[Closed] Recent Viewing Part III

Is it good? I am currently in LOVE with BIG BANG THEORY. Are you watching this Steven? I'd imagine it's pretty much suited to you.

I am watching EDGE OF DARKNESS tonight at the cinema, in hope of perhaps understanding the score a bit more for a review, if i find the time.

One of my favourite endings to a TV show ever. It hurts, but it stays in your head, and kind of rings true.

Absolutely agree on all four points.

I frigging hated it.
But in a good way, if you know what I mean.
It made it so inevitable.

Damn. This one is gonna stick with me for some time.
This song used to leave me absolutely cold.
No more.

Absolutely loved that show. I'd love to give another watch.

Brannigan

This is one of those John Wayne movies that I hadn't seen before so I was glad to catch it on TV last night. But my joy didn't last long: it was a silly and boring action/crime movie, the only good thing in it was John Wayne itself. His charisma kind of saved most of the scenes even though he was rather old and even sick when it was made. Still, I wouldn't recommend this movie for anyone.

What' is it about?

Under Fire

I'd forgotten how good this is. Very well-made political thriller. I'd also forgotten how different the score in the film is compared with the CD - there's so much in the film which isn't on the album and so much on the album which isn't in the film (including two of the best cues, "Bajo Fuego" and "The Fall of Managua"). Does anyone have the FSM CD? If so, do the liner notes explain what happened? I've always wondered. In any case, the music's magnificent. The album's probably my favourite (and certainly my most-played) soundtrack album.

I don't know whether the director pushed him that way, but the score came along as confused, not knowing exactly what direction to follow at each scene and it didn't seem to have a strong personality (whatever that might be, i don't imply it should necessarily be thematic - driven or traditional or anything, but whatever musical direction he did choose, he didn't support it boldly enough). It wasn't subtle either; the kind of music that elegantly underlines scenes without intervening much, it wasn't like that. It mostly seemed like an undecided and shy musical accompaniment that wasn't too sure of what it was doing. In the movie it goes completely unnoticed (and it's buried, mixed very low) except for the final scene which is basically very much near Thomas Newman territories with minimalistic fragile piano lines, and not exactly Shore-isms. It feels like Shore's pretty much out of his league with the movies he chooses to score these days, or maybe his mind is somewhere else? Concert music perhaps? Don't know.

n.p. ADRIAN JOHNSTON - all the king's men

Somebody give this man more to score.

I got a bit caught up in the post-LOTR Shore euphoria and I do like some of his music in this period, but I'm not sure he's such a great film composer. My favourite album of his post-LOTR is The Aviator but that makes no impact on the film at all. His music tends to be so turgid and colourless, especially in the thrillers (which is virtually all he scores). There's never much change of pace or flavour (I watched Eastern Promises recently and at first was struck by how well the theme worked - but then it appears over and over and over and over, maybe with subtle changes in its precise construction, but never any real variance from the same harmonic structure, it ends up just being irritating). The same thing is true to an extent even in LOTR (he doesn't actually DO anything with any of the themes, just restates them, but is rescued by virtue of there being so many of them - so it's only a small problem there).

Don´t forget that before LOTR, Shore was the guy doing all those weird David Cronenberg films and bland action / comedies. LOTR is the exception to the rule.

This is exactly why the soundtrack community was up in arms when they heard the final choice was Shore (with moths of speculation that it might have gone to Kilar): "Oh no! NOT that weird, dark Cronenvberg guy!"

Then I'm sure D. should like it.

The whole movie is very serious (and slow at places), the ending changes dramatically into standard hollywood fair.

Well, you'll understand (or not) when you watch it. I can't really say much more without giving away too much.