Who payed the critics

As Good As It Gets

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

I'm such a sucker for filmmaking docs, and this is a good one. Covering the entire history of composers scoring films, it's surprisingly comprehensive for how giant the topic is. Still, its scant 94 minute runtime did make me wish there was a "The Story of Film: An Odyssey" mini-series version of it. This will do for now.

I figured this'd be a study of film music with breadth and depth, but it was largely a silly parade of people spouting film music frippery, interwoven with clips and so forth. Subjective takes on the effect this or that bit of film music had on a cavalcade of talking heads is NOT worth sitting through.Yes, every now and then there's something of objective value, so I give the flick a few stars.If you have some musical knowledge or are interesting in backstories of film-scorers experiences, look elsewhere.

Sometimes, I think I missed my calling as a film music composer :) In all seriousness, though, I am a huge fan of film scores and soundtracks. While some may focus specifically on acting, or cinematography, or other aspects of film-making, I'm often drawn to the music. As such, "Score" was a fun documentary to watch, as it goes behind-the scenes for a number of different aspects in the process of crafting movie music.In this documentary, the viewer witnesses (among other things)...-Composers like Williams, Zimmer, & Elfman talking about their craft -A look at a live orchestra rehearsal and taping for a film -A number of unique instruments used to bolster the traditional wind band or orchestra (anything goes in Hollywood music-making!). -Clips/sounds of your favorite pieces from your favorite films.The only reason I can't give "Score" higher marks? In terms of cohesiveness, it is a bit messy. I wish it could have stuck to a bit more focused narrative (like, say, the "history of music in movies" that it looks like will be the tact from the beginning), but instead it bounces from person to person and idea to idea so fast that it can never really settled on one thesis. This may hurt the doc's appeal to those who don't already enjoy the subject matter.For those who know what they are getting into, however, "Score" is a wonderful trip through some of the greatest movie music of all-time. You'll learn a little about the industry, as well as get to hear all your favorites again!

Greetings again from the darkness. Some people remember movies by recalling the story … others by picturing the actors … still others by crediting the writer and director. Surprisingly, it's the film's music that we subconsciously carry with us. Even years later a theme song can trigger an emotional tie to our favorite movies. The magic of movies and their scores are so inter-connected that you often can't think of one without the other: Jaws, Star Wars, The Magnificent Seven, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, Psycho, Gone with the Wind, James Bond, Batman, Titanic, Chariots of Fire, and Jurassic Park (to name a few). Chances are, just reading that list caused you to hear the themes!Director Matt Schrader, in his directorial debut, takes us back to the beginning by explaining that silent films were never really silent. There was invariably live or recorded musical accompaniment to help muffle the sound of the projector. But it was Max Steiner's score for King Kong in 1933 that really changed the game. His music transformed that film from a schlocky special effects B-movie into a tense, thrilling cinematic experience.This is so much more than a history of important and beautifully written scores. Director Schrader interviews most of the well-known film composers working today. He gains insight into their writing process, commentary on the ground-breakers who came before them, and uncovers how technology, new instruments, new styles, and a different approach are always in the works.Some of those interviewed include Rachel Portman (the only female composer included here), Randy Newman, Danny Elfman, Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor, and Thomas Newman (son of Alfred). There is also a well-deserved segment reserved entirely for the great John Williams, and we get reminded of the revolutionary composers like Jerry Goldsmith (Planet of the Apes, Chinatown) and Bernard Hermann (Psycho), as well as Henry Mancini (The Pink Panther), Monty Norman (James Bond), and Ennio Morricone (classic westerns). A quick segment that proves quite entertaining focuses on Mark Mothersbaugh (formerly of Devo) telling the story of how he used a toy piano for the score of Rugrats, but regrettably no longer has possession of the little piano anymore.Oscar winning composer Hans Zimmer is a recurring voice throughout and provides some structure to the numerous interviews and segments. It's quite humorous to see this highly accomplished, world-renowned composer in his early days as a keyboardist for The Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star" (the first video played on MTV). More importantly, Mr. Zimmer discusses the insecurities and pressures that go along with the job, and how change (such as his aggressive sounds) isn't always welcomed openly.The technical aspects of creating the score are certainly not ignored. We get a glimpse inside Abbey Road Studios, and how thrilling it is for a composer to hear the live orchestra bring his or her music to life that first time. It also serves as a reminder that film composing employs a significant number of the live orchestral musicians working today, and that we all hope technology doesn't replace that imperfect beauty of the real thing.Adding a scientific perspective was a nice touch. Learning that our brains respond to movie music in a similar manner to chocolate and sex made a great deal of sense, as I've often wondered if film scores are more manipulative or complementary in nature. If there is a disappointment in the film, it's that the recently deceased James Horner seems woefully short-changed, with only a brief post-credits segment featuring director James Cameron who, as usual, spends the time talking more about himself than the impact of Horner. This documentary is a must for movie lovers and music lovers, and on a personal note, made me miss my friend Adam very much. He would have certainly enjoyed this one and had a great deal to say about it.