Flashnotes - May 2002

Last Flashed:
October 19, 2003

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Like it or not, composer Dennis McCarthy has become as intertwined with the Star Trek universe as much as Jerry Goldsmith and even Alexander Courage are, albeit with distinctively less notoriety.  His brass-lead compositions go all the way back to Star Trek:  The Next Generation and since he has composed for one Star Trek feature film and three additional television series.  The latest of these is Star Trek: Enterprise.  As producers have attempted to take Star Trek in a new direction, the title sequence for season one was a pop, vocal tune, "Where My Heart Will Take Me" penned by the steadily employed Dianne Warren and performed by Russell Watson.  This illogical move is only trumped by the disappointing series itself, which lost at least this viewer after its third, plotless, pointless, and pathetic show.  Dennis McCarthy's music however is on par with his previous Star Trek efforts.  There is hardly anything notable about his music for this series to distinguish it from his previous projects. Sadly though, McCarthy's music the most interesting and entertaining characteristic of the show.

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Individually successful film music composers Jeff Danna and Mychael Danna bring their talents together for Timothy Linh Bui's feature-film, directorial debut Green Dragon.  The music is understated throughout the score but begins with strong use of Vietnamese instrumentation.  As the score and film progress, the Western elements become more and more prominent.  With such successful projects such as Ride with Devil, "O", and Hearts in Atlantis under their collective-belt, expectations for Green Dragon may prove too high.  While this Danna brothers effort is not "bad", per se, it does fall into the Tom-Newman-realm of non-descript and repetitive music.   The overall tone is, not surprisingly, somber with a thread of hope that culminates in a touching ballad written and performed by Barry Taylor.

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Composer Howard Shore's first release since his Oscar-winning score to Fellowship of the Ring, Panic Room, is a brooding and moody venture.  Shall we just call it "broody?"  Well, "broody" is what most have come to expect from Shore.  His Rings scores are and will be the exception not the rule and Shore returns to his more familiar style of film music that evokes memories of Se7en and The Game.   As David Fincher crafts another visual feast of sullen drama, Howard Shore brings his a-game of dissonance.  The two together have made for another successful combination.  Shore again succeeds at building tension and leaving that pervasive sense of doom lingering over every note.  The Hollywood Studio Symphony performs Shore's sometimes looming, sometimes forcible music adequately and Varese Sarabande provides an adequate runtime given the type of score this is.  For those whose musical palettes long for the complexities only found in post-modern, symphonic music, Howard Shore's Panic Room will provide a good meaty piece to chew on.

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For a number of years, composer Klaus Badelt, Media Ventures associate, has labored in relative obscurity.  With his collaboration with Hans Zimmer for The Pledge, his name finally moved its way towards top-billing.  With the highly-anticipated, by sadly disappointing film, The Time Machine, Badelt grabs hold of the spotlight.  Simply put, The Time Machine is, for those nutty folks who just love fully orchestral thematic bombardments, a heavenly soundtrack.  As most Media Ventures (MV) efforts are, the collaborative nature of The Time Machine shows itself as one can hear familiar MV synthesizers, percussions and orchestration. Still, Badelt gives The Time Machine a more organic, traditionally symphonic tone rather than the standard MV techno-stra feel.  The Time Machine is truly an engaging listen from start to finish with music ranging from the innocent and celebratory to the dark and dramatic.

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