[Closed] Now Playing XVI

A great film indeed, although I don't really remember the music all that well. Perhaps I need to see the film again or just check out the album.

NP: Lair - Debney

I've been listening to a lot of quieter stuff lately such as Desplat's The Luzhin Defence and Danna's Breach. I decided it was time for full blown balls to the wall orchestral bombast! Playing this one LOUD!

Aliens are evil and shoot be shot to hell, preferably with nuclear missiles.
Can't STAND those "nice angelic" ones.

If only the film version of this cue had been in the score cd....

A friend of mine said it was extremely disappointing compared to the book. I was going to read the book but never got around to it, so I never found out what that difference was!?

NP: THE UNFORGIVEN... Lennie Niehaus/Clint Eastwood

While the "Claudia's Theme", composed by Eastwood is the main theme there is some tense underscore in this violent western.

The Nightcomers - Jerry Fielding

A delightful score, tuneful but retaining Fielding's trademark complexities.

I think it's a superb film score Tom to my all time favourite western, a very brooding and powerful score that works perfectly within context of the film but maybe not so great as a stand alone listen?

I wonder if it could be enjoyed separate from the franchise (e.g. like Steven is doing)?

I must confess I don't understand the idea behind this series at all.
It's by far the least interesting aspect of the whole Star Wars saga? Even though I enjoyed the Clone Wars mini-series, it was more as a step-up to Revenge Of The Sith.
So what is the main attraction here? It's Star Wars, sure, but basically stripped of...well...Star Wars.
Will it be another Tour Of Duty In Space like Starship Troopers or Space: Above And Beyond? Seems a bit late in the game for that?

To me the main attraction of Star Wars was never the war aspect, but the mythological epic. The Good Versus Evil drama on a truly Galactic scale. The Fall Of Anakin was what kept the prequels going for me, but I did not enjoy the battle scenes more or less than -say- those in The Longest Day. Sure, they were awe-inspiring to watch, but there was not half as much emotional resonance as when the Rebellion made their last-ditch effort against the Empire in Return Of The Jedi...because there it truly was Good and Evil on the line, rather than political factions!

In that vein, I would have liked a series based on the original trilogy...if only because of the interesting (semi-)paralels with modern day sensibilities: small, armed pockets of fanatics lashing out against the established political order... What great stories to tell!
Anyway. Just dreaming.

NP: Emperor: Battle For Dune (game score) - David Arkenstone, Frank Klepacki and others
Rather Space Hulk-ish (though obviously better sounding), with all the expected techno and hard-rocking guitar thunder expected for a game as belligerent as this. Enjoyable, sure, but nothing special.

Actually I liked that ending, as it was to comfort Ellie after her stressful journey to another galaxy... I thought the acting in that part was spot on and I could not have wished for another ending. When I first saw the film, I too thought to see yet another CGI-based alien but it's been done hundreds of time so this time it was something different, an alien camouflaged as a human: I thought that was a good idea, and I still like that scene after 10+ times of viewing.

And it's brilliant in my book, except I don't know the book, I don't read books.

Actually, the film is just called UNFORGIVEN. No THE.



-Erik-

NP : TRUE CONFESSIONS - Georges Delerue



One of the most beautiful, gorgeous film scores ever written IMO and a Delerue work that jostles with his own Agnes of God for #1 spot in my heart.

Shadows Of The Empire - Joel McNeely

The soundtrack of the book of the spin-off of the project between the films.
The track Night Skies is absolutely bloody beautiful. I can so picture Luke and Vader on opposites sides of the city, sensing each other.

But really all tracks are good. It's a very coherent story, musically, and an excellent stand-alone listen. Non-Williams stand-outs are The Battle Of Gail (I do so like the little 'meditative' moment within where the pilots realize what they're up against and that many won't be coming back), Xizor's theme (oriental without any of the current clichés, and SO stylishly menacing that it's very Golden Age in feel) and The Seduction Of Princess Leia (the dance is so hypnotic I forgive McNeely the mickey-mousism of Chewbacca knocking on the door at the end. ).

Just HAD to put Night Skies back on repeat.
DAMN, but it's good.

Up next: a personal playlist of the Star Wars saga's best...I probably won't get through it all before the evening's over.
Wa-hey! Starting off with Inner City. An excellent, excellent track.
"Switch over! And let’s hope we don’t have a burnout!"

Neither. Me and Martijn were discussing what we prefer.