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Posted: |
Sep 28, 2010 - 10:49 AM
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By: |
Francis
(Member)
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I just wanted to devote a thread to this score as I recently re-watched the movie and found a new appreciation for it especially in regards to the music by Rubinstein.
The movie itself is a bit of an 'outsider' in the filmography of horror director George A. Romero, most famous for making zombie movies. At the time before Bruiser's release, I remember reading in a magazine that Romero and Verhoeven were both working on a movie dealing with invisible people. The Verhoeven movie was "Hollow Man" and dealt with a perverted scientist who uses invisibility to act out his sick fantasies. Bruiser on the other hand is about a person who has become invisible to his friends, family and environment and one day wakes up with no face and has to combat his anonymity.
It's fun that the media at the time made the connection between the two movies because they couldn't be further apart. Hollow Man was a blockbuster thriller with lots of special effects, known actors, big sets and lots of action. Bruiser had that independent low budget feel to it, an unknown cast and a different type of revenge story.
The main theme by Rubinstein is very jazzy, contemporary and reflective of the tragic quality of its 'invisible' lead. There's also a lot of 'crazy' brazzy material and some cues are heavy on wailing voices. I didn't know there was a promo available, apparently a 20+ minute score presentation of Bruiser paired with his rejected score to Pollock, I ordered it immediately. The main theme is very subdued and kinda draws you in very easily. Even has a Chinatown feel to it.
For Romero, Bruiser came after almost a decade worth hiatus from the movies, 1993's The Dark Half was his last movie, but lay on the shelves for quite some time before getting a release. A period where Romero was writing scripts to no avail, having trouble fitting in the mainstream studio apparatus. I guess Bruiser is reflective of that time.
What strikes me as ironic today, is that Bruiser, the movie itself, has become invisible itself over the last decade. It's hard to find anything about it, it's perhaps Romero's least spoken of movie and yet I feel it is part of his best work. Check it out, and keep an ear out for the score!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmZ6RZ_IoQo&feature=player_embedded
clips of the score:
http://www.amazon.com/Bruiser/dp/B00157Z52K/ref=sr_1_1?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1285693019&sr=8-1
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I agree, Bruiser is one of Romero's most underrated films. Peter Stormare is HILARIOUS.
Also, your Dark Half timeline is a bit off. It was actually shot in 91 and then released in 93. Bruiser still isn't available in the UK, incidentally.
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Why is Bruiser not available in the UK? It has been released over here in Belgium (R2 dvd).
I have no idea. I would've thought that Anchor Bay UK would be all over it, but it just appears no distributer's picked it up.
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Anchorbay UK isn't what it's used to be
Yeah, after they finished mining the US division for content they've become almost a non-entity. Arrow's a definite contender to the throne, along with Optimum, who get points for using the first to use original theatrical artwork on their reissues.
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Bruiser has a very odd score to the movie, but I think I understand what Romero wanted for his movie...I like the Misfits songs better thou, but the movie is great...
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