarists Rodrigo y Gabriela. Easily the most talented guitarists working today. Now, when I say this I am being completely honest. When I got their debut album 4 years ago the first thing I said was “Man, I wish I could introduce these two to John Powell”. Their styles were extremely similar, and lo and behold. John Powell having them as featured performers on his score.

The music is pretty standard when you look at it as a John Powell score. This is probably a score he could compose in his sleep, and I say that in the most flattering way possible. Percussive action scores are Powell’s speciality and this is a truly fun percussive action score. The standout track here is definitely “Bull Run” which has Powell written all over it.

Knight And Day is a pretty standard movie with nothing that makes it stand out except for Powell’s score. While John Powell doesn’t really give us anything new here he does give us an extremely entertaining summer action score in the best way he can. The incorporation of Rodrigo y Gabriela only adds to the greatness.

Prince Of Persia: The Forgotten Sands by Steve Jablonsky & Penka Kouneva (Review)

2010-07-13T15:09:00.003-04:00

Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time opened earlier this summer and featured an immensly entertaining score from Harry Gregson-Williams. I was surprised to find out that Steve Jablonsky would be doing the next installment in the video game series titled Prince Of Persia: The Forgotten Sands.

Now, Steve Jablonsky’s style is widely known and his video game work is as well. With Prince Of Persia Jablonsky gives us a fantastic epic score. Don’t expect anything similar to what Harry did with the film. While both scores have cultural influences this score definitely sounds like Jablonsky. It’s really interesting to listen to them one after the other because you get to experience two different takes on similar source material.

Jablonsky shared scoring duties with Penka Kouneva who has been Jablonsky’s orchestrator for quite some time. In fact she’s quite a well known orchestrator working on films like Transformers, Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End, and Angels & Demons.

The score is lush and thematic and brings a grand feel to the game. While it can get one dimensional at times it still manages to maintain your interest in the story and within the music.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Trevor Rabin (Review)

2010-07-13T10:27:00.004-04:00

Trevor Rabin’s scores are unmistakable and are incredibly fun. With The Sorcerer’s Apprentice I honestly believe Rabin has delivered his best score in quite some time. With Jerry Bruckheimer producing and John Turteltaub directing I’m sure he felt right at home.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice lets Rabin flex his action muscles like we haven’t heard in a while. He is able to balance some light fun cues with some incredibly grand and intense ones. The album opens with an appropriate homage to the Dukas piece from Fantasia and then a pretty big homage to Hans Zimmer. I don’t know exactly why Jack Sparrow’s theme is blatantly in the first track, but it is and I loved it. Rabin’s familiar arrangements flourish with stunning thematic material and get backed with a chorus on occasion. The main theme echoes in almost every cue giving this score its identity. Percussion, riffing guitars and pulsing strings keep the adrenaline level high. Yes, there were moments in this score that got the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end, which I didn’t expect. “The Urn” and “Car Chase” are two standout cues that bleed Trevor Rabin and are incredible.

Think what you want about the movie and all, but the score itself is a true delight and will please Rabin fans immensely. Toss this one up with Armageddon as one of his most memorable action scores. Like Armageddon it is heavy on the action cues with an epic quality, but has a fair amount of emotion laced into it. I think you’ll be surprised as to how invested you will become with this score as you listen through it.

One thing that I notice about the film composers I love is how they strive in simplicity, and Trevor Rabin is no exception. The melodies and tunes are simple and if that composer is talented then those simple tunes will have an enormous emotional effect. The score will also take the film it’s accompanying and make it soar.

The 62nd Annual Emmy Nominations: Score Categories (Plus Commentary)

2010-07-09T12:33:00.006-04:00

Outstanding Music Composition For A Series (Original Dramatic Score)

Batman: The Brave And The Bold • Mayhem Of The Music Meister • Cartoon Network • Warner Bros. Animation

Music By: Michael McCuistion, Lolita Ritmanis & Kristopher Carter; Lyrics By: Michael Jelenic & James Tucker

FlashForward • No More Good Days • ABC • ABC Studios

Music By: Ramin Djawadi

Lost • The End • ABC • Grass Skirts Productions, LLC in association with ABC Network and Studios

Music By: Michael Giacchino

Psych • Mr. Yin Presents • USA • Universal Cable Productions in association with Tagline Pictures

Music By: Adam Cohen & John Robert Wood

24 • 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM • FOX • Imagine Television and 20th Century Fox TV in association w/Teakwood Lane Productions

Music By: Sean P. Callery

Outstanding Music Composition For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special (Original Dramatic Score)

Blessed Is The Match • PBS • Katahdin Productions and Balcony Releasing Presents

Music By: Todd Boekelheide

Georgia O'Keeffe • Lifetime • Sony Pictures Television for Lifetime Television

Music By: Jeff Beal

The Pacific • Part Ten • HBO • Playtone and Dreamworks in association with HBO Miniseries

Music By: Blake Neely, Geoff Zanelli & Hans Zimmer

Temple Grandin • HBO • A Ruby Films, Gerson Saines Production in association with HBO Films

Music By: Alex Wurman

When Love Is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story (Hallmark Hall Of Fame Presentation) • CBS • Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions, Inc. in association with E1 Entertainment

Music By: Lawrence Shragge

You Don't Know Jack • HBO • Bee Holder, Cine Mosaic and Levinson/Fontana Productions in association with HBO Films

Music By: Marcelo Zarvos

I'm really happy to see the terrific trio nominated for the excellent score to The Pacific as well as Giacchino's brilliant finale to Lost. Those are my two picks to win in the music categories. I'm also extremely happy to see Ramin Djawadi and Marcelo Zarvos getting some recognition for their excellent work. Two favorites of mine.

Other highlights in the nominations list? Lost is back, baby and is nominated for Best Drama. Matthew Fox, Terry O'Quinn and Michael Emerson all got nominated in the acting categories as well, which is amazing. Family Guy was nominated for best song with "That Down Syndrome Girl", which to me is hilarious. However, it didn't get nominated in anything else which was dissapointing because this season it has some of the series' best highlights. South Park garnered its 10th nomination for best Animated Series. That's 10/14 seasons being nominated. Not bad. The best surprise to me though is The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien was nominated in the Best Variety Show category. If I were Conan I'd have a smile from ear to ear right now as the Iron Giant continues to steamroll forward and is just showing the world what a bunch of brainless douches run NBC. In fact, this is even a bigger blow to NBC and Leno since this is not Conan giving the middle finger, it's the entire television Academy. What's even better? NBC is broadcasting the Emmy's, which means if he wins and takes the stage it may go down as one of the best moments in TV history.

Looking forward to this telecast immensely. Best and most competitive nominations I've seen in a while.

Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema by Alan Lazar (Review)

2010-07-08T00:04:00.004-04:00

Jerusalema (or the Americanized title Gangster’s Paradise) is a very familiar story about youth growing up in the slums and finding a life of crime as a way to rise to the top. It’s Goodfellas mixed with City Of God. The score was done by South African native Alan Lazar whose score is a simple tapestry of cultural flavors that pulse life into the story.

Percussion makes up the majority of the score and its structure. Almost all the cues are percussion based. Usually percussion is associated with aggression and action based cues, but here it’s not the case. Lazar successfully creates arrangements that cover a wide array of emotions beyond typical rhythmic thumping.

There is some beauty that emerges from this score and emotion flows from the solo instruments and vocals used, however most of the immediate impact is lost due to the incredibly short cue times. Most of the tracks fall between the 1 and 2 minute range so the score never has a chance to fully take off. The score is worth a venture and is a small undiscovered treat. It lacks thematic structure and any lasting impact, but makes up for it with the overall character and identity of the score.

100 Greatest Film Themes: Take 2 (Review)

2010-07-07T22:53:00.003-04:00

Silva Screen is set to release their second installment in their 100 Greatest Film Themes series. The release includes 6 discs of some of the best film themes out there. The discs are organized in chronological order by year of release of the themes.

Now, when it comes to these compilation sets I’m not a fan honestly. To me these sets are for the casual film fans or the extremely casual score fans. The way I look at these kinds of sets is pretty much the same as if they released a DVD of the best action scenes, or romantic scenes, etc. Taking a theme out of context of its score just doesn’t appeal to me, but then again some people love to have them all in one place. If you’re one of those people then this set is a great place to start. You’d be better off listening to these respective scores in their entirety, but I can’t deny that it’s a great compilation.

L'immortel by Klaus Badelt (Review)

2010-06-24T15:08:00.002-04:00

I finally was able to import a copy of Klaus Badelt’s score to L’immortel. L’immortel is a French film starring Jean Reno as a mobster who exacts his revenge on his former friend who shot him and left him for dead. The American title of the film is the less glamorous 22 Bullets.

Badelt handles the material expertly by creating great atmospheric underscore and using electronic percussion to create tension. He uses a solo piano to great emotional effect and once the score gets rolling it becomes a darker and more intense journey. The pulsing strings give a sense of urgency and keeps the adrenaline high without the score ever becoming a “loud” action score. What I love about the score is that it can be minimal like in the track “Birthday Killing” or action propelled like in “Motorcycle Chase” and still grasp you just the same within the context of the story.

The style is akin to Badelt’s previous work like The Recruit and Equilibrium. So if you enjoyed his work there I highly reccomend L’immortel. Another great part about the album is the way it was arranged with lots of classical opera pieces by Puccini. So the first chunk of the album has a couple of extracts from works like Tosca and La Bohème, which really are an integral part of the listening experience.

L’immortel is a fantastic score by Klaus Badelt that bleeds with his style and takes us on an intense and dark journey. The score is able to resonate a visceral intensity without bashing you over the head. As of this writing the score has not been released in the United States in any format, but I urge anyone willing to spend the extra money on shipping to import it from Amazon France. It’s a simple approach at scoring a familiar genre that leads to a surprisingly effective execution.

Crying WIth Laughter by Lorne Balfe (Review)

2010-06-22T00:21:00.002-04:00

Lorne Balfe’s minimal and poignant score to the Scottish film Crying With Laughter finally sees the light of day. The film revolves around a stand-up comedian who embarks on a dark journey of facing his past.

The score is minimalistic in nature but is so brilliant in that approach. It manages to have a full sound to it rather than just a barebones piano as Balfe uses some electronic drones to fill out the negative space. “Serenity” is just a beautiful piece and then the last track reprises that main motif from the beginning that somehow manages to stir you and you can’t figure out why.

The score is very short and is only available at CDBaby.com at the time of writing this as a digital download. It’s highly recommended and I think you’ll be surprised as to how it will emotionally affect you with such a simple approach. Just to give you a frame of reference it reminded me very slightly of Zimmer’s score to Frost/Nixon in terms of its execution.

I’m extremely excited to finally have this one after having to listen to scattered tracks on YouTube now and then. A great solo effort from Balfe.

Star Trek: The Deluxe Edition by Michael Giacchino (Review)

2010-06-21T23:51:00.004-04:00

Michael Giacchino’s score to Star Trek was something rather exceptional then again whatever Giacchino does is exceptional but Star Trek was pretty great. When the score was initially released it left so much to be desired (the release that is). It was an extremely short album and the selections didn’t really represent the true flow of the score in the film. So Varese Sarabande quickly fixed their mistake by re-releasing Giacchino’s Star Trek in a beufiful Deluxe Edition limited release.

So let’s get one thing straight. The Varese Sarabande CD Club label is usually reserved for classic scores that are either have since been out of print or have never been released. So it was a bit of a surprise that a movie that is only 1 year old got a release. Not that I’m complaining!

This 2-disc set is simply great. The score is in film order and fully represented here on this release. It’s packaged in a fantastic Digipak booklet with color photographs as well as the note from J.J. Abrams that was included with the initial release.

As for the score I’ll briefly go over what I said a year ago. Giacchino’s Star Trek theme is bold and daring and will get those hairs standing on end every time it makes an appearance amidst the pulsing trumpets and oscillating strings. His music is so amazing that there is always points that J.J. Abrams just lets the diagetic sound drown completely out and the score takes center stage in an emotionally breathtaking fashion such as in “Labor Of Love”. Fans of LOST know what I’m talking about here. The way only Giacchino can do it. If there is one thing to complain about it would be that Giacchino maybe used his Star Trek theme too much in the score so by the end it almost has lost its edge on the viewer/listener. He does finish his score with Alexander Courage's original TV Series theme though, which is perfect.

This is a limited release of only 5000 copies so get your copy before it’s gone. It’s a worthy purchase for a great score from one of the best composers around.

The Last Airbender by James Newton Howard (Review)

2010-06-21T23:30:00.005-04:00

In the world of Director/Composer collaborations the Shyamalan/Howard connection is a huge one. James Newton Howard has had the privalage of scoring every single one of M. Night Shyamalan’s feature films. With The Last Airbender Shyamalan finally breaks from his comfort zone and goes for the lavish Hollywood blockbuster. James Newton Howard is no stranger to the genre so what was the end result?

The Last Airbender is a very good score. It’s such a string heavy score so the sweeping orchestrations truly wash over you and carry you on a mystical journey. It carries a heroic presence yet manages to stay away from a “superhero” formula. The score also flows very nicely. It evokes the imagery it sets out to accompany and in the end makes us feel like we did in fact complete a heroic journey. "The Blue Spirit" is a fantastic track that propels action and is percussion heavy. It really adds a rhythm to the score and is a great standout track.

The score does have an identity and there is no doubt about it. I was able to identify a couple of reoccurring motifs that for me adequately pulled everything together. There is a theme and it echoes James Newton Howard, but it doesn’t stand out. Whether that’s a good or bad thing I think is entirely up to individual opinion. Personally I don’t need a big boisterous theme leading the way if the score is still able to have an identity with identifiable motifs. James Newton Howard is a master of his craft and while it’s been a while since we’ve heard a score from him this is a grand welcoming back into action.

PRESS RELEASE: LAKESHORE RECORDS TO RELEASE THE LAST AIRBENDER

2010-06-03T14:17:00.001-04:00

My review coming soon! For now here's the official press release.

LAKESHORE RECORDS TO RELEASE THE LAST AIRBENDER

Composer James Newton Howard Teams With M. Night Shyamalan For Their 7^th Film

(June 2, 2010- Los Angeles, CA) – Lakeshore Records will release The Last Airbender -- Original Soundtrack, available on June 29,2010. James Newton Howard (The Dark Knight, The Sixth Sense), who has written the music for all of M. Night Shyamalan’s films since 1999’s The Sixth Sense, composed the original score.

James Newton Howard is one of the most versatile and respected composers currently working in films. To date, Howard has received eight Oscar^® nominations, including six for Best Original Score for his work on Defiance, Michael Clayton, The Village, The Fugitive, The Prince of Tides, and My Best Friend’s Wedding. He was also nominated for Best Original Song for the films Junior and One Fine Day.

Howard’s success reflects the experiences of a rich musical past. Inspired by his grandmother, a classical violinist who played in the Pittsburgh Symphony in the ’30s and ’40s, he began his studies on the piano at age four. After studying at the Music Academy of the West, in Santa Barbara, and at the USC Thornton School of Music, as a piano major, he completed his formal education with orchestration study under legendary arranger Marty Paich.

Though his training was classical, he maintained an interest in rock and pop music, and it was his early work in the pop arena that allowed him to hone his talents as a musician, arranger, songwriter and producer. He racked up a string of collaborations in the studio with some of pop’s biggest names, including Barbra Streisand; Earth, Wind & Fire; Bob Seger; Rod Stewart; Toto; Glenn Frey; Diana Ross; Carly Simon; Olivia Newton-John; Randy Newman; Rickie Lee Jones; Cher; and Chaka Khan. In 1975, he joined pop superstar Elton John’s band on the road and in the studio.

When he was offered his first film in 1985, he never looked back.

Howard, who has been honored with ASCAP’s prestigious Henry Mancini Award for Lifetime Achievement, now has more than 100 films to his credit. Among them are all of M. Night Shyamalan’s films (The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Signs, The Village, Lady in the Water and The Happening), five films for director Lawrence Kasdan (Grand Canyon, Wyatt Earp, French Kiss, Mumford and Dreamcatcher), four Julia Roberts comedies (Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride, My Best Friend’s Wedding and America’s Sweethearts) and three animated films for Walt Disney Studios (Dinosaur, Treasure Planet and Atlantis: The Lost Empire).

Air, Water, Earth, Fire. Four nations tied by destiny when the Fire Nation launches a brutal war against the others. A century has passed with no hope in sight to change the path of this destruction. Caught between combat and courage, Aang (Noah Ringer) discovers he is the lone Avatar with the power to manipulate all four elements. Aang teams with Katara (Nicola Peltz) a Waterbender, and her brother, Sokka (Jackson Rathbone), to restore balance to their war-torn world.

Based on the hugely successful Nickelodeon animated TV series, the live-action feature film The Last Airbender is the opening chapter in Aang’s struggle to survive.

Paramount Pictures presents an M. Night Shyamalan film, The Last Airbender, in theaters on July 2, 2010. The Last Airbender – Original Soundtrack on Lakeshore Records will be released in stores and digitally on June 29, 2010.

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 by Lorne Balfe [Original Themes by Hans Zimmer] (Review)

2010-06-01T14:58:00.003-04:00

Well here it is folks. Almost 7 months after the release of the game we have the official Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 score release. For the past 7 months I’ve been searching through the nearly 7 hour complete score looking for the themes and pieces I love, but alas you can move that game rip aside because here we have a complete rounded listening experience.

I reviewed this score back in December based off playing the game and listening to the massive 7 hour complete game rip that made it onto the internet (don’t worry, I redeemed myself by purchasing this album). With around 52-minutes on this release we get a real mixed album with full tracks and the experience is much better.

I’ll recap what I said last time. Hans Zimmer started the “modern warfare” sound in 2001 with his genre defining score to Black Hawk Down. Since then many composers even along the lines of Thomas Newman (Jarhead) and Danny Elfman (The Kingdom) have tried to mimic this style. The hard electronics, electric guitar and ethnic percussions have become staple to modern warfare films. Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was the previous installment in this branching game series. That score was composed by Stephen Barton with heavy influence and thematic work by Harry Gregson-Williams. It’s the same case here where Lorne Balfe composed this score with heavy influence and thematic work from Hans Zimmer. A few of Zimmer’s collaborators also helped tackle the massive project.

So is this score Black Hawk Down 2? Not at all. In fact it’s different than what Stephen Barton and Harry Gregson-Williams did last time. I think the best way to describe this score is that it’s the “modern warfare” sound infused with the style of Zimmer’s 90’s action scores. Some of the themes and structures call back to Crimson Tide and The Rock while a few tracks here will remind you of recent work like The Dark Knight. The experience overall is a bit overwhelming but incredibly satisfying. Just think about? In the 7 months since the game has come out the music has become an iconic staple. In fact you could say that Zimmer did a better job than Harry Gregson-Williams of creating more identifiable themes to create a sonic identity for the game. Every time I start a multiplayer match and a little snippet of score plays as the clock starts its countdown to start I do smile. Lorne Balfe does deserve the credit for pulling everything together though. With such a massive scope and so many people working on a project I’m sure it’s easy to lose sight of things, but Balfe managed to pull everything together nicely.

So, while the whole experience can be a bit jumbled it’s an incredibly effective score that has a visceral intensity to match the game and raise it to a memorable level. It’s very nice to have this album with all the themes nicely arranged.

Red Dead Redemption by Bill Elm & Woody Jackson (Review)

2010-06-01T12:50:00.002-04:00

Bill Elm & Woody Jackson’s score to Red Dead Redemption can be labeled as if Ennio Morricone’s music had a baby with Nick Cave & Warren Ellis’ music and it was raised by Quentin Tarantino. It’s terrific even if a bit repetitive. I think a lot of Red Dead fans were wondering initially how the score would be handled.

The two musicians were picked by Rockstar mainly due to their style. They were part of a band called Friends Of Dean Martinez, which was a group that was essentially a Southwestern alternative rock band. They played instrumental pieces that pretty much all sounded like Morricone homages. Red Dead Revolver for the PS2 was source tracked by tons of classic western scores from Ennio Morricone, Luis Bacalov, Bruno Nicolai, Gianfranco Reverberi and many more. It all became an iconic interweaving that formed a unified sonic identity to the spaghetti western game. In short it made the game damn amazing. However, I can't imagine it was cheap using all that music.

So, when Rockstar took the game into their “free roam” style and went with an original score I think I was not alone in being curious as to what it would be. The good news is that the score is a full fledged Morricone mock-up. The use of trumpets and synths give it a fresh edge, but it’s such a befitting score. The only quarrel I have with it is that it’s very repetitive. The main theme is great and a few of the action cues are amazing, but overall what we have here can be labeled as non structured loops. Something that you can’t really blame on the composers considering this is a “free roam” game and the cutscenes are incredibly short when they do happen. “(Theme From) Red Dead Redemption” is quite fantastic and there are a few other stand out tracks.

The important part is that amongst all the Morricone homages the score still has its own identity. You could hear a snippet of this music and immediately think “Red Dead Redemption”, and that’s thanks to the impressive use of brass instruments.

Part of the game takes place in Mexico and the music picks up a Mexican feel to it when you head south of the border. Unfortunately that’s not really represented on this release.

Am I happy with this score for this amazing game? Absolutely. It’s a terrific accompaniment, but it could have used a little more muscle and could have been less repetitive. Just look at how bold Morricone was with his scores.

Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time by Harry Gregson-Williams (Review)

2010-05-29T02:57:00.002-04:00

Harry Gregson-Williams doing the score for this movie was the only glimmer of light it ever had. From the looks of it it’s also a safe bet to say that it’s the film’s only saving grace, and indeed it is. Harry Gregson-Williams delivers a lush sweeping adventure score filled to the brim with ethnic flavors and romanticism.

On its surface this is a summer blockbuster adventure score. So we get a nice big adventurous theme to start us off. While it may sound very familiar to Alan Silvestri’s The Mummy Returns theme it definitely holds its own weight. Then we have a second romantic theme, which is I believe the only uncharacteristic part of this score. By that I mean it’s the one thing that doesn’t sound like Harry. It has a Zimmer quality to it and reminds me of Pirates Of The Caribbean. With Jerry Bruckhiemer producing I wouldn’t be surprised if Pirates was used as a temp track at all. Is that theme great? Absolutely! I love it.

The rest of the score is lots of fun and a great ride. I didn’t expect Harry to toss in his signature electronics into the mix, but it works so well. It’s almost as if his score to Kingdom Of Heaven got combined with one of his Tony Scott scores. I’m pretty sure I heard that fantastic Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare menu music percussion in there. There’s also his signature motif. I guess I’ll call it his “Middle Eastern Motif” since he uses it in any score that deals somewhat with a Middle Eastern setting or character. I remember it in Domino most notably and a few others.

In the end this was a fantastic score. It brings us these lush themes and places us right in the atmosphere and setting of the story. His electronic percussion and pulsing strings give it a shot of adrenaline and keeps the energy level high. It’s what summer blockbuster scores are all about. Great fun done in such an amazing and memorable way that can still give you an emotional ride in full Gregson-Williams style.

Shrek Forever After by Harry Gregson-Williams (Review)

2010-05-29T02:38:00.004-04:00

Nine years ago the first Shrek was released making it almost a decade of Shrek for us viewers, but for Harry Gregson-Williams the journey has been even longer. The first Shrek score was a collaborative effort between Harry and John Powell, and the result was a magical and fantastic score. John departed from the series and Harry took full control for the second, third and now fourth and final film in the franchise.

The second score was great in my opinion, but the third outing was a disjointed and overall flat experience. I can’t really blame him because they turned Shrek into a lunchbox icon and the entire film was plastered with songs leaving little room for Harry to work a score around. The fourth score I am glad to say is terrific. It holds everything we’ve come to know from Shrek the past decade and sums it up in a tidy fashion while still giving us a great standalone journey.

We have familiar themes and some new melodies (most notably Rumplestilskin’s theme), but Harry creates a comprehensive layering which makes the journey for us a seamless experience. He treats the music seriously so we don’t get a goofy animated score. It’s a great final bow to the series and wraps up a significant chunk of Harry’s career. I think we all can hum the sweet lullaby-esque main theme that opens every Shrek film, and Dreakworks Animation even made it their logo’s fanfare. So, thank you Harry Gregson-Williams for giving us some lovely and breathtaking music for these films over the years. It’s safe to say that the films started to wear thin after Andrew Adamson left the series, but Harry always gave it his A game.

Mid-Year Check In: Best Of The Year . . . So Far

2010-05-27T11:16:00.006-04:00

Best Movie Of The Year . . . So Far-

How To Train Your Dragon:

Dreamworks struck gold with what is without a doubt the best animated film they’ve put out to date. The characters, the story and the movie overall is fantastic. The production values are also amazing. From the design of the dragons to the lighting and CGI. Roger Deakins was a visual consultant much like he was on WALL-E so the animated cinematography is fantastic. It’s without a doubt the most well rounded experience I’ve had at the movies so far in 2010.

Best Score Of The Year . . . So Far-

How To Train Your Dragon:

John Powell’s score to the film is about 51% of what makes the experience so great. Not only is it his best work to date, but it’s such an emotional experience that you will cherish it forever. The themes and variations create an awe inspiring and inspirational tale of friendship and rising above yourself when everything else in your world weighs you down. It’s beautiful.

Worst Movie Of The Year . . . So Far-

Legion:

Paul Bettany’s rogue angel movie is one of the biggest pieces of trash I’ve ever seen. It’s “Ultraviolet” bad. It all takes place in one location (truck stop in the middle of the desert?), has static one dimensional characters, and the climax is something to laugh at because in the end nothing really happens. It’s terrible.

Worst Score Of The Year . . . So Far-

Legion:

I hate to match my score picks with my film picks, but it’s true. John Frizzel’s score to Legion is terrible. It’s a mash-up of terrible arrangements, headache inducing vocals and no real thematic variation.

Biggest Surprise Of The Year . . . So Far-

Kick-Ass:

Matthew Vaugn’s superhero flick at first looked like a comedy or a parody in a way. The trailers did a terrible job marketing it, but it looked interesting enough to check out. It’s not a parody and while it has its comedic touches it ended up being a very intense emotional experience at the end. The characters are great, the story is too. It has a high contrast look and feel to the whole film. It’s also one of the best things Nicolas Cage has done recently.

Biggest Surprise Score Of The Year . . . So Far-

Robin Hood:

Everyone was waiting to see what Marc Streitenfeld would do with something like this. He’s only ever composed for Ridley Scott, but Scott’s last period epic was Kingdom Of Heaven and that was done by Harry Gregson-Williams. After a series of smaller dramas it was time for Streitenfeld’s first true test, and he passed with flying colors.

Biggest Disappointment Of The Year . . . So Far-

Alice In Wonderland:

Tim Burton has lost his touch. What once made him a unique talent in the film industry has now almost become a joke. While I did enjoy Sweeney Todd I did feel that Charlie & The Chocolate Factory was awful. Alice In Wonderland is along those lines. It’s short, uninspiring and overall quite boring. I felt nothing for any of the characters and Helena Bonham Carter just became annoying by the end of it all. Then when Johnny Depp does that ridiculous dance at the end it makes you plant your face in your palm. Mostly because of the dance beat music that comes out of nowhere. Bring me back to the days of Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands please.

Biggest Disappointment Score Of The Year . . . So Far-

Iron Man 2:

It was expected that Ramin Djawadi would get dumped off the project even though he said he would love to continue. Favreau’s regular John Debney stepped in, and guess what? He did the exact same thing Djawadi did except he dropped any sort of thematic identification for the character. So, no theme, no amazing action cues, no nothing. It’s a plain and boring score that made Iron Man 2 the lackluster experience it was.

Killers by Rolfe Kent (Review)

2010-05-27T01:10:00.002-04:00

A few years ago a movie called Mr. & Mrs. Smith came out. It was about two spies that were married to each other, but neither of them new their significant other was also a spy. From that movie a few others in the same veign spewed out. This summer we’re being hit by two of them; Killers and Knight & Day.

The Killers soundtrack features some songs that I could care less about, so let’s move to the second half of the album which is the score by Rolfe Kent. Now, I love Rolfe Kent. So it pains me to say that this score is bad. Then again what were you expecting from an Ashton Kutcher vehicle? The score is a mix-mash of tangos and “romcom” genre toppers. For some reason ever since Mr. & Mrs. Smith hit it seems like every composer just followed in John Powell’s footsteps. Powell scored Mr. & Mrs. Smith with a “tangoesque” espionage filled score that was fresh, fun and hit you in all the right places. It was perfect for the film. Now when you look at movies like this or Duplicity you can see the Powell trend still being followed. It almost makes me curious what Powell will do for Knight & Day.

Anyway, I love Rolfe Kent. I thought his work on Up In The Air was tremendous. He also did additional music on one of my favorite childhood films growing up and that was Tremors. So, yes I do love his music. However, one should stay away from stuff like this.

Don McKay by Steve Bramson (Review)

2010-05-27T00:54:00.003-04:00

So, Don McKay is probably a movie you never heard of. It’s dark comedy/thriller that stars Thomas Haden Church as a janitor who flees his hometown after a terrible tragedy. When he returns more than two decades later he tries to rekindle an old romance as the town’s dark nature pulls him in.

The film was only shown in a handful of theaters so naturally not many of heard of it. The film features a score by Steve Bramson, which I must say is excellent. He’s probably most well known for his work on J.A.G, but he’s been composing television since the early 90’s. Don McKay is a score that works in its subtlety. It’s focuses on using solo instruments such as a piano, violin and some electronic drones to create atmosphere. In a way you could say it sounds somewhat like a Thomas Newman score.

What I love is that it’s so simple. I love simple tunes and melodies. They echo much further than the complex over the top stuff most composers do. The score speaks a sense of loneliness and intrigue. It can be vague as it sparks your interest but it’s never boring. Many “small” scores tend to be boring, but I was never bored with this one. It reminded me in ways of Hans Zimmer & Klaus Badelt’s score to The Pledge with a Thomas Newman vibe. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this score. It’s a great experience that’s worth a look.

La Mission by Mark Kilian (Review)

2010-05-27T00:32:00.004-04:00

La Mission is a redemption story about a man who is trying to move on from his past, but is tempted by his surroundings. Living in the “barrio” has given him more than enough problems trying to get by, but when he finds out his son is gay he is now tested more than ever in his path to redemption.

The score is by Mark Kilian who has a few notable films under his belt such as the Oscar winning Tsotsi, Rendition and Traitor. For La Mission we get a more ambient experience that is filled with Hispanic and Indian styles. The score is pretty much solo guitar based and that gives beauty in its simplicity. He utilizes vocals in certain tracks to great emotional effect.

The score is quite good. Better than what I was expecting. The only place where it suffers is as a cohesive whole. The tracks don’t really tell a story and they are more or less “atmospheric moments” if that makes any sense. They don’t necessarily progress your feelings or forward any kind of narrative, but they are moments of emotions and in a way they do indeed come together in the end. It’s just not in a way where it will leave a lasting impact. Overall, it’s simple and that’s where it strives. It’s worth taking a look.

The Essential Mike Post Collection by Mike Post (Review)

2010-05-27T00:21:00.003-04:00

Mike Post is a household composer name when it comes to classic TV themes. With The Essential Mike Post Collection we get a decent selection of some of his work. While I can’t really comment on this album as a score that tells a narrative it is indeed a great compilation album for nostalgia’s sake.

The man has composed some of TV’s most recognizable opening themes including Law & Order, The A-Team, Hill Street Blues, The Rockford Files and many more.

So, I can’t ever imagine anyone ever riding in the car and putting this album on, but if you’re looking for some of TV’s classic opening themes all in one place then this is a great place to look.

Defendor by John Rowley (Review)

2010-05-27T00:14:00.002-04:00

John Rowley’s score to Defendor is a very one dimensional experience. The story is somewhat reminiscent of Kick-Ass in that it’s a comedy about a man who takes to the streets as a vigilante to help the innocent. In that respect the score fits tone-wise.

It’s a bit over the top with a heavy modern vibe. What I liked about it is that Rowley has sort of infused the modern approach with some classical sounding arrangements. “Final Assualt” almost sounds like a modern symphonic movement. However the drum loops and synth mock-ups wear thin as the experience goes along. The score doesn’t seem to build a story. It does the bare minimum to support the narrative, but on it’s own it doesn’t provide anything memorable or worthwhile.

John Rowley is very early in his career and based off what I hear here he does have a sound and a style. It’s just the thematic variation that needs work. Unless you loved the film I can’t expect anyone to approach this blindly.

Reflections On LOST: A Commentary

2010-05-25T01:31:00.008-04:00

[SPOILER WARNING] This article discusses the final episode in explicit detail.

LOST has come to an end. Over the past seasons we witnessed one of the greatest modern fictional stories ever told on one of the greatest mediums of entertainment. The final episode culminates the stories, the events and the moments that we’ve experienced. The final battle between light and dark ignites. The struggle to overcome begins and finding strength and love within the people we love and care for is the only way. And in the end we are reminded that the most important parts of our lives only matter and have worth to us because of the people we surround ourselves with.

My take on the journey’s end is this. The writers slowly introduced us a “sideways” storyline where our characters were living distant, normal and average lives. Lives that suited them. What this storyline turned out to be was an afterlife existence where the roaming souls of our dead characters could find each other and remember everything that their lives were. One by one Desmond brought everyone together by acting as a gatherer of these wandering souls. By touching the ones they loved our characters were instantly reminded of the lives they led. By remembering the lives they lived and why the people they loved were so important they were able to “move on”.

The afterlife existence was created and even though it has no point and place of existence one can suggest that it’s way past from when they died. Some on the island and some off. Parallel moments remind them of their lives such as Claire giving birth to Aaron, Sun having an ultrasound with Juliet and John in a wheelchair. Jack constantly notices his neck is bleeding from the point where the man in black pricked him. The fact that Jack bleeds is a symbol of his martyrdom I think. It’s also no coincidence that his last name is Shepherd.

Not all of our characters get to move on though. If you remember Michael’s soul is still trapped on the island. Characters that were inherently bad were not allowed to leave the island once they passed. So along with Michael I’m sure a few others remained trapped there for eternity. Then there were those who moved on but not with our core group. As Desmond told Eloise that Daniel would be leaving, but not with him. Meaning that we move on with the people who mattered most to us and vice versa. Since Daniel, Miles, Frank, Charlotte and Richard were really not tied so close to our main characters we can assume they moved on with the people they cared for most. Then we have Ben who chose to stay behind. A character who has always had a hard time moving on as he struggled to find purpose, and in the end chooses not to.

From a viewer’s standpoint this finale was probably one of the most emotionally stirring pieces of storytelling I’ve ever experienced. The final 5 minutes or so are so beautiful that words don’t even describe it. In fact even in the show words don’t even describe it. Michael Giacchino’s score is what takes us on our final step all the way to the last frame. Speaking of Giacchino I think anyone who stuck with LOST all the way through has the honor of saying that they witnessed the greatest television score of all time unfold before them. The final episode is evidence of his brilliance and of how essential score is to not only LOST but everything in the mediums of film and television. I will go ahead and say that his score for the final episode is the most beautiful score I have ever heard. Perfect in every way and not a single note wasted. It definitely kept my eyes tearing up for the entire thing, and when that final scene came along and crossed-cut with Jack’s death on the island it was almost too much for me to emotionally handle.

The final scene of Jack stumbling to the very same spot he first awoke on the island is nothing short of brilliant writing. He lies down as he holds the knife wound in his side. He struggles to breath. Vincent appears from the brush. He smiles. He looks back up to the sky between the bamboo. The plane piloted by Frank and carrying the love of his life flies overhead and away from the island. Tears flood his eyes. The scene is cross-cut with him and everyone else in the afterlife existence as his father opens the door and lets the light flood in. The light embraces everyone and Jack is smiling as he sits next to Kate. We cut back to Jack’s eye. The very first frame of the show in the first episode. Only now it’s not opening it’s closing. Fade to black. LOST appears on the screen.

What does it all mean? It’s what the show was about from the very beginning. It was about flawed human beings trying to find their way. The island in all its mythology and supernatural existence was a test that brought them all together. It revealed everything about them and gave them meaning and a purpose they never had. Once Jack’s eye closes we know exactly what’s running through his head. Whether you believe the afterlife actually exists or believe that it was Jack’s last thoughts that brought him to peace upon his death we are left with one idea. That if it weren’t for all the people we love and for those who care for us in our lives then we would be completely lost.

Robin Hood by Marc Streitenfeld (Review)

2010-05-18T02:17:00.003-04:00

Marc Streitenfeld is an interesting composer to look at. He started out as an assistant to Hans Zimmer and served as music editor on many of Hans’ scores the past decade. Through Hans is where he met Ridley Scott. After working on 7 films together Hans and Ridley took their separate ways, which some people still wonder about. Honestly, it was most likely a friendly separation than some of the “creative differences” separations you hear about between directors and composers.

Anyway, after the one night stand with Harry Gregson-Williams (his brother's composer) on Kingdom Of Heaven it was Marc Streitenfeld who stepped in. Marc has composed 4 films for Ridley Scott, which brings his total amount of scores to 4. Yes, Marc Streitenfeld has only worked with Ridley Scott (and 1 film with Ridley’s son Jake Scott). So 5 scores total.

Ok, so to the score. This was considered Marc’s true test as a composer since it was his first huge scope film. Does he succeed? Immensely. The score is tremendous as it’s a lush mix of grand orchestrations, subtle intrigue and a dollop of fantastical epic. It’s also 100% Streitenfeld. The man does have a style and it is unique. His sound is unmistakable if you’ve heard his past scores and it manages to flourish here in full glory. The track “Killing Walter” will call to mind Body Of Lies and American Gangster. His German background seeps through here with some of the action cues. I wouldn’t call them reminiscent of anything Zimmer has done, but there is a touch of that good old Zimmer sound especially in the heroic theme of the film and the battle scenes. We have a touch of celtic flavor in here as well.

Overall this is such a colorful score that swells with so much character. Sides of it bring us to the menacing darkness of Godfrey’s character while at other points we have delicate tragedy such as in “Nottingham Burns”. Then the grandiose heroism of the story is interwoven into it. I think the only think lacking is some sort of cohesive emotional journey. While I know the CD isn’t a full representation of the score I can’t help but feel that the score has slight trouble progressing the story as an accompaniment to the narrative. It does the job, but alas won’t leave a long lasting impact on you. I also felt this way while watching the film. Nonetheless, it was fun and entertaining summer fare. It definitely enveloped me and grasped me, but it just missed the mark of being something incredible.

LOST: Season 5 by Michael Giacchino (Review)

2010-05-11T13:11:00.004-04:00

People who have stuck with LOST all the way through have witnessed something special. They witnessed THE greatest television score start, develop and ultimately bring us to its emotionally walloping end. When that first episode of the pilot aired it had such a visceral impact because of the music. The danger, the isolation, the hope and the mystery of the entire show flooded into us through Giacchino’s score. It can be intense, it can be tragic, it can be heartwarming but most of all it’s thematically grounded.

Season 5 was an amazing emotional accomplishment, and before seeing the final season I was dubbing it his greatest work on the series thus far. Although now I can say season 6 his is true master brushstroke. In this season the score is heavily influenced with Benjamin Linus’ theme. It pretty much takes its stake as the main theme of the season since so much revolves around that character. Towards the end of the album we get introduced to Jacob's music and some new thematic material while familiar themes pop in and out through the journey.

The only problem I have with these LOST score releases is how they’re mixed and recorded. What we have here on these discs from Season 2 beyond are live recording sessions (season 1 clearly was studio mixed for the final dub). Now again, I don’t know what the decision is behind this but it leads to some distracting “air” in the tracks. By “air” I mean all the sounds of the musicians. You hear rustling, breathing and moving around. For instance at 1:17 in the track “For Love Of The Dame” you get a full blown sniffle from someone. The fact that got recorded in the final mix is kind of mind blowing. Now, I know I’m nitpicking here and these are really minor distractions, but they are distractions nonetheless. If I were sitting and watching a movie and someone was sniffling and rustling behind me I would turn around and tell them to pipe down. Same goes for my score listening experience, except I can’t tell the musicians to stop knocking about.

In the long run the fact that I am listening to another chapter in the greatest television score ever composed makes me forget about the rush mixing job. It’s a must buy and will give your tear ducts a good draining.

Guidelines For The Summer Moviegoer

2010-05-10T00:13:00.004-04:00

[WARNING] This article contains strong language

Well, the Summer movie season has kicked off and this is when most people flock to the theaters to see the big studio blockbusters that have been in the works the past 2 years. June will mark my 5th anniversary working at a movie theatre. Over the years I’ve met thousands of strangers who’ve I’ve interacted with for a few seconds each. Some of them memorable in a good way, but most of them memorable in a bad way.

I’d like to help you prevent yourself from becoming “Moviegoer Douchebag Extraordinaire”. My hatred towards people have mostly stemmed from seeing how people act in the movie theatre. So, by following these guidelines you won’t be lumped into the sum of hundreds of thousands of asses that see movies every day.

Box Office:

1. Know what you want to see. It’s a huge bother to have a person holding up a line staring at the movies not knowing what they want to see. Plan ahead, make a choice. Know your movie and time please.

2. Don’t ask us our opinion of the movie you’re about to see. It’s annoying. I’m flattered that you want to know what I think of your poor taste in film is, but you shouldn’t base your movie choice off of what a theater box office cashier says. We have synopses sheets, and we’re happy to let you read them.

3. Using a student ID? Want senior tickets? Need child tickets? SAY SO!! Don’t say “2 for Iron Man 2” and then go “Oh wait, I have my student ID” after I ring your tickets up. People who do that are asses, cause it’s a fucking pain to void your tickets out, reprint them and hand you your dollar back in price difference. Especially when it’s busy. Know what you want, not all tickets are the same!

4. If you just say “two tickets” I’ll give you two to whatever shitty Brenden Fraser movie is playing to teach you a lesson about specificity.

5. Don’t be a sarcastic fucker. “That’ll be $21”. “For 2 tickets? You want my nut sack too?” (Yes, someone actually said that to me). Movies are expensive, get the fuck used to it. Go vent about it to someone else, anyone besides the person selling you tickets behind the glass. We don’t want to hear your jokes or your wise-ass remarks.

Ticket Taker:

1. Don’t give me your receipt. I’ll take that receipt and shove it down your fucking throat. Know the difference between a ticket and a receipt. I know, they’re printed on the same kind of paper. I’m sorry if that confuses you. If enough people complain I’ll start teaching a class for idiots who can’t tell the difference.

2. That tiny hole where we put our half of ticket stubs in is not trash. Don’t stick your trash in that hole or I’ll punch you in the eye.

3. We aren’t hiding the bathrooms from you. Don’t ask where it is. Just look. Just fucking look. It’s one big room. A theatre lobby is not a college campus. It’s quite easy to navigate. Maps are available upon request.

Concession Stand:

1. Don’t you fucking dare ask for fresh popcorn. We pop it fresh all the time. You get what you get. Tough shit. It’s popcorn. “Oh, can I get the popcorn coming out right now?” NO! YOU MAY NOT! Why are you so special that you need popcorn straight from the kettle to your bag? Are you sultan of the corn? Do you belong to the Fresh Popcorn Society? No? So take your fucking popcorn. Butter the shit out of it. And go die from cardiac arrest. It’ll be room temperature by the time you sit down anyway!

2. “Do you have [Insert Candy Name Here]?” “Is it in the display case in front of you?” “No.” “Then no.”

3. Want a refill? Back of the line. Just because you already bought popcorn and soda doesn’t entitle you to a “Skip The Line” pass.

4. “Is this register open?” “Is there anyone standing there?” “No.” “Then no.”

5. FORM SEPARATE LINES! Dealing with people waiting for food is like herding cattle. They’re so stupid. No matter how many times I say “form separate lines” they just huddle back into one huge blob.

6. We’re not a bank. Don’t buy 1 candy and pay for it with a $100. Now I have to hold the line and go get fucking change for your huge ass bill.

7. The signs right above my register are the same all the way down at the end. You won’t find some secret menu item by walking down there, I promise.

8. Again, no wise-ass remarks about the prices. I’ll spit on your food if you do.

9. If you toss your money at me then I’m tossing your change back. Hand it to me like a civilized person.

10. If you hand me a crumpled up wad of dollar bills and expect me to de-crumple it you are shit out of luck. Get a fucking wallet. Or fold your money, like normal people.

11. We’re not psychics. Maybe one day they’ll include mind reading in our training, but not yet. If we can't guess what movie you want to see what makes you think we can guess what soda you want? “Yeah can I get a soda?”. That doesn’t help me. If you say that I’ll just pick a size and soda for you. If you don’t like it then you can take it up with my ass.

In The Theatre:

1. Don’t put your feet up. Especially if there is someone sitting in the row below you and one over. No one likes feet resting next to their head while watching a movie. It’s fucking disrespectful. Also, to the people who take their shoes off and put their feet up. What the fuck?! Where do you think you are? People’s heads rest there you know? So it would be nice not to grind your sweaty ass summer feet into those headrests. I also hate sitting in a seat to find the reclining spring is broken because some jerk broke it by resting his feet on the headrest. Also, just FYI I’ve worked in a theatre for 5 years and have never ever seen a seat been cleaned. Let that sink in.

2. Don’t talk. It’s a simple rule, but people always do. It’s so fucking annoying. Just watch the fucking movie. If it’s boring then leave. Whispering doesn’t help, it just makes you a quieter asshole. Also, don’t act all tough and offended if someone tells you to quiet down when you were clearly talking. It just makes you a bigger asshole that’s about to be kicked out.

3. Texting is just as annoying as a ringing phone. That’s why I sit as close to the screen as I comfortably can. I hate seeing little glowing lights pop up in my field of view. If you text I’ll take your phone and shove it in your ear till it breaks.

4. Get a babysitter. It’s Friday night, I’m seeing this awesome movie I’ve been looking forward to for months and now I have a squirming squeaking child somewhere in the theater. If you wanted to see movies in theaters you should of thought twice before getting knocked up. If you bring your child into a movie while I'm watching it there may be a case of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

5. Don’t have sex, cause we will see you. If you’re ever alone in a theatre please don’t take the opportunity, because like I said you’re not alone. If you do choose to have sex then you could at least be nice and wave at all the people watching from the projection booth. This is how it works. We see you having sex, we call on the radio for everyone to come watch. Now everyone is watching you having sex, getting a handjob, blowjob, etc. It is funny for us, but in reality pretty nasty because you’re in a movie theatre.

6. A 16-year old boy seeing Hannah Montana is a red flag. If you’re trying to sneak into an R-rated movie at least be creative and make it fun for us. There is nothing we love more than kicking people out. Especially kids sneaking in. You will get caught, but at least make it fun for us.

7. Pick up your trash. Plain and simple. I understand you will drop food and popcorn. Don’t worry about it. We’ll get that. But people who leave their cups and bags right on their seats are an example of how terrible our society is.

Overall:

Don’t be a cold hearted jerk. Movie theater employees are the hardest working, lowest payed people in retail. I can’t tell you how many times while working till 1am on a Saturday night I was so happy to have someone be polite and respectful to me in the midst of dealing with hundreds of selfish assholes. There’s a huge difference between “Yeah, I want a large popcorn and Coke” and “Could I get a large popcorn and Coke please?”. And actually saying “thank you” versus tossing your cash at me and walking away. So, think for a second and don’t be a mother fucking douchebag! Mkay? Thanks! Bye!

A Nightmare On Elm Street by Steve Jablonsky (Review)

2010-05-05T19:36:00.004-04:00

The one thing I’ve noticed about the horror genres are that they go through fads. We all remember the “PG-13 Japanese Remake Fad” that we all had to endure and suffer. Then we had the “Torture Porn Fad” with the Hostel movies and all the Saw films. Why? Why so many Saw films? Now we’re in the midst of the “Michael Bay Produced Remake Fad” where we’re seeing all of our favorites being remade into crappy studio money making products. The only constant with these Michael Bay produced remakes other than Bay himself is Steve Jablonsky. Steve has scored every one of these things: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Amityville Horror, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, The Hitcher, Friday The 13th and now A Nightmare On Elm Street.

Now, I love Jablonsky but I can honestly say every one of his horror scores to these remakes have been boring and pretty much not enjoyable. You can call them atmospheric, but you can be atmospheric and still be really good (see Yamaoka’s work on the Silent Hill game franchise).

Here, Jablonsky actually hits a home run after striking out so many times. He delivers a terrific horror score full of brooding strings, chilling vocals and pulsing electronic percussion. There were parts that reminded me of Hans Zimmer’s The Ring, which was without a doubt the last great horror film score composed.

With A Nightmare On Elm Street we get a nice theme that carries us through the film and never leaves us lost in the middle of dreadful ambient scoring, which many of his previous horror scores were. He pays homage to Charles Bernstein who composed the original film’s score, but still makes it a Steve Jablonsky score. Now, the film itself is pure dreck. The only redeeming qualities I found were to be Jablonsky’s score and Jackie Earl Haley doing a pretty decent (if different) Freddy Kruger.

Don’t let your experience from Jablonsky’s past horror scoring attempts deter you from checking this one out. It’s really quite good even if the film itself is pure Hollywood product.

P.S. I'm pretending the track "One More Nap" doesn't exist. Luckily it wasn't used in the film, which is why I'm not too angered by it.

Babies by Bruno Coulais (Review)

2010-05-05T19:17:00.002-04:00

Bruno Coulais is a great composer, and while you may not recognize his name he has been composing since the late 70’s. The French composer has also had experience in the documentary genre with his scores to Winged Migration and the recent Oceans.

For Babies the score doesn’t so much act as an emotional backdrop as it does just a backdrop. Little spurts of music here and there, and while it has a character and an identity it never comes into its own. The score release is evident that there was not much music in the final film since the total running time clocks in around 27 minutes, and that counts the song by Sufjan Stevens which was heard in the trailer.

As a standalone experience it fails. It hooks you with its charm, its sound and its warming use of vocals but it never reels you in. Quite honestly, I was listening to it waiting for it to grasp me and then I heard hollow vocals chanting “Agnus Dei”. I realized that Babylon A.D. (which is next alphabetically in my iTunes) had begun playing. I was surprised that the score was already finished.

So, the score has all the charm and character in the world, but goes nowhere with it. It never hooks and feels monotone at times with no real change in the pacing. Maybe this was all the film required, and in the end it is the composer’s job to service the film not the album release. That’s something I always keep in mind, but when I feel no emotional connection to the score I usually tend to forget it.

Save An Angel

2010-05-03T11:21:00.004-04:00

Save An Angel, by 17-year-old LA high school student Rachel Eskenazi-Gold, is a beautiful and inspiring song about the love of a mother for her child and how each of us can help ease the suffering of women and children around the world. It is the centerpiece of a fundraising campaign for Mother’s Day (May 9th) that will focus on the plight of women and children globally.

The song will be available to download on iTunes beginning Monday, May 3, 2010 in time for Mother’s Day. The money raised from the sales of the song will be distributed by the Remote Control Charitable Foundation, which supports the vital work of these international, non-governmental organizations and charities: the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, mothers2mothers, ENOUGH Project, Human Rights Watch, Aid Still Required, TheCommunity.com and DoSomething.org.

Award winning composers Hans Zimmer and Lorne Balfe produced the song and were joined by a group of international musicians, all of whom will donate 100% of their royalties from the sale of the single. The artists who have committed their time and talent to this campaign include: Rachel Eskenazi-Gold, singer/songwriter; Lorne Balfe, producer; Hans Zimmer, producer; Martin Tillman, musician; Lili Haydn, musician; Heitor Pereira, musician; Michael Levine; Nico Abondolo; Satnam Ramgotra; filmmaker Rachel McDonald and editor Kevin Klauber. Global distribution of the song will be provided by Ingrooves.

Zimmer first heard the song when he offered his studio to Rachel to record Save an Angel for a community service project. After hearing the song, he suggested bringing in his colleagues to fully produce a song that could be downloaded from iTunes in order to raise money for the organizations.

Quotes:

"This is a song that offers hope and inspiration with its powerful message that one person can make a difference in the lives of the most needy and vulnerable in society. By downloading this song, you show Mom how much she means to you by helping women and children around the world – in her name," said Hans Zimmer.

Rachel Eskenazi-Gold said, “I was inspired to write the song and use it as a fundraising project by the work of mothers2mothers, and other international organizations who help empower, encourage and support women to become independent and help themselves and other women in their communities. To offer women in the poorest villages in Africa, for example, the tools, knowledge and ability to help themselves, to help create a grass roots movement to support families.”

For more information about the Save an Angel Campaign, and to obtain a copy of the song, music video, photos and promotional materials, please contact: Bonnie Abaunza and Tiffany Bordenave at 310-401-6770.

So, do something special. Save an angel.

Clash Of The Titans by Ramin Djawadi (Review)

2010-04-26T13:55:00.002-04:00

The remake of Clash Of The Titans made news headlines for several reasons. The big one was that Warner Brothers decided to revamp the film in 3D at the last second just to get the inflated ticket pricing despite the fact that 3D was never ever planned for it in any creative sense. The second headliner was that Craig Armstrong’s score was rejected and he was replaced by Ramin Djawadi.

A lot of people were disappointed by this, but the fact is that score rejection is becoming a huge thing. After The Wolfman fiasco and recently Atli Örvarsson being kicked off The Karate Kid we’re seeing that score rejection is becoming more common.

From the time Ramin Djawadi was hired till the first dub he had 3 weeks to compose the score. So of course in the Hans Zimmer tradition of collaboration he had a few of his friends and collaborators help out. Neil Davidge, Geoff Zanelli, Dominic Lewis, Noah Sorota and Bobby Tahouri came on board to help with the insurmountable task of composing a feature score to a massive action film in only 3 weeks.

I fell in love with the score. It has the sound I love, sweeping ascending cues that carry you, a grounding and emotional main theme. All in all it is a great score. Is it anything new? Absolutely not. You can hear the Zimmer influence throughout it. At times I heard a touch of Pirates Of The Caribbean and some King Arthur style cues. However, It carries Ramin’s sound that you heard in Iron Man but without the “rock n’ roll” mentality. People wonder if he paid any homage to Laurence Rosenthal’s score to the original, which he didn’t. I see it as a good thing. I don’t know why people want composers to reference the original scores for remakes. I love it when we get an original voice.

So, if you want a good old fashion Zimmeresque action score then here it is. Enjoy it because it’s tons of fun. The only drawback is the inclusion of Niel Davidge’s full on 10-minute grunge rock cue. It sticks out like a sore thumb and I would have much rather gotten some more story propelled score. I’m not complaining though because the album is packed as it is. Also, just an interesting side note. At the very end of the credits of the film they credit “Io’s Theme” by Craig Armstrong. So it looks like just a snippet of his score survived the final cut.

God Of War III by Gerard Marino, Ron Fish, Cris Velasco, Mike Reagan & Jeff Rona (Review)

2010-04-26T11:53:00.002-04:00

The immensely popular God Of War franchise makes its PS3 debut with the third installment of the franchise. For anyone whose played the first two games or has heard any of the scores they should know that this is a loud and over the top experience.

The score features the talents of 5 great composers. Gerard Marino, Ron Fish, Cris Velasco, Mike Reagan & Jeff Rona all contributed to the score. Sometimes when you have this many people working on a score you come across identity confusion where the cohesive whole of the score suffers, but this isn’t the case.

The score is a grand venture to say the least. The music is loud, in your face and takes charge. It creates an other worldly atmosphere with godlike presence that would make Zeus proud. The use of the male chorus is the key ingredient in achieving this, but not all the score is over the top mythological madness.

The use of a few ethnic instruments give it an ancient feel and in a way give it a historical presence. The only real lacking part of the score is grounding thematic material. That is one of the many cons of a massive composer team. Thematic material gets lost as each composer does their own parts. While it’s impossible for me to say the score has no identity it does lack that emotional connecting characteristic that thematically grounded scores do have. While some of the tracks do have some identifiable melodies it’s hard to deny that the score overall washes over you with pulsing percussion and roaring vocals at times.

When the score settles down a bit it can be great. Tracks like “The Muse’s Song” is a great example of simple melodies infused with ethnic instruments that give the score its grounding.

The score may give your head a good pounding so don’t listen to it if your tired. It captures the energy of the game and infuses atmosphere to give the score an unmistakable identity. It’s a great approach from all those involved.

The Back-Up Plan by Stephen Trask (Review)

2010-04-26T11:24:00.005-04:00

Jennifer Lopez returns to acting after her pregnancy in the actually very appropriate The Back-Up Plan. In the film Lopez plays a single 30 something woman who decides she will never meet the right guy, but with loneliness on her mind she wants to have a baby so she can say she does have a family. She gets artificially inseminated, but lo and behold she finds a guy she falls in love with.

We’re walking into “romcom” territory here. I always state how easy it is for romantic comedy scores to fall into the “cheesy” category and just be swept up in saccharine melodies that make you want to slap yourself. I’m pleased to say that Trask didn’t go that route. While the plot isn’t original and doesn’t leave that much room for extreme creativity I was pleased with Trask’s approach.

The score is playful and the main theme flourishes in the first track titled “Daydream”. What follows is pretty much familiar territory for anyone whose seen a romantic comedy before. The only problem with the score as a standalone release is the many many short tracks. The shortest being :13 seconds, but we have a plethora of the dreaded :20-:30 second tracks. I have seen the film and of course it works much better in the flow of the film.

Stephen Trask does an adequate job of balancing the score and making it light, playful, romantic and in a way memorable. The main theme sticks around and that’s what makes it work. The score is not reinventing the wheel or giving us anything new, but it works.

Franklyn by Joby Talbot (Review)

2010-04-26T10:53:00.002-04:00

Franklyn is a British film that was filmed back in 2007, but just recently got commercially released in the United Kingdom. The plot itself would probably give any composer a good challenge. The story is a parallel narrative. One taking place in contemporary London and the other in a future metropolis called Meanwhile City. It follows four characters as their fates intertwine and each with their own goals. So, again, anything like that poses a great challenge for a composer.

Franklyn was composed by Joby Talbot. Most people will probably recognize him for his score to the amazing and hilarious The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy. For Franklyn Talbot takes on a minimalistic approach at times, and when I say minimalist I’m not talking “Phillip Glass” minimalism. The main theme is a simple piano arrangement and it gives the score this “lullaby” feel at least for me. It’s gentle but expresses emptiness.

For me the score does an excellent job of wrapping you up in its atmosphere. The short track lengths may make the solo listening experience a bit choppy for some, but Talbot manages to wrap the story very impressively in the Finale tracks entitled “Finale Part 1” and “Finale Part 2”. This is a fantastic score worth taking the journey for. It allows you to get lost in its mystery and fantasy while always keeping you grounded with simple melodies.

Lesbian Vampire Killers by Debbie Wiseman (Review)

2010-04-26T10:33:00.001-04:00

Lesbian Vampire Killers is a British horror comedy about . . . well I guess the title speaks for itself. The score was composed by Debbie Weiseman and to be quite honest will probably go against your expectations. The score sort of has a Danny Elfman quality to it, but of course has a full identity of its own. Wiseman heavily uses a female chorus to create the whimsical and fantasy filled tone of the score.

The thematic material does stand out. She uses simple melodic motifs that work to great effect. With this being a horror comedy score we do have a few tracks that fall into a more playful tone.

Now, I’m sure that when people hear the title “Lesbian Vampire Killers” they aren’t exactly going “wow, I need to check out this score”. To be quite honest I really think you should. Tracks like “Lesbian Vampire Killers” and “ and “Full-On Lesbian Vampire Attack” are extremely memorable for their grand orchestral approach. Overall I found the score extremely enjoyable even if it did lack any real emotional connection. I really would have liked to see more genre elements played around with, but I applaud the fact that the score doesn’t fall into mundane territory. So, I urge you to at least check out a few samples of the score and if you like what you hear then go for it.

New Header!

2010-04-15T01:54:00.002-04:00

Thanks to Matt Rixham for the new header! Check out Cold Coffe for more cool designs!

coldcoffe.com

Days Of Our Lives by Ken Corday & D. Brent Nelson (Review)

2010-04-07T23:48:00.001-04:00

It’s really hard to put this any other way so I’ll just say it. This is a 2-Disc release of the musical score to the soap opera, Days Of Our Lives. Now, the soap opera is a genre of television that has its own formulas and trademarks like any other genre. This includes the absolutely melodramatic music.

Now, I’m sorry when I say this, but this is some of the worst music composed that you will probably ever hear. It’s just hard to imagine anyone who can sit and listen to this other than maybe for nostalgia’s sake. Ominous tones make up the majority of the score, and even though there is surprisingly some thematic stuff going on it’s all lost within the forced emotions the music is trying to convey. Everything is synthetic and sounds inorganic so it just sounds cheap. I know that’s no reason to bash a score, but believe me when I say that there are amazing synth scores out there with the same “cheap” sound that are able to tell an emotional story.

So, you can probably tell I don’t care for soap operas. I can’t stand forced emotions and storytelling that doesn’t come off as organic. So when the score is just pure forced emotions it just makes it dismissible experience. For people who like soaps I can imagine how the score must work within the framework of the show and everything in that respect, but here as a standalone listen it’s laughable and time wasted.

PRESS RELEASE: AWARD-WINNING COMPOSER TOM SALTA SCORES PRINCE OF PERSIA® THE FORGOTTEN SANDS™

2010-04-07T23:31:00.003-04:00

AWARD-WINNING COMPOSER TOM SALTA SCORES
PRINCE OF PERSIA® THE FORGOTTEN SANDS™

Celebrated Composer Records A-List World Music Talent for Evocative Original Score Featured in New Prince of Persia® for the Nintendo Wii™

New York, April 6th, 2010 - Tom Salta, one of the most decorated and prolific music composers for multimedia, has produced an original music score for Prince of Persia The Forgotten Sands™ for the Nintendo Wii™ system. Salta is renowned for crafting memorable, emotionally engaging scores for the medium and delivers a melodic and deeply immersive soundtrack that is essential to the rich gaming experience of Prince of Persia The Forgotten Sands™. Developed by Ubisoft®'s Production Studio in Quebec and built entirely from the ground up, Prince of Persia The Forgotten Sands™ for the Nintendo Wii™ is a new chapter in the critically acclaimed Prince of Persia® The Sands of Time series, which introduces players to a brand new storyline complete with new characters, and powers that transcend both nature and time. Prince of Persia The Forgotten Sands™ is scheduled to be commercially released on May 18, 2010.

"An outstanding composer, Tom Salta is extremely passionate and truly committed to our project," said Aurelien Baguerre, audio director for Prince of Persia The Forgotten Sands™ on the Nintendo Wii™. "The action and gameplay are remarkably enhanced by Tom's beautiful orchestrations which unmistakably evoke Persian colors, providing a grandiose and emotional dimension to our game."

To fully immerse players in the Prince's new adventure, Salta composed and produced an intensely atmospheric and intricately woven original music score that captures the essence and spirit of the original Prince of Persia® The Sands of Time and supports the new story and gameplay of Prince of Persia The Forgotten Sands™ with a contemporary world music aesthetic. The score features performances recorded with globally revered percussionist Bashiri Johnson, dark hypnotic vocals by world music singer Azam Ali and ethereal vocals by international recording artist Judith Bérard, as well as world music and middle-eastern instrumentation such as doubek, kora, khangira, bowhammer cymbalom, lakota slide, walimba, ney, duduk and custom made instruments.

About the Video Game:
Prince of Persia The Forgotten Sands™ for Nintendo Wii™ is a new installment in the popular Prince of Persia™ series and presents a new adventure within The Sands of Time universe. After leaving his father's kingdom to prove his worth, the Prince is drawn toward a mysterious realm. He quickly discovers that he must harness his acrobatic abilities and powers over the environment to not only survive, but to save a mystic palace from unfathomable evil. For more information on Prince of Persia The Forgotten Sands™ please visit: www.princeofpersiagame.com.

About Ubisoft®:
Ubisoft is a leading producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment products worldwide and has grown considerably through a strong and diversified line-up of products and partnerships. Ubisoft is present in 28 countries and has sales in more than 55 countries around the globe. It is committed to delivering high-quality, cutting-edge video game titles to consumers. For the 2008-09 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of 1.058 billion euros. To learn more, please visitwww.ubisoftgroup.com.

© 2003 - 2010 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Based on Prince of Persia® created by Jordan Mechner. Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries. Prince of Persia and Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands are trademarks of Jordan Mechner in the U.S. and/or other countries used under license by Ubisoft Entertainment.

Chloe by Mychael Danna (Review)

2010-04-07T23:12:00.002-04:00

Mychael Danna has just come from co- composing an amazing score with his brother for The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus. When I first saw the trailer for Chloe nothing about it appealed to me, so I can’t say I was expecting anything great from the score.

The first track sets up our main theme, and it isn’t bad. However it doesn’t really jump up and connect with you. Then again, this is a very quiet score. The problem is that this quiet score doesn’t make any real attempt to connect with you emotionally so it’s just sort of there. The tracks really blend together so there isn’t anything that really stands out except for when the main theme finds its way back into the score now and then.

To be honest I found the entire experience quite distant and boring. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of quiet and atmospheric scores out there that manage to be incredibly emotionally engaging. The Hurt Locker is a pretty recent example of that. It’s just that when a score itself can’t take me on an emotional journey and tell me a story I find it really hard to enjoy the experience.

So, for me I’m gonna have to say pass on Chloe and keep on listening to Doctor Parnassus.

Bioshock 2 by Gary Schyman (Review)

2010-04-07T22:40:00.004-04:00

We return to Rapture with Gary Schyman’s absolutely amazing followup score to Bioshock 2. The best video game scores are those that you can listen to apart from the game and immediately be transported back to the world in your mind. The main theme itself is haunting and beautiful. It echoes memories of a lost paradise and you can hear the loss and mystery within the music. In fact I will go ahead and make the statement that all the emotion felt in this game comes from the score. Sure the world of Rapture is disturbing and you can credit the game designers for constructing a breathtaking world, but it’s the music that brings it to life.

The music has a sense of timelessness to it. It gives us that Americana feel of the 1950’s, but credit that to the song usage in the game. The score finds balance between the songs to create the overall soundscape to the game. That wailing violin has become the signature of the score and to me that defines the score and is what gives the world and characters life.

While it’s hard to place this score in the realm of horror it does feel that way in certain points. The games themselves especially the first one were pretty scary and intense. The second game story-wise didn’t have that same visceral impact so there wasn’t that much the score could do to expand I suppose. It’s nonetheless an incredibly haunting experience. Schyman really accomplished something with the first score and he continues that here. We will forever associate Rapture with what Gary Schyman has crafted on this amazing musical journey.

Red Riding 1980 by Dickon Hinchliffe (Review)

2010-04-07T22:08:00.003-04:00

Red Riding was originally adapted from the four novels that comprised Red Riding Quartet by David Peace. Back in 2009 they were made into 3 feature length television events that aired in the United Kingdom. They were released here in the states recently as 3 seperate films. The films chronicle the investigations of serial murders dealing with the Yorkshire Ripper case. This British Noir delves further and further into a web of corruption. So, I guess you could say it’s similar to David Fincher’s Zodiac if you need a reference except it spans 3 films.

The second part of the trilogy was composed by Dickon Hinchliffe and the sound is overtly a bit different right off the bat. This album was released separately with my guess being to not mix up the different composers’ work on the series. This score is more brooding and has an intensity that the first two scores didn’t have. It still manages to have a noirish feel to the music but in a more modern way. The sound is much more full and atmospheric. It doesn’t carry the melodic style the first two scores did, but it’s still effective in its approach.

Overall, this is great that these two albums got a release. It’s a nice collection of music to discover something you probably never heard of unless you are aware of the novels or these adaptations. The scores may lack any everlasting impact on the listener, but there are some great themes and atmospheric stuff here.

Red Riding 1974 & Red Riding 1983 by Adrian Johnston & Barrington Pheloung (Review)

2010-04-07T22:02:00.004-04:00

The first and last films are entitled Red Riding 1974 and Red Riding 1983, and they were scored by Adrian Johnston & Barrington Pheloung. Let me start off by saying that I had no idea what to expect from this, but again I was introduced to an amazing score I would otherwise never even seek out. The first track sets up the minimalist theme that will continue to structure the score. It’s a simple guitar cue, but the arrangement gives it a sense of uneasiness while still maintaining a sense of calm if that makes any sense.

The rest of the score falls into traditional noir fashion. Lots of strings creating a sense of curiosity and always a sense of uneasiness. There are some quiet tracks that give it a little suspense, but nothing in the realm of horror music.

What we have here is a really nice compilation of music from 2 of the films. The simple melodic theme is a great jumping off point and it carries you through the score with a few other themes along the way. It carries some classic noir elements and overall is worth checking out. It may feel strange that the second film was released as a separate album, but it makes sense to group all of the same composers' work together.

Love Happens by Christopher Young (Review)

2010-04-07T21:34:00.002-04:00

Romantic scores can become incredibly overdone and fall into saccharine territory very easily. It takes a skilled composer to evoke real emotions without going the cheesy route. Christopher Young succeeds with Love Happens. The music is simple and guitar based. It’s light and doesn’t overpower. Young had decent material to work with in that he was able to venture into sadness. Tracks like “Past Isn’t” and “Vodka Logic” embrace a solo piano with soft strings to achieve that.

This isn’t a one dimensional score. It has a playful side to it but knows when to get serious. The main theme echoes throughout and it works because it’s simple. The track “It’s MMM. . . Good” playfully uses the title of the track as a lyric. Young also brings in the strings more heavily in later tracks to get a full bodied sound that resonates more.

All in all the score doesn’t break any new ground in the genre, but it succeeds. It’s heartwarming and has a flow of energy that is present throughout. Elements of it reminded me of John Powell’s terrific score to P.S. I Love You. Christopher Young knows not to overpower with melodrama or cheesy arrangements.

Assassin's Creed II by Jesper Kyd (Review)

2010-04-07T21:20:00.001-04:00

Jesper Kyd has provided an amazing experience within his followup score to Assassin’s Creed II. A mixture of electronic and ethnic flavors create a full on atmosphere and immerse you in the world of the game.

The score propels you forward with the story and really doesn’t ever feel like “background” music. Of course there are a few tracks that may be classified as that such as the tracks that play when you approach a target. However they are structured and looped in a way where the player builds their own suspense and the music fits pretty much whatever images you as the player create.

The score has an other worldly feel but still grounds itself with certain sounds and melodies that give us something emotional to grasp onto. There isn’t anything sweeping or grand and it excels in its simplicity. Kyd embraces solo instruments and lets them shine. The score is a modern approach and works extremely well.

Composer Interview: David Buckley

2010-03-31T14:16:00.003-04:00

David Buckley is a composer on the rise and is quickly making a name for himself. I first discovered Buckley’s work through Harry Gregson-Williams since Harry is one of my favorite composers. Buckley did some additional music on a few of Harry’s scores like Flushed Away, The Number 23, Shrek The Third and Gone Baby Gone. His solo projects include the Joel Schumacher thriller Blood Creek, the epic martial arts fantasy The Forbidden Kingdom and recently the Luc Besson produced action flick From Paris With Love. I was honored when David agreed to do a live interview.

Kaya: Thanks for agreeing to do this, especially a live chat.

David: No problem! I hope my spelling does not let me down. By the way, i have to get this Dragon score of Powell's - you seem to like it a lot!

Kaya: It really is great. I've been busy with work but my next day off I wanna see it in IMAX.

David: I worked on these little olympic commercial spots that were tied into the film, and the characters seemed great. Looks like Dreamworks is raising its game.

Kaya: I've always loved Dreamworks. Kung Fu Panda really won me over and back in the day when Harry and John did most of the stuff, haha. Which they still do I guess, last Shrek coming up.

David: Yes, being mixed just upstairs from me now.

Kaya: Well, enough about those guys.

David: Indeed.

Kaya: So, I guess it would be interesting to know how you found your way into music, and I guess eventually film music.

David: Well, my mother was a music teacher so from a very young age I was messing around on a piano. I was probably making a horrible noise, but was allowed to explore and not forced to play from scores. I would play nonsense for hours and hours and really loved it.

Kaya: Nonsense is always the best.

David: I went on to be a cathedral choirboy and then studied composition at Cambridge. So, a liberating beginning, and then a very traditional study period.

Kaya: Which is interesting, because I think your style is anything but traditional.

David: I think there are things in my music that fall back on some of my passions, early music being one of them. Little flavors of mediaeval and renaissance music under the surface. Nothing explicit, but it's part of the musical language I was brought up with.

Kaya: What were you listening to growing up?

David: Well, I was performing every day, mainly music from the 1600's. My composition teacher then introduced me to Stravinsky and Messiaen. My grandfather was Indian, so he would play a lot of traditional Indian music.

Kaya: That's interesting.

David: My dad loved jazz so that would be coming from his radio. Quite a mix.

Kaya: So what made you want to be a film composer? Which is a very specific branch of composition.

David: Two things. I had sung on the score to The Last Temptation Of Christ and it was an incredible experience. We only recorded for a day, but I began to realize that music could work alongside other art forms, and the synthesis could be thrilling. Shortly after, I performed a piece of music written by my friend and mentor Richard Harvey.

Kaya: Love Richard Harvey.

David: Again, it was an eye-opener - full orchestra, choir, ethnic instruments, electric instruments, visuals, lighting. At the age of 10, I thought 'fuck'!

Kaya: Hahaha.

David: From this point on, I knew I wanted to get into this field and Richard has been great in helping me get to where I am.

Kaya: That's interesting because I come from the other side I think. I saw The Rock when I was 9 years old and thought 'Well, holy crap. The music is so awesome'. And that's how I wanted to be a filmmaker.

David: I loved The Rock too. I think these moments stick in our minds and give us drive. I guess we are both fortunate to have caught the bug at such an early age.

Kaya: Yeah, even though some people look at my score & DVD collection and think I'm a bit insane.

David: Because it is so vast?

Kaya: That's one part, and that I own every Hans score, Harry score, John score, etc. The ones that impacted me when I was little. Even every one of yours commercially released.

David: I guess I own all those too!

Kaya: Haha, great! Common ground!

David: Yep.

Kaya: So how did you get involved with working with Harry Gregson-Williams?

David: Well Richard re-introduced us a few years back, but Harry and I had known each other in the classical music world back in the UK. I happened to be around when Harry was getting busy and he asked if I would stay on to help him out on a few things. I guess an example of being at the right place at the right time.

Kaya: Yeah, definitely. How would you describe working in such a collaborative environment. I know you've done some additional music on some of Harry's scores. How does that process help your creativity and learning process?

David: Anything I have learned about film scoring has come from Harry. I had worked in the UK prior to moving here writing music for TV and commercials, so I thought I was armed with the appropriate skills, but I was so wrong! It's pretty tough this film scoring stuff, and there is plenty to learn beyond just the musical. One also needs to understand film.

Kaya: I can't imagine how hard it is to tell a story through music, but you do it very well.

David: That's kind - thank you! I still feel I have plenty more to learn. I look back at an old score, and I think, gosh, I wish I had done this or that. But I have always been a revisionist.

Kaya: I do that all the time with my short films.

David: I think as we grow as people our outlook changes a little and it is inevitable that we want to tell the story a little differently. More about nuances than wholesale rewriting.

Kaya: Do you ever look back at a score you've done and think to take parts of that work and maybe expand on them for a different film? I guess sort of evolving your sound.

David: Well, sometimes the nature of the film dictates that one can never take the ideas as far as one wants. For example, I wrote a score for a Scott Free film - Tell Tale, which had quite a nice theme and harmonic invention, but the film just required me to simmer for most of the time. To have done anything more would have been way too much for the film. But I do think there are some ideas there that could be expanded, but I guess it would be odd, if not illegal to use them in another project!

Kaya: I just think it’s unfair that when a director reuses a shot or recycles a story idea it’s a sign of being an auteur and then i hear composers being called unoriginal or hacks when they reuse ideas.

David: Yes, and of course there are only 12 notes!

Kaya: Right, which makes what you do even more impressive.

David: Aren't there only 5 real plots for story-telling? Or something like that. Maybe we have it easy - over double the amount of building blocks!

Kaya: Haha maybe? So, I'm listening to The Forbidden Kingdom right now and I have to say it's maybe my favorite of yours.

David: Ah, thank you! I'm fond of it too. Brings back good memories.

Kaya: I know you mentioned this to me before, but could you go into the whole Morricone style riff that found its way into the score?

David: Yep - it was not actually my idea - I think it was a producer or music editor who thought it would be amusing to dress Ni Chang up with this sound. Even though on paper she comes across as a terrifying bitch, I think she needed a little help on screen. So this was an idea to give her a bit of identity. I tried other things along the way - including a shrill male countertenor voice, but this sound got the laugh in the screenings, and it also added to the idea that we were making a spaghetti Eastern!

Kaya: Haha, love that approach!

David: By the way, Harry may come down here any minute to ask me something, so do excuse me if I break for a few mins! I'll be back! Here he comes!

Kaya: Of course.

David: Ok! sorry.

Kaya: Not a problem at all. Was his question concerning Shrek at all? Or is it secret? Haha.

David: Oh, just a general catch up- he got back from London last night.

Kaya: Ah. So, From Paris With Love. That was a fun score I thought.

David: Well I thought so, but not every one did it would seem!

Kaya: I mean, I can honestly say the movie itself while fun didn't do a whole lot for me, but I was smiling at certain points with your score. Especially within the film.

David: I think the movie was what it was - an action flick, take it or leave it. Perhaps not the best script in the world.

Kaya: But it's a Luc Besson production, always fun stuff.

David: Yes - over the top, silly, noisy, raucous...

Kaya: The Fifth Element is still one of my favorite movies from growing up. So there's a special place in my heart for Luc.

David: Quite - a great film.

Kaya: You also scored a documentary called In The Land Of The Free . . . What was that like?

David: Yes, in fact it will be aired end of April, I believe. Not sure where. It's a fascinating story. Three guys who have been in solitary confinement for over 25 years - for a crime they almost certainly did not commit. I have worked on documentaries before, but this is feature length, and the music plays an important role in telling the story.

Kaya: How is approaching a documentary different than a fictional film? Is it more challenging?

David: Good question. I don't think it seemed that different. I still had to write around the dialogue, had to commit to themes and expand on them. It seemed surprisingly similar now I think back on it. Harder work perhaps because there was no money or very little.

Kaya: Yeah, that can be a limitation on smaller budgets, but I guess in the end it was a story with protagonists and a goal. Is that how you pretty much looked at it?

David: Totally. And even though a serious topic, there were moments of lightness and laughter - it tapped into the whole gamut of human emotions.

Kaya: The magic of the medium.

David: I guess if I were scoring a documentary about the history of the food processor, maybe it would have been different, but this film certainly felt comfortable and allowed me to do what I wanted to do.

Kaya: You do television too such as The Good Wife. How does episodic television bring new challenges versus films, which I imagine it does.

David: It does indeed. The producers were brave hiring someone who had mainly worked in film to score a TV show. The schedule is tough, and one has to be writing stuff that is close to right the first time out. The luxury of meetings and revisits that we have in the film world are not present here. I guess trusting instincts is key. I've been loving it though.

Kaya: Since the stories and arcs span much more time than in a film do you ever keep the end in sight or are you scoring in the moment. Like, I'm sure Micheal Giacchino on LOST has some comfort in knowing where the story will finish. And Geoff Zanelli said that The Pacific was all but completed in a somewhat finished form before they even touched it.

David: I actually don't know what will happen at the end of the season, so I guess I am writing in the moment. Not sure if that is good or bad now you mention it!

Kaya: I don't know, I feel like it may be hard on a composer’s part to close things out. Like I feel bad for Jim Dooley whose score to Pushing Daisies is amazing but of course that show got cut short. So now, it seems like it was a train of thought cut off in a way. Must be the same for the writers I guess if a show ends abruptly.

David: Yes, I had not realized that - have not seen the show.

Kaya: You also did the accompanying Shrek Forever After video game. Many film composers are doing video games these days. How do you make sure your music in a video game actually tells a story and doesn't fall into the category of "background music"?

David: I don't think one can be a hundred percent certain that it will play exactly as intended as there is a certain amount of chance as to how it will all work. For that reason, certainly in my experience, one writes to set scenes and describe locations and characters, as the story is really determined by the player. I think! Although I don't really play games. But that is my understanding. Having said which, the music I composed is symphonic and has its fair share of drama and emotion.

Kaya: What are the major differences of scoring a video game versus a movie?

David: I guess much the same as above. Add to that that much of the music must be able to loop. Therefore keys and tempos need to be considered in a different way. Overall a video game score cannot be linear as far as I can tell, as there must be infinite ways in which the story will run.

Kaya: We all know Harry scored all four Shrek films (first one co-composed with John Powell). Did you look at what he did in the films and work off those ideas and themes or did you start fresh?

David: The remit was to write in a 'Shrekian' style, but all material, including themes was to be original. Having worked on Shrek The Third and Shrek The Halls, I was acquainted with the style, so I understood what they were looking for. I'd like to think I've made it my own however and that there are some unexpected departures. It was certainly a fun project, and I was very glad to be back with a symphony orchestra once again...

Kaya: So, I guess maybe to wrap things up. If David Buckley is driving in his car alone with his thoughts. What music is playing?

David: Haha - well I can't drive, so that is a scary prospect...

Kaya: Haha, okay so maybe sitting at your computer.

David: I don't listen to enough music you know, but someone is always telling me about a great score here or a great band there. A lot of classical repertoire - particularly Debussy and Ravel. Crap answer, sorry!

Kaya: Haha, no, I like it!

David: I used to be terrible. I used to only listen to things I thought I would like and not give anything else the time of day, but I guess since moving on in this business, one needs to be open to anything and everything.

Kaya: Can't ever hurt! Haha.

David: I think western classical music holds a significant place in my heart - it's where I began my musical journey...

Kaya: Is there any film from the past you'd like to take a crack at with no disrespect to the original composer?

David: Oh wow, good question. Since doing Blood Creek, I have really enjoyed the horror genre and would love to score more horror films. So maybe something like Paranormal Activity - did it have a score? I can't remember.

Kaya: I don't think it did. For $11,000 can't imagine so, haha.

David: But, I think I would love to get my teeth into a film with a similar scope to The Forbidden Kingdom.

Kaya: But yeah, Blood Creek. I wish that got a release. I love the Urban Thriller album you put out on iTunes.

David: As much as I enjoy electronica, and I know it has a significant place in modern scoring, I do like thematic music, and the thrill of the full symphony orchestra.

Kaya: The blending of the two is equally great I think.

David: So, I imagine having a go at one of my favorite films - The English Patient would be a fun challenge. But I have to admit, that score is one of the best I have heard.

Kaya: Oh wow, nice pick!

David: So would be a doomed exercise.

Kaya: Well, it's been a pleasure to chat! I really appreciate it. Any big projects on the horizon?

David: Thank you! Very nice to talk with you too. There is something on the horizon, in fact I have started it, but it's not official yet, so I should probably not say anything... Sorry, i'll let you know when it is confirmed.

Kaya: No problem. Best of luck! Tell Harry I can't wait for Prince Of Persia, Shrek 4, Twelve and of course Unstoppable! He has a busy slate!

David: Thanks Kaya. Best of luck with your work too. Will pass it on!

Again, thanks so much to David Buckley for taking the time to do the interview with his schedule. Check out his scores to The Forbidden Kingdom and From Paris With Love; all available on iTunes, Amazon MP3 and CD. David Buckley’s Urban Thriller album is available on iTunes and Amazon MP3. The Shrek Forever After video game hits shelves on May 18, 2010 on pretty much every system available.

How To Train Your Dragon by John Powell (Review)

2010-03-28T11:51:00.002-04:00

John Powell is without a doubt one of the most unique voices in film composition. His style is nothing but his own. I have never heard another composer come close to his sound and what he’s able to do with it. John Powell also has the honor of being the best modern day composer of animated films.

How To Train Your Dragon is Powell’s first animated score since Ice Age 3, which I will admit was a disappointment even though I loved his score to Ice Age 2. How To Train Your Dragon is a much more inspired film, and John Powell brought every ounce of effort he had to the table.

The score itself is just beautiful if you had to describe it in one word. There are two themes that Powell uses variations of. The themes themselves are 100% pure Powell. Fans of his may hear a bit of Kung Fu Panda in it with a touch of Ice Age. However, the score as an exercise in storytelling is just brilliant and one of a kind when examined that way. It will gently carry you and lift you up to a level you could never imagine. Beauty emerges from its simplicity and the emotions that grow will remind you for just a moment how unique it is to be a human being and feel these emotions. Tracks like “Forbidden Friendship” and “Where’s Hiccup” will move you in a delicate fashion. Examining moments of fear with curiosity and a growing companionship, or moments of loss and hope and the ability to come back when all seems lost.

Tracks like “Test Drive”, “Romantic Flight” and “Coming Back Around” soar high on human spirit and are just pure celebrations of joy and love and will likely bring you to tears. Powell does incorporate a Scottish sound for one of the themes to add flavor and atmosphere to the setting, but it never outweighs the true identity of the score. The song “Sticks & Stones” is included near the end of the album and is performed by Jónsi who is part of the Icelandic group Sigur Rós. It’s a perfect closing to an amazing album.

Full of Powell’s trademark percussion and signature descending note progression this score is an absolute wonder. It reinforces just how powerful an inspired score can be and what it can do for the film. It’s a beautiful celebration of the human spirit and the bond of friendship. This is a score you won’t want to pass over. I always felt that Happy Feet was Powell’s best score up to this point, but I do believe he has topped himself.

Green Zone by John Powell (Review)

2010-03-28T11:45:00.003-04:00

Green Zone reunites John Powell with director Paul Greengrass on their fourth collaboration together. Before this Powell composed The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum and United 93 for Greengrass. Green Zone is an action thriller based off the United States’ involvement in the Middle East. This is an action score and it’s nothing more than that. To be honest I think John Powell could have composed this score in sleep, but that’s not a negative comment.

Powell is known mainly known for his intense trademark percussions. They find a way into pretty much every score he composes and are more prominent in his action scores. Here they work especially well because they create a constant rhythm for the action and if you know Paul Greengrass you know you’re going to get handheld cameras and fast paced editing. The same way that Harry Gregson-Williams is a perfect fit for Tony Scott is also why John Powell is a perfect fit for Paul Greengrass.

The one thing I’m glad to have found here is that Powell didn’t go the full Hans Zimmer route which has been pretty standard in films dealing with modern warfare. Ever since Black Hawk Down every modern warfare score has been a rock infused ethnic wonderland. While I love that genre defining sound I found it refreshing that Powell kept things to his creative palette and worked with his own sound. Though there are a few ethnic strings thrown into the mix, which is excellent because it establishes setting and atmosphere.

One thing I’ve read in other reviews and heard from other people is that they don’t like the score because there is no thematic material. While I’m a huge fan of using themes to make a score stand on its own I honestly feel that in this case it wasn’t necessary. Our main character isn’t a super hero or an action hero like say Jason Bourne. Powell did compose a theme for that character. This is a film fully propelled by the plot and if you see the film you’ll probably agree that we really don’t get to know our characters as people. Freddy is maybe the only character where we can connect with as an audience and Powell does hit us with some emotional strings for his character in the track “WTF”, but for the rest of the film we’re on an adrenaline rush.

Powell’s score for Green Zone is superb action scoring and nothing more. It won’t wow you but it’s highly effective and does wonders for the film. Looking at it from a stylistic point of view one can admire Powell’s techniques and compare them to his other action scores. When listening to it you’ll have a hard time discerning different tracks from one another because yes they do all sound similar with no unique arrangements to give them any sort of identity. So approach this one as a full on listening experience and just go from start to finish to really enjoy how effective this score truly is.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves by Greg Edmonson (Review) [CD RELEASE]

2010-03-28T11:34:00.003-04:00

**ORIGINAL REVIEW From October 19, 2009:

Greg Edmonson returns to the successful Sony franchise for the PS3. Game scores have become a new breed. Looking back at game music history is fascinating. I can honestly say that today game scores are identical in function to film scores. Michael Giacchino helped blur the lines with his magnificent work on the Medal Of Honor series, but real credit goes to Norihiko Hibino who scored Metal Gear Solid for PS1. That score was the first game score that had to work with characters and cinematic developments or in simpler terms a story with a hero and a goal.

What Greg Edmonson has done here is successfully created a sound for the Uncharted universe. In what can best be described as a modern take on classic adventure scores this score is massive in scope and scale. Percussion, strings and brass work in grandiose arrangements to transport you to the story’s exotic locales all the while keeping tension and excitement at a maximum.

I definitely think that this score is a huge improvement over what he did for the first game. He does use many variations of Nate’s Theme throughout the game. Instead of blatantly placing it in the score like say the James Bond theme he will instead weave it into the arrangements to avoid it being “cheesy” or just over the top. New this time around is the use of vocals. At first you’ll get airy female vocals, which is perfect for the exotic and mysterious aspect of the story. Later as you plunge deeper into darker territory he’ll bring in the droning throat singing male vocals, which is a perfect accent since the game deals with Shambhala and throat singing is a custom of the Inuit people in that part of the world.

All in all Greg Edmonson has found his shining achievement. I never got into his music because looking at the nature of his filmography it ranges from shows like Firefly and King Of The Hill to some obscure films. Uncharted 2 is an amazing musical accomplishment and stands with Harry Gregson-Williams’ work for the Metal Gear Solid franchise and Michael Giacchino’s work as some of the best game scores of all time. It works as background score for the gameplay and seamlessly transitions between cutscenes and gameplay to mesh the two in a way where you feel the entire game is one huge cutscene and your experiencing it front and center. This album is a digital download only just like the first score. So check for it on iTunes.

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Sumthing Else has given us a physical CD release of Uncharted 2, which was previously only available as a digital download only. Just like with the Infamous CD release we get 3 new tracks that were previously unavailable. “The Heist” is by far my favorite of the 3 new tracks because it’s really reminiscent of the first Uncharted score. So, definitely ditch the digital and go for the CD.

Dark Void by Bear McCreary (Review)

2010-03-28T11:25:00.002-04:00

Dark Void is a sci-fi video game that features what I found to be an immensely superb score from Bear McCreary. Certain elements to this score give it a classic feel. While listening through I was reminded of Jerry Goldmsith and certain parts reminded me of James Horner.

The score itself is incredibly thematically based. If there was ever a perfect example of theme and variation this would be it. McCreary sets up with the timeless sounding romanticized theme right off the bat. Another big surprise is that we have a full on sweeping orchestral score. Leave your synths at home boys and girls. McCreary successfully sets up an identity for the score even though he used a full orchestra. His wonderful percussion gives the score substance, and his use of ethnic instruments and arrangements give it character. He uses an electric violin to give it a bit of a vintage video game feel.

The music here is truly unique in that it doesn’t follow traditional gaming standards. Usually what we get from video game scores is “background” music. However here McCreary has given us a grand and lush musical story complete with changing arcs and swelling emotions. The very last track is a complete homage to Mega Man II, which Bear states in the liner notes was one of his first musical influences growing up. So, I thought that was fun of him to include.

Composer Interview: Geoff Zanelli

2010-03-19T00:15:00.017-04:00

Geoff Zanelli is one of today's most promising talents in the film music world. Working alongside Hans Zimmer at RCP he has been living the success story of separating himself as one of the premiere voices in the score industry. Geoff is an Emmy Award winning composer who has done a number of solo projects such as Outlander, Disturbia, Hitman, Ghost Town & House Of D. He also scored the miniseries Into The West, which won him his Emmy. I recently got the chance to ask Geoff some questions about his work on the highly anticipated HBO miniseries The Pacific. He along with Blake Neely and Hans Zimmer were in charge of the emotional backbone of the series also known as the score.

Kaya: Could you describe the scoring process on The Pacific, mainly how collaboration factored into it? You co-composed with Hans Zimmer and Blake Neely. How did the three of you decide to approach the scoring duties?

Geoff: First off, thanks for contacting me about The Pacific. I'm glad to see the reception our score is getting, and really glad to see how much interest there is in it!

Our process really evolved over time, so it's probably best to start at the beginning. The original idea was Hans would write the Main Title and Blake and I would score the show. We were going to just alternate episodes actually, but very quickly we realized that doesn't make sense since so many of the story arcs go across multiple episodes. It was apparent that we had to approach it as a ten hour film so that one of us could take a particular story arc and see it through from start to finish. This helped immensely with the consistency of our score.

I think the roughest way to describe how it broke down, and please bear in mind that this wasn't a hard and fast rule, but Blake Neely handled most of the Basilone story, I handled most of the Leckie story, and Sledge's story was a combination of both of us. For instance, Blake handled Sledge on the home front. There's a fabulous piece in the final episode when Sledge comes back home which Blake wrote. In fact, I think it was one of the very first things he wrote for the series, and it ties in to his music for Sledge's story which is begun in the first episode.

For my part, I handled quite a bit of Sledge's war story. What he goes through after he lands on Peleliu came mostly from me and you'll hear that in episodes 5 through 7.

Kaya: How much did each of you contribute? Was there a constant flow of communication or was it more “you go score this, I’ll score this and we’ll meet back here and see what we have”?

Geoff: We had a very constant flow of communication. Even though we weren't working in the same building, we'd be getting together to show each other what we'd been up to and listening to every note the other wrote. We'd have playbacks with Hans and then with Gary Goetzman, one of the producers we worked with over the course of the show. And yes, we'd discuss beforehand which of us would write which scenes.

But before we even got to writing individual episodes we were all writing thematic material to try to define the tone of the show. Hans initially wrote a gorgeous and very dark 12 minute suite which we tried parts of for the Main Title. That ended up instead being a very crucial piece on Iwo Jima. Part of Basilone's story is played with that music.

Hans then wrote another piece which was meant to be fleshed out as a new approach for the Main Title. Then Blake came in and he worked very hard on what would become the Main Title as you hear it now. At one point, a very different version of With The Old Breed was the Main Title actually, but that was reworked a bit and lengthened to be used as the End Titles as well as the epilogue for the entire series where we learn what happened to all the soldiers we've come to care about after the war.

As for the episodes, you'd get mired in details trying to figure out who wrote what for each individual scene, but you can look at it this way: Episodes 1, 3, 4, 5 and 10 were cowritten by Blake and myself. Episodes 2 and 8 were Blake's, with one key scene in 8 being the piece of Hans' I mentioned earlier. Episodes 6 and 9 were mine, and with the exception of two one-minute cues, episode 7 was mine as well.

Kaya: Scoring a 10 part miniseries has got to be an incredible challenge. I feel like it would be easy for the score to lose focus. How did the three of you make sure all the mini story arcs held their own yet still applied to the big picture? Were you always scoring in the moment or always kept the entire scope of the series in mind?

Geoff: Ah! I'm glad you can appreciate why it takes nine months to score a mini-series!

Well, we did decide that the story arcs would each be handled by one composer, so that's how we kept multi-episode arcs cohesive. The big picture was always in our minds too. I really mean it when I say we approached it as a 10-hour movie.

The dividing line between episodes started to be less of a consideration for me, especially the big Peleliu arc in episodes 5 through 7. I can't recall which episode certain scenes were in even, cause I was thinking of that whole section as "the Peleliu story."

I really wanted it to all work as a show if you sat down and watched all ten episodes in a row, and it does.

Kaya: We’ve seen lately in war scores a heavy use of ethnic influences to establish setting and atmosphere. Was there ever discussion to incorporate certain ethnic sounds?

Geoff: Only in that we decided early on that this was the American soldiers' story, so we were going to tell it from that point of view. During a few of the battle sequences actually, you may hear a tiny bit of Japanese presence in the music, especially in the scenes where you hear the Japanese soldiers but don't necessarily see them. But really, we are very, very sparse with that.

This was different from my experience on Into The West, by the way. There, we had two stories to tell and the success of the score depended on intertwining the musical cultures so to speak. Here, we are very focused with our perspective.

I'll tell you another spot where we considered it though. On Okinawa, Sledge has an encounter with an Okinawan citizen in a very moving and effective scene. I had considered trying an "east meets west" approach in the score there, with an Okinawan flute playing a sort of duet with a cello to try to humanize the citizen there. It's one of the very few times where that really happens in the show and it was a very important moment in the film but the more I thought about it, the more I re-affirmed our earlier decision to focus this score. We never recorded it that way because I thought "this is Sledge's story, we've lived with him for 9 hours and I want this music to give him a voice to express how he feels about this situation."

Kaya: There’s about 1.2 hours of music on the CD release. About what percentage of that is that of the complete score for the series. How much music did you end up recording when it came down to the end?

Geoff: Me personally, I think about four hours. From all of us, about seven hours was written, with just near five hours in the series.

Kaya: This isn’t the first miniseries you’ve worked on. Were you able to take anything you learned from working on Into The West and apply it on The Pacific? Were the two projects more similar or different?

Geoff: I'd say more different than similar, but I was still able to apply the lessons learned.

Into The West was more like scoring a movie and then five sequels because of their production schedule. They were still shooting or editing the later episodes while I worked on the earlier ones, so it was one after another. With The Pacific, everything was shot and at least in a rough state with the edit before anyone wrote a note, so I saw the whole story and absorbed it that way.

It's a daunting task whichever way you do it though! Much more common for me in my world is a two hour film and two or three months in which to write it. Besides just the logistics, or the practical issues in keeping track of five times as much story, there's an endurance component to the miniseries format that you have less of on a film. I didn't get to take any vacations, let's put it that way!

Another thing I touched on before was Into The West had a different musical palette to draw from stylistically cause we had not just the settlers, but the native music to incorporate. And it probably took a broader view of the story as well. The Pacific is, and it sounds bizarre to say this, but it is intimate. It's about the cost to the individual who goes to war. Some die, some live, some are haunted, some make bad decisions. There's a whole lot of psychology to it, especially with Leckie and Sledge. Those are elements that maybe weren't so much in Into The West.

Kaya: For me as a filmmaker/writer I always look to scores to get emotions and ideas flowing and always have used music as my main source of inspiration. Where do you usually turn for inspiration? Is the footage the filmmakers shoot usually enough or do you find yourself looking elsewhere for ideas?

Geoff: Oh it's usually enough, just the film. Especially in this case. See, and I think this is one of my strong suits, I'm told it is anyway... My work [is] very symbiotic and specifically geared to the story I'm working on. I mean you couldn't take one of my pieces from The Pacific, plunk it into another war movie and have it just work because it's meant to co-operate hand in hand with The Pacific, it's for that story only. That comes from being able to find inspiration in the film I'm working on. Well, and the reality is I don't know how to work any other way.

Kaya: Does working in such a collaborative environment like RCP help the creative process? For instance do you ever knock next door and run your early compositions by someone else and get their thoughts, etc?

Geoff: Absolutely. Yes, absolutely. All the time. Actually, on The Pacific it was a little different in that Blake works from a different location, so we would send ideas back and forth, get together once in a while, things like that.

But off the topic of The Pacific, I can tell you a little about what I've just finished which was working on Clash Of The Titans. A very different score! But that one, there were only 3 weeks from the time Ramin Djawadi was hired to score the film and the dub so he asked me and a few other pals to come and help him. Now that score is a perfect example of the collaborative process, that or the first Pirates film which has already been written about at length.

On Clash of the Titans we had the exact situation you talked about. I'd show the roughest versions of cues to Ramin or the other guys and vice versa, we'd throw ideas back and forth. It was "hey, what about that riff from your cue? I bet it'd work here..." or someone would come play a cello part on someone else's cue and keep things interesting. It was some of the most fun I've had writing music in years, working that way! And with that deadline, frankly, I didn't expect that it would be, I expected just three weeks of panic and hard work.

Well, ok, and it was indeed hard work and a little bit of panic, but also huge amounts of fun mixed in.

Kaya: Okay, so Geoff Zanelli is driving in his car alone with his thoughts. What music is playing?

Geoff: If I'm alone with my thoughts, probably no music is playing! But let's see... I like the MGMT record, Hans' Sherlock score, James' Lady In The Water, and I have a great recording of Petroushka which I'm listening to cause I just saw it at Disney Hall a few weeks ago.

Kaya: Who is your favorite film composer?

Geoff: Well I wouldn't be at Hans' place if I didn't think the world of him. Can I say a few more? James Newton Howard, my old boss John Powell, Bernard Hermann, and you've got to love Giacchino and Desplat these days, I think.

Kaya: What was the best score not composed by you that you’ve heard recently?

Geoff: I know it wasn't that recent but I only only just saw Children of Men and I loved how the music was used in that. And I loved that heartbreaking sequence Giacchino did at the beginning of Up. Very classy.

Kaya: Which one of your scores are you most proud of?

Geoff: House of D has a special place for me, it being my first score. But I really feel good about that score, and it's a good example of what I was saying earlier. It's so very specific to that story. I'm also proud of how I balanced all the different elements in Outlander, which was a very tricky film in some regards cause it was a multi-genre film. And Ghost Town, I'm proud of how intimate some of that score is. It's not quite what you'd expect from me, for one thing, but that was a score where I was constantly taking things out until just the very core of the music was left. When you think of it that way, it's a pretty risky score. The climax of the film is really just three instruments, piano, clarinet and cello.

Kaya: Which one of your scores do you look back on and wish you could redo completely or erase from your filmography?

Geoff: You know, there's something to be gained from all of them so I don't really want to erase any.

There are scores where I wish I had more time though, like Hitman for instance, but I still think that was very solid work. There were some tricky circumstances on that film. For a start, I had just over three weeks from start to finish to score the whole thing, fly to Paris to record it and back to LA to mix it. Then there was a six minute action scene added to the film on the day before the dub finished. The 2nd to last day! So there wasn't time to write, record and mix something. This was the sequence in and around the sword fight, if you're familiar with the movie.

What ended up happening was the music editor John Finklea, who was in France where they were dubbing, would cut versions of other cues into that scene and send that to me in LA to review. I'd give some notes or send a new edit and we just whittled away at it overnight until it was finished. Now, if you were to watch that film and skip that scene you'd find the score feels balanced, but what ended up happening is nearly every minute of action music I wrote for the film's other scenes was edited into this new scene. You heard all of that music twice as you watched the movie! It made the action in the film feel like it was treated the same way for each of the scenes. In a perfect world, I'd have had another day or three and I could have made that into a setpiece to give it its own identity.

Now another one was Gamer but here again I think the score is effective in the film. It works well for that story, but I'm not convinced it's a great listen away from the film. The albums I release are edited to contain only the music I feel would work once you take it away from the film, but Gamer was such an ambient score, not particularly tuneful but really dependent on the sonic qualities, the production or the soundscape that it was hard to find a way to build an album. That's for sure been my most polarizing score, and even though I say I'm on the fence about how it worked as an album, I get contacted often enough with people saying how much they love that score. They love the risks it took and that it was irreverent. Definitely not a typical score, that's for sure!

Kaya: Say someone gave you the opportunity to re-score one film that’s already been made, with no disrespect to the original composer which movie would you want to take a crack at?

Geoff: All of them! It'd be hard for me to list just one again, but in no particular order I'd love to have had these playgrounds to play in: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Rosemary's Baby, District 9 and Lost In Translation.

Kaya: Again, thanks so much it was truly an honor! Best wishes and good luck!

Geoff: Thank you, too! It's my pleasure. I'm so pleased with how people are responding to The Pacific. Glad you got in touch with me about it. Good luck to you as well.

Read my review of The Pacific: Click Here

Buy The CD: Click Here

*The score is also available on iTunes and Amazon MP3

The Pacific by Hans Zimmer, Geoff Zanelli & Blake Neely (Review)

2010-03-18T10:51:00.002-04:00

The Pacific is the new miniseries on HBO that takes a look at WWII in the Pacific Theatre, which is mostly looked over in films and TV. The Thin Red Line is so far the best war film that deals with the fight in this particular area. Of course if you’ve seen Band Of Brothers then you’ll know that these Spielberg/Hanks produced miniseries aren’t Malickian in nature. They are about telling the stories of the heroics, courage and honor of the men who fought and died. The score had to reflect this.

The unbelievable task of scoring this monster epic series was handed to Hans Zimmer, Geoff Zanelli and Blake Neely. Zanelli has stated that he spent 9 months working on this. The score itself is not an action score if that’s what you’re expecting. Think The Thin Red Line but woven with the heroism found in Zimmer’s score for Pearl Harbor. The score is an immense journey of tragedy, sacrifice and finding strength within.

There are certain cues on this release that I found just absolutely stirring. Tracks like “We’ve Gone Respectable”, “Even The Trees Hate Us” and “Where Do We Go From Here” will shake your emotional core. Truly beautiful and moving music that reflects the stories being told. The score is not afraid to embrace the darkness of war, which so many scores do not. Most scores like Saving Private Ryan and Flags Of Our Fathers, while great, will stick only to the heroic route and never say “Hey, this is terrible stuff and I’m going to make you feel emotionally vulnerable now.” That’s what The Pacific does. It makes you feel emotionally vulnerable. Not so much as to the extent The Thin Red Line did, which is a score you should never listen to you unless you’re prepared to shed some tears. Here the composers successfully examine the darkness of war but they keep it within the POV of the American soldiers. You won’t find any ethnic sounds or arrangements here.

The main theme for The Pacific is entitled “Honor”, which says a lot about the focus of this amazing score. Zimmer, Zanelli & Neely were all perfect for the project. Neely especially seems befitting since he worked a lot with the late Michael Kamen who scored Band Of Brothers. This CD release is mostly representative of Zanelli’s and Neely’s work with a touch of Zimmer. Remember though, this is merely the surface of the score which spans 10 episodes. If you’re a fan of the genre I urge you take a listen and if you’re a fan of the composers then it’s a no brainer. What we have here is something memorable. The composers should be extremely proud of their work here.

PRESS RELEASE: RED STEEL™ 2 FEATURES WILD WEST MEETS ASIA FUSION ORIGINAL MUSIC SCORE BY TOM SALTA

2010-03-17T13:51:00.000-04:00

Award Winning Composer Creates Gun-Slinging, Sword-Swinging Soundtrack for Ubisoft's Action Fighting Video Game on Nintendo Wii™

New York, March 17, 2010 - Renowned composer Tom Salta has written and produced an original musical score for Red Steel™ 2, Ubisoft's new first-person action title developed exclusively for the Nintendo Wii™ and designed with full Wii MotionPlus™ integration. In Red Steel 2, the player becomes a swordsman who finds himself in a remote mixed metropolis in the middle of the American desert, where Eastern and Western cultures collide. To reflect this adventurous new setting in Red Steel 2, Salta composed an action-packed 'Wild West' guitar-driven score blended with evocative Asian music influences. Developed by Ubisoft Paris, Red Steel 2 is scheduled for release on March 23rd, 2010.

"Tom Salta is an extremely versatile composer and delivers a unique and dynamic soundtrack for Red Steel 2," said Isabelle Ballet, music supervisor for Red Steel 2. "He has crafted various music styles including mixing blues guitars with traditional Asian instruments to produce an energetic, hybrid score that motivates and immerses players in the action. We can't wait to share this experience with everyone!"

For the Red Steel 2 score, Salta enlisted the virtuosic guitar performances of veteran studio musician Steve Ouimette and recorded various instrumentalists for Chinese percussion, Shakuhachi, Fue, Pipa, harmonica and violin. Salta previously scored the original Red Steel soundtrack that received numerous accolades for its vibrant musical palette, including IGN's Wii Award for Best Original Music.

Red Steel 2 is a revolution in the action-fighting genre, taking full advantage of the capabilities of the Wii MotionPlus™ accessory. Your movements are faithfully replicated on-screen, putting the emphasis on swinging, shooting and fun! With the ability of the Wii MotionPlus to sense the strength of a swing, you will literally be able to make an impact on your adversaries through power and precision. For more information on Red Steel 2, please visit www.redsteelgame.com.

About Ubisoft:

Ubisoft is a leading producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment products worldwide and has grown considerably through a strong and diversified line-up of products and partnerships. Ubisoft has teams in 28 countries and distributes games in more than 55 countries around the globe. It is committed to delivering high-quality, cutting-edge video game titles to consumers. For the 2008-09 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1,058 million Euros. To learn more, please visitwww.ubisoftgroup.com.

Wii and Wii MotionPlus are trademarks of Nintendo.

Fantastic Mr. Fox: Additional Music From The Original Score [The Abbey Road Mixes] by Alexandre Desplat (Review)

2010-03-12T01:21:00.003-05:00

Fantastic Mr. Fox is proof that Alexandre Desplat is just plain wonderful if you haven’t had enough proof. You just can’t deny the amount of charm and character this score has. It has themes for pretty much every character or group of characters and the unique instrumentation to back up the vivid and wondrous visuals that Wes Anderson has crafted.

This release boasts an additional 48 minutes of music from the original soundtrack release, which was great to begin with. In short, between the CD release and this digital release you can own the complete recording sessions to this score. What I love about the score is that Morricone is homaged in multiple areas and while you may think that spaghetti western references would be out of place here they aren’t. They fit perfectly within the framework of the film and find a way to make it feel like they belong. Well, the western stuff is mainly used for only one character, but Desplat brings it back at the end of the film.

The instrumentation is what sets this score apart. Along the same lines of what Hans Zimmer did for Sherlock Holmes we have unique blending of instruments like the plucking of a banjo with a cello swooning in the background. You get the countryside element immediately but it brings out the personalities of the characters and essentially bring the puppets to life.

This was the first time Wes Anderson worked with Desplat. Mark Mothersbaugh was his previous “go to” composer, but Desplat was just a perfect fit for this film. This film isn’t just plain silliness like the trailer made it out to be, and if you’ve seen Anderson’s previous work you know he doesn’t just do plain silliness. Alexander Desplat is an immense talent who took some time to grow on me, but has now risen to the top of composers working today. He is making his presence known even in the mainstream areas. He just did the second Twilight film, New Moon and now is set to finish up the Harry Potter series. Fantastic Mr. Fox is a true delight and this second release was a complete surprise and should be treasured.

Creation by Christopher Young (Review)

2010-03-11T23:44:00.003-05:00

Christopher Young has crafted an unbelievably beautiful journey with his score to Creation; the film about Charles Darwin. From the get go the main theme sinks in and plants its foot down giving the listener a take-off point for the rest of the emotional journey.

The score is very gentle in its approach but the emotions it carries weigh heavy on the heart. This is not an overly dramatic score but one of tragic isolation and a strive to overcome that isolation. This is a piano and strings score, and usually when I say that I mean it in a negative sense but not so here. Simplicity is the beauty here. The sparkle of human thought and how one contrasting thought from the rest of society can separate you from that society.

Young even utilizes an Irish jig in the track “Fuegian Children”, which immediately brought back memories of his brilliant score to The Shipping News. My favorite part of the album are the closing two tracks entitled “Knowing Everything I Now Know” and “Humility And Love”. The last track is utterly beautiful as starts with a solo violin that erupts into a huge string section that then dies down into a lone piano.

The score evokes grand emotions from simple melodies and echoes everything about the story being told on screen. I would go ahead and say this is one of Christopher Young’s finest works. It embodies everything I believe a good score should have; emotion through simple melodies and a firm thematic grounding that allows it to stand apart from the film. This score is very much worth your time.

From Paris With Love by David Buckley (Review)

2010-03-11T01:54:00.002-05:00

David Buckley surprised the hell out of me with his score to The Forbidden Kingdom, which was the last score of his to get a release. It was fun, fresh and carried you on an emotional journey. Buckley switches gears for From Paris With Love. While the score is done in an incredibly entertaining and stylish manor it lacks a thematic identity.

Buckley is a friend and collaborator of Harry Gregson-Williams and the Harry influence can be heard prominently throughout the score. When I saw the movie I smiled every time I heard a “harryism” because it just felt perfect with what was going on. The music is heavy on the electronic sound and propels you through with vivid rhythms and arrangements. “Welcome To Paris, Baby” is my favorite track. It’s one of the few tracks where the music just carries you as the listener. That’s another point where the solo listening experiences suffers a bit. It’s clear that there were many short cues composed and when that’s the case it makes it very hard to make a CD album that represents the essence of the score.

For some reason I found myself comparing the score to Harry Gregson-Williams’ score to The Taking Of Pelham 123. The styles and approaches are similar and they both feature John Travolta in very similar roles.

The score was fun. It’s nothing new or unique, but given the material it was a fun experience for me. The CD was only released in Europe and since I always opt for a CD versus iTunes I imported it. If you’re a Harry Gregson-Williams fan then you’ll enjoy the score. Otherwise it may be a tough sell unless you really enjoyed the film.

Leverage by Joseph LoDuca (Review)

2010-03-11T01:35:00.002-05:00

One thing I can say about Joseph LoDuca’s score to the TV series Leverage is that it has a character of its own. So many TV scores these days fail to have their own identity, but Leverage has one. The sound has a thriving pulse to it and it’s tons of fun. There isn’t anything groundbreaking about the music here. It’s simply an upbeat jazzy score that calls to mind David Holmes’ work on the Ocean’s movies.

It’s very easy to label the score as “con” music. You know, very cool and suave. It certainly has the urban city feel and creates that atmosphere. LoDuca successfully changes things up to keep interest by adding different flavors. We have an Irish themed punk song as well as an Indian flavored track. There are some more emotionally driven tracks as well that ground the score a bit.

In the end the immense amount of music included here from the series may seem a bit overwhelming for a standalone experience. They really pack the CD nearing in at 73 minutes of music. I can’t say it’s something I can listen to anytime mostly because the music does only play on the surface. Again, this is looking at it from a standalone experience. In the show it performs its job successfully. LoDuca is able to create a light and fun atmosphere that walks the walk and talks the talk, but it fails to leave a lasting impression.

Battlestar Galactica: The Plan & Razor by Bear McCreary (Review)

2010-03-08T21:03:00.002-05:00

I’m going to be straight forward and honest here. I’ve never watched Battlestar Galactica. The only times I tune into the SyFy Channel are to watch terrible made for TV movies like Sharks In Venice starring Stephen Baldwin. Anyway, I have heard nothing but praise for Bear McCreary’s work on the series. Granted, taking a look at his filmography probably won’t impress you and the films he’s done aren’t gonna do more in the impressions department, but let me tell you right now that this is some great stuff.

The score is a combination of two separate Battlestar Galactica “events”. The Plan is more or less a 2-hour movie that aired after the completion of the series. Razor can also be considered a stand alone film (it aired between seasons). For thematic and cohesive purposes McCreary decided to combine the two scores for this unified release. I almost didn’t believe what I was hearing when the first track started. “This is music from Battlestar Galactica?” is pretty much what I said aloud. I rarely dabble in TV scores because they usually lose focus over the span of seasons and most of the score is filler. LOST is one exception to this. I found the second exception. Every track here is genuine storytelling. Thematic and melodic material carries you on an amazing journey. The music stands on its own in an immense way. It’s a rock infused percussion propelled soundscape with ethnic flavors that creates an immersive atmosphere.

This was my first Bear McCreary experience and I’m hooked. I know I’m probably missing the big picture here since I haven’t looked at the other seasons’ scores, but I love what I hear here. My initial impressions of Battlestar Galactica have changed. Never would I have imagined to find such grand and emotionally driven arcs in a score to a series for the SyFy Channel. Listen to the first track and I guarantee you’ll want to continue. If you’re a fan of modern scoring you will love it. I can’t speak for purists or traditionalists because they are stubborn and think anything that isn’t a 70 piece orchestra is bad. If you’re a Battlestar Galactica or Bear McCreary fan then I’m sure you know how great this is. If you are not fans of either then jump in and take a listen.

82nd Annual Academy Awards Recap

2010-03-08T20:27:00.005-05:00

Oscars have come and gone again. This year I can’t lie. I enjoyed the telecast immensely. While the Oscars have become rather predicable it was nice to see a few curve balls. I truly believe that Art Direction and Cinematography were the two hardest categories to call; there just wasn’t an “above the rest” nominee to me. Great surprises were Ben Still in Na’vi attire and a few hilarious skits from Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. Neil Patrick Harris’ opening number felt a bit out of place but was good. I loved that Kathryn Bigelow won and James Cameron didn't. First female director to win an Oscar is a pretty big milestone. She deserved it though because The Hurt Locker was a perfectly crafted film. Also happy that Avatar only went home with 2 Oscars. The movie is not that good! I enjoyed it immensely, but am sick and tired of the praise everyone is giving this movie.

There were some things that bogged down the telecast and initiated eye rolling from me. I love Jeff Bridges and love that he won, but his speech was just too boring, Sean Penn again comes in and makes everyone feel awkward, and then there was the Step Up 3 rehearsals going on during the score montage. I mean, honestly what the hell? That was the most insulting and ridiculous thing I have ever seen to those scores. How can you play these immense compositions while break dancers jump all over the place and do the robot? If scores do one thing it's that they accommodate imagery and nothing was in sync from what I saw. It was a horrendous misfire.

The score category this year was a sure win for Giacchino, which I could not be happier that he won. I remember playing the first Medal Of Honor in 1999 and loving the score. That was more or less the beginning of his career. Over a decade of following him and loving every score he composes I saw him get his Oscar. A well deserved Oscar. Hans is my boy, but even he knew he wasn’t going to win I’m sure. Giacchino swept every other award possible and let’s face it, Up is pretty damn amazing. Guaranteed tears every time.

Great telecast and well deserved wins make this the best Oscar ceremony in a couple years.

Extraordinary Measures by Andrea Guerra (Review)

2010-02-24T22:55:00.003-05:00

Extraordinary Measures is a film that looks like it should be a Saturday night movie on the Hallmark Channel. Yet somehow it stars Brendan Fraser and Harrison Ford. Italian born composer Andrea Guerra did the score. I was first introduced to his work with some of the amazing stuff he composed for Hotel Rwanda alongside Rupert Gregson-Williams.

With Extraordinary Measures Guerra takes a non intrusive approach. Some of the music borders saccharine and cliche, but there are a few tracks that call back to that style I heard and loved in Hotel Rwanda. This is a piano and strings score that relies on the arrangements. He utilizes electronics occasionally more for percussion and to add some tension and conflict to the sound. Tracks like “Her Eyes”, “The Lake”, “Breakdown” and “On The Road” shine through though because they find a way to step apart from the formulaic material of the film.

The sugar coated part of the score is melodramatic and just rushes in forced emotions. Do not get put off by the first track, which is incredibly cheesy. There is heart and real emotion in this score. It just requires a little digging to get the sweet candy shell off. This score is an honest attempt at lightweight emotional scoring for a PG family drama. The music just never excels, and while there are some genuine cues of real emotion there is also some melodramatic stuff we have to cut through to get to it. Guerra is another recent foreign composer who is starting to get more work in Hollywood and I can't wait to hear more from him.

Armored by John Murphy (Review)

2010-02-24T22:31:00.002-05:00

John Murphy is a British composer whose known for his extremely modern scoring techniques. He loves to infuse rock and orchestra to create these synthesized soundscapes. His work on Danny Boyle’s films are the highlights of his work. I absolutely loved his score to Sunshine, it was such a huge part of the film.

Now, Murphy is known for doing some “lesser” quality films too like Basic Instinct 2 and The Last House On The Left. His style was a perfect fit for Armored I must say even if the film itself was a total misfire. The score does stand on its own and those who like Murphy’s style should get good milage out of his work here.

I feel like the first and last tracks (which contain the main theme) embody Murphy and all of his style. I love the synth loop with the strings. As the score progresses though we lose the momentum of that first track. The theme gets revisited in a few tracks like “Warehouse”, but it’s hard to pick out any memorable tracks that really connect. That’s what I look for. I look for music that connects to me emotionally, and it can be any sort of emotion. The problem here is that most of the score here has no depth beyond the surface. As an exercise in style it gets a thumbs up because it’s definitely a decent listen and John Murphy fans should thoroughly enjoy it. All in all I wasn't expecting much here but was actually surprised and delighted by what I found.

Legion by John Frizzell (Review)

2010-02-24T22:01:00.002-05:00

Let me start off by saying that Legion was one of the worst movies I’ve seen in recent years. However, I have found many great scores in quite awful films. Legion is not this case. John Frizzell has never composed anything that has ever connected with me. Wait, I take that back. I actually liked the score to Dante’s Peak, but I credit James Newton Howard’s writing on that since the theme is amazing. Frizzell’s music is usually as formulaic as the movies he composes, which aren’t the best projects to begin with. Just to name a few films he’s done: Whiteout, The Reaping, First Born, Primeval, Stay Alive, Cradle 2 The Grave, Ghost Ship, Thir13en Ghosts, Alien Resurrection, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.

Legion is terrible material to be given as a composer. There is only so much you can do with one of the worst scripts to hit the market since Ultraviolet, but at least Klaus Badelt managed to make it stylish. Here we get nothing out of the ordinary. Pulsing strings and overbearing synth modified vocals at inappropriate times. Some of the structures actually lead me to believe that The Dark Knight may have been used as a temp track, but that’s just my speculation.

The score never stands on its own. I can barely tell you what the main theme is. There are a couple attempts at drawing out some emotion and it’s of course a piano melody. The one glimmer of light I found in the score is the track “Die Like One Of Them”. You can feel the embodiment of thematic structure that you wish somehow found its way into the rest of the score. Then again this is the score to Legion; a film starring Paul Bettany as a rogue angel protecting a trailer trash baby from God's army at a gas station in the desert.

A Sincere Prospect Now Available On Amazon.com!

2010-02-18T21:49:00.006-05:00

In my last semester of school I made a short film. The script is a very personal one and incorporates a lot of themes that I have experienced in my life. I wanted it to be the last thing I made in school because it was sort of a culmination of everything I made beforehand. I was fortunate to have my own World Premiere at the prestigious AFI Silver Theatre in August, 2009. The film is now available for sale or rental on Amazon.com’s Video On Demand service.

Please support the film and take in all of its strengths and weaknesses. Would love to hear any feedback anyone has and thank you in advance if you do decide to purchase it.

On a related note the film features an original score by Daniel Laufer who also wrote an original song for the movie. With film music being a huge part of my life as a person and a filmmaker I found communicating with Daniel the easiest part of the filmmaking process. There was absolutely no guesswork and everything he sent me struck oil the very first time.

Written, Produced & Directed By: Kaya Savas

Starring: Brad Bradley, Mark Spilman, John Wheeler & Christine Carter

Music By: Daniel Laufer

Product Link:

http://www.amazon.com/A-Sincere-Prospect/dp/B0038EOH9A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=digital-video&qid=1266548076&sr=8-2

You can download Daniel’s score for free here:

http://www.jamendo.com/en/album/52886

The Hurt Locker by Marco Beltrami & Buck Sanders (Review)

2010-02-18T21:37:00.002-05:00

I missed The Hurt Locker in theaters, but ended up buying it on Blu-ray just based off the word of mouth. The film is quite a masterfully crafted piece of tension. However, what is probably the most unnoticed element to that tension that goes way beyond the direction and editing is Marco Beltrami & Buck Sanders’ score.

When Marco Beltrami surfaced as one of Hollywood’s “go to” composers I was never really impressed with his work. To me it just seemed like he would churn out stock scores that followed genre formulas. The first score of his that made me eat my words was his brilliant work for The Three Burials Of Melquiades Estrada. I told myself that if he would compose stuff of this calibre more often I’d be a Beltrami fan. He then went ahead and composed 3:10 To Yuma and ended up getting an Oscar nomination.

Hans is the father of pulling the blanket off of ghost writers. Composers like John Powell, Harry Gregson-Williams, James Dooley and many more have him to credit for their opportunities in this industry. Buck Sanders is to Marco Beltrami as Lorne Balfe is to Hans Zimmer right now. He started doing additional music and producing for Beltrami and now he has an Oscar nomination to his name.

The score itself is a hard stand alone listen. It’s mostly ambience with a slight identifiable structure. The two incorporate synths and some ethnic instruments to create atmosphere and setting, but it’s really hard to get attached to this score without seeing the film. The main theme carries this score. It’s incredibly dreary and pessimistic. It’s most notable in the track “The Way I Am”. That track embodies what I love about the score in that it is incredibly personal towards the characters. This isn’t a “war score” or an “action score”. It’s a nerve wracking journey that speaks uneasiness. The track “There Will Be Bombs” is an homage to Jonny Greenwood’s score to There Will Be Blood. Those who have seen the movie or know the score will get the sound similarities.

All in all if you told me that this score was composed by the same duo who did Max Payne then I probably wouldn’t believe you. However, that is the truth and while the score has a tough time standing on its own it is incredibly effective for the film it was composed for.

Edge Of Darkness by Howard Shore (Review)

2010-01-27T23:35:00.002-05:00

For a while we didn’t see much of Howard Shore. He was off busy at work on the opera stage version of The Fly. For the past 3 years we hardly got any Shore at all. The Departed in 2006, The Last Mimzy and Eastern Promises in 2007 and Doubt in 2008. That was pretty much it.

Shore now returns to his true form with Edge Of Darkness for Martin Campbell. Edge Of Darkness was exactly what I was expecting. It’s pure vintage Howard Shore that calls back on his masterful work for Fincher with Se7en and Panic Room. Brooding and somber strings that provide wall to wall sound make up the bulk of the score. His signature low end brass adds variation to the structure. Shore throws in some high pitch violin screeches now and then to climax certain cues. They are hair raising to say the least and the first one caught me off guard and gave me quite the chill.

While most of the music is pretty much bubbling tension there are moments of gentle emotion that peek out. The score is harsh in its mood but is not aggressive in its approach. Like I said before it’s bubbling tension. It reaches a full boil but never splashes over the edge of the pot. The score is well contained and focused. There is nothing complex about Shore’s approach to this sort of material. If you’ve seen Se7en and Panic Room then you know what I’m talking about. That being said this is old ground that has been well covered. There isn’t anything fresh nor any moments that stand out. Shore’s scores usually don’t make the best solo listening experiences, but that shouldn’t deter you from checking this one out. The score is very atmospheric rather than thematic and it succeeds in mounting tension till it erupts.

The Road by Nick Cave & Warren Ellis (Review)

2010-01-20T13:18:00.002-05:00

Nick Cave & Warren Ellis continue their collaboration with director John Hillcoat. Those familiar with their sound know just how amazing they are. Subtle and simple melodies echo powerful emotions through their scores. You won’t find a 70 piece orchestra here. Their most notable scores are The Proposition and the masterpiece that is The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford.

The Road is the most recent Cormac McCarthy novel adaptation. A haunting and harrowing look into human nature in a post apocalyptic world. It contains everything of the genre but is presented in a much more quieter way. This is not Mad Max. The main theme is somewhat reminiscent of Eric Satie in that it’s a minimalist piano tune. Of course it’s backed by that signature violin that has become the Cave & Ellis sound. Tracks like “The Road” and “The Mother” have a nurturing and hopeful tone, and that sets up our main characters on their journey. Within the score you will also find some terrifying music; atmospheric horror that will make your tear up, put a knot in your stomach and tingle your spine. If I had to compare the style it would be to Akira Yamaoka’s work on the Silent Hill franchise. “The House” and “The Cellar” are quite unsettling tracks to listen to and even more so if you’ve seen the film. While the score plunges into a hellish nightmare at times it resurfaces back to that nurturing beauty towards the end.

This is an amazing score. It is nothing short of brilliant and stands up with their previous work as something all film enthusiasts should take note of. While it may be less thematic and more atmospheric than their previous work it doesn’t change the fact that this score will emotionally move and stir you in a profound way.

La Virgen Negra by Elik Álvarez (Review)

2010-01-20T12:08:00.003-05:00

Venezuelan composer Elik Álvarez composes his first noteworthy score with La Virgen Negra. I love being introduced to new talents, new sounds and fresh approaches which is exactly what I got with La Virgen Negra. Don’t get me wrong, I love that a composer can be an auteur just like a director where you can pick out similarities within the body of their work, but let’s face it sometimes you want something new.

La Virgen Negra is a romantic fantasy and the score echoes that. It carries a mystical atmosphere that suggests curiosity and the unknown. Right off the bat we get an established tone and Álvarez keeps that up. The tone gradually changes as we plunge deeper and deeper into the story. While the score is influenced by Álvarez’s background and nationality it’s not so much traditional in that sense. The guitar plays a heavy solo role in the score but beautiful strings fill in the rest of the space. Renowned vocalist Lisbeth Scott provides the vocals to the score. In some tracks it’s more subtle and in others her voice carries the music more in a Lisa Gerrard way rather than a song with lyrics way. If I had to pick a score to compare this one to (which I usually don’t like doing) it would have to be Ramin Djawadi and Heitor Pereira’s score to Ask The Dust. It’s the only recent score in my memory that is heavily influenced by a hispanic sound yet as the modern feel backed with strings.

If a score cannot stand apart from the film then in my opinion it’s a bad score. This score stands apart from the film and is a fantastic solo listening experience. There are some great new talents emerging that understand this like Jeff Grace and his score for The Last Winter. There are also some new talents that don’t such as Atticus Ross’ score for The Book Of Eli. Scores that can carry an emotional story without the images of the film is that much stronger when placed within the context of the film. Álvarez accomplishes this with La Virgen Negra, which is a great score and highly recommended. It can be found on iTunes and Amazon MP3 as a digital download.