There are many things that make a movie what it is. It all starts with a story (according to what every How-To book on screenwriting tells us), there is the director and his crew, there are the actors, who bust their asses to bring a vision to life. Then comes the wonderful world of post-production. What is one result of that? The music. Soundtracks enhance the movie going experience. They can make us cry, they can pump us up, they can make us remember the 80’s. Whether it be a musical band or a composer, soundtracks help our favorite movies stay etched in our mind forever. Here are a few that have knocked me on my ass for the last two months.
1. WARRIOR: MARK ISHAM
The soundtrack to this wonderfully out of left field fight film left me as in the action as the final fight of the original Rocky did. Too long it’s been since a film of this elk has me caring for the characters that we’re spending the better part of two hours with. Mark Isham has contributed to other top notch soundtracks such as THE HITCHER, POINT BREAK, OCTOBER SKY, MEN OF HONOR, SAVE THE LAST DANCE and LIFE AS A HOUSE. Purchase the soundtrack here.
2. DRIVE (2011): CLIFF MARTINEZ & VARIOUS ARTISTS
Drive is a treat to the ears and to the eyes. The movie is unique and marches to the beat of it’s own drum and stars one of my favorite actors of today Ryan Gosling. This soundtrack carries awesome tracks including A Real Hero (College feat. Electric Youth), Oh My Love (Riz Ortolani feat. Katyna Ranieri), and Under Your Spell (Desire). It also employs the awesome work of composer Cliff Martinez who has worked on soundtracks to TRAFFIC, SOLARIS, WICKER PARK, THE LINCOLN LAWYER and the recently released CONTAGION. Purchase the soundtrack here.
3. ATTACK THE BLOCK (2011): VARIOUS ARTISTS
The producers of Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World brought us this little gem that deserves all the attention and praise it seems to be getting from folks other than myself. The dubstep influence seemed to inspire the awesome tracks we got from Basement Jaxx and Steve Price for this soundtrack. Other kick ass tracks include “Round Two Bruv”, “Moses vs. Monsters”, and “Sound of da Police.” You owe it to yourself to check this bad boy out if you enjoyed the movie. So cop it and you too will be prepared to make monsters your bitch if the opportunity ever arose. Purchase the soundtrack here.
4. RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (2011): PATRICK DOYLE
This bad boy really was the sleeper hit of the summer. I did not see this coming, nor I think did a lot of other people. Those are the best kinds of flicks, no? Are main ape Caesar took us on an emotional journey for an hour and a half and did the beautiful score help with that? You bet your sweet ass. With tracks like “The Golden Gate Bridge” and “Caesar is home” we’re taken on a whirlwind of emotions. I was rooting for the apes the whole time. The composer of the hour Patrick Doyle has also worked on such films as BRIDGET JONES’ DIARY, HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE, THOR and the upcoming Pixar film BRAVE. Purchase the soundtrack here.
5. CONAN THE BARBARIAN (2011): TYLER BATES
When it comes to the film, I share the same opinion with our resident Arrow in the Head top dog The Arrow in that the original films hold a special place in my cold heart but I still let myself enjoy what this remake had to offer. It had plenty of the type of action that I’ve missed in modern film and the score by Tyler Bates added to that. This cat has an amazing track record on some awesome films and this soundtrack was no different. Some of my favorite tracks include Wheel of Torture (how can you go wrong with a title like that), Victory, and Conan Returns Home. Final answer is good movie, even better soundtrack. Tyler Bates has also composed both of Rob Zombie’s HALLOWEEN films, DAWN OF THE DEAD, 300, WATCHMEN, and SUCKER PUNCH. Purchase the soundtrack here.