By the time A Nightmare on Elm Street arrived in 1984, the slasher sub-genre was already in full swing as it tore through the latter years of the golden age of the genre. Psycho was the granddaddy of them all, while The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Halloween set the formula. In 1980 Friday the 13th helped to cement the future popularity of the genre as it kicked off the longest running slasher series. While all of them left there marks on my impressionable mind, I think it is the Nightmare series that I hold the most affection for. One of the reasons for this affection would have to be Charles Bernstein's score. It is an eerie, creepy, skin crawling work that will get under your skin and make it crawl.Part of what makes horror films work so well is the music. It has to. The music helps to sell the terror that is playing out onscreen, you can't rightly have some rock or classical playing, those genres don't do much to set a terrifying mood. Beyond setting the mood, not all horror music is all that catchy or memorable. It may work fine for the moment, but will forever fail to capture the ongoing imagination. The big three (Halloween, Friday the 13th, and A Nightmare on Elm Street) each bring something to the table in terms of music. Halloween was composed by John Carpenter and stands as one of the creepiest scores of all time with that relentlessly simplistic theme that makes you neck hair stand on end. Friday the 13th's score, by Harry Manfredini, has that signature "ch-ch-ch-ch.. ha-ha-ha-ha" line. Looks a little weird to read, but I am sure you know it. Finally, there is Charles Bernstein's synthesizer filled score for Nightmare, a true giant among synthesized horror sounds.
The film's theme, ten simple notes introduced during the opening "Prologue" track, sets the tone for the rest of the album. These ten notes will return throughout the score, as well as being prominent throughout the seven sequels. It combines an eerie sense of dread with a sleepy lullaby tempo. Listening to the theme play through the "Main Title" is enough to send shivers up my spine. The first time you hear it, you may hear it as just a weird little line used to open the film. However, for those of you who have grown up with the gloved killer you know that when you hear that, something bad is about to happen.
The score is comprised primarily of synthesizer, although there are moments of well-placed guitar, such as in "Laying the Traps." Bernstein weaves the simplistic nature of Halloween's influence with the pop-rock sensibilities of the then popular wave of music. The result is a score that may sound a bit dated, but still retains an edginess that cannot be dulled.
There are a few tracks that deliver an amazing amount of suspense and dread. Pay close attention to "Rod Hanged/Night Stalking," "Jail Cell," and the slow burn of "Final Search." Also of note is the insistent video-game quality of the all too brief "Terror in the Tub," and parts of "No Escape."
A Nightmare on Elm Street would prove to be Bernstein's only offering to the franchise, although his theme will forever be linked with the burned face and finger knives of Freddy Krueger.
Bottomline. This is one of the great horror film scores. It was an early experimentation in synth-scoring, and it still holds up today as seriously creepy music. Sure, there are a few moments that sound dated and perhaps a touch thin without that full orchestral sound, but those are minor complaints when what is presented works so well. If you are a fan of horror films, or good scores, this disk is definitely worth it despite the brief 33 minute runtime.
Recommended.
The release of Stardust this past summer sparked much talk of the beloved film The Princess Bride. The new film combines magical fantasy, a whimsical world, humor, and adventure in a wonderful package that was sadly ignored at the box office. It was that genre combination that led to its numerous comparisons to Rob Reiner's longtime favorite. Sure, the elliptical comparison could be made but they are vastly different films. However, this is not a comparison column, nor is it about Stardust. This is about another DVD release for The Princess Bride.
Zombies have been a horror standard ever since George A. Romero gave a new definition to the genre with 1968's Night of the Living Dead. While there have been good, sometimes great, zombie films since then few are able to match what Romero was able to achieve. In the near forty years since we have had zombies in a mall, zombies in the forest, zombies in the city, we have even gotten zombies on a plane. In my experience, which is a small sampling of zombie flicks, before Fido I do not believe we have ever had a zombie movie quite like this. Fido is a movie that is pretty easy to describe but it is impossible to convey just how well it works without actually showing the movie. Simply put, Fido is a truly original zombie film that deserves a place in the upper echelon of zombie filmography.
Picture this, rather than the Allied Powers versus the Axis Powers in World War II picture a worldwide epidemic of the dead coming back to life. Some sort of radioactive space dust descends upon the world resurrecting the dead. The resurrected immediately turned their attentions towards the nearest living person and proceeded to chow down. This was the dawn of the Zombie War. In the 1940s the world banded together, and with the scientific know-how of Dr. Geiger, were able to repel the zombie menace.
At its heart, Fido is the story of a boy and his dog. Or course, instead of a dog our boy has a zombie. Take the look of Pleasantville, the relationships of Lassie, the modern zombie feel of Shaun of the Dead, and mix in a little Edward Scissorhands-era Tim Burton and you get an idea of all of the positive things that this has going for it.
And then... Nope, not going to share anymore. I fear I have gone too far already.
Resident Evil has become one of the most successful video game to movie adaptations to ever hit the screen. None of them blew away any box office records, but the audience was there. It was because of that audience that the series made it to a third outing, which brings me to today's topic, the soundtrack to Resident Evil: Extinction. Now, if the Resident Evil title means anything, it means an album filled with rocking tracks. The promise of music to kill zombies to, a little something to get your blood flowing while splatting the stagnant brains of the living dead. Oh it is a glorious promise. It is just too bad that my heart sank, just a little, before I even got to listen to the album.
The top title this week has to be Planet Terror, Robert Rodriguez offering for the Grindhouse double feature this past Spring. Tarantino's half, Death Proof, came out a few weeks back. Now that both are here we begin to recreate the theatrical experience. Although, we still won't have all of the fake trailers to go in between, or the theatrical Grindhouse cuts of the films. I am going to assume that we are going to get a complete Grindhouse release down the road. With that distinct possibility it should be part of you decision-making process whether or not to get this set or wait for that set, whenever (if ever) it does arrive. I know I will be getting it, I really enjoyed this film and look forward to the extended cut.
I've never seen Elizabeth. Will that fact cause a different reaction than desired to Elizabeth: The Golden Age? Somehow I don't think so. Yes, there is consistency in cast and creative, however this film centers on a different stage of the Queen's life. Something tells me that knowing the events of the 1998 film will have no bearing the events being told in this one. So, without the experience of Elizabeth I bravely entered the darkened theater somewhat prepared to watch this big historical epic. I went in looking forward to the grandiose pageantry and operatic heights to which the drama will escalate. I was even more looking forward to the costumes and art direction, these are what really attracted me in the trailers. Well, that and the strong on paper cast that had been assembled.
If you are looking for any sort of historical accuracy, you are going to want to avoid this like the plague. Sure, there is a solid basis in real history, or else the entire production would be a farce. Hoverever, in an effort to make that history a bit more cinematically palatable the facts of the era were embellished, tweaked, and amped up in an effort to appeal to an audience wider than history buffs and arthouse aficionados. Not that there is anything wrong with targeting those groups, it is just that is not the case here.
Elizabeth: The Golden Age takes us inside the Queen's court where her closest advisor, Sir Francis (Geoffrey Rush), urges her to take a husband and produce an heir and the Queen dismisses many suitors, seemingly living vicariously through her ladies in waiting. This is all well and good until Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen) arrives and catches the Queen's eye, not to mention lead waiting lady (is that correct?) Elizabeth Throckmorton (Abbie Cornish). While this soap opera-ish drama is playing out, there is movement on the war/assassination front.
On another note there is the score. I am not averse to big and bombastic scores but there is something about this work from Craig Armstrong and AR Rahman that just got under my skin. The way the score announced how you were supposed to feel, I just found it distracting.
In the 1980's New York City was filled with crime and the Russians were flooding the streets with drugs. In their efforts to reclaim the city from its seedier criminal element the NYPD took on the slogan "We Own the Night." This was made a part of the uniform patch as they took to the dark streets and began the long task of getting it cleaned up. As a slogan the phase is effective and should succeed in getting you amped up to get out there and start the clean up; however, as a movie title it is a little less effective. Considering the epic feel the the phrase carries with it (at least to me), the personal nature of the film makes it an underwhelming choice. As for the contents of the film, the results are solid, effective, but ultimately as underwhelming as the title.
The plot of We Own the Night is nothing new, the basics of the plot have been around for thousands of years. You could actually read the 
On the other side of town the rest of Bobby's family are having a party of their own. His brother, Joseph (Markl Wahlberg), is celebrating his promotion to captain and appointment as the head of an organized crime unit that will focus on the Russian mob. Do you see where this is going? Also in attendance is their father, police chief Burt (Robert Duvall). Bobby shows up under cover of darkness, as the club runner keeps his police family ties on the down low. You know, it would be bad for business.
There is no doubt that James Gray has crafted a competent film. It is undeniable that Joaquin Phoenix gave a strong performance. However, the script left a lot to be desired. The are some things that make a little sense, such as no one knowing about Bobby's family, surely someone would have known. Other elements are puzzling as well, like how the Russian bad guy was able to evade the police noose on a couple of occasions, and Bobby's unquestioned absence for an extended period of time.
Every time I saw the Michael Clayton trailer I got the impression that it would be a good movie, although I had absolutely no idea what it was about. It seemed to be setting up Clooney's title character as someone on the wrong side of a legal battle, but there was really no insight into what the story was. While I got the impression that it was going to be a good movie, I cannot say I felt any overriding desire to see it. The trailer was not put together in a manner that enticed me to plunk down my cash for it. Still, positive word swirled around it, and outside of superhero movies Clooney can generally be relied on for a good performance. I am glad I went, but I do not completely agree with the high praise that I have seen for it.
George Clooney is Michael Clayton, a fixer for a high-powered New York law firm. In other words, he is the guy called in when one of the firm's high priced clients gets into a mess, or to use Clayton's description he is a janitor. As the film opens, Clayton is in the midst of a high stakes underground poker match, as he leaves he gets a call. He heads out to the Westchester home of a man who was involved in a hit and run, and who left the scene. Clayton is described as a miracle worker by his bosses, but he appears as anything but. He stands in front of the client as a shell of what he is believed to be. This is not the miracle worker, but a man who is being beaten by the circumstances of his life and is on the cusp of a major turning point in his life.
The plot is straightforward and easy to follow. There is a multi-billion dollar class action suit that has been ongoing for many years between a chemical company called U/North and the families of those they are accused of killing with their product. In the middle of a deposition the law firm's lead counsel strips down and appears to take the side of the plaintiffs. This leads to Clayton being called in to fix the problem. This brings the introduction of said counsel Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson), a man who has reached the edge of what he is willing to take. Every high priced law firm is going to have clients with secrets, secrets they are willing to pay the retainer fees to be kept secret. This has to weigh on the mind of those involved in keeping those secrets buried. Edens reached the point of no return, and became set on exposing the dirty laundry to the harsh light of day. The other primary player is U/North principal player Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton). She is a truly despicable character as she goes to great lengths to protect her company and herself.
The case unfolds in a predictable manner. There really was only one way that it could go, and I was not disappointed in that respect. What makes this movie as good as it is are the performances, not the plot. George Clooney is phenomenal as a man having his limits tested. Gone is the confident swagger of Danny Ocean leaving behind a weary man on the slow road to a breakdown. It is a strong portrayal and easily among Clooney's top performances. His powerful lead is supported by good turns from both Tom Wilkinson and Tilda Swinton. Then there is a smaller role filled by Sydney Pollack who always brings a touch of class.
