5. Max Richter- "Embers"
After Richter's compositions were used in Scorsese's "Shutter Island" earlier this year, his breathtaking sounds are simply made for cinema.
4. The Walker Brothers- "Lines"
After their song "The Electrician" was used so magnificently in "Bronson", I think The Walker Brothers are seriously overdue for some recognition. "Lines", one of four songs in a row from their 1978 album "Nite Flights", is just the song to convey.... something cool.
3. The Cranberries- "Zombie"
This nineties song which haunted my youth after the first time I heard it has probably been used somewhere (any one know?) but I don't recall it. Still a terrific song that has cinematic potential for any scene.
2. Smile Smile- "Sad Song"
This Dallas duo has yet to make it big, but their sound is incredible and ripe for the next Jennifer Aniston rom-com? Or maybe trailer.
1. The Twilight Singers- "Hyperballad"
If you're a fan of "Rescue Me", then one understands the power that Greg Dulli's strained voice can have over visual images. Denis Leary is a fan and it shows, featuring The Twilight Singers in several shows. I could easily see their sound complementing a Duplass brothers micro-indie.
Taking all suggestions for your own.
Showing posts with label film score. Show all posts
Showing posts with label film score. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
Friday, September 04, 2009
Top 5 List: Great Film Scores Post '90
5. Public Enemies (2009 dir. Michael Mann/Elliot Rosenthal composer)
Sure, this was released just a few months ago, but the soundtrack has already become a staple spin on my Ipod. Mann has always had a great predilection for sweeping, epic music with a bit of electronica thrown in by Moby or Mogwai for good measure... and with "Public Enemies", he turs the spotlight back onto his regular composer, Elliot Rosenthal who churns out a terrific score.
4. 25th Hour (2002 dir. Spike Lee/composer Terence Blanchard)
Another film that benefits from a lasting relationship between director and composer, Blanchard continually brings something moving and fresh to every Lee film. Working from a very emotional place, Blanchard manages to create a genuinely moving companion to the film's story without sounding maudlin or manipulative.
3. Wonderland (1999, dir. Michael Winterbottom/Michael Nyman composer)
The next two slots belong to the same composer- Brit Michael Nyman- who, for a while, seemed to have his hand in just about everything. From his eclectic scores to many Peter Greenaway films to his more commercial vehicles (such as "The Piano") in the 90's, Nyman is a real adventurer. Alot of his pieces sound similiar and there's a striking avant garde experimentation that's downright exciting. In his collaborations with Michael Winterbottom, Nyman strikes an especially resounding chord in "Wonderland", shaping theme music for each charatcer in this merry-go-round group as they deal with life, love and family.
2. Gattaca (1997, dir. Andrew Niccol/Michael Nyman composer)
Seeing "Gattaca" in a sparsely attended theater in late '96 after reading the rave reviewed applied by critic Andrew Sarris, I felt I was in the presence of young greatness. Well, director Andrew Niccol hasn't lived up to those lofty expectations, but Nyman's soundtrack does. Elegant, mournful and perfect for the pristine environment of the movie, it also elevates the emotions as Ethan Hawke finally lifts off from Earth.
1. Requiem For a Dream (2000, dir. Darren Aronofsky/Clint Mansell and the Kronos Quartet)
Long before this piece of music became the spliced together sound for every trailer or forthcoming movie clip, it was a heartbreaking wall of music- simple, refined, then suddenly violent. I could listen to it over and over.... if only it didn't depress me so much. Still, any piece of music that can instill that much power has gotta be doing something right.
Sure, this was released just a few months ago, but the soundtrack has already become a staple spin on my Ipod. Mann has always had a great predilection for sweeping, epic music with a bit of electronica thrown in by Moby or Mogwai for good measure... and with "Public Enemies", he turs the spotlight back onto his regular composer, Elliot Rosenthal who churns out a terrific score.
4. 25th Hour (2002 dir. Spike Lee/composer Terence Blanchard)
Another film that benefits from a lasting relationship between director and composer, Blanchard continually brings something moving and fresh to every Lee film. Working from a very emotional place, Blanchard manages to create a genuinely moving companion to the film's story without sounding maudlin or manipulative.
3. Wonderland (1999, dir. Michael Winterbottom/Michael Nyman composer)
The next two slots belong to the same composer- Brit Michael Nyman- who, for a while, seemed to have his hand in just about everything. From his eclectic scores to many Peter Greenaway films to his more commercial vehicles (such as "The Piano") in the 90's, Nyman is a real adventurer. Alot of his pieces sound similiar and there's a striking avant garde experimentation that's downright exciting. In his collaborations with Michael Winterbottom, Nyman strikes an especially resounding chord in "Wonderland", shaping theme music for each charatcer in this merry-go-round group as they deal with life, love and family.
2. Gattaca (1997, dir. Andrew Niccol/Michael Nyman composer)
Seeing "Gattaca" in a sparsely attended theater in late '96 after reading the rave reviewed applied by critic Andrew Sarris, I felt I was in the presence of young greatness. Well, director Andrew Niccol hasn't lived up to those lofty expectations, but Nyman's soundtrack does. Elegant, mournful and perfect for the pristine environment of the movie, it also elevates the emotions as Ethan Hawke finally lifts off from Earth.
1. Requiem For a Dream (2000, dir. Darren Aronofsky/Clint Mansell and the Kronos Quartet)
Long before this piece of music became the spliced together sound for every trailer or forthcoming movie clip, it was a heartbreaking wall of music- simple, refined, then suddenly violent. I could listen to it over and over.... if only it didn't depress me so much. Still, any piece of music that can instill that much power has gotta be doing something right.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
On Jon Brion
One of the major regrets from my recent trip to sunny Los Angeles was not taking advantage of the recurring Friday night show that film composer Jon Brion hosts at The Largo. Sometimes a solo show, and other times with unexpected 'friends' playing along, all the chatter I've heard about this event seems like a joyous occasion.
I first came into the musical stylings of Brion through the films of P.T. Anderson. Thematically bold and visually arresting, Anderson's films also contained a pulsating heart and tempo provided by the (often) otherworldly and esoteric sounds of Brion. As a member of several 80's new wave bands such as The Bats and 'Til Tuesday with Aimee Mann, Brion eventually settled for session work. His collaborations with Anderson (which, I feel, hit a high note with 1999's "Magnolia) immediately pushed him into the ranks of the great experimental musical composers. Since then, Brion has gone on to create the soundtracks for Michel Gondry's "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", Charlie Kaufman's "Synechdoce New York" and mainstream fare such as "Step Brothers".
At times lush... at times bizarre (as in "Punch Drunk Love"), Brion's music seems to key into the subconscious musings of the film's various troubled characters. It seems no surprise that most of Brion's music accompanies characters who live (or retreat) inside their own minds. Brion's music feels like the contemplative tunes that we hum inside our heads to wile away the hours and minutes.
It can be tense and violent:
It can be mournful and steeped in regret:
It can instill melancholy or remind us of home:
And it can certainly feel light on its feet:
But, Brion's best work has to be his latest. Charlie Kaufman's "Synechdoce New York" is a.... heavy film to say the least. Infuriating, dense, playful and supremely in love with its own excess, it lands somewhere between colossal failure and preeminent American art house genius. I still haven't figured it out yet after two viewings. But, on the second viewing (after I knew what was coming) it began to crystallize a bit and I felt something precisely at the point that Philip Seymour Hoffman's unending artistic gesture folds in on itself and his doppelganger (Tom Noonan) re-enacts a fateful moment in Hoffman's own life. What follows the tragedy is extreme humor ("but I didn't actually jump!") and Kaufman strikes at the deep marrow of living, growing old and facing ourselves in the mirror. It's quite moving, supported by the aching tune of Jon Brion that begins to underscore the remainder of the film:
This is a real soundtrack. Music that deepens and enriches the image. I could listen to this theme over and over (and already have). Among film composers, only a select few have the power to elicit distinct emotions separate from the image. It's a great power to have, and Jon Brion exacts this power with each and every film he tackles. And as for the live show in Los Angeles, there will be more trips lined up in the future and hopefully he'll be right there for the next one hundred Friday nights.
I first came into the musical stylings of Brion through the films of P.T. Anderson. Thematically bold and visually arresting, Anderson's films also contained a pulsating heart and tempo provided by the (often) otherworldly and esoteric sounds of Brion. As a member of several 80's new wave bands such as The Bats and 'Til Tuesday with Aimee Mann, Brion eventually settled for session work. His collaborations with Anderson (which, I feel, hit a high note with 1999's "Magnolia) immediately pushed him into the ranks of the great experimental musical composers. Since then, Brion has gone on to create the soundtracks for Michel Gondry's "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", Charlie Kaufman's "Synechdoce New York" and mainstream fare such as "Step Brothers".
At times lush... at times bizarre (as in "Punch Drunk Love"), Brion's music seems to key into the subconscious musings of the film's various troubled characters. It seems no surprise that most of Brion's music accompanies characters who live (or retreat) inside their own minds. Brion's music feels like the contemplative tunes that we hum inside our heads to wile away the hours and minutes.
It can be tense and violent:
It can be mournful and steeped in regret:
It can instill melancholy or remind us of home:
And it can certainly feel light on its feet:
But, Brion's best work has to be his latest. Charlie Kaufman's "Synechdoce New York" is a.... heavy film to say the least. Infuriating, dense, playful and supremely in love with its own excess, it lands somewhere between colossal failure and preeminent American art house genius. I still haven't figured it out yet after two viewings. But, on the second viewing (after I knew what was coming) it began to crystallize a bit and I felt something precisely at the point that Philip Seymour Hoffman's unending artistic gesture folds in on itself and his doppelganger (Tom Noonan) re-enacts a fateful moment in Hoffman's own life. What follows the tragedy is extreme humor ("but I didn't actually jump!") and Kaufman strikes at the deep marrow of living, growing old and facing ourselves in the mirror. It's quite moving, supported by the aching tune of Jon Brion that begins to underscore the remainder of the film:
This is a real soundtrack. Music that deepens and enriches the image. I could listen to this theme over and over (and already have). Among film composers, only a select few have the power to elicit distinct emotions separate from the image. It's a great power to have, and Jon Brion exacts this power with each and every film he tackles. And as for the live show in Los Angeles, there will be more trips lined up in the future and hopefully he'll be right there for the next one hundred Friday nights.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Great Soundtracks
Fans of 80's indie pop should rush out to pick up Devotchka's latest album, "A Mad and Faithful Telling". Blending soulful lyrics, horns, Philip Glass-like bass lines and pretty much everything else from mariachi horns to polka, it's a magical sound. Devotchka are poised to break into the mainstream, if that really already hasn't happened. Their music was the backdrop for the 2006 indie smash comedy "Little Miss Sunshine". While I thought the film was ok enough, its soundtrack, from the opening song "How It Goes" to its foot tapping rendition of "Till the End of Time", they created a sound that was altogether unique. If nothing else, see the film for that- even though the "indie that could" has unfairly become a snide retort on the feel good type of film that irks the more hard-hearted film lover. Remember "it's this year's Little Miss Sunshine!" when referring to last year's "Juno", and a phrase which seems to be opening up as the rallying cry for this year's chosen sacrificial lamb, "Slumdog Millionaire". While my sentiments were kinder towards "Little miss Sunshine" than "Juno", I never understood the need for someone to use snide slander towards someone else for liking a film (unless that film happens to be "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"!). It's all subjective. People take away different things from a film based on their pre-conceived notions, past experience and demeanor when they walk into a movie theater. Part of the reason why I stay away from the talk forums of say, Ain't It Cool News, is the ugly and vindictive way in which film lovers decide to discuss film. But, in the kingdom of ADD-affected readers, the blurb is king. Anyway, I've gotten off tangent here. Enjoy the music of Devotchka.
Updated- Just read that "Slumdog Millionaire" won Best Picture and Director at the British Academy Awards tonight. Expect mucho backlash against this wonderful film immediately.
Bonus clip: Devotchka's "Till the End of Time" with clips from "Little Miss Sunshine".
Updated- Just read that "Slumdog Millionaire" won Best Picture and Director at the British Academy Awards tonight. Expect mucho backlash against this wonderful film immediately.
Bonus clip: Devotchka's "Till the End of Time" with clips from "Little Miss Sunshine".
Friday, August 01, 2008
Small Tribute to Michael Nyman
I really appreciate the sounds of film composer Michael Nyman. With the vagaries of You Tube, I can share this enthusiasm with sound and image.
His early work served as the musical underscore to the sometimes lyrical, often maddening images of the films of Peter Greenaway. It's one of the few things I truly enjoy about Greenaway's films. Below, "A Zed and Two Noughts".
Nyman's breakthrough compositions came in 1993 with the Jane Campion film, "The Piano". While being a commercial high note for Nyman, the soundtrack fails to move me like other pieces of his work.
It's hard to seperate my admiration for Michael Winterbottom's film, "Wonderland" and the sublime score of Michael Nyman. They both compliment each other so well, but without that longing score from Nyman, I don't see the film having quite as much impact. From "Wonderland", below is the theme for the character named Nadia (Gina McKee).
And finally, the showstopper- Nyman's finale theme for "Gattaca". Wow, I wish more people would discover this film. Even though my belief that director Andrew Niccol was the next Stanley Kubrick has been left in lingo ("Lord of War" and "Simone"??.. anyone...anyone), "Gattaca" is one brilliant debut wrapped up in one lush score. Enjoy but beware of spoilers.
His early work served as the musical underscore to the sometimes lyrical, often maddening images of the films of Peter Greenaway. It's one of the few things I truly enjoy about Greenaway's films. Below, "A Zed and Two Noughts".
Nyman's breakthrough compositions came in 1993 with the Jane Campion film, "The Piano". While being a commercial high note for Nyman, the soundtrack fails to move me like other pieces of his work.
It's hard to seperate my admiration for Michael Winterbottom's film, "Wonderland" and the sublime score of Michael Nyman. They both compliment each other so well, but without that longing score from Nyman, I don't see the film having quite as much impact. From "Wonderland", below is the theme for the character named Nadia (Gina McKee).
And finally, the showstopper- Nyman's finale theme for "Gattaca". Wow, I wish more people would discover this film. Even though my belief that director Andrew Niccol was the next Stanley Kubrick has been left in lingo ("Lord of War" and "Simone"??.. anyone...anyone), "Gattaca" is one brilliant debut wrapped up in one lush score. Enjoy but beware of spoilers.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)