ovie buffs often replay the on-screen action of their favorite films in their minds, but it's the accompanying music that lingers on their lips. Whether humming an energetic tune from The Phantom Menace or whistling an eerie melody from The X-Files feature film, science fiction fans will find numerous familiar themes on Mega Movies. This new CD, due out next month, showcases orchestral re-recordings from 16 recent Hollywood blockbusters.
The album opens with "The Sand Volcano," an exhilarating tumult of horns and strings from The Mummy. "Main Title" cues from Godzilla, Armageddon, Air Force One and The Mask of Zorro are also featured, along with closing credit sequences from Contact and The Rock. Violins complement the African-inspired chorus of Mighty Joe Young's "Dedication and Windsong," while Uillean pipes enhance a tune adapted from the biggest mega-movie of them all, Titanic. Tracks from critical favorites L.A. Confidential, Elizabeth and Shakespeare in Love are included as well, plus symphonic renditions of songs from the animated motion pictures The Prince of Egypt and A Bug's Life.
All of the works are performed by the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, led by renowned conductor Erich Kunzel. "Mega Sound Effects" segments precede a half-dozen of the pieces. These concise selections, created by recording engineer Michael Bishop, emulate a sword fight, a helicopter flyby, a bee attack, a futuristic pod race, a monster attacking a city and an iceberg scraping across the bow of a ship. Behind-the-scenes details concerning the creation of these noises, along with limited background information on the music, can be found in the liner notes.
Themes of Zorro and joy
Since 1977, Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops have released dozens of albums showcasing famous film compositions, including such well-known SF-themed collections as Fantastic Journey and Symphonic Star Trek. Like practically all of their past recordings, the performances on Mega Movies are, for the most part, satisfactory, offering cuts that are reasonably faithful recreations of the original cinematic renditions.
Taken from The X-Files motion picture, "Threnody in X" is perhaps the most fascinating selection. Commencing with a subdued version of the TV show's famous theme, the composition slowly builds to a grand, percussive finale that is mysterious but also somewhat militaristic. It's an interesting contextual mix that completely misses the mark as an elegy (as implied by the title); yet, through its symphonic richness, it masterfully evokes the excitement and danger of the motion picture. The main title from The Mask of Zorro is also surprisingly vibrant, intermingling vivid Mexican motifs with majestic horns. Air Force One's "Main Title/The Parachutes" overcomes a somber introduction to reveal a rousing, brassy climax. Shakespeare in Love's title theme blends joyous instrumental textures.
Kunzel deserves kudos for attempting "The Flag Parade" from The Phantom Menace, but unfortunately his rendering is rather uninspired, especially in contrast to the always-thrilling "Star Wars Main Title," which accompanies it. A few of the other tunes lack a little luster, and the sound-effects segments, although brief, are intrusive and distracting. In the end, Mega Movies may not be the best soundtrack collection available, but it is a decent, enjoyable package of popular movie theme highlights.
