Knife Edge
Guy Farley
" Knife Edge is a solid good score that doesn't deliver the punch "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
A successful Wall Street trader returns to England with her new husband and five-year-old son, but their new start together turns into a nightmare when they move into a country house which contains a terrible secret. Whatever this says to you, the movie isn't particularly highly rated at the various movie sites. The score on the other hand was heralded as something better. Reason for us to check it out.
Hints of John Barry, Jerry Goldsmith and Bernard Herrmann and one can't be disappointed right? Well truth it, I'm disappointed but not because this is a bad score, but because it doesn't finish what it started. I always hate when good material goes nowhere, or leaves the final stroke waiting at the tip of our tongues. Knife Edge is in my opinion such a score, and the reason why I'm disappointed is because it is a shame it actually doesn't deliver what it builds upon.
The fetching short main theme's performance in "Title Theme", the lovely Barry like love theme in "England" and "Lovers", the sinister underscore in "The House" and the atonal begin of "Raven Attack" all sure sound lovely and promising, and basically from here on you hear a composer who tries to do something expected but also successful. There is no surprise here, but it is all well performed.
The classical (Aliens) influence aside in "Collapsed", we have the lovely returning love theme in "A Kiss", a Goldsmith string moment in "Sisters", the creepy music that is sadly so short in "Drug Nightmare" (Aliens influences once again), the lovely string work and Goldsmith influence in "It's Turning" and the Signs influenced "Old Photos" does show that the score has a hefty doses of various influenced ideas.
But for me it is the quality of the music that impresses, and the potential that it sadly doesn't deliver. Farley works with so many influences but above all ideas that promise so much, that it doesn't deliver what it tries to build upon. To me that is the reason what keeps Knife Edge from reaching a higher rating. Too bad considering the orchestral suspenseful music in "The Knife" and the main theme alongside the Jaws frenziness at the end of "Roof Chase" promise so much goodness. The tracks that don't deliver at all are "Chase" (which is a light antidote), alongside the soft "Going Mad".
Guy Farley's Knife Edge is a score with potential. It is well written, tries to build on various techniques and it is performed lovely by the City of Prague Philharmonic orchestra. Too bad then it doesn't deliver what it tries to build upon. Perhaps it is the movie that doesn't give the composer the opportunity, but either way Knife Edge is a solid good score that doesn't deliver the punch. Sadly for a horror thriller, the punch is all it needs to give you the satisfaction. And sadly I missed that the most upon reaching the end of Knife Edge.
Tracklisting
1. Title Theme (0.57)
2. England (2.10)
3. The House (3.01)
4. Raven Attack (2.37)
5. Collapsed (1.00)
6. A Kiss (1.49)
7. The Tree (2.04)
8. Sisters (0.56)
9. Business Problems (1.24)
10. Emma and Pollock (1.41)
11. Drug Nightmare (1.10)
12. It's Turning (1.46)
13. The Hidden Room (1.35)
14. Old Photos (1.14)
15. The Nursery (1.43)
16. The Knife (2.24)
17. Chase (1.03)
18. The Syringe (0.44)
19. Going Mad (1.36)
20. Roof Chase (3.39)
21. Together (1.16)
22. Lovers (1.43)
23. Knife Edge Theme 1 (1.33)
Total Length: 39.16
Hints of John Barry, Jerry Goldsmith and Bernard Herrmann and one can't be disappointed right? Well truth it, I'm disappointed but not because this is a bad score, but because it doesn't finish what it started. I always hate when good material goes nowhere, or leaves the final stroke waiting at the tip of our tongues. Knife Edge is in my opinion such a score, and the reason why I'm disappointed is because it is a shame it actually doesn't deliver what it builds upon.
The fetching short main theme's performance in "Title Theme", the lovely Barry like love theme in "England" and "Lovers", the sinister underscore in "The House" and the atonal begin of "Raven Attack" all sure sound lovely and promising, and basically from here on you hear a composer who tries to do something expected but also successful. There is no surprise here, but it is all well performed.
The classical (Aliens) influence aside in "Collapsed", we have the lovely returning love theme in "A Kiss", a Goldsmith string moment in "Sisters", the creepy music that is sadly so short in "Drug Nightmare" (Aliens influences once again), the lovely string work and Goldsmith influence in "It's Turning" and the Signs influenced "Old Photos" does show that the score has a hefty doses of various influenced ideas.
But for me it is the quality of the music that impresses, and the potential that it sadly doesn't deliver. Farley works with so many influences but above all ideas that promise so much, that it doesn't deliver what it tries to build upon. To me that is the reason what keeps Knife Edge from reaching a higher rating. Too bad considering the orchestral suspenseful music in "The Knife" and the main theme alongside the Jaws frenziness at the end of "Roof Chase" promise so much goodness. The tracks that don't deliver at all are "Chase" (which is a light antidote), alongside the soft "Going Mad".
Guy Farley's Knife Edge is a score with potential. It is well written, tries to build on various techniques and it is performed lovely by the City of Prague Philharmonic orchestra. Too bad then it doesn't deliver what it tries to build upon. Perhaps it is the movie that doesn't give the composer the opportunity, but either way Knife Edge is a solid good score that doesn't deliver the punch. Sadly for a horror thriller, the punch is all it needs to give you the satisfaction. And sadly I missed that the most upon reaching the end of Knife Edge.
Tracklisting
1. Title Theme (0.57)
2. England (2.10)
3. The House (3.01)
4. Raven Attack (2.37)
5. Collapsed (1.00)
6. A Kiss (1.49)
7. The Tree (2.04)
8. Sisters (0.56)
9. Business Problems (1.24)
10. Emma and Pollock (1.41)
11. Drug Nightmare (1.10)
12. It's Turning (1.46)
13. The Hidden Room (1.35)
14. Old Photos (1.14)
15. The Nursery (1.43)
16. The Knife (2.24)
17. Chase (1.03)
18. The Syringe (0.44)
19. Going Mad (1.36)
20. Roof Chase (3.39)
21. Together (1.16)
22. Lovers (1.43)
23. Knife Edge Theme 1 (1.33)
Total Length: 39.16