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.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
2009, 20th Century Fox
Harry Gregson-Williams
Verese Sarabande, CD, 2009, VSD 6967 Rating:
Wolverine should have been a sure fire hit; one of the most popular of the X-Men characters with a shadowy psyche and metallic claws, what is there not to like in Superhero terms? Unfortunately, neither Hollywood A-lister, Hugh Jackman, or seasoned composer Harry Gregson-Williams, can breathe enough life into this animal to make it worth howling about. Both the film and the score suffer from a rather uninspiring lack of originality that has pervaded the entire project, from Jackman’s less than wild Wildman to Gregson-Williams uneventful scoring. Though the opening cue, ‘Logan Through Time’ starts the score off well, buoyed by a strong melody and a fair amount of bite, this fails to sustain things, quickly tapering off into a series of uninspiring cues. While this may have been a passable television score, though not to the level of Michael Giacchino’s work on ‘Lost’, Gregson-Williams’ impressive back catalogue suggests that he is capable of a lot better. Unfortunately, the only impression Wolverine leaves on the listener is one of disinterest. Clawless. X-Men Origins Wolverine Movie Soundtrack.
Track Listing:
1. Logan Through Time.
2. Special Privileges.
3. Lagos, Nigeria.
4. Wade Goes To Work.
5. Kayla.
6. Victor Visits.
7. Adamantium.
8. Agent Zero Comes For Logan.
9. Logan Meets Gambit.
10. To The Island.
11. Deadpool.
12. The Towers Collapse.
13. Memories Lost.
14. “I’ll Find My Own Way”.
Star Trek.
2009, Paramount.
Michael Giacchino.
Verese Sarabande, CD, 2009, VSD-6966 Rating:
JJ Abrams’ youthful remake of this successful film franchise may not have the most complex of stories or contain the most terrifying or original of bad guys in Nero (Eric Bana) but whatever its shortcomings, they are made up for in spades with a sharp, funny script, fantastic action sequences and first rate performances. Michael Giacchino’s score is equally impressive, which might come as a surprise to those people who saw him only as a composer for television (‘Lost’). Underpinned by two resilient themes - one written to represent the heroes (‘Star Trek’ , ‘Enterprising Young Men’) and one for the villain, Nero (‘Nero Sighted’) - Giacchino brings some exciting new cues to the huge cannon of Star Trek music already recorded. ‘Labour of Love’ is both tender and haunting, ‘Run and Shoot’ is an exciting action cue and ‘That New Car Smell’ an atmospheric piece of brilliance. Individually, the cues are extremely effective, as a whole, Giacchino’s Star Trek is a haunting, exciting and exhilarating piece of deep space adventure. Star Trek Movie Soundtrack. Review: Tim Mowbray.
Track Listing:
1. Star Trek.
2. Nailin’ The Kelvin.
3. Labor Of Love.
4. Hella Bar Talk.
5. Enterprising Young Men.
6. Nero Sighted.
7. Nice To Meld You.
8. Run And Shoot Offense.
9. Does It Still McFly?
10. Nero Death Experience.
11. Nero Fiddles, Narada Burns.
12. Back From Black.
13. That New Car Smell.
14. To Boldly Go.
15. End Titles.
