|
 |
| 6/30/08
- | V/V: The Series: (Joe Harnell/Dennis McCarthy)
- Expanded Review |
|
|
| |
Buy it... |
only if you one of the lingering fans of the cult series, for the cheesy, second rate sci-fi
sounds of the 80's won't play well outside the context of the show.
| |
Avoid it... |
on the Dennis McCarthy promotional album if you expect the episodic scores to maintain the
same spirited character of Joe Harnell's original ideas.
| |
| Rating: | ***/**
Read the entire review
|
|
|
| 6/28/08
- | Stagecoach: (Jerry Goldsmith)
- Expanded Review |
|
|
| |
Buy it... |
if you are as enthused about Jerry Goldsmith's more pastoral and folksy Western style of the
1960's as you are his robust action themes for the same genre.
| |
Avoid it... |
if a Goldsmith Western largely absent his trademark brass themes and dominated by
conversational underscore for jaw harp, harmonica, and banjo doesn't warrant a tough choice
between two equally relevant albums.
| |
| Rating: | **
Read the entire review
|
|
|
| 6/26/08
- | Krull: (James Horner)
- Expanded Review |
|
|
| |
Buy it... |
if you enjoy any of James Horner's action scores, for this one embodies his distinct early
style and foreshadows many of his later classic scores for blockbuster adventures.
| |
Avoid it... |
if the derivative rhythms, motifs, and instrumentation of Horner's early action works have
lost their appeal over the years for you as his music has matured.
| |
| Rating: | ****
Read the entire review
|
|
|
| 6/23/08
- | Good Will Hunting: (Danny Elfman)
- Expanded Review |
|
|
| |
Buy it... |
if you seek the kind of small-scale, mystical, eerie, and withdrawn score in Danny Elfman's
career that equals The Spitfire Grill for James Horner at about the same time.
| |
Avoid it... |
if the occasional harmonic beauty that Elfman can create with acoustic guitars and
pennywhistle can't substantiate 23 minutes of otherwise directionless pondering.
| |
| Rating: | ***
Read the entire review
|
|
|
| 6/21/08
- | David Shire Film Music: (Compilation)
- Expanded Review |
|
|
| |
Buy it... |
if you seek an outstanding summary of David Shire's career and are willing to pay for one of
the most relevant composer compilations of original recordings of all time.
| |
Avoid it... |
if much of Shire's music from the 70's and 80's sounds badly dated to you and the album isn't
worth its use as an educational resource.
| |
| Rating: | ****
Read the entire review
|
|
|
| 6/19/08
- | The X-Files: Fight the Future: (Mark Snow)
- Expanded Review |
|
|
| |
Buy it... |
if you seek a transitional score that leads you from the early days of atmospheric suspense
music in the series to the later years of harmonic romanticism.
| |
Avoid it... |
if you expect a score that truly embodies the electronic spirit and soul of the episodic
scores that Mark Snow provided for the series on television.
| |
| Rating: | ***
Read the entire review
|
|
|
| 6/17/08
- | Wild America: (Joel McNeely)
- Expanded Review |
|
|
| |
Buy it... |
only if you are a collector of Joel McNeely's often superior adventure scores for obscure
films and series.
| |
Avoid it... |
if you demand superior sound quality from all of your digital age scores.
| |
| Rating: | ***
Read the entire review
|
|
|
| 6/15/08
- | Stepmom: (John Williams)
- Expanded Review |
|
|
| |
Buy it... |
only if you are familiar with and enjoy John Williams' similarly subdued character drama
scores for small ensembles in the late 1980's.
| |
Avoid it... |
if you expect any lasting impression to be made by this safely warm, but ultimately fluffy and
mundane replacement score.
| |
| Rating: | ***
Read the entire review
|
 |
|
6/6/08 - | A Final Update on the
Editor's Eyesight |
|
|
|
It was confirmed by doctors this morning that my vitrectomy last week was
successful. It'll be two or three weeks before we can know just how much vision in
that eye was lost, but the prognosis is good. At the moment, the distortion
caused by the gas bubble and new fluids filling the eye are making it somewhat
useless, but by next Friday I should be able to resume most normal activities. So
disaster has been averted... again!
I'm starting to resume my writing schedule, and some regular re-write work and a
few new reviews will be finished as early as this weekend. Read more...
|
|
