Intrada Soundtrack Forum

I've listened to this score quite a few times now and I must say this one easily already ranks as the most compelling albums released this year.

It works incredibly well as a sort of hommage to the great tradition of film noir scores: classics such as Laura and Chinatown. Besides the use of trumpet, played by Isham himself, there's one cue where Isham also employs percussive rattling instruments such as the guiro, just like Jerry Goldsmith did in Chinatown. There's a definitely epic quality to his scoring: Isham never forgets to pay attention to the mythical aura of the long vanished Los Angeles of older days. He also seems to be playing the mystery as well as the musical language of its period setting. There are also some very cleverly done tips of the hat to Leonard Bernstein's On the Waterfront and John Adams' infectious The Chairman Dances. But the final result is never derivative of these fine scores. It's a bit mournful, at times lyrical like the best Golden Age scores used to be. And it also manages to remain very subtle. It reminds me of Isham's great score for The Public Eye, but with an emphasis on a much broader symphonic palette. Anyway, it's a very, very strong album. And i wouldn't be surprised if Mark Isham is recognized with much deserved accolades comes Oscar time. Well, here's looking to discovering the film very soon. I'm almost certain Brian DePalma can't go wrong with James Ellroy material: he was born to adapt and direct this!

Here are my two cents. Anbody listened to it yet and how do you like it? Just curious to know.

Cheers!

Very nice creepy film nor score.
I like it alot.

sd

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Jerry Goldsmith, Joel Goldsmith, John Williams, Elmer Bernstein,Michael Giacchino,Scott Glasgow,Alan Silvestri, Bernard Herrmann, Christopher Young, Bruce Broughton,Ennio Morricone and a host of others.

This sounds good. Any noir type period piece is catnip to me and I plan to see this on Saturday so I'll let you know what I think.

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