Weather like jazz

A new dawn awaits

Not dead, just silent.

And expecting the gems that next year has to offer in terms of science fiction films. Interstellar was breath-taking, to say the least, and it looks as if the coming year is full of thrills with at least as much potential. As usual, there is a ton of sequels and remakes, including Terminator Genisys, Mad Max: Fury Road, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Jurassic World and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. There are, however, some really interesting original works from three big names that you shoot look out for.

The Jupiter Ascending, by the brothers Wachowsky.

From the writer of 28 Days Later and Sunshine, Aleg Garland: Ex Machina

Sounds for images that move

My friends know I'm quite critical about many things. Movies are no exception. In fact, there are so many aspects in a motion picture to be critical about that it is very rare for me to walk out of the theater without voicing some critique. Lately, especially with the newer releases, one thing that has disappointed me often has been the score. Commercial movies are produced on a conveyor belt and music-wise what we end up with are utterly forgettable tunes that fail to add anything to the movie and that lack depth and imagination. Well, of course one can't expect much from the mainstream...

What I just want to say is, I miss a couple of composers from the 80s and the 90s who've left me with rather high standards. One, Basil Poledouris, I've already discussed in The unifying sound of nostalgia. Another, whom I've for some reason never mentioned in this blog, is probably the biggest name there is (literally!):  Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou, aka Vangelis. I hope I'll be able to come across a contemporary composer with the vision, finesse and know-how of this man in the years to come. Watch him work:

Edit 14.5.2014: The original video that I linked has been removed and cannot be found. Hence I'll replace it with some live footage from one of his breathtaking performances.

It is odd that I've omitted him, for I've always been a huge fan of Blade Runner. The score fits the film like a one-liner in a Schwarzenegger-movie. A good soundtrack is one that stays on your mind long after the credits have stopped running, one that instantly takes you back to milieu and feel of the film when you hear it and one that can be enjoyed even when separated from the main title and even by a listener who has never seen it. Among many other works by Vangelis, the music of Blade Runner falls in that category.

Far reaches of science and imagination

I haven't talked a lot about anything recently. It's been even longer since I talked about movies.

 The trend in science fiction films for a while now has been to make remakes and spin-offs of old ideas and concepts. Spider-Man, X-Men, Robocop, Godzilla, etc. The list goes on. Considering the genres, where the idea is to push the limits of imagination, such unimaginative approaches are quite a turn-down, as there is just so much new that you can do with an old idea. Luckily there are some gems in store for the coming year, with original ideas, or at least debut film adaptations of books and comics. Some of these are, not surprisingly, works of smaller and independent studios, which also means a smaller budget and a narrower distribution. Quite a shame. Here are some trailers of science fiction titles I found especially interesting:

I'll also add a CGI short film created mostly by one Kaleb Lechowski. Hopefully this does turn into a whole feature, as the work is very impressive.

Look beyond the mainstream, people, and I'm sure you'll find many a new favorite and plenty of food for thought.

Algorithms

A gig is not the best place to study for an exam. A gig is the best place to enjoy sound waves.