When the game suddenly becomes real on Neeson’s latest film, Harry, whom we find is a “star” thanks to the local media, steps in, and sees just how deep the water really is in this deadly pool.

Lalo Schifrin, who composed the music for 4 of the 5 Dirty Harry films (he missed “The Enforcer due to his schedule), returns to send Harry out with a very cool and hip bang. He does this by using what has made Lalo’s scores so groundbreaking… he uses EVERYTHING yet does it with a minimal style.

Lalo gives the viewer enough suspense to keep you busy wondering whats going to happen next yet doesn’t overpower the scene. It’s a sign of a real artist to walk that line plus mix in some cool jazz riffs that Eastwood loves so much in his films. (Is it me, or has anyone had a hard time seeing Callahan digging jazz?).

Lalo recorded his score in an amazing two days in Burbank with a very talented orchestra, in fact “The Dead Pool” was shot, edited and released in 14 weeks!!

An added bonus is the very good liner notes written by Nick Redman.

You can pick up “The Dead Pool” at major music stores or on iTunes.

(written by Michael Sullivan)

The series follows these cops, especially Lily Rush, as they do their best to go back years to serve justice and give closure to those left behind.

The music in the series is stone cold brilliant, weaving pop songs along with music from the year the crime has happened. This being a Jerry Bruckheimer produced series, all the music is done by the original artists.

But, what about the score? The pieces of music that help move the story along. Well lucky for us lovers of score music, TV scores are on an up rise and this is a wonderful example of what happens when it’s done right. Michael Levine’s score for “Cold Case” is extraordinary in its depth and richness yet retaining a bit of a modern edge to it.

What I find amazing in this score is that it was composed and played by three artists, including Levine. It rivals any major Hollywood film in its depth and pacing.

Now while I also admit I don’t really care for soundtracks, I think a case could be made for a Cold Case sound track as well and it would be a real treat to all us Cold Case fans!

(written by Michael Sullivan)

This is a pretty well put togther soundtrack by Mark Mothersbaugh who has carved a nice little niche in cult movies like ‘Rushmore” and “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou”. While Mothersbaugh may be best remembered as the lead singer for the New Wave band,DEVO…much like Danny Elfman ahead of him,Mark has turned to making music for TV and movies,winning a Emmy in the process.

But composing a score is vastly different from doing a soundtrack and while I tend to favor scores much more,a good well thought soundtrack of GOOD original music can also drive a film along.

This is a nice blend of well known names (The Jam),solid underground (Billy Bragg),some fellow New Wave acts (The English Beat) and the best part…3 new tracks contributed by Mark himself. Its a nice little mixing bowl for old and new fans alike.

As for the movie…it has Anna Faris in it and based on that alone,I recommend seeing this highly.

Despite the fact I have yet to read any of the Spiderwick series..I thought the previews of the first movie looked promising, full of adventure and derring-do in a PG world, nice and safe.

Well if the movie matches the score,the Spiderwick Chronicles will be much darker and interesting to look at. My favorite film composer,James Horner,has created a most brooding and deeper score then you think this film can handle. Its a fast and very brisk score with lush strings and heavy brass on most of the CD. There is no light or airy “feel good” theme, mostly more of “what will happen next” type of suspense.

You can tell Horner has taken this project to heart,his score is inventive and creative..it showcases Horner’s comeback from many poor efforts of the past 2-4 years. Simon Rhodes did a masterful job recording and mixing this,its a very crisp recording indeed. With such a fine score in hand, Paramount should have high hopes for the movie featuring the fine young actor, Freddie Highmore.

Recommended!

One of the most delightful movies of 2007 was Disney’s “Enchanted” featuring a princess from a animated fairyland coming into the “real world”. While the story was old hat, it was the cast and the wonderful score/soundtrack that made this film such a big hit.

Scored by a old Disney hitmaker, Alan Menken and featuring some very catchy tunes by Stephen Schwartz, you expect some very good music and with this album, you’re not let down.

While you think the focus would be on a very Martina sounding Carrie Underwood singing “Ever,Ever,After”, its the film’s star,the late blooming Amy Adams who steals the show. Adams has a very sweet voice and a very well trained one as well..by not overpowering both the material and her vocals,she is joy on the biggest songs in the movie.

The first three songs are the best by far and its no fluke that all 3 songs are Adam’s…including the reggae influenced “That’s How You Know” which is a great song.

The score is workmanlike,sturdy but not outstanding by Disney’s standards…which makes it even cool that a album like this is so magical!

Highly recommended!

I admit, I have never seen Larry the Cable Guy…not even on Comedy Central, so when I got this CD I only knew one thing, it was a rare release these days…a real live bona fide comedy CD. So I was already pretty happy about that because I enjoy this genre. I own Denis Leary and Chris Rock albums and so I had high hopes here.

The verdict? I liked this! Of course any album with a tune like “Farting Jingle Bells” is going to score pretty high with Wendy Shepherd who runs this site…(this is a test, I wanna see if she really reads my reviews).

The format is cool, Larry is hosting a oldtime radio Christmas special and has a bunch of his friends drop by to help him celebrate this holiday. Some very special guests contribute some very funny insight on Christmas…southern chef Paula Deen, country stars Trace Adkins and Cowboy Troy also chip in to the merrymakings.

One thing that really pleased me was while this CD would be a rated PG-13, its not dependent on vulgarity that so many comics think they “have” push on their fans. Larry’s country wisdom, especially about fruit cake is pretty warm and his delivery is also pretty funny.

This is worth picking up….

Recommended!

Review by Michael Sullivan

Very cool retro New York City surf band with Crampish vocals. Great beats and excellent guitar elevate this band pretty high. The changes are subtle which is fine if the tunes were purely instrument driven but less guitar shows off the not most impressive vocals…in this case,louder guitar is a good thing.

But I’m not trashing this,I actually love surf rock and any band that plays it should be praised for breathing new life in a forgotten genre.

Recommended!

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