I see Mark Snow's work on the TV show get lots of attention (for fantastic reason!!!), but don't see many convos about his scoring work on the two X-Files films to date, Fight the Future and I Want To Believe.
Though I barely prefer the Fight the Future film, I overall prefer the I Want To Believe score. I've always interpreted FtF's score as a more epic, grandiose, less mysterious and yet more nerve-wracking version of Snow's work on the TV show, whereas IWtB I've always found to me more beautiful, ethereal, haunting, and ultimately emotionally seeping. Both are thoroughly enjoyed, but IWtB feels like more of a return to the subdued anxiety of the music that accompanied the show. Oh, and I've always loved the closing tune "Broken" by Unkle in spite of its stark contrast to the score itself.
Hmmm. Okay... first, Mark Snow's work was stunning for THE X FILES on tv. Richly thematic... atmospheric... unsettling... catchy (hell yes)... Mr. Snow composed some of the best music ever for the medium.
For the films...
FIGHT THE FUTURE... Though some find it mediocre and confusing, I loved it. Director Rob Bowman (veteran of the show) showed us an amped up, stylish feature that continued the mythology of the series. Mr. Snow's music, a mix of both orchestra/electronics is a knockout from the moment the film opens. Sean Callery and Louis Ferbe assisted on the score.
I WANT TO BELIEVE... This one has grown own me over the years. I liked it upon the first viewing. The film is much more subdued than the first film. Less epic in scope, and dripping in atmosphere. Mr. Snow's music is fantastic.
So... FIGHT THE FUTURE... both for film and score. I WANT TO BELIEVE... close on the other's heels.
Hmmm. Okay... first, Mark Snow's work was stunning for THE X FILES on tv. Richly thematic... atmospheric... unsettling... catchy (hell yes)... Mr. Snow composed some of the best music ever for the medium.
For the films...
FIGHT THE FUTURE... Though some find it mediocre and confusing, I loved it. Director Rob Bowman (veteran of the show) showed us an amped up, stylish feature that continued the mythology of the series. Mr. Snow's music, a mix of both orchestra/electronics is a knockout from the moment the film opens. Sean Callery and Louis Ferbe assisted on the score.
I WANT TO BELIEVE... This one has grown own me over the years. I like it upon first viewing. The film is much more subdued than the first film. Less epic in scope, and dripping in atmosphere. Mr. Snow's music is fantastic.
So... FIGHT THE FUTURE... both for film and score. I WANT TO BELIEVE... close on the other's heels.
Wonderful to see you here my friend!
First of all, let me reiterate that although the scores for these two films are great, they pale in comparison to the quality of Snow's work for the TV show itself. I cannot WAIT for LLL's released of X-Files Volume 2...boy, oh boy!
That being said, thanks for your thoughts on the films and their music. Truth be told, I was a little disappointed on the first viewing of the IWtB film, but I had received the score beforehand and I'd be lying if I said that didn't improve my overall opinion of the latter movie.
Fight the Future was, and still is, a critical component in the mythology of the X-Files, and it was wonderful to experience Snow's expansion into orchestral music whilst maintaining the mystery and cache of the TV series' music itself.
It took me quite a while before seeing "X-Files: Fight the Future" and only because by that time I was starting to get burnt out on the series. Once I did see it, I appreciated it for its theatrical qualities but I wasn't a fan of the opening sequences and there were things that felt hugely out of character. The music by Mark Snow was one of them, sounding too orchestral and thematic instead of ambient and electronic. But I guess at the time he had to conform to the Williams sound that was still more or less 'in' as this had big blockbuster potential. So while it was an ok effort, in too many places it felt too out of character for me.
"I Want To Believe" is in that regard more an ensemble piece, focusing on the core relationship of the show and making the story less action packed and more 'thriller' orientated (again, which is what the show was about). The only downside to this premise is they forgot 'X-files' was a show about extraterrestrial life and doing a story about a pedophile priest is not on the top of fans' list of topics. That said, it was a well made thriller and this time around the score by Mark Snow not only continued the tone of seasons 8 & 9, it also harkened back to the first seasons with the darker material. Yes, it had some classic orchestration, but it doesn't feature the x-files theme every other second like in FTF, and has a great theme for Scully's struggle with faith.
So for me movie and score-wise, it's definitely "I want to Believe".
I hope we'll get a third x-files movie, if not theatrical maybe an HBO thing but I feel "I want to Believe" has been dealt a bad hand by coming out the same week as 'The Dark Knight' which totally overshadowed it.
I guess I prefer Fight the Future film- and music-wise. I Want to Believe was more like an extended episode not connected with the main plot of the series. The music was mostly forgettable. Not to mention a rap song at the end (ouch!).
I like both but I prefer FTF over IWTB. They are both different because each movie went in a different direction. IWTB was more like a CSI episode than a X-Files episode thus the score was different. Still Mark Snow's work throughout the series and in the movies is awesome.
Don't forget folks at the end of the FTF there was the mix Teotihuacan by Noel Gallagher.
The single most memorable musical moment from these two films for me is Mike Oldfield's Tubular X from Fight The Future. I never found the Snow-scores too interesting.
The single most memorable musical moment from these two films for me is Mike Oldfield's Tubular X from Fight The Future. I never found the Snow-scores too interesting.
Personally all those 90's X-files theme house and dance remixes almost made me come to hate the theme; much like that stupid 'Crazy Frog' ringtone remix for Beverly Hills Cop.
This **** was playing on the radio, parties, ... aaaaarrrgh
The single most memorable musical moment from these two films for me is Mike Oldfield's Tubular X from Fight The Future. I never found the Snow-scores too interesting.
Personally all those 90's X-files theme house and dance remixes almost made me come to hate the theme; much like that stupid 'Crazy Frog' ringtone remix for Beverly Hills Cop.
This **** was playing on the radio, parties, ... aaaaarrrgh
I surely wouldn't put Oldfield's Tubular X in the same group as those cheap remixes ala Crazy Frog. I think Tubular X is very clever in the way it incorporates Tubular Bells and X-Files in the same track.
I've always been a much bigger fan of Fight the Future both as a film and a score. IWTB is great for what it was, which is a more intimate, smaller scale movie. The score reflects it, as it's a smaller orchestra (Strings & horns & a couple of woodwinds... no low brass or trumpets) I do see IWTB as a squandered opportunity.
Re: the too orchestral approach in FTF, I rather liked it and thought it was perfect w/ the electronic & percussion extensions.
If XF3 comes to pass, I hope they take a similar approach to FTF, except larger. Larger more epic orchestral score w/ electronics. As well as with the story.
Thought I'd revisit this one since there's so much discussion of Snow's X-Files music in light of the recent LLL release. It's my personal opinion that I Want to Believe's score is Snow's finest work for this franchise. It it is equal parts made up of the uplifting music, tonal music that Snow developed in the later seasons along and the dissonant, eerie, atmospheric music that characterized the first two seasons. The orchestra really augments Snow's work, and allows it to breathe, free of the limitations of some of the electronics (particularly the conventional string samples) that sometimes gave the TV scores a bit of a cheap sound.
Fight the future has never done it for me outside of that great theme introduced in Crossroads (which gets picked up again in I Want to Believe), but I'm going to have to revisit it, given the amount of praise I've seen for this lately.
I Want to Believe for me is 3/4 brilliant material, 1/4 dull, contemporary electronic beat loops that unfortunately gives a bulk of it a more generic "CSI" feel than The X-Files. It's certainly an excellent score, though. Highlight for me, aside from the very moving "Home Again", is the thrillingly aggressive chase theme that appears in "Moonrise" and "Foot Chase".
Fight the Future though feels far more coherent as a work, and has lots of very grand, richly thematic orchestral writing you just don't get anymore in the modern post-Zimmer era. And the action cues are really fantastic and exciting, and I love the way that even though they have a big, Goldsmith/Williams sweep to them, they are still entirely recognizable as Snow's work, with him weaving his menacing, staccato piano lines in and his other trademarks.
I Want to Believe still, to this day, remains one of my top favorite scores from the 2000's. It's just as fresh listening to it today as it was when I first heard it in July of 2008. Rich, melodic, and dripping with atmosphere. It's a shame it kind of flew under the radar, as it is a wonderful score. And the recording itself (done by Alan Meyerson) sounds so crystal clear and dynamic.
It was a treat when I first heard it, and it remains so even now. Plus I may also be a touch sentimental because my friend (who is also a die-hard X files fan) and I spent two wonderful afternoons watching this in a giant empty multiplex with great sound. Great X Files film, even though no one saw it
