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I think it was in the MV questions thread, so pretty lengthy to dig through at this point. But yeah I’d cross my fingers and be patient for an eventual new edition, personally.
Yavar
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I have listened to this new edition and it sounds wonderful, I have zero complaints and I'm happy it's out there. One of my favorite films and scores. Well done to all involved 
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Posted: |
Nov 30, 2022 - 6:36 PM
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By: |
Jeff M
(Member)
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I find it fascinating how divided people are on the quality The ‘Burbs (movie, not the score). Usually I’ve found other Joe Dante movies are sort of universally measured amongst movie/film score fans - even Piranha is sort of unanimously agreed upon on as a fun but clearly low budget B movie cashing in on Jaws… but The Burbs seems to get the most wildly uneven knocks of all Dante’s work, especially from people who love the score! Even Jeff Bond has said how he doesn’t think the movie is funny, or maybe that Goldsmith wasn’t good at scoring humor? (Apologies if I’m misquoting that). I can’t wait to get my hands on the new liner notes regardless.
I personally fall into the camp of people who absolutely love The Burbs (movie and score). I was maybe 10 the first time I saw it. I grew up in the suburbs, and the movie’s demented sense of humor resonated so purely with me. For context, other comedic movies of the era, like Clue, Beetlejuice, Real Genius, and all of joe Dante’s other 80s/early 90s films - some of those I saw as a kid, a teenager, some in college, but each time I revisit them, I only appreciate them more from a filmmaking perspective and I consider The Burbs to be cut from the same quality of cloth.
It’s definitely not nostalgia for me. I think The Burbs is incredibly well made, without a weak performance in the lineup… from Wendy Schaal to even the small parts like Courtney Gains… the movie has so much charm, wildly iconic character acting, and wonderful originality, while paying homage to classic genre horror/thrillers… and of course Goldsmiths pushes it over the top into brilliance with his score. Dante’s instinct to tap spaghetti western meets Hitchcock… not only is it purely enjoyable, but singular in creating some of the best black comedy the 80s had to offer.
The thing that confuses me is people who “love Dante’s :insert movie here: but the burbs is meh…”
I find it hard to imagine that people for who like the chimney scene in Gremlins, or dig Innerspace’s wackiness, or appreciate Matinee as a love letter to cinema… would somehow find The Burbs flat, obnoxious, or unfunny. I find it to deliver on its premise ten-fold - a movie for movie lovers (especially horror) that is a showcase for the creativity and zaniness that Dante is loved for.
In addition, I think the conceit of “are they or aren’t they” as it pertains to the Klopeks could carry this movie alone in spite of the anything else (IMO), and the way score aggrandizes that is pure joy. Has there ever been a better scene of someone taking out their garbage and beating it with a stick? No. Goldsmith nails it of course, but the scene is still so well done, the staging, cinematography, editing, performances etc etc…
Anyway, sorry for the long windedness. I felt particularly compelled to get this all out… as for whatever reason, especially in the film score world, even for many who like this score, many find the movie divorced of the brilliance the score delivers on. Obviously, if you’ve read all this, you’ll know which side of the fence I sit. Curious if anyone else has observed same thing about this particular Dante movie!
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WHO IS... the REAL JEFF M?!?!?
I love a mystery.
Cheers
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I like THE 'BURBS a lot; it's also one of the first Hollywood movie sets I ever visited (or sneaked onto).
SPOILERS BELOW if you have not seen the movie but might want to:
It's a very funny comedy with lots of great ideas. The one thing that is less successful was the ending. Ray Peterson's speech at the end of the film had some actual resonance. ""Remember what you were saying about people in the 'burbs, Art, people like Skip, people who mow their lawn for the 800th time, and then snap? Well, that's us! It's not them, that's us!" That was really good, and when he then took the stretcher and put himself into the ambulance to get the hell out of there was funny. But then the ending turned, and that was less successful. I wish they had gone with an ending with more ambiguity. They should have just set up something that still puts a bit of suspicioun on the Klopeks without stating quite clearly that they were up to no good. But it's still an enjoyable movie, I just love these people act out their small town investigations in that neighborhood. I feel like Ricky Butler watching them (and I mean, he stood in for the audience): wait for the Pizza dude and enjoy.
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WHO IS... the REAL JEFF M?!?!?
I love a mystery.
Cheers
Two spam bots discover jealousy and competition!
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I will say that even though the movie is not my taste, I appreciate the fact that it took such a big swing. The worst thing a movie can possibly be is boring.
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I grew up on The 'Burbs. It's one of my all-time favorite movies and scores. I saw at a pivotal age (right around ten) and I remember being petrified that my parents were going to turn it off. Haha! As soon as I was online, I tracked down the score CD and way overpaid for what ended up being a pirated copy. Of course, I got the Varese the day it was released and am thrilled to have done the same here. I love the music but I love it even more for the memories and nostalgia it evokes. This was such an unexpected treat on Black Friday and I can't wait for my copy to arrive - just got a shipping notice an hour ago!! 
This mirrors my experience with this score almost exactly--I remember being shocked at how expensive the score was on the secondary market and then one day I found the COMPLETE score for like $15 on Ebay or something. I bought it in ignorance and learned a hard lesson. Those were the dayssss!
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Really loving this. Gave it a full listen at work today. Jerry Goldsmith put so much energy into this and it really shows. I think one of the things that make it so great is that they he scores it as a serious film at times.
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