This site was conceived as a side project by a "tekkie" friend of mine who suggested I use my journalistic experience to write about something I love. We bandied about some ideas before settling on this one - largely because I had collected movie soundtracks for much of my life and thought I could write about them. We wanted the site to be user friendly, well-written and reliable.
Over time, I hope to attract other writers keen to contribute to the site, who don't mind foregoing the financial benefits they may be used to in the short-term for something that may, or may not, be profitable further down the line.
The gradual demise of the cd format, re-emergence of vinyl, along with the expansion of blu-ray dvd and downloads translate to an ever-changing market place; despite this, most of us still buy cd's and dvd's and I hope that you will use the Amazon links on this site to buy online.
We have also included mini YouTube video links that accompany the reviews, so that you can listen to your favourite theme music while watching a related trailer or clip from the movie; because film is a visual medium, there seems no better way of presenting it.
Finally, a note on the type of soundtracks featured. Though purists generally view albums such as "Top Gun", "Flashdance" and others like them, as unworthy of coverage on a film soundtrack site, preferring instead to focus on orchestral scores, we have taken the view that these albums have earned their place based on their continued saleability and affection with a large section of cinema-goers. We wanted to reach as broad an audience as possible and have developed the site with this in mind, without forgetting those fans for whom composers such as Bernard Herrmann and Jerry Goldsmith, among many others, are considered on a par with the master composers. We hope you can find your best movie soundtracks on this site.
Darkman.
1990, Universal.
Danny Elfman.
MCA, CD, 1990, MCAD-10094. Rating:
Liam Neeson plays a scientist, forced to use his newly created synthetic skin designed to mask disfigurements, on himself, after he is pushed into a pool of acid by gangster (Larry Drake). Sam Raimi’s black comedy horror is Frankenstein meets Batman: part mad inventor, part crusading vigilante, pining for the love he lost. Danny Elfman’s score is suitably dark, and dramatic, though following on so closely from his score for ‘Batman’, which also makes much of a waltz (’The Plot Unfolds’) and a march (’Main Titles‘), sounds less than original. The highlight, ‘Carnival From Hell’, plays to the films sense of grand guignol with a corrupted fairground theme that gives way to another helping of Elfman’s dark symphonic scoring, affirming his tendency to repeat himself. While it is unlikely to disappoint hardcore fans, ’Darkman’ remains both lighter (weight) and less intricate than many of his earlier scores, which is unfortunate considering his high regard for Raimi’s work and his love of the comic book genre. Darkman Movie Soundtrack. Review: Tim Mowbray.
Track Listing:
1. Main Titles
2. Woe
3. Rebuilding / Failure
4. Love Theme
5. Julie Transforms
6. Rage / Peppy Science
7. Creating Pauley
8. Double Durante
9. Plot Unfolds
10. Carnival From Hell
11. Julie Discovers Darkman
12. High Steel
13. Finale / End Credits
Paul Thomas Anderson’s first feature ‘Hard Eight’ was a quiet neo-noir populated by troubled characters (a cocktail waitress and prostitute, a petty crook) and anchored by a cool, intelligent script. ‘Boogie Nights’ released the following year continues his fascination with offbeat characterisation, this time within the American porn industry of the 1970s and early 80s, as Mark Wahlberg’s well-endowed, and unfortunately named, Dirk Diggler rides the highs and lows of the alternative American dream. Featuring songs from the period, the soundtrack is a pretty good reflection of the film, including the album’s opener, ’Intro (Feel The Heat)’, performed by stars John C. O’Reilly (who also starred in ‘Hard Eight’) and Mark Wahlberg. Hits such as the folk influenced ‘Brand New Key’ (Melanie), funky ‘Spill The Wine’ (War with Eric Buroon) and the rockier ‘Sister Christian’ (Night Ranger) also provide some scope. The album’s main problem, however, is its length; with the amount of material featured in the film, this could easily have been a double album - the producers obviously realised this because they released volume two the following year, which is even briefer, running to only eleven tracks. Songs on volume one by The Emotions (‘Best Of My Love’), Chakachas (‘Jungle Fever’) and McFadden & Whitehead (‘Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now’) provide the entire disco content and Michael Penn and Patrick Warren’s score music ‘The Big Top’ that concludes the album is a slow, dreary trawl through treacle; a shame, because this is one example where bigger would most definitely have been better. Boogie Nights Movie Soundtrack. Review: Tim Mowbray.
Track Listing:
1. Intro (Feel The Heat) (John C. Reilly/Mark Wahlberg).
2. Best Of My Love (The Emotions).
3. Jungle Fever (Chakachas).
4. Brand New Key (Melanie).
5. Spill The Wine (War With Eric Buroon).
6. Got To Give It Up (Part 1) (Marvin Gaye).
7. Machine Gun (The Commodores).
8. Magnet & Steel (Walter Egan).
9. Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now (McFadden & Whitehead).
10. Sister Christian (Night Ranger).
11. Livin’ Thing (ELO).
12. God Only Knows (Beach Boys).
13. The Big Top (Theme From ‘Boogie Nights’) (Michael Penn/Patrick Warren).
Pam Grier stars as a drug smuggling flight attendant, who after being caught in the act, agrees to set up her murderous supplier (Samuuel L. Jackson), in Quentin Tarantiono’s slow as syrup crime caper based on a novel by Elmore Leonard (’Get Shorty’). Neither the soundtrack, or the dialogue clips featured, are as memorable as those in ‘Pulp Fiction’ but they ain’t bad either; opening with Bobby Womack’s lyrically edgy ‘Across 110th Street’, the album is a soul/funk fuelled journey through many a record labels forgotten back catalogue - along with Tarantino’s own extensive collection - with a few oddities thrown in, such as Johnny Cash’s ’Tennessee Stud’ and rap number ’(Holy Matrimony) Letter To The Firm’ (Foxy Brown) giving it a more contemporary slant. As usual, Tarantino has cast his net wider than your average compiler; the result is a cool, varied, surprising score with plenty of genuine soul. Minnie Ripperton’s ‘Inside My Love’ and Bloodstone’s ‘Natural High’ are key mellow moments, while ‘The Lions And The Cucumber’ (The Vampire Sound Inc) is a psychodelic sound trip. Kaleidoscopic. Jackie Brown Movie Soundtrack. Review: Tim Mowbray.
Track Listing:
1. Across 110th Street (Bobby Womack).
2. Beaumont’s Mament (Dialogue).
3. Strawberry Letter 23 (Brothers Johnson).
4. Melanie, Simone And Sheronda (Dialogue).
5. Who Is He (And What Is He To You?) (Bill Withers).
6. Tennessee Stud (Johnny Cash).
7. Natural High (Bloodstone).
8. Long Time Woman (Pam Grier).
9. Detroit 9000 (Dialogue).
10. (Holy Matrimony) Letter To The Firm (Foxy Brown).
11. Street Life (Randy Crawford).
12. Didn’t I Blow Your Mind This Time (The Delfonics).
13. Midnight Confessions (The Grass Roots).
14. Inside My Love (Minnie Ripperton).
15. Just Ask Melanie (Dialogue).
16. The Lions And The Cucumber (The Vampire Sound Inc.)
17. Monte Carlo Nights (Elliot Easton’s Tiki Gods).
