3 ms·

Another great aspect of the first two Alien movies is that the musical score is very sparse and subtle. Those films don't need to use constant music to tell the

by msane 10y ago

Another great aspect of the first two Alien movies is that the musical score is very sparse and subtle. Those films don't need to use constant music to tell the viewer what to think or feel or notice, which is an amazing effect on it's own.

lobster_johnson 10y ago
The story about the soundtrack is interesting in itself. Jerry Goldsmith originally composed a score which Scott rejected for being too classical (it had what I believe Goldsmith called a romantic musical theme), and cut major portions of, borrowing an earlier Goldsmith soundtrack is the process (which I believe they had used as a temp track during editing). Goldsmith didn't like it at all. There is also an interview clip on YouTube where he talks about it; the way he speaks of the incident, he is obviously bitter and considers it a terrible (and inexplicable) judgement on Scott's part. The rejected portions of the score (which is available as part of the soundtrack album) are beautiful, but the film score is also obviously superior. Edit: Here's the interview. https://youtu.be/U8bv0QDLI7M?t=481 https://youtu.be/U8bv0QDLI7M?t=481
- msane 10y ago
  I've heard this too and thought it was brilliant. So James Cameron even repeated this and added constraints on the music with the second movie James Horner thought he’d have six weeks to write the musical score. Instead, he had three weeks, and had to write some parts overnight. The movie was behind schedule, not even finished being filmed (let alone edited) when Horner arrived in England. What’s more, the recording studio he’d been provided with was outmoded, not equipped to handle the synthesizers he wanted to use. Horner called the experience a “nightmare,” and ended up writing the climactic musical cue overnight. Coming away with the impression that a James Cameron film was too stressful and rushed, he figured he’d never work with the director again. And he didn’t ... until Cameron approached him for Titanic. (That rushed Aliens score earned Horner an Oscar nomination, by the way.) It seems like there's a Machiavellian lesson there. There's a lot of great "making of" material on Aliens, which shows James Cameron being a genius on other aspects too.
  - dspillett 10y ago
    This is quite a common story and one I can relate to. Some of my best work has been done under time pressure, I think in part because you don't have the luxury of second guessing anything. Some of my worst work has been done in the same conditions though, especially with regard to "technical debt" though I suppose that doesn't apply to the processes in film making as future maintenance is much less of a concern.
- davesque 10y ago
  I saw that interview and was shocked. For me, as a music major, the soundtrack of this movie was one of the most memorable and effective parts. I can't imagine anything else inspiring quite such a sense of dread and awe.
- gavinpc 10y ago
  Goldsmith makes the key point at the end of the interview: film scores are trying to do two things at once (1) do what the film needs and (2) stand alone. To me, this completely clarifies his conflict with Ridley Scott. The director doesn't care at all about #2. And yes, Scott is right: no one is as close to the film as the director and editor. It's not their job to pad the composer's portfolio, although ironically it seems the composers are rewarded for this "tight coupling" that they strive to avoid. p.s., I never saw Alien, but I liked the OP and I am a Jerry Goldsmith fan from the Star Trek scores, which I used to love listening to on CD. It seems he was happier with those collaborations because he was allowed to express the "romantic" view that he had of human space exploration.
nostromo 10y ago
Fun fact about the score to Aliens. There's an iconic song towards the end called Bishop's Countdown. https://youtu.be/TX1rxPBTyEY?t=1m https://youtu.be/TX1rxPBTyEY?t=1m It has been recycled over and over again, particularly in trailers. It's like the Wilhelm Scream... once you start looking you'll start noticing it (and its homages) constantly. https://youtu.be/dZ0dH5qv1mA?t=1m23s https://youtu.be/dZ0dH5qv1mA?t=1m23s https://youtu.be/-bBay_1dKK8?t=59s https://youtu.be/-bBay_1dKK8?t=59s https://youtu.be/jdl6eAIx2K4?t=1m35s https://youtu.be/jdl6eAIx2K4?t=1m35s https://youtu.be/67oe0_s9EIw?t=45s https://youtu.be/67oe0_s9EIw?t=45s https://youtu.be/1608jthc2VM?t=1m20s https://youtu.be/1608jthc2VM?t=1m20s
- lucidguppy 10y ago
  Reminds me of mars https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jmk5frp6-3Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jmk5frp6-3Q
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
  - AceJohnny2 10y ago
    I love Mars (worth noting Holst wrote it between 1914 and 1916), it's jaw-dropping to discover all the references that John WiIliams was inspired from for Star Wars' music... https://youtu.be/5pM2SozsyPE https://youtu.be/5pM2SozsyPE Also, obligatory Venture Bros reference ;) https://youtu.be/K0iTfasIpLc?t=1m34s https://youtu.be/K0iTfasIpLc?t=1m34s
  - drivers99 10y ago
    The last 35 second of Mars (when I first listened to it a couple years ago) made think that was what the used in a scene at the beginning of the Hitchhiker's Guide movie, final 40 seconds of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1WomfhjyVM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1WomfhjyVM Listening to them side by side they are not really the same at all. I think the Hitchhiker's version is just a comically extended version of it.
- msm23 10y ago
sotojuan 10y ago
The best aspect of Alien, Aliens, and the game Alien: Isolation is how they create a realistic (as in, you feel like you're there) environment. Whether it's a silent, scary thriller or an action movie it really makes you believe in the characters. Aliens is probably one of the few non-drama films that made marines have interesting personalities.

by msane 10y ago

lobster_johnson 10y ago

The story about the soundtrack is interesting in itself. Jerry Goldsmith originally composed a score which Scott rejected for being too classical (it had what I believe Goldsmith called a romantic musical theme), and cut major portions of, borrowing an earlier Goldsmith soundtrack is the process (which I believe they had used as a temp track during editing). Goldsmith didn't like it at all. There is also an interview clip on YouTube where he talks about it; the way he speaks of the incident, he is obviously bitter and considers it a terrible (and inexplicable) judgement on Scott's part. The rejected portions of the score (which is available as part of the soundtrack album) are beautiful, but the film score is also obviously superior. Edit: Here's the interview. https://youtu.be/U8bv0QDLI7M?t=481 https://youtu.be/U8bv0QDLI7M?t=481

msane 10y ago
I've heard this too and thought it was brilliant. So James Cameron even repeated this and added constraints on the music with the second movie James Horner thought he’d have six weeks to write the musical score. Instead, he had three weeks, and had to write some parts overnight. The movie was behind schedule, not even finished being filmed (let alone edited) when Horner arrived in England. What’s more, the recording studio he’d been provided with was outmoded, not equipped to handle the synthesizers he wanted to use. Horner called the experience a “nightmare,” and ended up writing the climactic musical cue overnight. Coming away with the impression that a James Cameron film was too stressful and rushed, he figured he’d never work with the director again. And he didn’t ... until Cameron approached him for Titanic. (That rushed Aliens score earned Horner an Oscar nomination, by the way.) It seems like there's a Machiavellian lesson there. There's a lot of great "making of" material on Aliens, which shows James Cameron being a genius on other aspects too.
- dspillett 10y ago
  This is quite a common story and one I can relate to. Some of my best work has been done under time pressure, I think in part because you don't have the luxury of second guessing anything. Some of my worst work has been done in the same conditions though, especially with regard to "technical debt" though I suppose that doesn't apply to the processes in film making as future maintenance is much less of a concern.
davesque 10y ago
I saw that interview and was shocked. For me, as a music major, the soundtrack of this movie was one of the most memorable and effective parts. I can't imagine anything else inspiring quite such a sense of dread and awe.
gavinpc 10y ago
Goldsmith makes the key point at the end of the interview: film scores are trying to do two things at once (1) do what the film needs and (2) stand alone. To me, this completely clarifies his conflict with Ridley Scott. The director doesn't care at all about #2. And yes, Scott is right: no one is as close to the film as the director and editor. It's not their job to pad the composer's portfolio, although ironically it seems the composers are rewarded for this "tight coupling" that they strive to avoid. p.s., I never saw Alien, but I liked the OP and I am a Jerry Goldsmith fan from the Star Trek scores, which I used to love listening to on CD. It seems he was happier with those collaborations because he was allowed to express the "romantic" view that he had of human space exploration.

nostromo 10y ago

Fun fact about the score to Aliens. There's an iconic song towards the end called Bishop's Countdown. https://youtu.be/TX1rxPBTyEY?t=1m https://youtu.be/TX1rxPBTyEY?t=1m It has been recycled over and over again, particularly in trailers. It's like the Wilhelm Scream... once you start looking you'll start noticing it (and its homages) constantly. https://youtu.be/dZ0dH5qv1mA?t=1m23s https://youtu.be/dZ0dH5qv1mA?t=1m23s https://youtu.be/-bBay_1dKK8?t=59s https://youtu.be/-bBay_1dKK8?t=59s https://youtu.be/jdl6eAIx2K4?t=1m35s https://youtu.be/jdl6eAIx2K4?t=1m35s https://youtu.be/67oe0_s9EIw?t=45s https://youtu.be/67oe0_s9EIw?t=45s https://youtu.be/1608jthc2VM?t=1m20s https://youtu.be/1608jthc2VM?t=1m20s

lucidguppy 10y ago
Reminds me of mars https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jmk5frp6-3Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jmk5frp6-3Q
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- AceJohnny2 10y ago
  I love Mars (worth noting Holst wrote it between 1914 and 1916), it's jaw-dropping to discover all the references that John WiIliams was inspired from for Star Wars' music... https://youtu.be/5pM2SozsyPE https://youtu.be/5pM2SozsyPE Also, obligatory Venture Bros reference ;) https://youtu.be/K0iTfasIpLc?t=1m34s https://youtu.be/K0iTfasIpLc?t=1m34s
- drivers99 10y ago
  The last 35 second of Mars (when I first listened to it a couple years ago) made think that was what the used in a scene at the beginning of the Hitchhiker's Guide movie, final 40 seconds of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1WomfhjyVM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1WomfhjyVM Listening to them side by side they are not really the same at all. I think the Hitchhiker's version is just a comically extended version of it.
msm23 10y ago

sotojuan 10y ago

The best aspect of Alien, Aliens, and the game Alien: Isolation is how they create a realistic (as in, you feel like you're there) environment. Whether it's a silent, scary thriller or an action movie it really makes you believe in the characters. Aliens is probably one of the few non-drama films that made marines have interesting personalities.