Summer 2001 will not go down in history as one of the best seasons for movies. One big-budget studio film after another turned out to be worse than the one that opened the weekend before. The summer was not a total loss, as independent films such as Memento and Hedwig And The Angry Inch were genuine crowd-pleasers. Fall 2001 doesn’t look much better.
One of the summer’s best films was Sexy Beast (with Ben Kingsley in a career-redefining, Oscar-caliber role). The Sexy Beast Original Soundtrack (Beyond) features an unusual mixture of original score by both electronica pioneer UNKLE (with South) and Roque Banos, and tunes by familiar artists such as Dean Martin (“Sway”) and The Stranglers (“Peaches”). What makes this effective are the snippets of dialogue from the movie. If you haven’t already seen Sexy Beast, perhaps one listen to this persuasive soundtrack may get you into the nearest multiplex.
Filmmaker Brad Anderson made a name for himself with his Boston-based movie Next Stop, Wonderland. If the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to Happy Accidents (TVT Soundtrax), his follow-up film, which stars Marisa Tomei and Vincent D’Onofrio), is any indication, than the movie will be a pleasure. Dusty Trails (Josephine Wiggs, formerly of The Breeders and Vivian Trimble, formerly of Luscious Jackson) composed three new original otherworldly instrumentals (“Dusty Happy Ends,” “Cheap Plastic Inserts,” and “Beautiful Crazy Wall of Sound”) for the soundtrack. Other super cool contributors include High Llamas, Cibo Matto, and The Legendary Jim Ruiz Group, to name a few.
On Music From and Inspired by the Motion Picture Songcatcher (Vanguard/ Combustion Music), singers such as Rosanne Cash, Iris DeMent, Emmylou Harris, Allison Moorer, Patty Loveless, Julie Miller, Maria McKee, and Deana Carter, among others, lend their talents.
Recorded live in concert, following the unexpected success of the O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack, this soundtrack to the concert film Down From The Mountain (Lost Highway), features many of the same performers, including Allison Krauss and Gillian Welch. In 1994, the Forrest Gump soundtrack was an another unexpected chart-topper. You can now find “34 American Classics on 2 CDs” on the Special Collectors’ Edition of Forrest Gump…The Soundtrack (Epic/ Legacy/Sony Music Soundtrax). Remixed and remastered, Forrest Gump has now been expanded to include Jackson Browne’s “Running On Empty” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way.”
As bad and disappointing as Tim Burton’s remake of Planet Of The Apes is, Danny Elfman’s soundtrack on the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack… Planet Of The Apes (Sony Classical/Sony Music Soundtrax) is that much better. Elfman creates a mood worthy of a much better movie. The combination of the relentless drums (creating a sense of relentless pursuit) and the plucked strings (which suggested terror) helps to elevate the listener’s pulse. While I’m not usually fond of remixes on soundtracks, Paul Oakenfold’s “Rule The Planet” remix is an improvement over the soundtrack work he did on Swordfish