I have what I guess I’ll call a casual fan’s enthusiasm for motion picture soundtracks. I own over a dozen and have bits and pieces of many more. I enjoy the catchy, popular songs and themes, but I don’t buy a soundtrack unless, sitting in the theater watching the film, I keep noticing the music because it is so effectively, organically a part of what is happening on screen.
A good soundtrack should be as inseparable from the film as any other major element. Take it away and the life of the film just drains away. Conversely, though, I think a good motion picture soundtrack should be enjoyable as music on its own. It evokes the visual world it was written for, but can exist independently, partly because only some of it was actually used in the film. An example is the Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross soundtrack for the Fincher version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. The film is about 2hr 40 minutes. The soundtrack is over 10 minutes longer and, I’ve read, whole tracks aren’t even in the film.
It’s just under a month until The Dark Knight Rises concludes Christopher Nolan’s trilogy of Batman films. It’s the move I’m looking forward to the most this summer. (In a particularly good year, from my perspective.) Lots of reasons, but Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack work on the films (collaborating with James Newton Howard on the first two) is definitely one of them. I love the stuff.
The soundtrack isn’t on sale until July 17th, but 30-second samples have been released. Batman-News.com posted them recently and I encourage soundtrack music and/or Batman fans to go check them out. Some familiar stuff mixed with new stuff in unexpected ways, which is as it should be given the project.
Batman-News.com is, as the name implies, a treasure trove of information about all things Batman. You can find all of the trailers and TV spots for The Dark Knight Rises there, as well as links to emerging bits of the viral marketing campaign promoting the film. Lots of fun speculation about what the breadcrumbs mean, or whether they are intended to mislead.
Separate from that, I picked up this image of an unusual billboard for The Dark Knight Rises. Just the logo blasted right through the thing with the date below. Simple and effective at evoking the mood and the scale of what’s coming. Can’t wait, although I’ll have to wait a week because I’ll be off co-leading a camp week when it opens. That’s ok. Should mean a better seat.
Flawed Creations 