Serenity: Was music disappointing to you too?

POSTED BY: mali
UPDATED: Wednesday, October 12, 2005 13:20
VIEWED: 12767
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MALI

Friday, September 30, 2005 10:19 PM

Saw it for the third time last night at an SF midnight showing, for the first time as complete film, of course. And I loved it just as much the third time. Smart, exciting, witty, everything a good flick should be, and most amazing to me--fun to watch a third time through.

Anyway, the only element which I found mildly disappointing was the music. I had high expectations given Joss's history, but the music was....well, eh. It was fine, just not great. Talking about it on the way home, Soupy & I finally concluded that maybe Joss wanted a low-key soundtrack so as not to overwhelm the action and dialogue? That's all I can figure.

So, browsing IMDB, I find that the music was done by some guy named David Newman (except for the fruity bar song). His IMDB history is singularly unimpressive. Firefly's music was done by Greg Edmonson, while Buffy was done mostly by Christophe Beck & Shawn K. Clement (Beck did the amazing "Once More w/Feeling").

Point: why not Beck, Clement, or Edmonson? Why Newman? A Universal inhouse guy maybe?

I remain puzzled.

m.

~ Soupcatcher is a hottie ~

TOMANTA

Friday, September 30, 2005 10:41 PM

Joss wanted a fairly lowkey score, as you suggested... at least, that's how the preproduction memo from the visual companion read to me.

They didn't go with Edmonson because Universal wanted someone with a lot more film experience, which Newman has. If I recall correctly, Newman was actually the second composer for Serenity... the first was let go because of differences in opinion.

"Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government."

JEREMY757

Friday, September 30, 2005 10:43 PM

I loved the music, now if I could only find the soundtrack somewhere here in Ft. Worth I would be happy.

If anything needed to be more low-key or toned down, it would have to be the sound effects. At points in the movie they seemed to overwhelm the dialoge.

KNIBBLET

Friday, September 30, 2005 10:54 PM

I enjoyed the soundtrack immensely. Of course, I hadn't decided in advance to dislike it because it wasn't scored by Edmondson.

http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/MN-Firefly/

MALI

Friday, September 30, 2005 10:55 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Jeremy757:
I loved the music, now if I could only find the soundtrack somewhere here in Ft. Worth I would be happy.

Really, J? What parts did you like? Certain scenes, the intro? Again, I don't have a specific complaint--I just didn't seem to notice the music anywhere special. Will have to pay more attention next time I see it...

s.
p.s. i was also miffed that they didn't play the original firefly song at the end of the credits (maybe a rights issue?)...but there was a brief instrumental version instead. Ah well...

~ Soupcatcher is a hottie ~

SANCTIMONIOUSAPE

Saturday, October 1, 2005 11:03 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by mali:
p.s. i was also miffed that they didn't play the original firefly song at the end of the credits (maybe a rights issue?)...but there was a brief instrumental version instead. Ah well...

Really? Must have been REAL damned brief. My wife & I sat through to the very end and while I'll admit there was something vaguely reminiscent of the song towards the end of the credits, it was nowhere NEAR the original. I was highly disappointed as well - low-key music during the film makes sense, but the ballad really should have been played at the end...

CANDRA

Saturday, October 1, 2005 11:57 AM

My only regret was the absence of the Firefly song. However, otherwise I was ok with the music. I agree that Joss needed to keep it low key so the "newbies" could be carried by the action. Keep flying y'all.

Candra

N0SKILLZ

Saturday, October 1, 2005 12:01 PM

ya, i didn't mind the soundtrack, i noticed it was there, but i'd have to really pay attention to tell you if i liked it or not.

and i agree with whoever meantioned not being able to hear some dialog cuz of sound effects...

-----------------
"Are those grenades?"
*Andersen AFB, Guam*

EMBERS

Saturday, October 1, 2005 12:05 PM

personally I loved the music, I was most conscious of it during the opening credits,
and I adored the music as they passed through Reaver territory for the first time....

and the guitar solo at the very end of closing credits was the absolute best (I hope that that will be on the score that is for sale).

I had seen the BDM twice with the 'place marker music' (which was really bad) so this was a HUGE improvement and was a big part of the reason that I liked the movie better the 3rd time around!

XEROGRAVITY

Saturday, October 1, 2005 12:38 PM

I liked the music in the movie. Very epic, and fitting for the big cinema. I didn't like that the intro theme song from the TV show was inexplicably absent. Big mistake IMHO. I'd have opened with it, then overlay a Mal narrative overtop the "new" music. I think that bluesy steel guitar and the artsy lyrics were perfect mood music for the theme of the show ~ wayward space nomads eeking out a harsh existence in the wild west outskirts of the verse.

Kind of reminds me of the BermanBraga break away from Star Trek tradition when they made the Enterprise series. I hated the intro song on Enterprise (as did nearly all dedicated trekkies). It was like a hideous 80's powerballad from the forgettable bighair bands ~ an ominous portense of how hideously BermanBraga would butcher the Trek canon.

XG

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