Supercell: (Corey Wallace) In the age of
inexpensive digital effects, disaster movies are commonplace in the
video-on-demand venue, and one such knockoff of the tornado formula is
2023's
Supercell. Partially inspired by 1996's
Twister but
emphasizing a familial coming-of-age plotline, the relatively unknown
flick spun around on lesser streaming services early in the year and was
met with a collective shrug. A teenage boy who lost his storm-chasing
father long ago is now drawn to the same occupation, and despite his
mother's hesitancy, he teams up with old friends and competitors of his
father, not to mention a standard love interest of his own, to follow
his passion. The kid gets kicked out of school because of his use of
tornado-associated equipment, and it's only fitting that he finds
himself directly in the path of the storm while certain other characters
are necessarily sucked up into the sky to their presumed death. Among
the only notable aspects of the movie is that it features actress Anne
Heche after her own fiery demise and actor Alec Baldwin after he had
made news for accidentally killing a cinematographer on set. With this
kind of lingering star power from the 1990's, it's somewhat appropriate
that the other main attraction of
Supercell is its decidedly
retro, dramatic action score by newcomer Corey Wallace. Having studied
under Christopher Young, he spent the fifteen years prior to
Supercell as an orchestrator, arranger, and, most prominently in
later years, ghostwriter for Bear McCreary. (Writing additional music
for major composers' works without more than marginal buried credit
qualifies as ghostwriting in this age.) With most of his own work
relegated to short films and television, Wallace clearly saw
Supercell as an opportunity to let loose with a breakthrough solo
film score, and director Jamie Winterstern gave him a few years and just
enough of a budget to do so. The director and composer agreed early on
that they wanted the film's score to be a throwback to the adventuresome
orchestral norms of the 1980's and 1990's, and what results from Wallace
is an extremely faithful tribute to John Williams' style of that
era.
There will certainly be those who dismiss the score for
Supercell as the work of a Williams fanboy, but such disregard
greatly cheapens both the remarkable accomplishment of the emulation and
the considerable efficacy of the sound, even in the 2020's. Yes, this
score does absolutely nothing to hide its influences, and some listeners
may be annoyed by what they hear as copious direct references to
Williams' structures and instrumental techniques. But this is
Supercell, not a piece of art attempting to blaze new territory.
Wallace succeeds brilliantly in exactly what he needed to do to
resurrect the classic Williams sound for this context. More impressive
is the fact that he managed to do so on a shoestring budget and with
incredible technical precision. There is no doubt that Wallace is a
student of Williams' work, for you hear everything from
The River
to
Hook, the
Harry Potter scores, and a massive dose of
Jurassic Park with high intelligence in this score. The
orchestration and fantastic subtlety of emotional shifts is particularly
emblematic of Williams' career, the "Mother and Son" cue a fascinating
exhibit of this characteristic. The sensitivity which Wallace captures
from Williams' low-key dramatic techniques is very keen, as heard in
"I'll Show You," which conveys the softer moments of
Jurassic
Park extremely well, and the middle of "The Kid is Here," which is
highly reminiscent of
The River. Solid orchestral groaning
techniques are employed early in "In the Cage" and latter half of
"Biblical," with the Williams velociraptor action techniques in "In the
Cage" prevalent. (On the other hand, a cue like "They'd Be Here" is
purely atmospheric filler and groaning without the same smarts.)
Applying fear techniques and dissonance from the
Harry Potter
scores is "Left Behind," and "Uncle Roy" ends the album presentation
with a quintessential Williams suspense resolution chord. All of this is
accomplished with the combination of a budget orchestral ensemble in
Budapest and various samples and sweeteners to add depth to live
players. A few moments of more outright domination of sampling, as in
"Scouting the Sky," are distracting, and a few flubs by the live players
do persist; both of these issues seem concentrated on brass
elements.
While the instrumental applications in
Supercell
are all highly effective and affectionate nods to Williams, even down to
the required harp and celeste for delicate familial elements, it's
Wallace's handling of themes that makes
Supercell a superior
score on its own merits. (Only one of the themes is a direct quotation
from a legacy Williams identity.) All but a few passages in this score
are melodic, and there is extraordinarily strong thematic development
and manipulation throughout. Four major themes are almost constantly
referenced, deconstructed, and layered upon each other, with "First
Supercell" rotating particularly nicely between all of them. The main
theme of the score doubles as one of adventure for the lead boy,
William, and it's clearly the best identity in score. Teased in a
fragment at 0:54 into "I Did It for You (Love Theme)," this primary
theme follows the love theme more formally on string layers at 1:45,
eventually revealing its ascending, lovely, and hopeful B phrase at the
close of the cue. The overwhelming highlight of the score is the massive
brass statement of the main theme over rambling runs at 0:14 into
"William's Escape." In this phenomenal cue, the theme's B phrase is
extremely exuberant at 0:39 before the A phrase resolves with noble
relief at 1:05. This theme offers a glimpse of defiance at 1:24 into
"One-One-Thousand-Two-One-Thousand" and opens "Mother and Son" on flute
over harp, exploring its B phrase with beauty before maneuvering through
some fragmented variants that are equally appealing. Pieces of the main
theme struggle at the start of "First Supercell" before developing fully
at 0:09, and the B phrase receives multiple wholesome performances
thereafter. It conveys heart at 0:29 into "I'll Show You," the love
theme intermingling with B phrase, and the A phrase closes the cue with
soft string appeal. The theme starts "Ghost of a Giant" on flute against
the love theme on trumpet, the B phrase included, before the trumpet
shifts to the A phrase for a nice resolution. The idea takes most of
"Get Me Within Range" to build into a full but mutated performance,
fights to consolidate in "Heartbeats" but never quite congeals, and
persists as solo flute, strings, and trumpet state it in "A Package
Arrives," with that same flute carrying it over to the outset of "Uncle
Roy."
The aforementioned love theme seems to accompany both the
family and romantic elements in the story of
Supercell, and it is
extremely reminiscent of Williams' 1980's sensibilities without outright
quoting any themes directly. It occupies most of "I Did It for You (Love
Theme)," starting that cue on strings but shifting to its superior B
phrase at 0:14; the main phrase returns with the full ensemble at 0:59
while the subsequent, whimsical B phrase features lofty brass
counterpoint. The love theme battles the danger theme's rhythmic
formation at 0:31 into "One-One-Thousand-Two-One-Thousand," the rhythmic
use transforming it into a great tool of worry, and the idea continues
as counterpoint to the main theme at the end of the cue. It's reduced to
solemn French horn fragment late in "Much to Do," returns to cyclical
motions early in "The Kid is Here," and is used as direct answer phrases
to the suspense theme at the outset of "Passing the Torch." The love
theme enjoys a major performance at 1:48 into "First Supercell,"
complete with B phrase in fanfare counterpoint, but it diminishes from
there on album. It's very slight at 0:46 and 1:24 into "I'll Show You,"
occupies "Why Can't You Be Both" in solemn fragments on horn and
violins, counters a flute carrying the main theme using a solo trumpet,
and resumes its worried, cyclical motions at 1:26 into "A Package
Arrives" and 0:43 into "Uncle Roy," where, in the latter cue, it extends
to a creepy solo horn rendition. The third and least memorable theme in
Supercell is one for suspense that alternates between two notes
with anticipation before explicit call and answer phrasing at end. This
theme quietly emerges on string pulses at 0:17 into "Backside of the
Cell," its own ascending B phrase beginning at 1:08 on cellos and
repeating a few times before the main phrase gains more ominous size at
2:22 and culminates to a crescendo of nerves. It follows the danger
theme with force at 2:38 into "In the Cage" (with what sounds like some
intrusive sweetening to the mix), opens "Passing the Torch" in question
format with the love theme as the answer (this technique is totally
awesome), serves as a tool of buildup for the love theme 1:35 into
"First Supercell," and meanders against the danger theme at 2:20 into
"Chasing" before a massive explosion with militaristic, determined snare
at 3:02.
The most prevalent theme in
Supercell is its most
derivative, an obvious emulation of Williams' underused but propulsive
and memorable panic motif in
Jurassic Park. (This was the
compellingly rolling woodwind and string tool of growing suspense in
"Incident at Isla Nublar" and "The Falling Car and the T-Rex Chase" that
eventually merged with the velociraptor material late in that score.)
This danger theme represents the tornados in this context, and to
Wallace's credit, it proves to be extremely malleable throughout this
score. Previewed as subtle counterpoint to the suspense theme at 1:41
into "Backside of the Cell," this theme suddenly bursts at 1:07 into "In
the Cage" on brass and aggressive strings. The latter often carry it as
a rhythmic base with other action on top, and a menacing brass
performance at 2:05 yields a short secondary phrase. Proving its
adaptability, this theme percolates lightly on harp early in
"One-One-Thousand-Two-One-Thousand," foaming up on strings thereafter.
It's carefully delicate on celeste and/or harp at 2:13 into "Mother and
Son," and this technique carries over to the middle of "Much to Do." The
danger theme closes "Passing the Torch" on oboe in a wash of light
suspense, provides a quick reference against the main theme early in
"First Supercell," and punctuates the anxiety throughout "Rule Number 3"
and "Left Behind." Intriguingly, the theme is accelerated in "Through
the Canyon" so it resembles
Hook more than
Jurassic Park,
and this mode recurs more prominently in "Onto the Roof" against the
adventure motif. It returns to more menacing form, however, at 0:54 for
a moment before shifting to brighter action. The danger theme is quietly
set against the main theme's fragments at 1:55 into "I'll Show You,"
occupies the sampled middle of "Scouting the Sky," sets the backdrop for
the suspense in "Chasing" and "Heartbeats," and revisits its celeste
incarnation again at 0:55 into "Uncle Roy" before returning to
aggressive bass strings. Among more minor melodic ideas, a wonderment
motif consists of three rising notes repeated multiple times as heard at
0:20 into "Biblical," 2:33 into "Mother and Son," and 0:06 into "Much to
Do," all on French horn. This motif changes progression in the middle of
"Through the Canyon" but serves the same purpose, and it regains form at
1:03 into "Uncle Roy" on strings and horn against the danger theme.
Meanwhile, a handful of adventure motif variants all use two five-note
phrases of optimism in the score.
The adventure motif seems tied to the family legacy of
the lead boy, William, as at 0:44 into "The Kid is Here" and 0:14 into
"I'll Show You." But similarly-devised formations change gears with the
same intent to produce a new, defiant variant at 0:28 into "Passing the
Torch." In this unique cue, Wallace inspires a keen sense of
determination over a very Williams-like march with a touch of Jerry
Goldsmith rhythmic progression. Sticking to various forms of these
five-note figures, this motif stews early in "Through the Canyon,"
interjects in the first half of "Onto the Roof," and tries
unsuccessfully to infuse some of its snare-ripping personality in
"Scouting the Sky." Listeners will find the narrative of these themes in
Supercell to be perhaps a bit convoluted because of the initial
album's arrangement to frontload the majority of the best cues in the
first half of the presentation. While this decision provides for a great
revelation of Wallace's capabilities up front, it also betrays how
smartly his narrative development evolves throughout the score and, of
course, leaves the latter half of the album with all the lesser ambient
material. Avid listeners will be best served by reprogramming the tracks
into a chronological ordering. Don't give up on the second half of that
album as presented, however, for there still remains a bevy of
intelligent writing in that material. The sound quality is remarkably
crisp from start to finish, and while the sweeteners and outright
sampled potions do sometimes grate, they also tend to emulate Williams'
own employment of supplemental synthetics in the early 1990's as well.
Some listeners may not even notice them if only appreciating the score
casually. The year following the score's release, Intrada Records
pressed a limited CD of the work, adding about eight minutes of music to
the main presentation and appending two demo arrangements of the main
theme. Most importantly, the 63 minutes of final score material is
presented in chronological ordering, which helps the narrative but does
frontload several of the ambient suspense cues. Expect that arrangement
to thus be the opposite of the original digital album, conveying many of
its less appealing cues early. Among the newly released cues, the most
interesting is the lengthy "Driver's Ed," which opens with a hint of the
suspense theme prior to long development for the love/family theme. The
suspense theme returns in the cue's latter half prior to a tender
celeste and string rendition of that love theme. It's a generally a
pleasant cue overall and provides more balance towards the romantic side
of the listening experience.
Another cue unique to Intrada's album is "All You Can
Do is Wait," in which the main theme's secondary lines open on flute.
The middle of this cue is steeped in Williams suspense techniques, and
its final third pits the adventure motif from "Passing the Torch"
against the danger theme. The third unreleased cue is "Zane's Death,"
which is the work's only totally atmospheric and dissonant diversion, a
highly unpleasant two minutes best left programmed out of the remainder
but at least completing that portion of the narrative. Both of the two
bonus cues at the end of the expanded product are excellent
conceptually, though you have to accept that they are obviously
synthetic demo material. Still, the renderings exhibit Wallace's talent
in the creation process and merit appreciation. For "William's Escape
(Alt Unused Demo)," the composer clearly left Williams behind for the
initial, rousing statement of the main theme that is instead completely
saturated with Alan Silvestri's
Back to the Future climax, and
it's really fun to behold. This version of the cue needs recorded by a
real ensemble. The other bonus track, "Wonderment," opens with a flute
and then horn and trumpet rendition of that main theme before Wallace
passes it around the rest of the group. The rising structures of the
theme's main pairs of notes are a bit less refined here, with even more
Jurassic Park to them. That said, there's a touch of James Horner
anticipation methodology at 1:58. Good layering of instrumental lines in
the second half yields to solo woodwinds at the end in
E.T. The
Extra-Terrestrial tradition. The love for the 1980's and 1990's is
obvious in how Wallace worked through this main theme's earlier
iterations, and those connections were smoothened out a bit in the final
recording of the major duo cues, "First Supercell" and "William's
Escape." The expanded CD may not be worth the investment for listeners
already happy with high-resolution digital options from when the score
first debuted, but the music, one the biggest surprises of 2023, is more
than welcome in the physical realm. Wallace obviously saw
Supercell, despite its destiny as a somewhat mundane and obscure
streaming product, as an opportunity to write a feature score like those
he, like most film music collectors, know and love from the heyday of
John Williams' influence. If you can forgive this decision by the
composer and director at a conceptual level, then you are better
positioned to truly appreciate the utterly remarkable degree to which
Wallace prevails in his execution of that Williams' sound. Music this
good has no business belonging in
Supercell, and some cynics may
feel an urge to write it off as a work of parody. But that's largely the
point. For such a derivative film, a perfectly executed, nostalgic score
is an unexpected treat.
@Amazon.com: CD or
Download
- Music as Written for the Film: *****
- Music as Heard on Album: ****
- Overall: ****
There exists no official packaging for the 2023 Filmtrax album. The insert of
the 2024 Intrada album includes information about the film and score.
