Monday 15 November 2010

Cue the elevator music

Most people say elevator music is annoying but they're probably lying. It actually adds to the lift experience. Don't believe me? How else are you going to get over the awkwardness of being stuck in a lift? Yes, lifts do get awkward - check out the movie Devil when it finally hits SA and you will understand.

Its tag-line reads: Bad things happen for a reason.

Basically, a group of people trapped in an elevator realise that the devil is among them.

Unfortunately, it is co-written by M Night Shyamalan. I have noticed a trend where his next film is worse than the last, so you may be better off stuck in a lift for a week, than watching Devil.

Music adds to an experience. It adds to life. So when a film is made, it is used to add some magic quality to the overall experience. Yet, people often tend to overlook it when they watch films in favour of visual aspects often related to special effects.

But let's give scores and soundtracks some credit. Gladiator was awesome partly because of Hans Zimmer's score. Garden State and Juno were memorable for many people because of their awesome soundtracks. For about a year after its release, CD stores could not order Juno because there were such severe stock shortages.

Getting back to scores, there are reasons why Oscars are awarded to composers. Their work can make or kill a film. Surely, Walt Disney films of the 1990s were so special partly because of how brilliant they were musically?

So, maybe in future when looking for a film to watch, check who did the score, not just who was in it. Your ears deserve some entertainment too. In fact, why not watch Gladiator or the Lion King, with a blindfold on?

In the meantime, I am going to look for some examples of films that had rubbish scores.

Alistair Anderson

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