Anyway, the real reason I was writing this was to ask a question for my girlfriend. The piano notes at the beginning of "Death Camp" (first cue)----what is it? I mean, what does it rip off? You should have seen the horrified look on her face when I played the track. It sounds vaguely familiar, but she's sure that it's note-for-note from something else.

Anyway, that is all. Thanks!

Shaun

quote:

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Originally posted by Shaun Rutherford:
[B]
Anyway, the real reason I was writing this was to ask a question for my girlfriend. The piano notes at the beginning of "Death Camp" (first cue)----what is it? I mean, what does it rip off? You should have seen the horrified look on her face when I played the track. It sounds vaguely familiar, but she's sure that it's note-for-note from something else.

[B]

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That's all.

I am sure no one will send you "WARNING" mails even if your opinion about the subject lacks any kind of coherence or depth (althought I'll probably get one for posting this...)

Thanks.

Thanks again,
Shaun

I shall go see the film a second time (and perhaps a third and fourth) and evaluate the music based on what you mentioned. I will admit that the first time through was to simply enjoy the film as a whole. I agree with you completely that the cd could be horribly misrepresenting the score as a whole and will gladly give Kamen one more chance to help me hear the subtelties in which you describe. Perhaps I was wrong?

I deeply resent that the finale music doesn't seem to be on the album -- it just tapers off with "Logan and Rogue." Yes, the end title is probably cobbled together from earlier cues, but I'm sure the music for the last few shots was different. As I said, this disc REALLY needed to be longer, though I understand why it isn't, from a financial standpoint. At least we're not saddled with a whole raft of "Music Inspired by ..." crap.

As for the score, I thought it worked just fine. There were a few moments where I thought, "There could be a main theme right here." Yet I was not given one. But I think this film did not want to be just like the other superhero flicks full of bombast music. I think the sparingly use of score during most of the film adds more effect to the finale where it shows up. It really shines then.
Anyway, I really did hope for a main theme and felt that I was not going to get one. This changed in the finale. A building piece of music hints at the battle (sequel) to come, and then as the end credits roll, a dark heroic theme is introduced in full form. It did take until the finale, but at the VERY end of the film, I was ultimately given that satisfaction I wanted from the score. As long as it's there... I'm happy.

So, to put it to a fine point, I am happy with Michael Kamen's score to "X-men."

Michael Wilmington's better-educated opinion:
""X-Men" is a
multimillion-dollar
superhero comic
book movie with a
script so feeble it
might have been
written with crayons.
This
gorgeous-looking but
addled science-fiction
adventure film about
good and evil
mutants, lavishly but
inanely adapted from
one of the most
popular and
longest-running of the
Marvel Comics
series, has been
turned into digitally
enhanced
supermush. It's a
slick, vapid movie
and the dialogue is
so banal it seems to
vanish as we hear it

How many writers contributed to this
mess? Reportedly, nine or more
labored away in anonymity, though
only one name is credited: first-time
screenwriter David Hayter, who is
described in the press book as a
lifelong "X-Men" fan. But whoever
wrote this script - and the culprits
may include both Singer and his
"Suspects" writer Chris McQuarrie -
they should be ashamed of
themselves.
"

To its credit, X-MEN doesn't have the flavor of "too many cooks wrecking the dish" -- perhaps because the single, unifying vision behind the picture is Singer's. It must have been his idea to bring in McQuarrie, though, since McQuarrie wrote Singer's THE USUAL SUSPECTS (winning an Oscar in the process for that bizarre, overrated piffle.)

To its credit, X-MEN doesn't have the flavor of "too many cooks wrecking the dish" -- perhaps because the single, unifying vision behind the picture is Singer's. It must have been his idea to bring in McQuarrie, though, since McQuarrie wrote Singer's THE USUAL SUSPECTS (winning an Oscar in the process for that bizarre, overrated piffle.)

NP: X-MEN (I still say the album is too short, but it's growing on me)

<did he say overrated piffle??>

OVER RATED PIFFLE?????????

The Usual Suspects is one of the most intriguing, powerful and INTERESTING films made in the past 50 years!!!!!!!

Excellent characterization....superior directing....a music score that heightens each and every character and scene....

Your H'Ness....you SIMPLY must have been on some kinda of drug withdrawal while watching it to think it isn't one of the best films to come out in our lifetime!!!!

Oh my God...my heart is fluttering....I need to find some nitro-glycerin (or perhaps a couple excedrin will do the trick!!)