Thursday, February 24, 2011

The Mad Monster (1942) – MST3K Review


Summary:

Dr. Lorenzo Cameron (George Zucco) has his panties in a twist because none of his peers understand him. They call him crazy because he wants to fuse the essence of animals into humans and create a race of super soldiers. I mean, that’s not insane, just different thinking. So he drags his daughter Lenora (Anne Nagel) to an isolated mansion on the edge of a swamp to continue his work. He enlists the aid of Petro (Glenn Strange) who seems to be channeling Lenny from Of Mice and Men. Dr. Cameron injects Petro with the essence of wolf.

Quicker than you can say lunatic, Petro grows fur and sprouts fangs and terrorizes the swamplands. Cameron hatches a plan to unleash Petro on his mocking colleagues, to simultaneously prove his point and to maul them. But plucky reporter Tom (Johnny Downs) is on the case, and has the hots of Lenora. Can he unravel the mystery of The Mad Monster before the movie stumbles to its conclusion?

Movie Review:

This episode starts with an episode of the Commando Cody serial Radar Men fro the Moon. It’s entitled The Molten Terror and is the second in the series. It has the same production values as the previous episodes. Everything is low budget, and looks hastily thrown together. But there is a verve and energy to the editing that keeps things fun. Sure, its pretty dumb when you get down to it, with Cody flying around in his rocket suit, beating up aliens and getting into one jam after the other, but that was the point. I did like the finale where the aliens use a beam to melt the side of a mountain in on our heroes. For a low budget serial it looks pretty cool. But yeah the acting stinks and the script is lame.

The Mad Monster is like a classic Universal horror film on life support. It’s got a gothic set, but it looks cheap. It’s got a terrifying creature, but he’s not scary. It’s got a mad scientist, but he’s just stupid. It’s got an intrepid reporter, but he’s dorky. It’s got a damsel in distress, but she’s barely in the movie. Honestly it’s just a mess.

The best character is Dr. Cameron. Zucco is obviously enjoying the over the top antics of his character, shouting lines, glowering and just behaving like an ass. It’s unfortunate that the script is so poor that his motivations and behavior don’t come across as mad, but more like moronic. If he were so brilliant you’d think he’d have a better plan to use his monster, but no, it’s all pretty slapped together depending on coincidence more often then not. Luckily the writer provided plenty of that too. My favorite moments with Cameron are at the beginning of the film when he envisions his colleagues watching his experiment. They all appear in ghostly form like some kind of dead Jedi council from Star Wars frowning at him and mocking him. His responses to them confirm that he is in fact mad as a hatter. It’s the best sequence for him and one of the best in the film.

The rest of the folks look a bit lost to tell you the truth. Strange plays Petro as the lovable, but simple gardener. He’s like a bulky version of Forrest Gump but way less annoying. When he transforms into the monster, well he still looks like he’s playing the same part, but with more grimacing. He’s never scary, just silly looking in all that hair and fake teeth.

Nagel seems to be channeling Judy Garland for some reason. She’s OK, but barely in the film. Downs plays Tom as the bright eyed report out for the scoop. But he’s so eager and bright that you want to pop him one. He’s supposed to be our hero in the climax, but he’s acting like an 11-year-old boy the whole time, so you figure he’s going to get eaten by the monster. Kind of a surprise when he makes it.

The main issue with the movie is that it’s slow, really damn slow. It clocks in at 77 minutes, but it takes so long to do anything that you’ll think the movie is three hours long. The issue here is that the plot is so skinny that director Sam Newfield stretches everything out to pad the movie. Now at the best of times Newfield can make competent films, but his work has appeared on MST3K numerous times for a reason. Here there are endless walking scenes, endless scenes of Petro standing around looking constipated, and scenes of Dr. Cameron looking out a window with various expressions on his face. Just odd. There’s no tension, no horror, no fun to be had.

When the movie finally staggers over the finish line, with the blazing house and scattered corpses you’re happy that it’s over. Do Joel and the bots have a chance against this beast?

Episode Review:

This is one of those episodes that improved after my initial viewing. This seems to happen a lot with the early episodes of the show, because I have to keep in mind that the riffing rate is just going to be slower and that the jokes haven’t evolved to the point they got to in Season three. The first time I watched this episode I was bored to tears. The movie is turgid and the riffing is sparse. Lots of the jokes are just statements of the obvious and it really didn’t work for me. I thought I’d found one of the worst episodes of the series.

Watching it gain I’ve found some more bright spots and it’s gone up a bit in the ratings. It’s far from the worst episode, but it’s nowhere near the high points of the series. Let’s start with the short. MST3K did a good job with the shorts, and this is no exception. They have a lot of fun with Commando Cody and his adventures on the moon. They comment on everything from the wonky science to the hilarious sets and special effects. The finale with the molten mountain flooding in our heroes provides a steady stream of comments from the boys as they try to identify what is being used as the molten lava. All in all, it’s one of the best Cody shorts they had to work with and it’s a funny one.

When it comes to the movie, they do their best work when the plot is actually moving along. My favorite scene in the movie is also one of the best riffing scenes. As Dr. Cameron envisions his ghostly peers and converses with them Joel, Tom and Crow provide all kinds of alternate answers and counter arguments for the scientists. It’s great stuff, a highlight of Season One for sure.

Tom Servo is known for singing during the film, but I always associated that with Kevin Murphy who has a really nice voice and singing ability. So I was surprised when Josh Weinstein (playing Servo in Season One) burst into song during the film. A swamp dweller appears out of the mist, shotgun in hand. Immediately Servo starts singing the theme song to Beverly Hillbillies but immediately takes the lyrics and folds them to fit the plot of Mad Monster. It was hilarious, probably the high point of the episode.

I also loved the transformation sequence where Joel and the bots run through what Petro looks like with each frame of the transformation. Comments include Abraham Lincoln and Isaac Asimov.

But in the end the movies inertness overcomes them. There just isn’t enough to work with, and the energy of these episodes is more on the slow side. For a movie like this you need high energy and lots of riffing. But I realized that Season One is still focused on watching the movie, not really using it as the main vehicle for the comedy. That shift occurs near the end of the season, but this is still an early episode. You get the feeling that Joel and bots are there, watching this with you, and chiming in when they feel like it. It’s kinda nice in a way.

The episode starts with the Mad scientists reminiscing about when they became “mad” and then calling Joel up. The invention exchange starts with Joel showing a purse with automatic protection from purse snatchers called “Hell in a Handbag”. The Mads create a real dangerous toy, a fire-breathing lizard to torch your army men. Then it’s off to the movie. The first break starts with Tom Servo happening upon a blender, who he believes is another robot. He starts hitting on it, with a series of doofy robot based come-ons. It’s pretty funny stuff. The next break Crow and Tom question Joel about how the werewolf in this movie works. The next break has Joel inspired by the film to switch Tom and Crows heads on their bodies. All hell breaks loose! After the movie ends, Tom and Crow try to come up with one good thing and one bad thing about the movie. They don’t do so hot. The Mad scientists are in morning because Dr. Cameron died, and the world is out one more mad scientist.

The Mad Monster has its moments and Commando Cody helps out, but it’s not a stellar effort. Compared to its brethren in season one, it falls in the middle, providing some solid laughs for a Sunday afternoon, but not something you’ll be seeking out for serious comedy. I’d reach for later episodes to scratch that werewolf itch like Season Eight’s I Was a Teenage Werewolf and Season Nine’s Werewolf. As with all these season one episodes I’d drop one level of rating when comparing it the series as a whole. But with the other season one episodes I give it three ghostly scientists out of five.

This episode is available on the Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection Volume XIV.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Clash of the Titans (2010)


Introduction

I’ll just come out and say that the 1980 version of “Clash of the Titans” was one of my favorite films when I was a kid. It probably had a lot to do with fostering my love for Greek mythology, which lead into other myths legends and stories. So I have to admit to being a bit afraid to watch this version. But I figured there was a lot of potential to do something really cool with the story of Perseus and Medusa. That and the fact that Rifftrax decided to provide a commentary for it.

Summary

Perseus (Sam Worthington) may be the son of the god Zeus (Liam Neeson), but that doesn’t mean he has to like it. After the evil god of the underworld Hades (Ralph Fiennes) kills Perseus’ mortal family, our hero vows vengeance. Conveniently, the city of Argos is in a bit of a jam. After mocking the gods and tearing down their statues, they are surprised to discover that the gods are a little pissed off. Imagine that. Hades gives the people of Argos ten days to sacrifice the princess to the dreaded Kraken. After Perseus gets a pep talk from the mysterious Io (Gemma Arterton), he decides to find a way to destroy the Kraken, thereby thwarting the gods and saving the city of Argos. Of course he’s going to have to do battle with mythical monsters, jump in slow motion and make googly eyes at Io before we get to see an actual “Clash of the Titans”.

Good Points

  • The action set pieces with the mythical creatures are well executed
  • Mads Mikkelsen and Ralph Fiennes seem to be having a good time
  • The quest gets going a bit faster than the original film

Bad Points

  • The movie is so set on being serious it forgets to be fun
  • The rest of the action ranges from average to puzzling
  • The script needed a few more passes

Overall

Putting aside my nostalgic love for the original, this movie could have been a real adventurous blast. But at every turn we get dower characters, feeble dialogue, and lackluster acting. You get the feeling that making this movie was more of a chore than a chance to do something fun. The end result is a flick that has some exciting action set pieces, but not much else. The fact that the video game “God of War” is superior in nearly every way just tells me I should have popped that in the PS3 instead of this.

Scores (out of 5)

Visuals: 4

Sound: 4

Music: 3

Acting: 3

Script: 2

Direction: 3

Entertainment: 2

Total: 1

In Depth

Why do people enjoy watching quest films? Because they want to be transported to a wondrous world, thrill to some action, see some imaginative sights, and feel the accomplishment with the hero as they achieve their goal. It’s pretty simple really. It’s what makes movies like “Raiders of the Lost Ark” or “Lord of the Rings” entertaining on a basic level. If a fantasy film can do that simple part right, then most likely it will end up being a good time, and remembered fondly.

I’d like to say that “Clash of the Titans” tries to do this, but I don’t think I see enough evidence to say even that. Most of the cast and crew are just trying enough to get the job done and not much more. This half assed approach ends up sucking the energy and life right out of the film.

First off, let me just say this. If you are expecting this movie to have any real basis in a) the original film or b) Greek mythology, then you’re going to be disappointed. My initial reaction to the film was very negative because I was so annoyed by all the stupid changes they made to the basic story or Perseus and Medusa. But to be fair, the 1980 version of the story strays pretty far from the original tale. It’s best to look at this 2010 creation as a story set in a fantasy world influenced by Greek mythology. Any mythology buffs will feel better with that in mind and not get annoyed at some of the bizarre changes made.

For a popcorn movie, it’s a bit surprising that there is a strong theme running through the film. It actually deals with free will. According to the film, humans were created by Zeus. The prayers of the humans keep the gods immortal, and without them… um well it never explains what would happen. So in that way it’s a lot like a summer popcorn movie – lots of plot holes. Anyway, the trick is that Zeus gave these immortality-generating machines free will. Now they’re all grumpy about having the gods ignore their prayers, so they are openly defying them. This sets up a struggle between the gods and humans. This struggle is underlined throughout the script and the film. The gods are harsh masters and humans are fighters, never willing to back down. Perseus embodies this fighting spirit, even though he’s a demigod, he chooses to fight for the humans.

This theme has some potential, but it also has a unfortunate side effect. Everyone in this movie is grumpy. Perseus spends the movie pissed off the whole time. Zeus is pissed off at the humans. Hades is pissed off at everyone. The soldiers accompanying Perseus spend most of the movie growling at each other or about the unfairness of the gods. Even Medusa is pissed off because Athena ignored her prayer. I guess when your target audience is teenage boys angry with their parents, this may appeal to them. But it made the movie a joyless experience. The comic relief characters are two foreign types (they don’t speak with an English accent) who do stupid things and yell a lot. Kind of reminded me of the Brownies from “Willow” but less annoying. These two are supposed to add some levity, but they just irritated me. Other than that, there’s not a light spot to be seen.

I’m not asking for a silly mechanical owl to show up and add laughs, I just hoped that maybe we’d get a few moments of characters not whining about the gods or humans or how much their life sucks. You’re on an adventure! Have some fun! But no, instead it’s just one dower trek after the other. What’s missing are those moments from the Indiana Jones films where we see the delight in Indy’s eyes as he nears his prize, or works out the clues. Perseus never seems delighted, even when he’s riding an awesome black Pegasus. I guess it’s not cool to look like you’re having any kind of fun.

Like I mentioned most of the performances are average at the worst. No one really stinks, but most of the cast just seems to be showing up for the paycheck and moving on. Three exceptions spring to mind. The late Pete Postlethwaite plays Perseus’ mortal father and does a great job with the small part. He’s a pro at stuff like this. Mads Mikkelsen as the lead soldier Draco gets into the role as the gruff commander. He adds a bit more to his glowering, a kind of pain that Worthington could have used as Perseus. I kept wishing that the movie had been about Draco, because he seemed interesting. His accent makes a few of his lines a bit tough to understand, but he is out-acting everyone around him. Well there is the exception of Fiennes who dives into full scenery chewing mode. He’s over the top and is having a blast, nearly as good as he is as Voldemort in the “Harry Potter” film.

I also want to mention Arterton in the film. She looks good in her Greek garb and seems to be putting a bit of effort into the part. She’s actually pretty good except for the small fact that she chose (or was directed) to talk exactly like Liv Tyler did as Arwen in “Lord of the Rings”. The director even goes out of his way to film her in a similar fashion, making her look luminous and elf like. It’s a real distraction, and the more I think about it, the more I’d like to believe that this wasn’t Arterton’s decision and something the stupid studio insisted on – so they could have another connection to the famous trilogy.

You see this whole movie is filled to the brim with borrowed images, borrowed plot lines, borrowed style, borrowed performances. It really doesn’t have an original bone in its body. If you watch any amount of fantasy or historical epic films, you’ll begin recognizing all the cribbing. Obviously there’s “Lord of the Rings” in there, but you’ll also find “300”, “Gladiator”, “Rome”, “God of War”, and “King Kong (2005)”.

Borrowing can work just fine if it’s done right. “Transformers” managed to be entertaining even though it was far from original. But in this case it just feels calculated. “These movies were successful, lets take elements from them and cram them into our movie!” Maybe it’s my perception, because I felt the same way about “Independence Day” and everyone else thought that those were “homage”.

The score by Ramin Djawadi works fine. It’s got a real modern action score sound and it fits the movie pretty well. It lacks some of the spirit it could have had, but much like the rest of the movie, its content to sound like other popular scores and not really push things beyond the grim and action oriented.

What does work are the action set pieces. These were highlights of the original film and they are really well done here. The giant scorpion battle has some really creative sequences in it and is filmed fairly well. Yes, there is use of hand held shakey cam, but it’s not so bad that you can’t figure out what’s going on. All the action is quick and clear in all these scenes. My favorite of the sequences is the Medusa battle. The environment (while completely borrowed form “God of War”) works wonderfully with the fluid enemy. She gets to use all kinds of tricks and our Greek heroes have to think on their feet to survive. This was the highlight of the original film and it is the highlight here. The finale with the Kraken is an actual improvement over the original, with a lot more interesting things going on and a real urgency to the sequence that they just weren’t able to pull off in 1980. You could take these scenes and turn them into a solid half hour action reel and enjoy that.

It all boils down to this. “Clash of the Titans” had so much potential. You’ve got a great set of mythological characters to work with. You’ve got plenty of room for huge scope, action, wonder and most of all: fun. There was lots of room to improve in the script, in the special effects and turn it into a modern film that could please anyone. Instead we get a half assed movie, trying to get teenage boys butts in seats and forgetting to smile, and not seeing the wonder of a world where horses can fly, scorpions can be the size of buses, and a woman with snakes in her hair can kill you with a glance. This was a missed opportunity and that’s why I give it a rating of 1.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Murder with Pictures (1936)

Introduction

We’ve got another flick from the 100 Mystery Classics. This time it’s a comedy/mystery from the 30’s. Will the laughs counter the suspense or will we be thrilled too much to laugh? Wanna take a guess why you’ve never heard of this movie?

Summary

While suspected crime boss Nate Girard (Onslow Stevens) is throwing a victory party after narrowly escaping some jail time, his lawyer is killed. No gun is found, but everyone at the party is a suspect. This includes Meg “Nutmeg” Archer (Gail Patrick), who is connected to Girard somehow. Also suspected, even though he wasn’t there, is the fast-talking fast thinking photographer Kent Murdock (Lew Ayres). Due to some crazy high jinks a photo of the killer exists, but it keeps jumping hands from Murdock to Nutmeg to McGoogin (Paul Kelly) a reporter with a score to settle with Murdock. Will the plucky reporter and the mysterious woman solve the “Murder with Pictures”.

Good Points

  • The movie moves fairly quickly.
  • Some of the plot twists are clever
  • Gail Patrick is really good as Nutmeg

Bad Points

  • Lew Ayres brand of comedy doesn’t click
  • The basic premise is pretty contrived
  • Makes you wish you were watching “The Thin Man” instead

Overall

Mixing comedy with mystery has been a staple of movies since they’ve been created, but it can still be tricky to pull one off. Part of the problem here is that the style of humor is very dated – so you’ll either go with it for find it unfunny. Ayers just doesn’t click for me in this part, and since the whole movie focuses on him it never takes off. Gail Patrick is pretty good and she helps the movie quite a bit, but in the end, this movie just never provides thrills or laughs.

Scores (out of 5)

Visual: 3

Sound: 3

Music: N/A

Acting: 2

Script: 2

Direction: 2

Entertainment: 2

Total: 2

In depth

Witty banter is a hallmark of the fast talking reporter solves a crime genre. You need a good team of writers and actors to pull it off. If you want to see a classic in the genre, check out “His Girl Friday”. Sadly “Murder with Pictures” just can’t measure up to that fun film.

From the basic technical angles, there’s nothing to really complain about (other than the poor print and sound quality of the version I saw). The film is adequately filmed, not really using noir or any style per se. The sound is in the same boat, capturing the dialogue and the necessary gunshots. Typical of a 30’s movie there is no musical score, just opening and ending title fanfares.

The mystery script is convoluted but has potential. A hapless photographer catches the murderer in action and then loses the plate with the photo on it. The plate changes hands several times during the movie, and eventually ends up revealing the killer: the surly mysterious gent with the mustache. So there is pretty much no suspense because just looking at the guy, you know he’s the killer. But some of the plot twists along the way are clever, and kept me guessing just how the killer would be revealed.

The comedy script is where things go really wrong. Honestly they really tried to keep things snappy, witty and fun. But the lines are dumb or nonsensical half the time. Combined with Lew Ayers performance and it just doesn’t work. I was strongly reminded of Jack Lemmon the entire time Ayers was on screen, but Lemmon can do witty banter. It just made it more obvious how important delivery can be for comic lines.

The other performances are solid. Gail Patrick is the best of the bunch playing Nutmeg as determined, a bit desperate and willing to do anything to get her man. In another movie she could have been great, a girl you can never really trust. Kelly is solid as the foil for Murdock, cocky and just annoying enough for you to root against him, but never treading the line into generating hatred. Stevens plays Girard with a touch of Bogart. It’s not bad.

I wish director Charles Barton had worked a little closer with the cast to punch things up a bit. He edits the movie quickly enough and he keeps the story moving. But the failure of the humor also falls in his lap. A good director knows when the scenes aren’t working, and works to make them better. He didn’t and I ended up pretty bored for the 69 minutes the film was on.

Check out what James Lileks though of the movie here.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

The Girl Who Played with Fire (2009)

Introduction:

After enjoying The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo I was defiantly interested in seeing the other two films. My wife had read the books and enjoyed all three of them, but warned me that there was some shifts in storytelling in the second and third novels. So I was curious to see just where Mikael and Lisbeth would end up.

Summary:

Lisbeth (Noomi Rapace) has been doing alright for herself, living it up in tropical locales while things cool off in Sweden. But things take a serious turn Lisbeth is identified as the killer of three people. Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) feels certain that Lisbeth is being set up and wants to help. But Lisbeth is tracking down the clues on her own, and they lead her on a twisted path that involves human trafficking and a link to her own dark past. When the trap is sprung will “The Girl Who Played with Fire” be alive to tell the tale?

Good Points:

  • Top notch acting by the entire cast
  • Delves into the character of Lisbeth
  • Leads up to a solid climax

Bad Points:

  • Mikael’s character takes a back seat in this story
  • Not quite as intense as the previous story
  • The ending leaves a lot of threads hanging – for the sequel

Overall:

With a new director in the chair for this movie, the shift in tone isn’t just with the plot but also with the overall style. Luckily it all works fine. The story moves along quickly and we get to know Lisbeth a bit better. It makes for a solid thriller, but suffers a bit from middle movie syndrome. Luckily the third part has been made, so no worries about not getting a conclusion. Definitely worth checking out, especially if you were pulled in by the first film.

Scores (out of 5)

Visuals: 4

Sound: 3

Acting: 4

Script: 3

Music: 3

Direction: 3

Entertainment: 4

Total: 4

Curious about a full review, sent me an email and I’ll make additional thoughts to this review.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Charlie Bartlett (2007)

Introduction:

This sounded like an entertaining concept and with Robert Downey Jr. in the cast sound like a movie to check out. It fell off my radar, and then I was reminded of it when I looked up Anton Yelchin after watching Star Trek.

Summary:

Charlie Bartlett (Anton Yelchin) is a nice enough kid from a rich houshold, but he keeps getting expelled from schools. See, Bartlett has a dream where he is the most popular kid at school and ends up doing stupd things to reach the goal. His latest adventure will have him selling prescription drugs to his fellow schoolmates. But he also gives them an understanding ear to listen to their problems. Soon Bartlett is running his own psychiatry office from the boys restroom. He falls for the lovely Susan (Kat Dennings) and comes under the eye of her father and the principle Nathan Gardner (Robert Downey Jr.). In the end, somethings gotta give and it may spell the end of “Charlie Bartlett”.

Good Points

  • Yelchin makes Bartlett work
  • Downey Jr. is very good.
  • Pacing and humor move the film along

Bad Points

  • The story is a bit predictable
  • Some viewers may dislike the drug elements
  • Tries a bit too hard to be quirky at times

Overall

This one reminded me of a John Hughes film from the 80’s, but tempered to fit modern kid issues. It works pretty well and its due to the performances by a solid cast who is into the story. I recommend it if you’re in the mood for a comedy with a bit off the beaten path.

Scores (out of 5)

Visuals: 3

Sound: 3

Acting: 4

Script: 3

Music: 3

Direction: 3

Entertainment: 3

Total: 3

Curious about a full review, send me an email and I'll make additional thoughts to this review.

Movie Music Musings


My movie Music Musings are going to be just that, thoughts about movie music. I'll leave the soundtrack reviews to the pros, several of which you'll find in the Blogs I Read and Sites I Visit section to the right. What you'll find here are mostly blogs about specific soundtracks, composers or just general ranting. When I tackle a soundtrack it will be more from the point of view of how it works in the film and specific styling I feel are effective or not so effective.


Keep in mind my musical vocabulary is limited. I love this stuff and want to share, but I'm also trying to keep this simple and relatable. Hope you find some of this as interesting as I do.

Movie Music Musings Topics
Score Sample

Here's a list of the various Score Sample tracks and Anime Juke Box tracks I've posted. I figured I'd put them all in one place in case you wanted to listen to an impromptu playlist of sorts. Enjoy the music!
Anime Juke Box




Evolution of a Movie Music Fan

I've been a fan of movie music for a long time now. It all started with my love of all things Star Wars. I sought out a cassette tape of the soundtrack and discovered a rerecording that had music from Star Wars on one side and Close Encounters of a Third Kind on the other. I learned that both films had music by John Williams, and that started a quest.

Soon I was hunting down the scores to The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Star Trek IV which I believe had just come out in theaters. Combine this with a friend of mine who let me borrow cassettes of Conan the Barbarian and Star Trek: The Motion Picture and it was pretty much a done deal.

I pretty much stayed with John Williams scores for the most part in the early days of collecting. But when the 90's rolled around I started picking up some of the biggies of the decade: Last of the Mohicans, Braveheart, Pulp Fiction and Lost Highway.

The late 90's rolled around and I was drawn into the world of anime, and so my musical tastes shifted in that direction too. Anime music is filled with a lot of variety and some great composers were doing excellent work at that time. But after I stopped reviewing anime around 2001 or so, I stopped picking up the soundtracks. Here I pretty much stopped collecting soundtracks and was focusing on electronica and a healthy 80's collection.

But I was pulled back into the world of soundtracks when I started my day job working with procedure documents. I found that I couldn't listen to music with actual words in it, or else I ended up typing those words. So I went back to my old soundtracks and started enjoying them again. The variety of music was great and the acquisition of an ipod made the whole thing even better. I could edit playlists and create "best of" series providing a taste from each film. It was great and it made the days go by quickly.

And so here I am, still collecting scores, still enjoying the music. I've still got a healthy collection of anime scores, and have been dabbling in game soundtracks too. But films are my first love and that's what I'll be writing about here.