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 Post subject: It's probably a bit unkind...
PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 5:12 pm 
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Joined: Sat Nov 19, 2005 3:48 pm
Posts: 2773
8/23/11

It's probably a bit unkind to certain film makers out there but I was happy to read the new CONAN didn't perform well at the box office this weekend. Joe (our designer) and my friend Rick went to it. Joe walked out. I didn't go because I had listened to the score late last week and... well, I'm not much of an opinionated kind of guy but once in awhile I go out on that limb. Or is it a slippery slope. Whatever. I just honestly think this new CONAN score is an example of what's bringing down the quality of film scoring.

While the era of Tiomkin ushering in title songs with 1952's HIGH NOON set a new trend, it was a fabulous one. Soon Mancini was bringing first rate melodies with lyrics into theaters and before we knew it we had razzle dazzle James Bond title songs!

Ennio Morricone stripped the orchestra down, taceted all those violins and brought in whip slaps, whistles, jaws harp, burps... whatever it took to create a new sound for the "old west" of the sixties. But what fabulous new sounds! What treasures to follow!

When Hans Zimmer re-wrote the rules yet again with his late eighties work, he brought in a freshness that retained harmonic sensibilities but reconfigured the entire performing ensemble... and wham!... we got a burst of incredibly rhythmic new energy in our action film music, literally getting it peeled down to its raw core. Grab on for one hell of a ride! And a lot of great action movies soon did just that!

Ok. So somewhere after that, I can't say for sure when, it all started coming apart. I don't know exactly what or why perhaps. But bland and tasteless just became the norm. Synthesized everything. Music as sound design, or sound design as music, or... well, no tunes, anyway. Drones. Musical chaos courtesy electronic keyboards. Toss in a handful of real players, sometimes just one or two. Add wailing voices. And drums, drums, drums. Real ones, pretend ones, whatever. Just drums everywhere.

The new score for CONAN just leaves me cold. No melody, no harmony, no power, nothing to grab on to. CONAN without muscle. CONAN without any juice. Gads. Maybe it could have used 100 players afterall. (Sorry Mr. Bates. I think this score - and apparently the film - are misfires.)


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