Lame modern movie soundtracks

[Robert Rowe]

Being a multi-instrumentalist, I have a penchant for focusing on the music in today's motion-picture fare.

Much of it seems to be catering / attempting to appeal, to the younger audiences. The urban, hip-hop crowd.

Now, my observation is that motion-pictures are ... by-and-large ... deplorable pap. Weak scripts, storylines ... poor acting ... lotsa "crash'n'burn", explosions, people flying through the air, gore, violence ... and, obviously fake / hard-to-believe (digital) special effects.

In-any-event ... (getting back to the scores / soundtracks) ... this area is very crappy, to say the least. Just plain awful.

True -- there are a few folks like Mark Isham still doing good stuff. Composer John Williams amazes (if, a tad over-the-top). As much as I hate to admit -- Quentin Tarantino (the guy seems like a jerk) finds interesting tunes to accompany his quirky films.

Seems like an area of entertainment ripe for "new blood".

Comments ?


~ r2 ~
deplorable horn player
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I miss Genghis Khan ....

[Brad361]

I (surprisingly!😉) tend to agree. I also don’t expect to see much change; popular music today is heavily influenced by hip hop and rap, much of which, IMO, is simplistic cr**, but it makes financial sense that the movie industry also caters to that genre; they are, after all, in the business of selling tickets and getting their films on pay per view, selling dvds, getting their stuff on premium movie television channels, etc.

I suspect that an older generation’s disdain of the younger generation’s choices is not new, and unlikely to ever change.

Now excuse me, I need to go yell at those kids who are on my lawn.😉

Brad
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[dstdenis]

Do you want movie soundtrack music that sounds good on its own, or that makes the movie work? In the first category, I think Star Wars: The Last Jedi has great music by John Williams. In the second category, take a look at the movie Dunkirk, with music by Hans Zimmer. Very powerful and effective. Great camera work too.

[Robert Rowe]

Recently watched The Departed, starring Jack Nicolson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Alec Baldwin.

The movie opens with the psycho-Celtic / Irish music of Dropkick Murphys, doing Shipping Up To Boston, featuring electric-banjo, accordion and electric guitar. Mesmerizing !

Later, the flic ends with an old friend of mine from Rockville, MD ... Roy Buchanan (R.I.P.), doing the Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline tune, Sweet Dreams on his (Buchanan's) 1953 Fender Telecaster. OMG !!

Now, THAT's a great soundtrack, that both sounds good on its own, AND, makes the movie work.

Check it out.

~ r2 ~
deplorable horn player, mand0 & guitar pick'r
_________________
~ Love animals ... don't eat them. ~

I miss Genghis Khan ....

[kehaulani]

With certain exceptions, my general philosophy is that you are better not noticing the music, be it good or bad.

Of course a good theme sticks with you and music can certainly underscore the action but maybe better felt and not heard, relatively speaking.

Having said that, and films for adolescents notwithstanding, Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song sticks out to me as just bad. And ironically the musicians became Earth, Wind and Fire.
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[Don Herman rev2]

Even some bad tunes stick with you...

It's a small world, after all...
_________________
"After silence, that which best expresses the inexpressible, is music" - Aldous Huxley

[greg warthan]

These days, movie makers run tracks throughout dialogue. I give up watching when I can't hear the spoken word. Most movies and t.v. ads have gone this way. Music should be subtle and not overpower the content. I hear people blast stereos with the bass turned to 11. These are the people that are the target audience. Watched "The African Queen" the other night. What a difference. Could be too, that they are trying to take our minds off the lame acting!!

[pinstriper]

There is a show on many classical PBS radio stations called "The Score" which features film scores and some interesting discussions on composing/scoring/film making from time to time.

Of course, yesterday they played music from The Quiet Man.

The show originates right here in Portland, OR but has some sort of PBS syndication.

There's a similar on the local PBS jazz station, called "Cinejazz" which focusses on jazz in film and tv. Dunno if it is distributed to other public broadcasting.
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[Denny Schreffler]

Wasn’t expecting to find a film-music discussion while browsing TH, but, I saw an intensely interesting movie last nite with an appropriately interesting score by Christopher Willis.

If you can imagine a scenario that contains the dialogue, “This is a musical emergency!� and seeing Steve Buscemi fill the screen as Nikita Krushchev, you might appreciate “The Death of Stalin.�

It’s a dark farce that is – in many way, both large and small – historically (and painfully) accurate.


-Denny

[blbaumgarn]

My late father who was full of blue collar wisdom used to tell me that there
were simple games for simple minds, son. I would agree wholeheartedly concerning the rap/hiphop junk that permeates media as we see and hear it today. I say this after having watched parts of the 1959 movie Ben-Hur, which I saw as a nine year old, and which encouraged me to take up an instrument at 10. That is music, I also watched the movie "The Natural" and Randy Newman's music literally puts that movie over the top. Thank goodness for YouTube and the saving of so many of these great soundtracks.

[blbaumgarn]

I also have to add, that though I turned 68 the other day, certain rock based soundtracks can add alot to the setting and themes in a movie. I loved Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross's "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." People are entitled to enjoy what they enjoy. It is possible to have a great movie without a soundtrack, too, as with "No Country for Old Men." Great topic!!