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Filmtracks Recommends:
Buy it... if you never had a chance to obtain either of the two scores represented on their previous, individual promotional releases. Avoid it... if you already have the devilishly superior music to The Cable Guy and are interested in this compilation promo only for "Fantasy Island." Filmtracks Editorial Review:
The superior music on the compilation easily comes from The Cable Guy in the latter half. The 1997 comedy directed by Ben Stiller and starring Jim Carrey and Matthew Broderick proved to be too awkward a combination of laughs and genuine attempts at suspense to work for audiences, but Ottman's score made a valiant effort to bring those two sides of the story together into a cohesive whole. The tone of The Cable Guy would mark one of the high points for Ottman in terms of combining his dramatically gothic tendencies with pure comedy writing. At the time, the score seemed like a lost variant on his usual sound, but in retrospect, it proves itself to be a far more interesting and serviceable merging of styles. Ottman's typical darkness prevails in the wicked title theme, written towards the child-like exterior of Carrey's title character with brilliance. A slight waltz rhythm is aided by a chorus of childrens flighty "la-la" vocals that beg for comparisons to Danny Elfman's Scrooged and Jerry Goldsmith's Poltergeist, which, when you think of them together, seem like a perfect tandem for The Cable Guy. Lively percussion exists everywhere, sometimes building to a jazzy pace of rhythm with a full performance by a satisfying sized orchestra in an occasionally melodic statement. Electric guitars, theremine effects, and various other samples offer sharp personality for distinct moments in the score. The highlight of the work is "This Concludes Our Broadcast Day," with all the quirky sound effects and melodic elements wrapped into one outstanding cue. On the whole, The Cable Guy maintains enough harmonic resonance and avoids the pitfalls of parody music (though the inspiration behind the jousting music is bit over the top), allowing for a fluid listening experience. Because of the structure of the film's movements, Ottman's score rarely has enough time to build a motif beyond a minute, and the resulting stuttering nature of the music on album may be make it difficult for some listeners to enjoy. The pacing will well serve vintage Danny Elfman collectors in particular. Sound quality on all of the available promotional products has never been an issue, with Ottman's devilish instrumental usage loud and clear in every cue. If you were a collector who happened to get his hands on the The Cable Guy solo promo before this 1999 compilation was filtered to the specialty soundtrack market, then that product will likely suffice. The music from "Fantasy Island" cannot by itself justify an additional search for this product.
The Cable Guy: **** Overall: ****
* Track time missing on packaging ** Track time incorrect on packaging
The insert includes a note written by The Cable Guy's director, Ben Stiller, and another from John Ottman regarding "Fantasy Island." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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