ghostbusters soundtrack

i'm not going to explain what this movie is again, you can read my review or click here to read about why it's such a big deal. yes, i have dedicated three blog posts to this movie because it's that fucking important.

anyway, now you're all to to speed here's my review of the soundtrack.

theodore shapiro is a composer with an impressive list of credits. starting out with now legendary indie movies, like girlfight and wet hot american summer, he has moved on to score some of the biggest films of the last ten years, like tropic thunder, spy and zoolander 2. while he primarily composes for comedies he does have some more eclectic titles in his back-catalogue like trumbo (excellent film, btw) and jennifer's body. in many ways he's the perfect composer for a movie like ghostbusters with its mix of comedy, action and horror. it's a movie that needs a composer who can easily move between genres.

except shapiro doesn't really move between genres, and that's what makes this score so great. i love how serious the score is; how it really plays up the big epic moments and for the most part feels more like the score for a marvel movie than an action-comedy. listening to the score in isolation you would have no idea that this is the soundtrack to a comedy at all, and probably only a vague idea that there might be a horror element. what i love about this is that it's a choice. tonally, the film itself leans more towards the comedy side than the action or the horror, and yet shapiro excludes almost any hint that this is a comedy from the score. because to do so would undermine the story, and in turn would undermine the importance of this film. (read my two previous posts on this if you need to understand why it's important)

shapiro also does a nice job at incorporating the classic ghostbusters theme. in the film the original theme is played over the opening titles then faded out so quickly it's like they were almost embarrassed to embrace it. of course it returns later with a dubious, modernised cover version but it always feels a little box-ticking and forced. the way shapiro uses it is much more appropriate and he actually manages to make it sound kind of triumphant in tracks like 'battle of times square'. there are also some really standout tracks on the soundtrack, like 'behemoth' which has shades of verdi's requiem, and the suitably grand 'the fourth cataclysm'.

overall this is a bold, almost aggressively epic score that makes a very clear statement - this film needs to be taken seriously, which is perfect because that's exactly what the film is about.

the ghostbusters original motion picture score is available now digitally and on cd

the neon demon - soundtrack

the neon demon is the latest film from nicholas winding refn, possibly the coolest director working right now (until ana lily amirpour finishes her next movie). famous for his bold visuals, striking colour palettes and surreal reimaginings of classic movie genres, the neon demon is his first horror movie. with the los angeles fashion industry as a backdrop, the film takes on the hollywood dream and repaints it as a neon-drenched nightmare.

for the sountrack, refn once again turned to regular collaborator cliff martinez. while martinez has had a long career working on now legendary movies like sex, lies and videotape, narc and traffic, his score for drive is one of the most bold, standout movie scores of the few decades. martinez worked with refn again on only god forgives and produced another memorable and effective score, particularly the track, 'wanna fight' that plays under the climactic fight scene. there is something about the audacity of martinez's scores that goes really well with refn's striking visuals so it's no surprise that the two would work together again on the neon demon.

for the neon demon score martinez creates an electronic soundscape that is both thrilling and full of dread at the same time. there are echoes of john carpenter here, if carpenter had ever been remixed by nine inch nails era trent reznor, and at times it also reminded me of the tangerine dream scores for movies like manhunter and sorceror.  i also couldn't help thinking of the disasterpiece score for it follows, although in that case i'm not entirely sure the score suited the films visuals as well as this score does. despite it's influences, the neon demon score is classic martinez and manages to feel both slightly retro and ultra contemporary at the same time.

the title track that opens the album really sums up everything that's great about the score, building from a creepy opening to an electronic dirge and all the while conveying a sense of something unsettling beneath the surface. i also liked the more atmospheric tracks like 'ruby at the morgue' and 'i would never say you're fat', and the super-creepy all-out horror tracks like 'something's in my room'. some of the tracks also have an ethereal, other-worldly quality to them, like 'runway' or 'jesse sneaks into her room'.

with the neon demon soundtrack martinez once again proves that he is one of the most relevant and interesting composers working in cinema right now and it's no surprise that he's also crossed over into videogames. if you enjoyed martinez's work on drive and only god forgives you will definitely like this, and yet it's also different enough to ensure it feels fresh. i hope refn and martinez contine to collaborate and look forward to seeing/hearing what they do next.

the neon demon - original motion picture sountrack is available now both digitally and on cd from milan records, and will be released on vinyl on july 8th

tales of halloween - soundtrack review...

tales of halloween is an anthology film featuring segments directed by modern-day masters of horror, including neil marshall, adam gierasch and jace anderson, darren lynn bousman and mike mendez among others. what’s unique about the film is that the producers took the same portmanteau approach to the score, with each segment utilising the talents of a different composer. the result is a soundtrack album that combines a number of different sounds and styles.

there is a really interesting combination of composers on this album, from legendary icons to contemporary standouts. the album opens with a title track from the great lalo schifrin who composed the score for films like bullitt, enter the dragon and the iconic mission impossible theme. another standout name on the album is christopher drake, perhaps best known for his work on d.c. animated features like the dark knight returns, but also composer of the score for the arkham origins videogame. then there are tracks from joseph bishara who worked on the conjuring and the vatican tapes. the listing also includes a track from sean spillane, who previously worked on the amazing soundtrack for lucky mckee’s the woman. in addition, there are also tracks from michael sean colin (killjoy goes to hell), christian henson (triangle, severance), bobby johnston (mother’s day, king of the ants), jimmy psycho (the jimmy psycho experiment), edwin wendler (unnatural), and austin wintory (grace).

as a standalone album, the tales of halloween soundtrack is a predictably mixed affair, with some tracks certainly standing out against the others. in a way, an anthology album exemplifies the central issue that has always plagued the anthology film and while there may be a common theme it’s tough to make different stories, styles and approaches work as a consistent whole. it doesn’t help that one of the two of the tracks don’t sound particularly horror-centric, like johnston’s track the night billy raised hell which morphs into an upbeat, pop-folk tune by the end reminiscent of david hess’s seminal soundtrack for the last house on the left. it’s a cool musical reference (eli roth also used some of hess’s music in cabin fever) but it’s a stark contrast to the other tracks on the album. sean spillane’s track ding dong suffers a similar awkward contrast, which is unfortunate because it’s a cool track and i love spillane’s soundtrack for the woman. then there’s wintory’s morricone-esque western theme for the weak and the wicked, which again feels like it doesn’t belong here although it’s a really great track in isolation. in some ways, the contrasting styles aren’t so much of an issue, but it makes it hard to make this album the background music at a halloween party and that seems like a missed opportunity given the subject matter.

that said, there are some really fantastic tracks on the album, with schifrin’s title track being one of the best. on the basis of that track alone, i’d be happy to see tales of halloween adapted into a tv series, in the style of something like tales from the crypt. as always, bishara brings the real scares with two typically unsettling tracks, trick and friday the 31st. i think he may be the most effective horror composer working in the field right now, although his music is tough to listen to out of context. wendler makes some interesting decisions with his track, limbchoppalooza, which sounds like the soundtrack to a 50s b-movie directed by roland emmerich. henson’s track, bad seed, has a real 80s feel, kind of like carpenter but it also really reminded me of fred myrow and malcolm seagrave’s score for phantasm. jimmy psycho’s closing number is a great way to end the album and feels like the perfect halloween party song.

some of the tracks do feel a bit derivative, and unfortunately four of these are all from the same composer. drake’s track sweet tooth is suitably haunting, but rather generic. similarly, the ransom of rusty rex, is unfortunately a little underwhelming, but he does pull it back with his third and fourth tracks, its not a fucking kid and he will never leave you, both of which have elements of herrman. henson’s track, grim grinning ghost, sounds like an approximation of burton-era elfman, if a bit darker in places. colin’s track, this means war, also sounds a bit elfman-esque, although at the same time reminded me a little of goth singer-songwriter voltaire.

in a way, the tales of halloween soundtrack needs to be either more consistent or even more contrasting and diverse, when it actually falls somewhere in the middle. that said, there is a lot to like on this album and if you enjoy horror soundtracks there will be something for you here.

aleph records released the tales of halloween - original motion picture soundtrack exclusively on itunes on october 23, 2015

the vatican tapes - soundtrack review

the vatican tapes is an exorcism movie about a 27-year-old woman possessed by a demon that could be the devil himself. the only person who can prevent the total destruction of the world as we know it is a vatican priest played by michael pena. it’s like the exorcist turned up to eleven, and it sounds amazing.

the score is by joseph bishara, one of the most prominent and influential composers in the horror genre. his filmography reads like a list of the best horror movies of the last ten years, including insidious, the conjuring and dark skies. he also worked with darren lynn bousman on the score for 11-11-11 (which i reviewed here) and produced the music for bousman’s cult horror musicals the devil’s carnival and repo! the genetic opera. in addition to composing the music for horror films bishara also acts in them, having played supernatural creatures in both the conjuring and insidious.

from the opening track on the vatican tapes score, it’s clear why bishara has earned himself such a prestigious reputation. this is creepy, unsettling stuff; a mix of low piano tones and a cacophony of wind instruments with an ominous choral backing track, all building to an apocalyptic conclusion. bishara’s score does exactly what a good horror movie score is supposed to do – it suggests a sense of dread and creeping terror to accompany the dread and creeping terror onscreen. what is less common is a horror soundtrack that is this effective on its own. it’s impossible not to feel chills down the spine listening to bishara’s score. it sounds like music made my demons, like you’re listening to a band playing from the hottest nightclub in hell. there’s something otherworldly and supernatural about the music and it’s tremendously effective as a result.

it’s hard to pick out individual tracks because the score works so well as a whole piece, but the opening track, ‘the vatican tapes’, is certainly a highlight and sets a perfect tone. another standout is ‘drowning innocents’, one of the more creepy tracks on the album, with strings and eerie vocals building to truly terrifying crescendo before settling back down into something more subtle and equally unnerving. the final track on the album, ‘basement tapes’, reuses elements of the opening track but with a more ominous and climactic undertone.

overall, this is an impressive and really effective score from a renowned horror composer at the top of his game. the score works really well on its own and does a fantastic job implying dread and scares without you having the visuals to go with it. it's music you don’t want to listen to in the dark, unless you want to be really, really scared. if the film is even half as fear-inducing as bishara’s score then the vatican tapes is set to be one of the horror highlights of the year.

lakeshore records will release the vatican tapes – original motion picture soundtrack digitally on july 17th and on cd on august 14, 2015.  

blackwood - soundtrack review

blackwood is a traditional english ghost story about a college professor played by ed stoppard who suffers an emotional breakdown and retreats to the countryside with his wife and son in the hope of making a fresh start. this seems to be going okay at first, but then he starts to witness strange things in the house his family have moved into and he finds himself unravelling a local mystery that could put the lives of his family in danger.

the score is by lorne balfe, a diverse composer who seems equally at home scoring action thrillers such as ironclad and the upcoming terminator: genisys as he is composing the music for animated features like home and the penguins of madagascar. as a producer he has worked on some truly iconic scores, including sherlock holmes and inception for hans zimmer. balfe is a composer with an impressive filmography and who doesn’t appear to be restricted to a particular tone or genre. the music for blackwood shows that he certainly knows what he’s doing with a supernatural-themed score.

the blackwood score opens with a philip glass-esque organ piece that recurs on a number of tracks. aside from the recurring, repeating organ motif most of the tracks here are slow-build, atmospheric pieces that really build tension as well as suggesting the emotional state of the characters. balfe emphasises the dramatic moments with string and choral arrangements and occasionally uses some interesting techniques to represent a descent into madness, but aside from a few standout moments he mostly plays it safe with a genre-appropriate if uninspired score.

there are a number of really interesting tracks on the album, particularly cadenza which uses a disjointed violin melody that fades in and out and increases and decreases pace at odd intervals to show the main character’s struggle with madness. first night in blackwood really sets the tone of the story, and makes it clear this is about the characters and their journey more than it is about scares. balfe also does a great job hinting at a mystery with this track. six chimes is a fast-paced track that at times feels like philip glass on a duet with john carpenter. the final track, blackwood, does a great job uniting the various themes into something almost triumphant, with a hint of sadness and ever-present mystery.

overall, this is a really effective but at times workmanlike score that does exactly what it needs to do, although it does have some really standout moments. scores like this are tricky to review in isolation, because in a lot of ways it has a subtlety to it that makes it perfect for film. that subtlety doesn’t necessarily make it a great listen on its own, but what’s clear is that balfe is certainly a talented composer who, with the right project, could rival the giants in the field. if you are interested in horror soundtracks then this is definitely worth considering for your collection.

blackwood – original motion picture score is available digitally right now and will be on cd may 19th, 2015.

chuck - soundtrack review

a few years ago there was this series about a guy who works for a buymore electronics store and fixes computers. except this guy then gets drawn into a load of super spy stuff and hi-jinks ensue. this guy, and series, was “chuck”.

even though the series has ended i’m now happy to relive it with the “chuck - original television soundtrack”. this soundtrack is mostly made up of the music from the series composed by tim jones. i wasn’t aware of his work before so looked him up to find he worked on a couple of series (human target and cult) and a few films (smokin’ aces 2, the death and life of bobby z, the forsaken)

when compiling the track list, the producers must have had a mammoth task ahead of them, having to select the best tracks from 5 seasons of shows. I’m happy to see that they have definitely delivered. of the collection, my stand out track is “chuck and sarah the beginning”. it starts simply enough with a piano led love theme, but soon takes us on a journey through the complicated relationship of the two leads. This is then followed up with “action theme”. putting these tracks back to back shows us that not only can tim jones bring emotion and character to a piece, he also knows how to bring out the fun, especially with what could have easily been a phoned in generic theme. instead we have something that is perfect for chuck and his character – a theme perfect for a fish out of water, wannabe superspy.

there are a few more straight forward tracks such as “mission time” and “backstories and secrets”, however even these don’t stay too safe for long, with a flamenco style theme scoring chuck’s latest mission, or even a few playful notes taking the edge of what could be a suspense filled moment.

as an added bonus to tim jones’ score are 3 tracks (5 in the digital copy) by the screen band jeffster  featuring vik sahay (the band on the show is formed of chuck’s two co-workers at the buymore). the covers of classics “take on me”, “fortunate son” and “fat bottomed girls” really help to round the album off, and pretty much help to sum up the fun in the score and the series as a whole.

the album is a joyous, action packed, suspense filled ride, that doesn’t forget to show it’s softer side when needed. tim jones has done an excellent job of referencing, rather than lampooning the spy theme genre (if there is such a thing). it’s great trying to pick up on the influences used to build what is such an interesting score.

for anyone who loves chuck the series, this soundtrack really is a must. perfect listening for anyone trapped in a dull 9 to 5, dreaming of the exciting life of a spy.

the chuck soundtrack is available now on cd and digital download

the age of adaline - soundtrack review

the age of adaline is a kind of epic fantasy romance about a woman who never grows older than 29. and she's not a vampire. or a highlander.

the score is by rob simonsen who previously worked on things like the dollhouse tv series (which i always thought was underrated), (500) days of summer (awesome) and seeking a friend for the end of the world (keira knightley's best film?). at first glance it seems like an eclectic filmography but at the same time there is a common thread in that many of the projects he has chosen to work on are films that have a basis in reality but have a fantasy element as well. simonsen excels at capturing the sound of magic realism, and the score to the age of adaline is perfect example of this.

from the opening track, "adaline bowman", simonsen sets a tone that's somewhere between serious drama and epic fantasy. as the choral arrangement swells towards the end of this track we are given a sense that anything can happen in the world of the story. there is a definite sense of wonder here, notably in tracks like "january 1st, 1908" and "first resurrection". at the same time his more dramatic compositions, such as "twisted around the truth" and "no more running", work really well too and inject a feeling of urgency and severity to the atmosphere. there are shades of philip glass' score for the hours here and it certainly captures that same sense of the magnificent in the ordinary. the soundtrack ends with an upbeat and rather beautiful song by simonsen and faux fix with vocals by elena tonra that really sums up the experience.

overall, this is a really inspiring and at times truly beautiful soundtrack that really captures the sense of a real world in which magic can happen. i listened to it whilst walking the streets of brighton on my lunchbreak and it certainly made a familiar route seem much more exciting than it is in reality.

the soundtrack album for age of adaline will be released at the same time as the score. it mixes a number of artists and genres, from bob dylan and jefferson airplane to jazz great dexter gordon and more contemporary artists like little joy. this cocktail of artists and genres works in much the same way as the contrasting themes in simonsen's score and the two albums complement each other very well.

the age of adaline – original motion picture soundtrack is available now digitally and on cd may 12th, 2015.

the age of adaline – original motion picture soundtrack will be available april 28th and on CD May 19th, 2015.