Among the best parts of a lot of John Carpenter’s greatest films are his soundtracks. While the legendary director has worked with composers including Ennio Morricone and Alan Howarth, Carpenter often composes the scores for his films himself, and the results are invariably awesome. Carpenter’s music has a wonderful moodiness and distinctly 80s vibe, often heavily …
The third track on one of my favorite rock records of the last decade, Okkervil River’s The Stage Names, is called “A Hand to Take Hold of the Scene.” Without context, its lyric is a bit of a tough nut to crack. Will Sheff sings about events unfolding on a TV screen in the first verse, recaps …
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Composed by Howard Shore WaterTower Music December 11, 2012 In 2001, Peter Jackson and his intrepid cast and crew transported audiences around the world to a land that, up until that point, only existed in novels and decades old animated films. That land was Middle Earth, and now, nearly ten …
For the second year in a row, I’ve taken it upon myself to boil down some of what I feel is the year’s best music and boil it down to an accessible CD-80-friendly package, with the additional challenge of accompanying them with clips from some of the year’s more notable films. I pushed myself to …
Life of Pi Composed by Mychael Danna Sony Masterworks November 19, 2012 Mychael Danna has spent the majority of his career composing scores that suit their respective films perfectly. This is every composer’s goal, but where some aim to make their presence known, Danna approaches his projects with a refreshing sense of humility and an …
Lincoln Composed by John Williams Sony Classical November 6, 2012 From Jaws to Munich, John Williams has feasibly become the most seminal American film composer of the 20th century, creating bold and enthralling themes that have embedded their way into the audience’s collective subconscious and establishing himself as one of the true greats. So it …
Resurrection is germane not only to the story of Frankenweenie but also Tim Burton’s career as an endearing cinematic oddball. With his latest foray into stop-motion animation, Burton has revisited the story that started his career, showing more focus and care than we’ve seen from the man in years. But what’s even more special about …