How They Turned Out...

by Jason Foster

Way back in June, I did a little column about the upcoming scores I was most looking forward to. Since all of them have now come out, it's time for my report card--thus the letter grades, as opposed to stars. Overall, I guess you could say I was pleased with most of the results. These aren't all the scores I ended up liking or not liking, but rather a short list. Enjoy!

AIR FORCE ONE (Randy Newman): Well, we all know what happened here. I was really looking forward to hearing a Newman action score, but it was not to be. However, there was some solace when I found out that Jerry Goldsmith would be the replacement composer. The score turned out pretty much the way I expected it to, considering the time constraints he was under. The main theme works in getting us into the proper patriotic mood (i.e. America is # 1 now and will still be at the end of the film). Sure, it sounds like a play off of his Star Trek: First Contact theme, but, hey, it's uplifting. As for the rest of the score, I must say I found it to be standard Goldsmith action material. But again, you pretty much have to forgive this because of the short amount of time he had to write the score. I must point out, however, that the "standard" sound I referred to is better than a lot of composers' best work, and the material here isn't without its moments. I found parts of several cues enjoyable, most notably "The Hijacking."

The additional music by Joel McNeely in the film served more or less as transitional material, but his music during the final dogfight also had its moments of excitement. But for whatever reason, it was left off the CD.

Sure, we've all heard better things from Goldsmith. But with all things considered, you have to admit that this score more than works. B-

CONTACT (Alan Silvestri): In my first column, I mentioned that some of Silvestri's better scores have come from Robert Zemeckis films (e.g. Back to the Future, Forrest Gump). However, I'm sorry to say that I won't be able to include this one on that list. It's already been pointed out how Silvestri and Zemeckis decided to score this film and all it's deep meanings and messages with light, "innocent" material rather than with a "big" score to represent those deep messages. I understand why they chose to do this and I even think it works to a degree, but, in the end, it's all been done before. There are a couple of moments I liked, but mostly it was surrounded by parts I didn't care for.

A lot of people have said the main theme is too close to the Feather Theme from Forrest Gump. They are the same in style (again, the "innocent" music), but I think that because the first few notes are very close, people automatically think hack. If you go just by how it works in the film, I suppose this score did it's job. However, if you're listening for pleasure, as most of us are, I have to look somewhere else. C+

MEN IN BLACK (Danny Elfman): I must admit that when I first heard this score I thought, "This is typical Elfman--nothing too special." But after a few listens to the main themes it really began to grow on me. It's really got a good grove. Sure, I hear lots of Elfmanisms, but so what. I like many of these "isms." I don't know what else to say about the score, except that I like it. It's not going to win an Oscar or anything like that, but I find it entertaining. I wish I could say more, but words are escaping me. B-

SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET and AMISTAD (John Williams): Going in, I expected these to be the usual solid efforts that John Williams is known and respected for. I got exactly what I expected. These two scores once again show us that Williams is a master at his craft and can pretty much do anything. People are saying how much they like one better than the other, but to compare the two and decide which is better is unfair. These two scores both have "ethnic" elements but are as different as night and day. Tibet is more or less a sweeping (the main theme, anyway) and romantic effort which fittingly represents the grandeur of the images and messages that was the film.

Amistad was a more restrained effort, which is exactly what the film needed. There was no room for a heavy theme. It needed a quieter, more subdued score. To me at least, this is why many fans prefer Tibet over this. As for me, I like them both and for different reasons. Either one of them could be nominated for an Oscar and I would be happy. TIBET: A- AMISTAD: B+

THE EDGE, formally titled BOOKWORM (Jerry Goldsmith): Up until my final listen of this CD before writing this column, I was prepared to give this score a C+. But something happen on that final listen that changed my mind--I actually LISTENED to the music. That may not make much sense, but it happened. On all my previous listens I found this score to be overly familiar. Not that it was bad, it was just familiar--typical Goldsmith. I didn't understand the hype that had been given to the score. Perhaps I formed an immediate opinion of the score because it had the Goldsmith stamp all over it. This may be a problem lots of us film music fans have when it comes to our favorite composer(s) music. We mistake their style, which can make the music sound too familiar on the surface, for a lack of creativity. But many times this simply isn't the case. It's been said that with The Edge, Goldsmith was able to blend his romantic style with his 20th Century style. On the surface you may hear that "standard" Goldsmith sound, but to appreciate the score, you must look (or listen) deeper. The second track on the CD, "The Ravine," features some of Goldsmith's best action material in years. Even before I had my "listening" experience, I was pretty fond of this track. The music that represents the bear, also heard in this track, is terrific. The main theme grows on you with each listen. It is perfect for the film if you think about it. Not only does it perfectly match the visuals in the opening sequence, but it matches the tone of the story and characters. It would have been easy to score the opening sequence with overly grand music, but as Doug Adams said in his FSM review, "...it (the main title theme) stays back and doesn't try to over-sell itself." In other words, Goldsmith's approach was pretty close to perfect. If you didn't care for this score on the first or second listen, do yourself a favor and listen to it again. But this time, take a step back and actually LISTEN to the music. B+

STARSHIP TROOPERS (Basil Poledouris): Reviews of this movie and score have been mixed. Either you loved them both or you hate them both. I am one of those who love them. My favorite Poledouris score prior to this was Conan the Barbarian. Well, it still is. But I can't think of a score from him that I've liked better since. The score is just plain fun, like the movie. The music is powerful and heroic, almost in an intentionally over-the-top way and I love almost every measure of it. Poledouris is a composer who's music I'm relatively new to (within the last few years), but I've found that he frequently impresses me. Not every score he writes is great, but they are usually, at the least, solid. However, this score ranks high on Poledouris's "best of" list. I ate it up. A-

ALIEN: RESURRECTION (John Frizzell): I don't have this score on CD and it's been a while since I've seen the movie, but all I can remember is that it was loud. Man was it loud. The music in this film really wanted to be noticed, though I don't know whose decision it was. I remember a couple of passages where I heard things I liked, but it didn't take long for the loudness to return. Frizzell has promise and I really wanted to like this score, but... C-

TITANIC (James Horner): Well, this is a tough one. My first reaction to the CD was, "90 percent crap." But with each listen, the score grew on me. Even as recent as a few weeks ago, I wouldn't have rated the score higher than a C. Now it is to the point of a guilty pleasure. I really have no explanation for this--it just happened. Don't get me wrong, I hear every Horner score from the past ten years (not to mention Goldsmith's Capricorn One) in the 70+ minutes of music on the CD, and for that I think Jimmy should be slapped on the wrist...hard! But the saving grace for me is Rose's Theme. It is the one aspect of the score that I can find almost nothing wrong with. However, I do wish it had been presented in more ways than just the voices. Once or twice is fine, but I would have mush preferred the piano version of it in the film during the drawing scene. The action music is mostly straight out of Courage Under Fire, which doesn't help me in forming a positive opinion of the score. In all of the action music, there might be two minutes total of music that I like. I also found the "leaving port" music too close to Enya's "Book of Days." By the way, the sampled voices? Bad idea. But once again, it is the romantic music that saves the day--usually performed aptly by another one-named wonder, Sissel. James Cameron says in the liner notes that Titanic is, first and foremost, a love story. The music mirrors this. I almost hate the fact that I find this score mostly enjoyable, but, hey, I like it. What can I say? Horner will likely win an Oscar for this score. If not for the score itself, then for the Celine Dion performed song "My Heart Will Go On." I usually don't try to take up for James Horner when it comes to his music sounding familiar, so this is very much a guilty pleasure. B-

STUFF I WAS MARGINALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO:

MIMIC (Marco Beltrami): The other bug movie. Beltrami's score for Scream was impressive. His second major film was Guillermo del Toro's Mimic. His score for this film is more complex than Scream in terms of it's thematic unity and overall "activity" of the parts. He succeeds once again at the horror/suspense genre but, after this and Scream 2, he might want to branch out or he could suffer from being typecast. He is definitely one of Hollywood's brightest newcomers and should have a long, successful career ahead of him. B+

A SIMPLE WISH AKA BOX OFFICE POISON (Bruce Broughton): I didn't see this movie. I still would like to hear the score, though.

Happy New Year Everyone!

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