Predator
Alan Silvestri
" You're one ugly ... great thundering and now deluxe edition score "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the deluxe edition
Fresh of the success of Back to the Future, Alan Silvestri was on a hot Hollywood trail to recognition and fame. And that's why he was scoring some good movies in that time. Predator, still considered as one of the best classic action movies simply had everything, a cool cast with Arnold Schwarzenegger as THE king, a great story, an excellent villain, a foreign setting and some really great stunts and special effects. Altogether this matches Alan Silvestri's militaristic, thunderous and suspension laden score.
For a long time THIS score was unreleased. But one of the virtues then is that any label can pick it up, making Predator a perfect opportunity for the Varèse Sarabande people to polish it up, and release it as a club title. And the rest is history.
Predator, the Deluxe Edition now shows you the true virtue behind Alan Silvestri's intentions because the booklet and additional track by track analysis is a really great way in discovering those little hidden ideas. But the main idea behind Alan Silvestri's score was to present man vs. alien in its rawest form. The growling, menacing, impending and exhilarating score therefore became a soundtrack everyone wanted to have.
Almost everything of Silvestri's music was presented on the bootleg, except one cue namely "Building a Trap" (mixing the main theme with the impending doom theme). But now this is corrected giving you the feeling you are hearing the entire musical score.
But the booklet also shows there are many themes and motifs to be found in the score. The odd opening of using Elliot Goldenthal's take on the 20th Century Fox fanfare (used in Alien 3) not included, the toying of themes starts from the very first second. "Main Title" starts with the alien motif before the pounding main theme kicks in. "Something Else" has the jungle tones and some Who Framed Roger Rabbit darkness (like the booklet explains as well) and the lovely realization you have tracks that are glued together to give you a smoother listening experience.
Moving on, "Payback Time" has great thundering qualities, "Preparing Camp Attack" has a brief but astounding final fanfare and "Jungle Trek" contains variations on the main theme brought in rapid succession.
"The Girl's Escape" shows you a gentle version of the impending doom theme, alongside the alien motif. "We’re all Gonna Die" contains some thrilling action music that listens incredibly good. But the magical tricks of Silvestri are just beginning to open up. In "Billy Stands Alone" we have the impeding doom fanfare growing and growing until you and Billy can’t hold it off anymore. And yet "Battle Plans" is still something else.
For 10 minutes you receive the main theme and impending doom theme pounding against each other, showing you both Dutch and the Predator preparing themselves for the ultimate battle. And that battle is definitely big in "Predator's Big Finish". The lonesome trumpet theme and the great marching militaristic main theme are what we hear last in "The Rescue and End Credits".
Alan Silvestri always had a darker quality in his music, and Predator is one of the best examples to show you that. Finally it is heard the way it is meant to be heard, full, loud and with good quality sound. With a booklet full of information and a really good presentation, Predator is sadly already out of print. But that doesn't mean you don't have to go predating for it. After all, where else could you hear YOU UGLY MOTHERFUCKER in such thunderous quality? (Blu-Ray excluded)
Tracklisting
1. Twentieth Century Fox Fanfare * (0.25)
2. Main Title (3.51)
3. Something Else (3.34)
4. Cut' Em Down (1.56)
5. Payback Time (2.07)
6. The Truck (4.20)
7. Jungle Trek (1.46)
8. The Girl's Escape (5.58)
9. Blaine's Death (2.46)
10. He's my Friend (1.25)
11. We're All Gonna Die (3.32)
12. Building a Trap (3.02) Excellent track
13. The Waiting (3.27)
14. The Hunt is On (4.51)
15. Dillon is Disarmed (2.06)
16. Billy Stands Alone (2.34) Excellent track
17. Battle Plans (9.24) Excellent track
18. Wounded Predator (4.13)
19. Hand to Hand Combat (3.12)
20. Predator's Big Finish (3.41) Excellent track
21. The Rescue and End Credits (4.44) Excellent track
* Alfred Newman, arranged by Elliot Goldenthal
Total Length: 73.17
For a long time THIS score was unreleased. But one of the virtues then is that any label can pick it up, making Predator a perfect opportunity for the Varèse Sarabande people to polish it up, and release it as a club title. And the rest is history.
Predator, the Deluxe Edition now shows you the true virtue behind Alan Silvestri's intentions because the booklet and additional track by track analysis is a really great way in discovering those little hidden ideas. But the main idea behind Alan Silvestri's score was to present man vs. alien in its rawest form. The growling, menacing, impending and exhilarating score therefore became a soundtrack everyone wanted to have.
Almost everything of Silvestri's music was presented on the bootleg, except one cue namely "Building a Trap" (mixing the main theme with the impending doom theme). But now this is corrected giving you the feeling you are hearing the entire musical score.
But the booklet also shows there are many themes and motifs to be found in the score. The odd opening of using Elliot Goldenthal's take on the 20th Century Fox fanfare (used in Alien 3) not included, the toying of themes starts from the very first second. "Main Title" starts with the alien motif before the pounding main theme kicks in. "Something Else" has the jungle tones and some Who Framed Roger Rabbit darkness (like the booklet explains as well) and the lovely realization you have tracks that are glued together to give you a smoother listening experience.
Moving on, "Payback Time" has great thundering qualities, "Preparing Camp Attack" has a brief but astounding final fanfare and "Jungle Trek" contains variations on the main theme brought in rapid succession.
"The Girl's Escape" shows you a gentle version of the impending doom theme, alongside the alien motif. "We’re all Gonna Die" contains some thrilling action music that listens incredibly good. But the magical tricks of Silvestri are just beginning to open up. In "Billy Stands Alone" we have the impeding doom fanfare growing and growing until you and Billy can’t hold it off anymore. And yet "Battle Plans" is still something else.
For 10 minutes you receive the main theme and impending doom theme pounding against each other, showing you both Dutch and the Predator preparing themselves for the ultimate battle. And that battle is definitely big in "Predator's Big Finish". The lonesome trumpet theme and the great marching militaristic main theme are what we hear last in "The Rescue and End Credits".
Alan Silvestri always had a darker quality in his music, and Predator is one of the best examples to show you that. Finally it is heard the way it is meant to be heard, full, loud and with good quality sound. With a booklet full of information and a really good presentation, Predator is sadly already out of print. But that doesn't mean you don't have to go predating for it. After all, where else could you hear YOU UGLY MOTHERFUCKER in such thunderous quality? (Blu-Ray excluded)
Tracklisting
1. Twentieth Century Fox Fanfare * (0.25)
2. Main Title (3.51)
3. Something Else (3.34)
4. Cut' Em Down (1.56)
5. Payback Time (2.07)
6. The Truck (4.20)
7. Jungle Trek (1.46)
8. The Girl's Escape (5.58)
9. Blaine's Death (2.46)
10. He's my Friend (1.25)
11. We're All Gonna Die (3.32)
12. Building a Trap (3.02) Excellent track
13. The Waiting (3.27)
14. The Hunt is On (4.51)
15. Dillon is Disarmed (2.06)
16. Billy Stands Alone (2.34) Excellent track
17. Battle Plans (9.24) Excellent track
18. Wounded Predator (4.13)
19. Hand to Hand Combat (3.12)
20. Predator's Big Finish (3.41) Excellent track
21. The Rescue and End Credits (4.44) Excellent track
* Alfred Newman, arranged by Elliot Goldenthal
Total Length: 73.17