ScreenSounds

Dedicated to reviews and news of music for film, TV and games

Friday, June 08, 2007

Deborah Lurie and Spider-Man 3


Those of you who subscribe to the electronic magazine Film Music Weekly (and why woudn't you - it's excellent - and it's free!) will have read the lengthy interview with Christopher Young in a recent issue, regarding his work on the latest Spidey adventure. He could probably be excused for shuddering at the mention of Deborah Lurie's name for, having already replaced his score for Lasse Hallstrom's An Unfinished Life, Lurie also wrote replacement cues for Spider-Man 3.
Her publicists, Costa Communications, kindly allowed me to hear selected cues, written by Lurie, a talented composer, arranger and orchestrator who, in addition to her lovely Americana-flavoured music for the aforementioned An Unfinished Life (available on the Varese Sarabande label incidentally, and worth checking out), has also written fine music, albeit based on a John Ottman theme, for Imaginary Heroes (a surprisingly light and sunny score for a film reveolving around a suicide); some rip-roaring comedic action for Sleepover; fine, sentimental and of course festively-tinged music for The Year Without Santa Claus; Thomas Newman-influenced, as well as her own best emotional music for Mozart and the Whale; and varied and interesting music for Deep Sea: 3D. All this and she also provided string arrangements for the successful musical Dreamgirls, as well as additional underscore. She has also worked closely with Danny Elfman on the aforementioned Deep Sea: 3D, as well as Charlotte's Web and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; and, in addition to Imaginary Heroes, she has also worked with Ottman on the likes of X-Men 2.
But what of her music for Spider-Man 3? Well, continuing her work with Danny Elfman (of sorts), she utilises thematic material composed by Elfman for the first two Spider-Man outings, which is particularly noticeable in the cue "Setting MJ Down." Much of her work for the film consists of quite brief, emotional cues, largely dealing with the ups and downs of the Peter and MJ romance. Much of the music is warm and sensitive, but there are tentative and troubled moments, but "Engagement Ring/Broadway Marquee generates some excitement and elation. Surprisingly at odds with the rest of the orchestral-based music is the electronic "Death of a Friend."
Frustratingly, I have yet to see the film, and there is sadly no sign of a score release, so I have yet to sample Young's efforts for the film, but I am sure Deborah Lurie does nothing to let the side down, and I look forward to hearing more of her music in the future when I hope she will start to gain more prestigious scoring projects of her own.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home