SPEED RACER Flops, IRON MAN Soars in 2nd Weekend

[AndyDursin]

It could have a vibe like Brandon Lee did in the Crow, which frankly lent that movie some of its...power and impact.

Big difference there though -- Lee was playing a hero seeking vengeance and redemption, which lent, as you say, the film some added impact. But he was the good guy as it were, trying to find eternal rest and the love he lost, etc.

Ledger is playing a deranged psycho serial killer who ends up in a body bag. The kinds of roles couldn't be more different, so watching him prance around as the Joker for 3 hours...yeah, I can see it being really unsettling and possibly rubbing people the wrong way.

[Eric W.]

It could have a vibe like Brandon Lee did in the Crow, which frankly lent that movie some of its...power and impact.

Big difference there though -- Lee was playing a hero seeking vengeance and redemption, which lent, as you say, the film some added impact. But he was the good guy as it were, trying to find eternal rest and the love he lost, etc.

Ledger is playing a deranged psycho serial killer who ends up in a body bag. The kinds of roles couldn't be more different, so watching him prance around as the Joker for 3 hours...yeah, I can see it being really unsettling and possibly rubbing people the wrong way.

I guess it'll be something for the sociologists to study.

I expect to see an awesome film in any event, although I'm sure there's going to be kind of this weird feeling as I watch it and I say to myself: "Damn, he's gone."

[AndyDursin]

I hope it's good and leaves out some of the excesses (like the end) of BATMAN BEGINS. Certainly I enjoyed the first movie a great deal in spite of my hang-ups with some of it, and would hope this one improves upon what its predecessor established.

Just wish someone else was coming in to score it...that Zimmer-Newton Howard collaboration was one of the biggest wastes of time in film music history as far as I'm concerned. No theme = why bother?

[Eric W.]

I hope it's good and leaves out some of the excesses (like the end) of BATMAN BEGINS. Certainly I enjoyed the first movie a great deal in spite of my hang-ups with some of it, and would hope this one improves upon what its predecessor established.

Here's hoping.

Just wish someone else was coming in to score it...that Zimmer-Newton Howard collaboration was one of the biggest wastes of time in film music history as far as I'm concerned. No theme = why bother?

Agreed, especially considering both of them have done considerably superior work on their own in the past. It's incredible that they'd come together and come up with droning noise that's as unremarkable as anything I've ever heard.

I'm not really sure what the point is to having both of them on this picture. Since their both big names, I can't believe the film's budget wouldn't have appreciated only paying for one of them right off the bat.

[AndyDursin]

It's incredible that they'd come together and come up with droning noise that's as unremarkable as anything I've ever heard.

I'm sure that's what the director wanted.

[Eric W.]

It's incredible that they'd come together and come up with droning noise that's as unremarkable as anything I've ever heard.

I'm sure that's what the director wanted.

Pity.

[mkaroly]

It's incredible that they'd come together and come up with droning noise that's as unremarkable as anything I've ever heard.

I'm sure that's what the director wanted.

Nolan usually uses David Julyan as his composer, and both INSOMNIA and THE PRESTIGE (which I really like) are droney and "monochromatic", so my guess would echo Andy's comment about the director wanting that type of score. They are more "moodish" and paint a background color- I actually liked the BB film score because it wasn't really thematic (leitmotivic) like all the previous films had been...or the themes were very buried in the rest of the music. I'm really pounding THE PRESTIGE nowadays as I really love the vibe the music creates....and it matched the "heaviness" of the film and its images (imo).

[romanD]

Julyan's scores for Nolan's movies were always a bit too droney for me, but I love his DESCENT score... wonderfully beautiful and superscary and also original in context... too bad he wasnt allowed to work on BB...

on PRESTIGE however isn't that one of the biggest misfire with that Heavy Metal song in the credits? Whose idea was that? There is nothing in the movie, not in setting, period, underscore or theme that justified a song like that... ugh...

[Eric W.]

Nolan usually uses David Julyan as his composer, and both INSOMNIA and THE PRESTIGE (which I really like) are droney and "monochromatic",

You got that right!

...so my guess would echo Andy's comment about the director wanting that type of score.

You're both right. To that end, he should have just brought in Julyan and been done with it.

I still can't figure out how/why it takes two people, especially two "A list" composers, to come up with something like what Batman Begins sounds like and what I expect Dark Knight to be more of.

They are more "moodish" and paint a background color- I actually liked the BB film score because it wasn't really thematic (leitmotivic) like all the previous films had been...or the themes were very buried in the rest of the music.

There weren't any themes at all.

It was all background noise, "Monochrome", and vibe. It does work in the film to be sure, but for me, that's where it begins and ends.

I can understand they didn't want to repeat Elfman and go in that direction again but I think something like Batman, even this dark, deserved to have an orchestra and a theme or two in the mix to put it over the top.


Your description works perfectly again here: Monocrhomatic droning.

The only conclusion I can come to after seeing all of Nolan's movies is that he just doesn't like music or themes at all.

He's an awesome film maker, though.

I'm really pounding THE PRESTIGE nowadays as I really love the vibe the music creates....and it matched the "heaviness" of the film and its images (imo).

I like the effect Julyan's "music"...I use that term loosely...it's more like ambient and monochromatic droning wallpaper...but I do like its effect in The Prestige (one of my favorite films of the last several years easily) That approach is very effective in that movie and it just fits...but I honestly don't know how anyone could fire up a CD and listen to that stuff on its own.

YMMV

[Monterey Jack]

...and still I'm not sure if Ledger's performance isn't going to "weird out" the entire movie in an unsettling way.

I'm just wondering where they'll stick the obligitory "this film is dedicated to the loving memory of..." card on the film. Before it begins, and it'll cast a pall over everything that follows. Right before the "directed by" credit at the end? After the credits? Probably not, because then you'd have people complaining that there wasn't a dedication. Maybe I'm just still bitter that Desmond Lewellyn never got a dedication on either of the two James Bond films that followed his death.

[Eric W.]

...and still I'm not sure if Ledger's performance isn't going to "weird out" the entire movie in an unsettling way.

I'm just wondering where they'll stick the obligitory "this film is dedicated to the loving memory of..." card on the film. Before it begins, and it'll cast a pall over everything that follows. Right before the "directed by" credit at the end? After the credits? Probably not, because then you'd have people complaining that there wasn't a dedication. Maybe I'm just still bitter that Desmond Lewellyn never got a dedication on either of the two James Bond films that followed his death.

Good call on that. Lewellyn really should have had all kinds of love thrown his way.

In Ledger's case, I think the dedication should come right after the movie ends and before the end credits roll.

[mkaroly]

I don't mean to be rude and controversial, but his death was "accidental" from "abuse of prescription medications" (if I remember correctly)...I don't think any dedication is necessary under the circumstances. And the fact that the makers of the Bond films TOTALLY dissed Desmond is inexcusable.

[Monterey Jack]

Regardless of the specifics of any actor's death, it's simply a sign of respect to add a dedication to his last film if it's released after his demise. If I were a family member or a close friend of a recently-dead actor, and saw his final performance in a film without a dedication somewhere in the credits, I would be very upset. Desmond's 007 diss was particularly galling. The actor who appeared in more James Bond movies than any other, and not a peep? "Cubby" Broccolli got a "in loving memory" card at the end of Tomorrow Never Dies, who why not Desmond? And I'm sure there'll be no mention of Lois Maxwell in Quantum Of Solace (especially since they've sadly seemed to have phased out Moneypenny and Q from the series entirely).

[mkaroly]

Just saw IRON MAN- very entertaining. I am not a fan of Paltrow's but she actually did well with the character she had- even had sympathy for her. This is just a straight-ahead fun summer movie that kicks things off with a bang- highly reommended.

Another thought- for me at least, this could be a great summer movie wise. I haven't been this excited since I was a kid!We have Price Caspian (seeing tomorrow), Indy 4 (seeing Thursday), The Happening (better be good Night, or I'm abandoning ship since LITW was deplorably bad in my opinion!), The Incredible Hulk (very excited about that one), and The Dark Knight (very VERY excited about that one). I left the movie theater thinking this could be a fun movie-going summer.

One last thing- I walked around and looked at all the movie posters before IM today and didn't recognize 90% of the film score composers listed on the sheets! I must be behind the times, or these are newer people, or they're associated with Media Ventures, or something....and I have noticed a trend that composers aren't conducting their own scores anymore. VERY DISHEARTENING. Maybe that's a reason why film scores in general right now are not as good to me- what happened to the composer/conductor??????????????????????????????????? Sad.

[Eric W.]

One last thing- I walked around and looked at all the movie posters before IM today and didn't recognize 90% of the film score composers listed on the sheets! I must be behind the times, or these are newer people, or they're associated with Media Ventures, or something....and I have noticed a trend that composers aren't conducting their own scores anymore. VERY DISHEARTENING. Maybe that's a reason why film scores in general right now are not as good to me- what happened to the composer/conductor??????????????????????????????????? Sad.

^^ I've noticed that, too. In a lot of cases I'm guessing it's a time and/or location issue. Beyond that, yes, I suspect we're talking a talent/schooling issue and approach like what you're getting at and I do suspect it may be an indicator of sorts.

On that note, I hate to sound like I'm really dissing this guy, but: I am a big Prison Break fan and I never heard anything from the composer on that show that would have led me to believe he'd land something major like Iron Man.