As most (or all) know, Reznor is most known for his time as the man behind Nine Inch Nails. His work with the band was haunting, and he brought that with him when he collaborated with Ross on the soundtrack for The Social Network last year. Once again for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Reznor and Ross had that air of haunting and subtlety. Some of the best work with scores are hardly noticeable when watching the movie. Composers like Danny Elfman or John Williams have made a career out of not being noticed during the movie. With two films under their belts, Reznor and Ross have accomplished this. When watching the movie, you end so enthralled you forget about the music. It isn’t booming or annoying. At points during the movie you realize the music and it fits so perfectly with the film.

The original score for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo will be available to purchase on December 27, but Reznor and Ross made the album available for digital download on a special website. When listening to it before seeing the movie, you can picture a few things here or there based on the trailers and commercials, but after seeing the movie, the score has a whole new feel to it. Since the score is just as long as the movie, at a run time of about 2 hours and 40 minutes, the listener can picture what was happening at the same time in the movie. From the opening track, Reznor and Karen O’s cover of Led Zeppelin The Immigrant Song, through the other 38 (yes, 38) tracks, this is about as perfect a score as one can come across. It’s subtle and haunting. It’s a score you can put on either driving in your car, working, at home or trying to fall asleep. The layout of the score is interesting as well. It starts off with the previously mentioned cover, goes through 37 tracks of score and then ends with another cover tack featuring vocals, Is You Love Strong Enough featuring How To Destroy Angels (which happens to be Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Reznor’s wife). It’s a chilling soung that must be heard to be believed.

There really haven’t been too many memorable original scores this year, but this is one that will be remembered for sure. Is back to back Oscar’s in the future for Reznor and Ross? After listening to this score, there is no doubt that these 2 men are the front runner for that award.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

It is that song – and the return of Carter Burwell – that make The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 soundtrack feel like a bookend to the first Twilight movie. Pattinson and Stewart dance to Iron & Wine’s Flightless Bird, American Mouth at their characters’ prom in Twilight; it seems fitting to have this song play over another pivotal moment in their lives. And I loved Carter Burwell’s score of the first film and was thrilled when I read that he’d be scoring the last two. Just like the characters, this score is more mature but still influenced by its past. I love that you can still hear recognizable pieces of the first score – including bits of Bella’s Lullaby – in a reimagined form. (And I, for one, am really looking forward to seeing Pattinson play Burwell’s lullaby for Edward and Bella’s daughter in Part 2.)

This soundtrack has a decidedly edgier feel to it than the indie vibe of its last two predecessors. In essence, the music is maturing out of those angst-ridden teenage years much like the characters. The album, to me, has an overall feeling of contentment that parallels the movie. Now, I will warn you – there are a lot of love songs on this soundtrack. Which is exactly what you should expect from a movie about a couple getting married and having a child. But don’t worry – we’re not talking all over-the-top ballads. The general theme seems to be finally getting what you’ve waited for, committing yourself to another person and facing the future together.

With that said, the two big, sweeping ballads – Turning Page and A Thousand Years – are truly lovely and certainly fit that theme. I predict A Thousand Years, in particular, will be the new go-to wedding song. And there are some truly catchy songs on this soundtrack. Love Will Take You, From Now On and I Didn’t Mean It are the kind of songs that have me bopping my head along to the beat (and maybe doing a little dancing in my car …).

There were two omissions I hope make it for the Part 2 soundtrack. Pattinson was noticeably absent from the New Moon and Eclipse soundtracks and doesn’t appear on this one, either. He has a unique voice and musical style that keeps my fingers crossed for the last soundtrack. In addition, this is the first Twilight Saga soundtrack that hasn’t featured a song from Muse. Since this band is Meyer’s favorite and often her … well … muse, it seems strange to leave them off the list. Hopefully they will make a return for Part 2; it wouldn’t feel right without them.

Overall, this is a fun, happy, sing-along kind of soundtrack. Yes, it’s a little bit sappy, but don’t weddings make us all feel a little bit sappy? Enjoy the smile this soundtrack will put on your face.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Track Listing

1. Endtapes – The Joy Formidable

2. Love Will Take You – Angus & Julia Stone

3. It Will Rain – Bruno Mars

4. Turning Page – Sleeping at Last

5. From Now On – The Features

6. A Thousand Years – Christina Perri

7. Neighbors - Theophilus London

8. I Didn’t Mean It – The Belle Brigade

9. Sister Rosetta [2011 Version] – The Noisettes

10. Northern Lights – Cider Sky

11. Flightless Bird, American Mouth [Wedding Version] – Iron & Wine

12. Requiem on Water – Imperial Mammoth

13. Cold – Lucy Schwartz/Aqualung

14. Llovera – Mia Maestro

15. Love Death Birth – Carter Burwell

Carnival Arcane is just what the title says, it takes place during a carnival. This carnival isn’t like a normal carnival, but a dark carnival. From the start of the album and the track Mesonoxian Visitors, you enter a world that seems very surreal. Each of the tracks start out with a sweet sound. It’s almost like you walk into a happy place, but by the time the song is over you want to jump in the back of the white truck in a straight jacket and grab some meds. The listener is taken on a demented journey. This isn’t like the carnivals you see in sweet movies or in good areas of the country. This is a carnival with killer clowns, evil ring leaders and scary rides.

The best part of the albums put out by Midnight Syndicate is that you have to use your imagination to picture the movies these are the soundtracks to. Carnival Arcane is no different. The best part is how easy it is to picture what is going on. There are 26 songs on this album, and for all 26 you see what’s going on in front of you. Edward Douglas and Gavin Goszka do an amazing job pulling the listener into their twisted world.

One thing that comes up with albums is relistenability. Can you listen to the album more than once without being bored? Today the consumer doesn’t want to buy a whole album just to listen to a couple of songs. Well, you don’t have to worry with Carnival Arcane. This is an album that you won’t get tired with since the more you listen to it, the more you hear. After your first listen, you’ll want to revisit the dark carnival for sure.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS was an epic film that needed a score that could be just as epic. If the score wasn’t good enough, scenes like young Erik witnessing his mother’s murder could have been more funny, but Jackman used his work to make the viewer feel for the young mutant. Pulling a submarine out of the water can be a funny scene in another movie, but here it had to be an intense scene, and Jackman once again pulls out the stops to make the viewer excited for what’s going on on screen. A perfect score is one that, after the movie is over, one can listen to it on CD, computer or MP3 player and still picture what was going during those scenes. Jackman masterfully crafted one of those scores.

From the start of the 20 track, 61 minute score, the listener is brought back into the land of the 1960′s that the film took place during. Jackman, who has worked under the great Hans Zimmer, uses many of the same techniques as his colleague with the use of heavy strings. It’s perfect for a film like this, as string instruments are used to bring forth the emotions of sadness and hurt and at the same time strength. Out of a score where many tracks have a similar sound, there is one stand out track, X-Training. In the movie, this is the montage scene of Professor X helping his students perfect their powers. Jackman put together a track that is more Electro-rock than string score. It’s a rocking track that, while listening to, bring the scene back and a smile to the listeners face.

If there is any negative to the soundtrack, it might be that it’s a little too short. I loved the music, and wished that it would keep going. Also, at points during a few of the tracks, the music becomes low and it’s a bit of a strain to hear. Other than that, this is about as perfect a score as one can get. I would rate it up with last years works from Trent Reznor for THE SOCIAL NETWORK, Daft Punk for TRON: LEGACY, and Michael Giacchino for LET ME IN as one of the best in the past few years.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The Film:

The Midnight Syndicate have been creating moody and spooky soundtracks for over a decade. The Ohio-based dark ambient group established some healthy base of fans and friends, leading into the group’s founder’s first feature film, here in The Dead Matter, which is defiantly aided by the group’s atmospheric sounds. In fact, the score is so good, it makes the film better for it, even though the film has FX by Robert Kurtzman and cameos by Tom Savini (FX master) and Andrew Divoff (Wishmaster), The Dead Matter is a little too ambitious for its own good, often shambling to and fro like the zombies featured.

It’s hard to knock it for being ambitious. I’m sure there’s a slew of horror fans stalk the shelves at Blockbuster or the search engine on Netflix for something, only to be vastly bored or disappointed by the flock of low budget crap. The Dead Matter isn’t like those filler DTV titles. It’s just never fully comes together like it thinks it does. The story seems rather routine: an ancient relic is discovered by some girls who like to dabble into the occult, only to be unknowing to its power that rises the dead. Much of this is the interesting and better parts of the film. The film loses itself with the subplot of two warring vampire lords (Divoff and Savini).

I felt the subplot wasn’t fully developed or given enough time to fully matter in the overall arc. Given what we are mostly accustomed too, The Dead Matter is refreshing to some degree. Director Edward Douglas is crafty enough to compose some great images, shots, and keeps the pacing from lagging. The Midnight Syndicate is known for creating music for “imaginary films”, so you can’t help to believe this is nothing more than a cool music video for them. Sometimes funny, sometimes rudimentary, The Dead Matter ain’t that bad if you’re in the mood for some diversity in the DTV market.

The DVD:

Audio/Video: The widescreen presentation for standard def looks really good. Precinct 13 Entertainment gives the clarity, details, and colors their due. The DD 5.1 is decent as well, especially when The Midnight Syndicate’s music kicks in.

The 3-disc set is loaded with great material.

Maximum Dead Matter: Here’s your picture-in-picture track that plays side-by-side the film, with plenty of great concept art, Douglas’ original short, and interviews. It’s really neat even if you don’t like the film.

Commentary: Douglas gives a thoughtful and interesting look at the film, even if most of his tidbits is repeated if you see the picture-in-picture track.

Trailers, Fan-made Videos, and two all-new Music Videos round out the DVD extras. Disc Two is the Motion Picture CD Soundtrack from The Midnight Syndicate and Disc Three is The Midnight Syndicate’s Greatest Hits CD, which are two great additions.

The Film: Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

The DVD: Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The first thing that the listener notices right from the beginning of the first track, Overture, is that this is nothing like you’ve ever heard from Daft Punk. Daft Punk tend to have songs that are easy to dance to. Overture is more subdued, yet epic sounding at the same time. It doesn’t have the usual dance feeling of other Daft Punk tunes. The further you go into the score, the further into TRON it takes you. Even without seeing the movie, the listener is taken into this computer generated world. Each song has an epic feel to it. If you’ve seen the first TRON, each track feels like it would fit right in with that movie. That’s not a dig at the music at all, but it really sounds like something from 1982, especially when it’s from a movie that takes place in the future. You can tell that Daft Punk went back to the original movie to draw from it.

For fans of Daft Punk, there are a few tracks that will make you think of their other records. End of the Line, Derezzed (which has been the song that Disney is pushing as the big track from this album) and TRON: Legacy (End Titles). Each of these songs have a more electronic sound that Daft Punk fans are used to. I would say that if you are going into this soundtrack and movie expecting to hear DA FUNK, AROUND THE WORLD or HARDER, FAST, STRONGER, then you will probably be disappointed. If you are listening with an open mind and want to be engulfed into the world of TRON, then this is a must listen. At just under 60 minutes in length, the 22 tracks fly by.

Many scores are forgotten about the moment the final credit rolls, but this is a score that stays with the listener well after you are finished with album.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

This disc is a weird one to start with as it’s atypical of most soundtracks. Most CDs based on films contain multiple artists, each contributing a classic song (or in some cases a “brand new” one that’s actually a B-side). The Trick or Treat soundtrack is different in that it only features Fastway and they wrote enough new material for this release that it’s actually considered to be an official full length in their discography. Before we get into the details on the CD itself, let’s examine the band behind it.

In 1983 there were some shake ups in the ranks of two huge hard rock bands. Motorhead said goodbye to founding member and guitarist “Fast” Eddie Clarke while UFO bid adieu to founding member and bass player Pete Way. “Fast” and Way decided to get together a form a new band, combining their names to create Fastway. Unfortunately for them, Way didn’t check his recording contract with UFO’s label and was unable to contribute to the band past its inception, instead going on to play for Ozzy Osbourne. To replace him Clarke nabbed a series of session bassists, and along with an unknown singer named Dave King* and former Humble Pie drummer Jerry Shirley, they recorded their debut. Years down the road the band (now consisting of all new members besides Clarke and King) was approached to create the soundtrack for Trick or Treat. The move was incredibly successful for the band as the soundtrack re-established them in the metal community and stayed on the Billboard Top 200 for 11 months. Unfortunately it also led to some infighting, which led to the band’s downfall.

With such a storied history, it’s interesting to see almost none of that negative energy shows up on Fastway’s Trick or Treat. Despite it being the fourth album in their catalog, the band sounds positively hungry. Straight up rockers like After Midnight, Hold On to the Night and the title track get the blood pumping while anthems like Stand Up provide the requisite youth empowerment that so much heavy metal emphasized at the time. There are only two songs that aren’t original to the album: Heft and If You Could See. Both of these cuts come from previous Fastway offerings though their presence here is very welcome. Enough about how it works as a standalone album though, how does this thing work with the film and what does it enhance? I think it goes without saying that this soundtrack really makes the film. Without it the movie is just another 80s horror flick, albeit one that has cameos from metal royalty Ozzy Osbourne and Gene Simmons. Even with a collection of classic 80s tunes it wouldn’t have worked. Popular metal songs wouldn’t have been able to convey Weinbauer’s sense of isolation as well. Since the material on here is mostly original and from a band that many wouldn’t recognize off the bat we get a sense that this is Eddie’s band, the one that only he knows and has a special connection to. Considering the metal community’s continuing efforts to remain underground, many metalheads can relate to this as we all have that one band that we “own.” Not in a legal sense of course but in the sense that they’re our little well kept secret that we have a special connection to because the rest of the world seemingly hasn’t found out about them yet. Even though everyone in the film knows about Sammi Curr, the audience doesn’t and the Fastway’s all new material cements that special relationship Eddie has with his music. Without that connection between the character and the music, the film simply wouldn’t work as well and as a result an alright film is transformed into a great one. It also helps that the music kicks major amounts of ass.

As I mentioned above the Trick or Treat soundtrack is great on its own as well. While I would probably rank it behind Fastway’s first two releases, it’s still a worthy part of any metal connoisseur’s collection. It’s currently on Amazon for $6.99 which is a steal for some excellent tunes. Pick it up.

*In case you were wondering, I definitely meant THAT Dave King. That’s right, the voice of Sammi Curr (musically that is) went on to be the lead singer and songwriter of current Irish folk rock phenomenon and Warped Tour darlings Flogging Molly.

All of this is true. Zimmer’s score is at times, very abstract with big, loud pulsating strings and brass, a theme that’s almost robotic and menacing as it is the heartbeat for the film. But in tracks like “One Simple Idea” and “Old Souls”, we hear this levity rise. Nolan’s films have been about very flawed and troubled characters, but they’re also very sad and humble, and that’s what the sweeter side of Zimmer’s score provides. Lesser attuned ears will want to hear similar patterns in the music to Zimmer’s memorable The Dark Knight score, but that film featured a simple, terrifying rhythm and a few themes of hope compromised by despair.

But it isn’t a copy of The Dark Knight. It’s even more epic, but it has a deeper emotional core to it. It’s still dark and moody, like in “The Dream is Collapsing” or “Waiting for a Train”. Zimmer is getting to be Nolan’s best asset, for helping the audience go on the ride, a combo that maybe in another collaboration or two, might rank up there with Hitchcock/Herrmann, Spielberg/Williams, Burton/Elfman, and Scorsese/Rolling Stones. Zimmer has been giving us great scores for years, yet Inception: Music from the Motion Picture might be his most experimental. It’s one of the better scores from 2010.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Eclipse

The same goes for the soundtrack. It’s full of rock music with a few romantic songs in the mix. But all the tracks have a high-energy edge to it that makes this soundtrack worth a listen.

Muse has quite a history with Twilight. The band has had songs on the soundtracks for the first two movies, and Meyer is an enthusiastic fan who listened to their music while writing the series. It seems fitting that they have a single from a soundtrack for one of the movies, and Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever) is a more than appropriate choice. Take a look at these lyrics…

“I have nothing left to lose/You took your time to choose/Then we told each other/With no trace of fear/That our love would be forever/And if we die/We die together”

Seems to sum up the relationship between vampire Edward Cullen and his human love Bella Swan perfectly, doesn’t it?

Listeners also will notice quite a few tracks with that slow-jam rock feel that focuses on guitar. The Dead Weather’s Rolling In On A Burning Tire, Eastern Conference Champions’ A Million Miles An Hour and Florence + The Machine’s Heavy In Your Arms are methodically entrancing.

The “ballads,” such as they are also have that same grand, sweeping scale. Sia’s My Love is both tender and sweet with intricate piano medleys, and Beck and Bat For Lashes’ Let’s Get Lost is full longing and urgency that fill the song with poignancy.

It’s also about time that Vampire Weekend is on a Twilight soundtrack, just for the sheer irony of it. Jonathan Low is a catching rock song that fits really well in this mix of tracks.

If this album has one fault, it’s that Robert Pattinson is not a part of it. Sure, he’s been busy making several movies, but fans would love to see him participate in another soundtrack for this saga. My fingers are crossed for the next two.

This soundtrack feels like a return to the music that accompanied Twilight. It feels fresh, energetic and fun. Even if you don’t plan on seeing the movie, this soundtrack is something to appreciate on its own.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Track listing

Metric – Eclipse (All Yours)

Muse – Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever)

The Bravery – Ours

Florence + The Machine – Heavy In Your Arms

Sia – My Love

Fanfarlo – Atlas

The Black Keys – Chop And Change

The Dead Weather – Rolling In On A Burning Tire

Beck and Bat For Lashes – Let’s Get Lost

Vampire Weekend – Jonathan Low

UNKLE – With You In My Head (Feat. The Black Angels)

Eastern Conference Champions – A Million Miles An Hour

Band of Horses – Life On Earth

Cee Lo Green – What Part of Forever

Howard Shore – Jacob’s Theme

One of the more pleasing aspects of Nine was that it featured Marion Cotillard again in a musical. She has a great voice, and that’s what powers songs like “My Husband Makes Movies” and “Take It All”. She’s just plain great, as anyone who saw La Vie en Rose can attest too. Fergie, a natural singer, shines too in her songs “Be Italian”, and that shouldn’t be a surprise. But what about Daniel-Day Lewis, Kate Hudson, or Penelope Cruz? Out of those three, Hudson surprises the most, with the playful, catchy, “Cinema Italiano”. This song could be Oscar nominated. Daniel-Day Lewis is okay. Obviously, a singer he is not, but he’s fine. Cruz’s song is sexy visually in the film, but I don’t really like her rendition here vocally.

Nine also has a few overtures, but it all comes down to the songs. Some work, some don’t. The soundtrack won’t win over the non-fans of the film, but it should please Broadway fans, even though one could just say go buy the Broadway Original Cast Recordings. Like the film, the soundtrack is a mixed bag. Highly recommended for Marion Cotillard and Kate Hudson.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

The second piece in the Twilight saga, New Moon, is full of angst. So the music for the film should have that same emo feeling, right? And the soundtrack doesn’t disappoint. It’s full of all the achingly beautiful melodies and indie discontentment you can handle.

But that doesn’t mean it’s without its fun beats. Sea Wolf’s The Violent Hour has a quite lively, catchy sound, despite the moniker. And Monsters by Hurricane Bell grinds with pulsing hard rock riffs, declaring that the “situations are critical.” (And does it seem apropos to have a song from a band with that name on this album to anyone else?)

Of course, the majority of songs on the album give in to that feeling of melancholy. Perhaps the most forlorn of them all is Lykke Li’s Possibility, which is lovely in its haunted, enchanting way. It’s soft and melodic enough to pull at even the toughest of heartstrings. And the simple sound of the piano and earnest vocals in No Sound but the Wind by Editors is equally as haunting.

The first single from this album is Death Cab for Cutie’s Meet Me on the Equinox. If you’ve seen the video, which centers on Kristen Stewart’s Bella and Robert Pattinson’s Edward, then you have a good idea of the movie’s plot. As they say in the song, everything ends. Or is it really a beginning? It was a wise decision to let this song lead the soundtrack, both on the track list and on the video and airwaves. It is a good representation of both the album and what the movie should be.

Muse makes it back on the second soundtrack in this series with a groovy, danceable remix of I Belong To You. As well they should be. After all, author Stephenie Meyer has said they were a huge inspiration for her writing, so it seems fitting they should have a place in all of the movies.

And if you’ve read Meyer’s books, you know how significant the meadow is to the main characters. That significance changes a bit New Moon. And Alexandre Desplat’s New Moon (The Meadow) beautifully captures all the love and longing that location represents for Bella and Edward.

The one thing that is glaringly missing from this soundtrack is music by Robert Pattinson. His two songs on the Twilight soundtrack gave it an authentic, even organic, feel, making the experience of the movie and the music somehow more personal. His unique, melodic voice is missed on this soundtrack.

And this soundtrack is completely different from the music that accompanied the first movie. It is much more introspective and thoughtful. It’s more sad and longing, but with an edge of hopefulness. In many ways, it is more grown up, which makes sense as the characters come into their own. And this fan hopes that the movie captures the spirit of this book as well as this soundtrack does.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

“I have always been a someone that has had a great appreciation for the art of the mix tape. This soundtrack is my mix tape for you!” That’s what Drew Barrymore said in her liner notes in the CD jacket, and that’s essentially what this soundtrack is. Many of the songs chosen are here to reflect the characters or the nature of the roller derby, and that’s perfectly fine. It’s a rocking selection.

I think one song that sums up the film, the roller derby mentality, Ellen Page’s character arc is from Peaches, called Boys Wanna Be Her. It has this thick, thumping bass and drums, a standout for it’s catchy lyrics, and a great arena rock type of song. Peaches is an interesting musician. She’s an electronic artist-sometimes dubbed electroclash, featuring songs of very frank sexual talk, and what also features in her lyrics, is gender identity and representation of gender roles, making for a superb choice for this film’s soundtrack. To me, this is the highlight of soundtrack. I think Peaches needs to get more exposure, and this is a nice get way song to her catalog in the teaches of Peaches.

The Ramones Sheena is a Punk Rocker, shows up as perhaps the most mainstream song on here, even with a Dolly Parton song, but this is suppose to be a mix tape, and if you let it play out, there are some great songs to be heard. What’s the Attitude by Cut Chemist is a great track, playing out like a late ’80s rap song, full of wit and rhythm, Jens Lekman’s Your Arms Around Me, is another standout. Call me cheesy, but I love .38 Special and their Caught Up in You.

I’m sure many of you will have your own favorites, and ones you don’t like all that much. That’s okay, as a soundtrack acting like a mix tape, I feel as overall, it succeeds. It seems like Drew Barrymore has a solid ear for some killer cuts, and for fans of the film, the punk rock style selection of the songs, I’m sure you’ll love it.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

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The soundtrack for Jennifer’s Body is one that features a collection of songs, so don’t expect any of the score from Stephen Barton and Theodore Shapiro, the two credited composers. The songs are aimed at the high school demographic, with tracks from popular bands like Panic! At the Disco, Dashboard Confessional, Silversun Pickups, All Time Low, and Cute is What We Aim For. If these bands are your speed, you might enjoy this soundtrack, if not, I’ll quickly say avoid it then.

But with that in mind, the tracks selected here are all pretty decent, although I don’t expect this soundtrack to be a huge hit like the other Diablo Cody’s film, Juno soundtrack was, making Kimya Dawson a star. Outside of those previously mentioned bands, there are some new bands, that I haven’t heard of, who made a quick impression. Florence + The Machine offer us a fun, verbal sparing match about love in Kiss with a Fist, that is a fun two minute song. White Lies surprised me with a great song in Death, that sounds like a mixture between U2 and Joy Division, with a good rock sound. Give them a listen.

Back to the bigger bands, Panic!, Dashboard, and Cobra Starship, all featured good songs, but are either on other CDs or B-sides. Don’t let that stir you away; if you’re a fan of these bands, this soundtrack should appeal to you. Give the soundtrack a full listen and you’ll get the sense these tracks are here to underscore some of the themes of love in the high school age, that Cody is toying with in Jennifer’s Body. While devoid of anything like dialogue clips or score, this soundtrack is prefect for the fans of alternative (or “Emo”) rock, just make sure you don’t have these songs already. For the venturesome, it might be a stretch to fully recommend it, especially if these bands aren’t your cup of tea. I found them to be all really good, fun tracks, and the fact that this music isn’t my music of choice won me over.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

(500) Days of Summer

Musically, this soundtrack is the film on CD, kicking off with the opening narration from the trailer with A Story of Boy Meets Girl, then kicks right off with a Regina Spektor tune Us (she also contributes another song to the soundtrack). Most of the songs here are to enhance the romantic nature of the film and Joseph-Gordon Levitt’s emotional roller coaster Zooey Deschanel put him through. Speaking of Ms. Deschanel, her band She&Him does a cover of The Smiths’ Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want to a delight fan of the group. It’s more inspirit to her sound, than the fun made-up band she created for the Yes Man soundtrack (here).

The soundtrack consists mostly of indie rock acts, with some classic cuts like the Hall & Oates ’80s hit, You Make My Dreams, which of course, is a standout dance number in the film. The song perfectly captures hat feeling of first love (or that feeling when you finally sleep with the person you really care about), and while it’s great having it here, you have to see how the song is married to Levitt’s and the film’s standout sequence.

The Smiths appear twice, and there second song is There is a Light That Never Goes Out is a great song, as is the UK rock band Mumm-Ra’s She’s Got You High. The song is mournful but upbeat, a nice tune on love and the feelings of love. That’s how this soundtrack works. Collecting a variety of tunes squarely bent on telling the story of two lovers that fall apart, and it could also be a soundtrack for our own love lives. While the songs aren’t new sans the She&Him cover, collecting these together is a wonderful experience for fans of the film, who are probably curious to listen to the bands the characters were, as well as expanding to new musical horizons. For fans of the film and indie music (although I kind of hate using that term for these songs, perhaps rock-folk would work better?), this is bliss.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Rob Zombie has a good ear, and it’s always present on his film’s soundtracks. Halloween II is much like the remake’s soundtrack. We get a collection of great songs, mixed with some score from Tyler Bates, and some dialogue snippets. The songs don’t factor much into this film, as they did in his remake. That’s okay, because the selling point is the songs.

We get some great tracks from The Moody Blues (Nights in White Satin), 10cc (The Things We Do for Love), Motorhead (The Chase is Better than the Catch), and Foghat (I Just Want to Make Love to You). These are great songs, and if you don’t have them yet, they’ve never sounded better on CD. The classic rock songs are his thing. It’s why we call them classics, because they’re timeless. Interestingly enough, is the overall theme of the CD soundtrack here: love. I was curious to see how this subtext would factor into the film, but the final verdict is that it doesn’t.

One really cool cut here is from Nan Vernon, as it is a cover of Nazareth’s Love Hurts. It’s a sorrowful interpretation, one that might take a few listens to appreciate. I found it to be a great cover, even if you get the sense of despair from her voice.

We get a few bits of score here. From House of 1000 Corpses to Devil’s Rejects to Watchmen, Tyler Bates is providing some interesting bits of composition. Using a variety of sounds, with the sparse electronic synthesizer, he adds dread and tension, to a film that is really in need of it. Rob Zombie’s guitarist, John 5, provides a 2 minute theme for Laurie, called Laurie’s Theme, using a piano, it’s a lovely piece, a haunting tribute to her character, especially if you know Halloween II‘s ending.

Also, on note is Captain Clegg and the Night Creatures, a fictional band Zombie helped created for this film, much like Banjo and Sullivan in Devil’s Rejects. While Banjo and Sullivan had some great, comical country songs, Captain Clegg is more like a Misfits copy. They’re okay, but I won’t seek out their CD.

Fans of Rob Zombie will be sad to see no new music from him, but he gives us a good collection of tunes that are easily recommended. If you already have those songs, outside a few score bits, I couldn’t fully recommend it just for that, or for Captain Clegg and the Night Creatures. Check your iTunes library and your big CD collection for the songs from the Moody Blues, Motorhead, and Foghat. If you don’t have them, then this CD soundtrack offers those songs in great crystal clear audio.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

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