Gojira2000
May 11th, 2010, 02:12 PM
Unless I missed it somewhere I must say I'm a bit surprised a thread for the subject hasn't been created yet. But here it is.
One of the most important aspects of cinema (and especially G-films) is the musical score, which saddly is so often overlooked. Fortunately, the Godzilla series has been blessed (mostly) with excellent and unique compositions by an array of talented composers. With a big revival on the way for the Big G, I feel that LP ought to give very serious and careful thought to whom they will assign to wave the baton. For just as Ifukube himself explained, Godzilla is many things, and many different effects in their own way give life to the beast we know and love, but it is the music that is the monster's soul, his spirit, his heart, his true inner self expressed through wordless sounds of rhythmic thunder.
All things considered then, who do you feel would make for a fine addition to the long running list of musical artists that have dabbled in the realm of G? And what style ought it to be?
My two cents: Who ever it is should at least do this: have a full symphonic score via complete orchestra, with choir when appropriate. It should follow the musical language that Ifukube created (and that most kaiju composers follow) though not copy or rip off it; it should follow the concept of creating and developing very distintive and reconizable leitmotifs. Though a primary "Title Theme" would be appropriate for the film as a whole, I think that Ifukube's classic "Godzilla's Theme" (as made famous in its modern day arrangement in GvsKG) should most certainly be used, and not only once. I don't mind it being re-arranged, but at it's core it should be the same. If nothing else I think that that one theme ought to be used, though in reality I would personsally like to see several classic motifs revamped.
As to who, well... Of course, John Williams (as America's Ifukube) would be a fine pick--sure, in general his music may not seem to fit exactly the kaiju-style, but I feel he can turn out just about any kind of technique required for a film if he puts his mind to it. Wouldn't it be great if his next Oscar came from a Godzilla film?:darklord:
Hanz Zimmer, though rather repitious--especially with his own work--and so shamelessly compied by other "lesser" composers has a nitch for deep, powerful, thundering scores. His soundtrack for Pearl Harbor for example has several touching/depressing war-aftermath/destruction ques which would fit beautifully in a modern-day version of G54. I would only hope that he would go out of his way to create a main theme that is truely unique and doesn't sound like a re-hash of every other action film he's scored.
James Horner too his like Zimmer--generally great and masterful but often repitious, and not in a good way. Regardless, he too has the *umph* needed for a serious-minded monster film.
James Newton Howard can be rather diverse in style, which is good, and he has a very sensitive side to his music which I feel would do well in such a film as this.
Michael Giacchino is very talented and I've been impressed with his work since his score the the Sega video game The Lost Word: Jurassic Park. He is as he calls himself, an 'old-fashion' composer. His music often sounds like something from Hollywood's Golden Age, which is more than you can say for most. He's a Godzilla fan I believe I once read, which only helps, and he's good at ostinato-esque scores as Ifukube is. And if his Cloverfield Overture is any indication, I think with a little work he can be very well suited for a kaiju eiga (wait, is it even proper to refer to G2012 as "kaiju eiga"?).
Of course there are very talented foreign composers, both Japanese and otherwise, that would be excellent for a Godzilla film--even bringing back veterans like Reijiro Koroku (G84), Ko Otani (GMK) or Michiru Oshima (GMMG) could do no harm, especially when given the resources of a big Hollywood budget and time schedule.
One thing I hope they will avoid though is hiring any of the dozen of Hans Zimmer clones that score every action/adventure/disaster flick under the sun, and with the same heavy-bass sound and Transformer/Pirates/Gladitor/King Arthur theme rip-offs (actually Transformers itself is nothing but a giant rip off--it took themes from Zimmer's King Arthur, Dead Man's Chest, Batman Begins, Last Samurai, and a handful of other films as its source material). Case in point, action music today has become boring, preditable, unoriginal, and soulless. Take the score for 2012 as an example--it all sounds the same. You play Batman's theme, and people reconize it; you play Darth Vader's march, and people reconize it; you play the Rocky song and people reconize it; Ifukube's Godzilla music is up there among them, and the new score should strive to stay true to its origins while also being ORIGINAL. So much of film music today is boring and bland because it all sounds the same with restrained emotion; it simply 'gets the job done' and doesn't aspire to be anything more. The next G-composer ought to fight that off, and the director ought to help.
So, what do you think?
One of the most important aspects of cinema (and especially G-films) is the musical score, which saddly is so often overlooked. Fortunately, the Godzilla series has been blessed (mostly) with excellent and unique compositions by an array of talented composers. With a big revival on the way for the Big G, I feel that LP ought to give very serious and careful thought to whom they will assign to wave the baton. For just as Ifukube himself explained, Godzilla is many things, and many different effects in their own way give life to the beast we know and love, but it is the music that is the monster's soul, his spirit, his heart, his true inner self expressed through wordless sounds of rhythmic thunder.
All things considered then, who do you feel would make for a fine addition to the long running list of musical artists that have dabbled in the realm of G? And what style ought it to be?
My two cents: Who ever it is should at least do this: have a full symphonic score via complete orchestra, with choir when appropriate. It should follow the musical language that Ifukube created (and that most kaiju composers follow) though not copy or rip off it; it should follow the concept of creating and developing very distintive and reconizable leitmotifs. Though a primary "Title Theme" would be appropriate for the film as a whole, I think that Ifukube's classic "Godzilla's Theme" (as made famous in its modern day arrangement in GvsKG) should most certainly be used, and not only once. I don't mind it being re-arranged, but at it's core it should be the same. If nothing else I think that that one theme ought to be used, though in reality I would personsally like to see several classic motifs revamped.
As to who, well... Of course, John Williams (as America's Ifukube) would be a fine pick--sure, in general his music may not seem to fit exactly the kaiju-style, but I feel he can turn out just about any kind of technique required for a film if he puts his mind to it. Wouldn't it be great if his next Oscar came from a Godzilla film?:darklord:
Hanz Zimmer, though rather repitious--especially with his own work--and so shamelessly compied by other "lesser" composers has a nitch for deep, powerful, thundering scores. His soundtrack for Pearl Harbor for example has several touching/depressing war-aftermath/destruction ques which would fit beautifully in a modern-day version of G54. I would only hope that he would go out of his way to create a main theme that is truely unique and doesn't sound like a re-hash of every other action film he's scored.
James Horner too his like Zimmer--generally great and masterful but often repitious, and not in a good way. Regardless, he too has the *umph* needed for a serious-minded monster film.
James Newton Howard can be rather diverse in style, which is good, and he has a very sensitive side to his music which I feel would do well in such a film as this.
Michael Giacchino is very talented and I've been impressed with his work since his score the the Sega video game The Lost Word: Jurassic Park. He is as he calls himself, an 'old-fashion' composer. His music often sounds like something from Hollywood's Golden Age, which is more than you can say for most. He's a Godzilla fan I believe I once read, which only helps, and he's good at ostinato-esque scores as Ifukube is. And if his Cloverfield Overture is any indication, I think with a little work he can be very well suited for a kaiju eiga (wait, is it even proper to refer to G2012 as "kaiju eiga"?).
Of course there are very talented foreign composers, both Japanese and otherwise, that would be excellent for a Godzilla film--even bringing back veterans like Reijiro Koroku (G84), Ko Otani (GMK) or Michiru Oshima (GMMG) could do no harm, especially when given the resources of a big Hollywood budget and time schedule.
One thing I hope they will avoid though is hiring any of the dozen of Hans Zimmer clones that score every action/adventure/disaster flick under the sun, and with the same heavy-bass sound and Transformer/Pirates/Gladitor/King Arthur theme rip-offs (actually Transformers itself is nothing but a giant rip off--it took themes from Zimmer's King Arthur, Dead Man's Chest, Batman Begins, Last Samurai, and a handful of other films as its source material). Case in point, action music today has become boring, preditable, unoriginal, and soulless. Take the score for 2012 as an example--it all sounds the same. You play Batman's theme, and people reconize it; you play Darth Vader's march, and people reconize it; you play the Rocky song and people reconize it; Ifukube's Godzilla music is up there among them, and the new score should strive to stay true to its origins while also being ORIGINAL. So much of film music today is boring and bland because it all sounds the same with restrained emotion; it simply 'gets the job done' and doesn't aspire to be anything more. The next G-composer ought to fight that off, and the director ought to help.
So, what do you think?