Newest Major Reviews:.This Week's Most Popular Reviews: Best-Selling Albums:
. 1. Nim's Island
2. The Life Before Her Eyes
3. Horton Hears a Who!
4. Leatherheads
5. The Spiderwick Chronicles
. . 1. Moulin Rouge
2. Gladiator
3. POTC: Curse of the Black Pearl
4. Star Wars: A New Hope
5. Edward Scissorhands
6. Pearl Harbor
7. Schindler's List
8. Titanic
9. Braveheart
10. Home Alone
. . 1. Varèse Sarabande 25th
2. The Last of the Mohicans
3. Legends of the Fall
4. Schindler's List
5. LOTR: Return of the King (Set)
About Filmtracks



    Table of Contents:



About Filmtracks' Goals: Filmtracks' Privacy Policy: Terms of Service: About Filmtracks' Reviews:
Contact and Feedback: Filmtracks' History:
Miscellaneous: The Final Word:




About Filmtracks' Goals:

The Filmtracks Mission Statement:
Filmtracks' goal is to provide reviews of film music from a fan's perspective to other film music fans. Filmtracks will never become a shrine for elite taste. The background will always be black. Some of the reviews will induce feelings of ill temper (after all, this is a review site!), although this isn't the primary intent. There will never be an irritating scrolling message at the bottom of the window. As a tribute to text-based (Lynx) users still going strong, there will never be frames at Filmtracks. There will never be a charge to access anything. You'll never be forced to have Shockwave or some other advanced media device in order to access the site. You'll never see Filmtracks add an abundance of cute Javascript applets or animated GIFs. Nor will you see excessively shameless plugs for Filmtracks on e-mail lists or other film music forums.

Filmtracks is not here to be the "best" soundtrack site on the web. Instead, it's the one with the most personality, simplicity, and fun. Audio clips are no substitute for strong textual content! You can always count on Filmtracks for an unbiased opinion. Trust us... a good sense of humor is absolutely necessary when listening to some scores. There are many commercial soundtrack sites popping up; they contain databases with hundreds upon hundreds of information resources and claim to be the "premier" or "best" sites on the web for film music. If you seek only lifeless information, go there. However, if you browse for interactive fun, that's what Filmtracks is here for. One page on the site, although seemingly valid, will always be completely false... a creation of the twisted Filmtracks mind.
How Long will Filmtracks be Around?
The current Filmtracks expansion plan leads through the end of 2003, but a new plan will likely be set to take the site through 2005. In reality, there's no reason for Filmtracks to disappear unless, of course, the planet gets bombarded by one of those king-sized meteors and we experience a magnetic reversal of the poles and the second coming of you-know-who.
What Careers or Jobs Does Filmtracks Offer?
Since Filmtracks is mostly a one-man operation, the site offers no paying positions to other individuals. However, there are non-paying positions available in all Missoula departments, including waste removal specialist, laundry operations manager, floor polishing associate, and executive food preparation engineer. We're also looking to expand our harem, if possible. Send cover letter, references, portfolio sample, and resume to the address listed below. Filmtracks is sometimes an equal opportunity employer.


Filmtracks' Privacy Policy:

What Our Privacy Policy Covers:
This Privacy Policy covers Filmtracks' treatment of personally identifiable information that Filmtracks accidentally collects when you are on the Filmtracks site, and when you use Filmtracks' services. This policy does not apply to the practices of companies that Filmtracks does not own or control, or to people that Filmtracks does not employ or manage. In addition, this policy does not apply to any other film music site, governmental entity, or invading alien superpower.
The Information We Collect and How We Use It:
oops Filmtracks does not collect personally identifiable information such as names, addresses, birthdays, gender, occupation, traffic violations, choice of mate, favorite size of mattress, or preference of meat preparation. Therefore, we cannot and do not sell personal information about Filmtracks visitors to companies who will call you during dinner time and urge you to purchase a revolutionary new light bulb. Filmtracks does, however, automatically receive and record information on our server logs from your browser, including your IP address. We use this information solely for security reasons so that we may send bounty hunters after persistent troublemakers.
Cookies, Security, and Your Ability to Change Your Information:
The only personal information collected via cookies at Filmtracks is through the ScoreBoard Forum. Establishment of a "profile" at the ScoreBoard is strictly voluntary, and a profile is not necessary to participate. Filmtracks allows other companies that are presenting advertisements on some of our pages to set and access their cookies on your computer. Other companies' use of their cookies is subject to their own privacy policies, not this one. Advertisers, other companies, and the governments of Montana and the United States of America do not have access to the Filmtracks ScoreBoards' cookies. You may delete the ScoreBoard cookies in your Microsoft Internet Explorer Browser at any time. All ScoreBoard passwords are encrypted and are not visible to Filmtracks, though we can change the passwords if necessary, or if Filmtracks gets a spontaneous urge to engage in deviant behavior.
Changes to Our Privacy Policy:
Filmtracks may amend this policy at any time, for reasons including 1) a directive from God, 2) a directive from an angry mob of Filmtracks visitors, or 3) the whim of Filmtracks. If we make any substantial changes in the way we don't use your personal information, we will notify you by posting a prominent announcement on our pages and purchasing a half-hour slot of informative public access television in Missoula, Montana.


Terms of Service:

Description of Service and Acceptance of Terms:
Welcome to Filmtracks. We provide this website Service to you out of the goodness of our hearts and you are free to leave at any time. Filmtracks' primary service is the publication of reviews. This textual content is provided "as is" and Filmtracks assumes no responsiblity for any regional conflict, ill feelings, or failed marriages due to that content. In order to use this Service, you must have access to the world wide web, and Filmtracks is not responsible for the costs of the computer and internet access service which you use to view Filmtracks. In addition, there are certain sections of this site which contain foul language and inflammatory opinions that may not be suitable for young children or oversensitive industry insiders.
Your Obligation and Conduct:
bad You have no serious obligations at Filmtracks. We would hope that you provide accurate and decent information when you post at the message or comment forums, but even if you don't, Filmtracks retains the right to summarily eliminate your presence here. By posting information at Filmtracks, you certify that you speak at least marginal English. You understand that by using the Service, you may be exposed to content that is offensive, indecent, objectionable, or past its expiration date. You agree to not use the Service to: forge, spam, falsify, stalk, threaten, flash, abuse, harass, torture, defame, set afire, invade, spontaneously combust, or set up a pyramid scheme. You may, under occasional circumstances, refer to a fellow ScoreBoard participant as a "Gomer."
Limitation of Liability:
You expressly understand and agree that Filmtracks shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, accidental, special, consequential or emotional damages, including but not limited to damages for loss of profits, goodwill, happiness, or intimate relationships. Filmtracks shall also not be liable in the event that a visitor forgets to take his or her medication.
Violation and Termination:
Violations of the terms of this Service shall be dealt with quickly and without remorse. Any and all violations shall be reported to the Government of the United States, the perpetrator's parents, and the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If you witness someone else violating Filmtracks' Terms of Service, push the nearest red button to you and your contribution will be noted. You agree that Filmtracks, in its sole discretion, may terminate your access to any part of this site should it be deemed necessary to do so. You also agree, under punishment of termination, that the San Francisco Giants deserve to eventually win another World Series.


About Filmtracks' Reviews:

Who Writes All the Reviews?
Clemmensen Filmtracks pages are all designed and written by one deranged individual: Christian Clemmensen. A resident of Missoula, Montana, Clemmensen obtained a B.A. in Organizational Communication from the University of Montana in 1998 and an M.A. in Speech Communication from the University of Washington, Seattle, in 2000. While maintaining Filmtracks as a part time occupation, he also teaches courses in public speaking and business presentations to people of all ages. Other areas of expertise include English, Journalism, Digital Arts, and Technical Communication. His musical background include 14 years of formal piano training and performance, as well as ten years of study in motion picture scores. He readily admits to a Pepsi addiction and can often be found with raw carrots and little ketchup packages on his person. It has been rumored that he destroyed over 70,000 kilotons of enemy shipping in his past life, which is impressive considering his slight mental handicap at the time, but these reports are unconfirmed.
The Writing seems Amateurish and Clumsy at Times. Why?
Mr Clemmensen spends most of his non-Filmtracks time studying rhetoric and evaluating the rhetorical compositions of other people, so when he gets home and writes reviews, he is often too tired to write coherently. Therefore, reviews often contain borderline grammatical errors and even an occasional spelling blunder. If this offends you, too bad. Keep in mind that nobody's charging you to read these reviews. Also, since many of Filmtracks' readers are young, or live in other countries and don't speak English very well, the style of writing is a bit simplified. On the other hand, a regular New Yorker contributor blasted Clemmensen's writings in 1997 and told him, "I doubt you could ever have a serious writing career with your limited abilities." Since the date of that comment, Clemmensen's soundtrack reviews have been read over 80 million times.
How Often is Filmtracks Updated?
The answer to this question depends on a number of factors. Mr Clemmensen often gets distracted by his regular daytime work, his girlfriend, household chores, sports programs, and any television show in which a crazed madman steals a large construction vehicle and barrels through rush hour traffic while police helplessly look on. He receives far too many albums to review, so he chooses those which Filmtracks visitors will be most interested in reading about and, when none of the above distractions applies, he reviews it. There is no regular schedule for updating. On average, there are 125 new reviews by Clemmensen and 15 new donated reviews each year. There are also minor daily updates and acts of subterfuge which most people would not notice.
Information about Donated Reviews:
Filmtracks accepts well-written reviews by other enthusiasts of film music. For detailed information about how to contribute to Filmtracks, view the Donated Review Details page. Filmtracks receives many substandard reviews which are simply unpublishable, so be sure to read that detailed page before sending a review.


Contact and Feedback:

Who to Contact about Film Music-Related Questions:
If you have a question about a score, a piece of trailer music, or anything related to film music composers, it is highly recommended that you ask your question on the Filmtracks ScoreBoard Forum. With many knowledgable score fans and the Filmtracks webmaster in attendance there, it's the best possible place to get your question answered. If all else fails, you can try e-mailing Christian Clemmensen directly, though he doesn't have time to answer many of the queries and 90% of those e-mails go unanswered (sorry, folks!).
Who to Contact about Questions or Problems with the Site:
If something is blown up on the Filmtracks website, then indeed e-mail webmaster Christian Clemmensen and let him know. He will be eternally grateful to you. If you are furious about something you have read on the site and wish to flame Mr Clemmensen, those e-mails are welcomed as well. The only e-mails that are currently unwelcome are the "Jesus Loves You" variety, which will prompt an explosive response from Filmtracks and cause yet another donation to "The American Association for the Separation of Church and State."
What Kind of Strange Comments does Filmtracks Receive?
Filmtracks continues to collect the most bizarre feedback it has received since 1995 and samples of those e-mails can be read on the Filmtracks Faux Pas Page. In addition to the e-mails contained on that page, Mr Clemmensen has received seven personalized death threats since the birth of Filmtracks.
We Are a Label and Would Like Our Product Reviewed at Filmtracks. Who do We Contact?
Many of the albums that Filmtracks reviews are generously provided by the producers at various record labels, including such fine organizations as Universal, Disney, Silva Screen, Varese Sarabande, Sony Classical, Atlantic/BMG, Milan, Arista, Sonic Images, Citadel, GNP Crescendo, Intrada, Virgin, Compass III, SuperTracks, Pacific Time, and Film Score Monthly. Some come from the composers themselves or their families. Others we purchase ourselves and auction off at a small monetary loss.

Please send all promotional materials to:

    Filmtracks Publications
    Attn: Christian Clemmensen
    541 McLeod Ave
    Missoula, MT 59801
    USA

Advertising rates for this site can be found here. Because of its distance from Los Angeles, Filmtracks does not mingle with or interview composers. Therefore, you can be assured that all of Filmtracks' reviews are unbiased. Bribes can, however, be negotiated on an occasional basis.


Filmtracks' History:

November, 1995:
From Mountain View, California, a one-page tribute to James Horner was established as part of Mr Clemmensen's first website --a site devoted to movie poster art and the flaming of his ex-high-school-sweetheart. With only ten visitors a day, the page only included reviews of Apollo 13, Braveheart, and Casper.
February, 1996:
Still under his personal website, Clemmensen started "Christian's Modern Soundtrack Reviews," which gained six pages in size (mostly as part of the Collector's Corner) and first averaged 150 hits a day. It eventually peaked with 300 visitors a day reading 30 capsule reviews of scores from 1994 and 1995, but temporarily dropped while Clemmensen recovered from the surgical removal and rebolting of his jaw. Operations then moved to Missoula, Montana.
October, 1996:
Growing too popular to remain a "personal" little corner of his site, Clemmensen acquired the domain of "filmtracks.com" and began Filmtracks Modern Soundtrack Reviews, Version 1.0. Featuring capsule reviews for 72 scores, the first featured albums were The Spitfire Grill and The Ghost and the Darkness. As the first top-level domain devoted to single-album score reviews, the site gained popularity immediately, sending the hits/day to 4000, with 100 MB of material accessed daily.
April 1997:
After nearly going blind in a severe retinal accident, Clemmensen recovered to expand Filmtracks (now Version 2.0) to include composer tributes, the auction, references for sheet music and publications, and an expanded "Theme of the Month." Hits/day passed 15,000, with about 150MB of information accessed daily. Commission-based partnerships provide Filmtracks with its first profits. The original movie poster gallery closed its doors for good.
December, 1997:
Version 3.0 of the site adds the search engine, Faux Pas Page, and an elaborate new layout for the main page. Beginning with the reissue of Cocoon and Tomorrow Never Dies, capsule reviews are replaced by a longer review format for each title. Hits/day reached 28,000, with about 350MB of material accessed daily. The review for Titanic caused a popularity boom that led to "busy signal" problems that would plague the site for two years. Even with the first revenue from sponsorships, the site began closing from midnight to 5 a.m. each morning due to bandwidth limitations.
July 1998:
Filmtracks moves to Seattle, Washington. Along with the establishment of the ScoreBoard Forum, Version 4.0 of the site restructures it for faster loading and java/scripting capabilities. Hits/day reached 45,000 a day, with the 10 millionth page served. With reviews for 350 individual CD titles, Filmtracks began its specially negotiated partnership with Amazon.com. Constant sponsorship and an overwhelming support from record labels with promotional items added to the site's thorough coverage of current soundtrack releases. Donated reviews begin to premier and Filmtracks holds one of the largest online auctions of soundtrack collectibles ever.
February 1999:
Despite a rash of death threats and attempted break-ins on the Filmtracks server, the site continues to grow. The 20 millionth page is served and over 11,000 review pages are served daily, with 435 reviews total. The ScoreBoard Forum is viewed 2,000 times daily and about 500MB of info served each day. Clemmensen begins the task of re-writing the 200+ original capsule reviews from 1995-1997 and update them to full-length coverage. Filmtracks' first full year as a profiting enterprise makes taxes into a horrendous task.
June, 1999:
After suffering from another potentially blinding, emergency retinal surgery, Clemmensen worked around graduate school to produce Version 5.0 of the site. Filmtracks begins to license its content to other sites for commercial use and expands its relationships with Amazon.com and soundtrack label sponsors. Profits from these collaborations were being saved to eventually solve the "busy signals" which continued to pain Filmtracks users. With the other original film music web sites falling out of service or being assimilated by larger companies, Filmtracks is the oldest soundtrack site under original ownership. Voting capabilities on review pages debut.
March, 2000:
Filmtracks finally outgrows its old virtual hosting company and moves along with teletracks.com and filmtracks.cc to its own dedicated server. With consistenly rising success each month, Filmtracks becomes a full time occupation for its webmaster. Serving over 15,000 review pages a day, the site reaches a total of 50 million pages served since 1995. Reviews for 625 albums accompany a new and updated ScoreBoard Forum. Nearly 800MB of info served daily. Roughly 60 original capsule reviews from 1995 - 1997 still remain for Clemmensen to re-write.
October, 2000:
Operations move once again to Missoula, Montana. Filmtracks' new server allows for a boom of popularity at the site, and visitors per day surpasses 25,000. A sum of 1.4GB of reviews, images, and a new database of 200+ audio clips is served daily. Version 6.0 of the site is finalized, including the maturing of the "On Cue" feature, the profile-enabled ScoreBoard, and "user comment" capabilities on individual review pages. Filmtracks becomes Yahoo!'s top listed soundtrack website for the first time since 1996 and the 80 millionth total page is downloaded from the site. A dedicated office is finally constructed in Missoula to house Filmtracks, and the site is featured in the 10/27/00 "Power Issue" of the print magazine Entertainment Weekly, receiving an "A" grade.


Miscellaneous:

What Equipment and Software Does Filmtracks Use?
Server Filmtracks is currently located on its own Red Hat Linux server housed at DigitalNation in Alexandria, Virginia. With over 6 Gigabytes of information and media storage and 100 Gigabytes of bandwidth available per month, Filmtracks can handle about 36,000 unique visitors a day. It is currently the host for the domains filmtracks.com, teletracks.com, and filmtracks.cc. For the five years previous to March, 2000, Filmtracks was located at Best.com in Mountain View, California, until that company was assimilated and dissolved by Verio. Filmtracks is proudly created, maintained, and served without the use of any Microsoft products. Filmtracks will as long as possible remain a Microsoft-free zone. All content was/is created on the Apple Macintosh and Linux platforms. Key software utilized is Adobe Photoshop 5.0, Specular LogoMotion and TextureScape, QuickTime 4.0, Real Audio Encoder on the Mac, and various unix-based programs on the Linux server. Most of these were used while listening to George Carlin CDs.
Why do I See Filmtracks Reviews at Other Sites?
There are two possible reasons for this. On the legal side, Filmtracks licenses out its review content to other consumer sites. The income from the fees for this licensing covers Filmtracks' server costs (the primary overhead). On the illegal side, there are many sites out there which illegally snatch Filmtracks material and use it for their own vile purposes. Filmtracks usually detects these uses, though somethimes they are brought to my attention by the army of loyal Filmtracks visitors. In the end, these frauds are busted with haste and/or legal action. Bounty hunters are unleashed in the most extreme circumstances.
What Companies Owe Filmtracks Unpaid Compensation?
The following companies have defrauded Filmtracks and/or proven to be untrustworthy business partners: Music Boulevard, now owned by CDnow owes Filmtracks over $300 in unpaid commission fees. SonicNet owes Filmtracks over $200 for advertisement fees gained through the now defunct "ClickCash" program. Arzoo.com cost Filmtracks countless hours of transferring reviews to their site for liscencing purposes, and did not pay Filmtracks for their use of our material before they ceased their faulty consumer-directory venture. Of the above three entities, Arzoo.com was the most untrustworthy partner, and Filmtracks recommends that you avoid future collaborations with them.
What Are the Ten Strangest Things People Have Ever Typed into a Search Engine to get to Filmtracks?
Based on our cumulative access logs between March, 1997, and October, 2000:
  1. "John Williams picture nude"
  2. "gladiator steroid march"
  3. "music for erectile dysfunction"
  4. "antique doorknob obsession"
  5. "Darth Vader glowing underware"
  6. "female welders"
  7. "horoscope for the devine airport"
  8. "Lord Jesus beverage choice"
  9. "how to prepare a squirrel for mealtime"
  10. "religious feast day death ceremony"

I Suffer from Full Body Hair Loss, Bloated Eyeball Syndrome, and Projectile Vomiting. Can Filmtracks Help Me?
Filmtracks takes no responsibility for any mental or physical trauma that this site causes you or your family. If you suffer from some kind of horrific ailment, such as those listed to the left, then consult a competent doctor. If you experience symptoms of physical problems while viewing Filmtracks' pages, then your troubles are more likely due to something nasty that you ate or inhaled rather than Filmtracks' content.
Does Filmtracks Test on Animals?
Contrary to published reports, Filmtracks does not test on animals. That is, unless the animal participates voluntarily. We do not strap vermin and other small creatures into loud "surround sound cages" to gauge their reaction to film scores. We do, however, test film scores on brown bears which pass by our Missoula office. Most recently, when a bear was feasting on crabapples from a tree only ten feet outside our office window, we turned all seven of our speakers out the windows and blasted the opening monologue and "Riders of Doom" tracks from Conan the Barbarian in order to test the bear's reaction. It fled.


Farewell
The final San Francisco Giants game at Candlestick Park, 1999.

The Final Word:

One thing that you've probably noticed is that Filmtracks doesn't take itself too seriously. Hell, it's hard to take anything seriously when I keep referring to myself in the third person. I guess the most important thing to keep in mind when visiting a film music site is the fact that nothing we do or say has any long-lasting political or socio-economic effects on a planetary scale. After all, we're talking film music here -- a small, relatively unknown corner of the massive entertainment scene. I've witnessed too many fans, websites, and industry reps taking the world of film music far too seriously. Sure, I make a personal profit off of Filmtracks, and I enjoy the high traffic that my site's longevity has afforded me. But when the sun starts setting over the pine-covered, Montana hills to the west of my home, it's so much more important to get up from the computer, turn off the music, and walk outside to the sights, sounds, and smells of something vastly better than a film music website...

To Filmtracks patrons: I sincerely hope you enjoy yourself at this site, but remember to occasionally turn the computer off. There's so much more out there in the real world...






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Page created 11/11/95, updated 10/18/00. Version 4.1 (Filmtracks Publishing). Copyright © 1995-2000,
Christian Clemmensen. All rights reserved. The reviews and notes contained on the filmtracks.com site may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Filmtracks Publications.