Bill Wrobel's DVD - Film Score Rundowns

Violas play as violins I but an octave lower register. VC/CB play small octave notes. So
the tonalities are G min (G/Bb/D) to A maj (A/C#/E) back to G minor in Bar 36. Harp I
plays descending “6” sextuplet value 16 th note figures, as well as the celeste (celestial
effect!). Flutes play Line 2 G/Bb/Line 3 D down to Line 2 D/G/Bb 8ths up to E/A/Line 3
C# to C#/E/A 8ths, and so forth. Oboes play Lines 2 & 3 D to C# quarter notes to D half
note in Bar 36. Etc. I like this star-field cue, much as I liked Goldsmith’s similar
observatory cues in Omen III: Final Conflict. I would give this cue a four *** star rating
out of five. I would give Goldsmith’s “Trial Run” cue from Final Conflict a glorious five
***** star rating, however!
Young’s next relatively quiet cue, “Sil Escapes-Pt. I” is also nice to hear. For an
ugly movie I am glad Young decided to offset that with calming music now & then! The
initial tempo marking here is “Mysterious & Delicate” in 4/4 time. The vibe and triangle
softly sound. The harp plays largely 16 th note figures espr e delicato. Violins I play Line
3 F whole note tied to Bar 2. In Bar 3 violins II play trem at tip Line 1 F down to C 8ths
figure 3 X to F quarter note. Non-transposed clarinet I plays this as well. Violas play this
small octave Ab down to F 8ths, while non-transposed clarinet II plays the same. Etc. “Sil
Escapes-Pt.2” is faster and action-packed as the little girl escapes. It’s very synth and
piano “3” 8 th note triplet driven or propelled (running). It’s very functional for this scene
but it’s not a “pleasant” cue to hear a lot, but it is dynamic. “Sil Gets Off Train” [2M1] is
nice and reflective or “reserved” in 4/4 time. I like it. Some violins start off on Line 4 C
tied or sustained whole notes. The other strings in Bar 3 start to play a serene short
phrase. The piano and celeste play largely 16 th note figures. “Dan the Psychic” [3M1]
starting dvd 00:16:25 is effective with the high strings conveying the empathy quality but
with VC/CB on small octave C# repeated quarter notes. The timp is rolled on enharmonic
Great octave Db tied whole notes. The bassoon plays tied small octave C# whole notes
for the first two bars. The vibes soon sound. Good cue.
I did not research much of the score so I’ll let this go as enough for the review.
Considering this is a yucky movie to watch (unless you are a diehard sci-fi-horror fan), I
am surprised Young gave this a very good musical treatment. It’s a risk doing scores for
movies of this caliber (I wouldn’t want it in my resume!) but I guess a composer has to
make a living! The Core is a far more digestible or pleasant movie that Young composed
for. Arnold, Young, Howard are good contemporary composers, great musical craftsmen.
I like John Morgan’s music too, especially in his earlier career when he worked alone
(without Bill Stromberg as a project partner). But it appears that in the latter phase of his
career he decided not to make composing alone as his primary focus of identity. Too bad.
I would’ve loved having him compose, say, Star Trek VI directed by Meyer. Morgan has
far more of the “old school” sentiment than Howard/Arnold/Young. His influences are
decidedly Herrmann/Steiner (who happen to be my favorite film composers!).
Unfortunately Morgan largely got involved with “B” (bomb!) low-rate production movies
(Aftermath, Empire of the Dark, etc) and never seemed to get an established “in” into the
Hollywood system. Producers probably don’t want to involve themselves with an
“unknown.” Fred-not-Max Steiner (also another very good composer) also never really
got “in” the Hollywood feature film business except in relatively minor ways (helping
Goldsmith do some cues for Star Trek:TMP, helping Alfred Newman for Greatest Story
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