This is another entry in the Complete Score Breakdown series, focusing on complete scores to films that have had abbreviated previous releases or have gone unreleased.
This post is about Mouse Hunt (1997), composed and conducted by Alan Silvestri.
I have absolutely no problem calling Mouse Hunt one of my favorite scores (to say nothing of favorite Alan Silvestri scores); so perfect for the (underrated) movie and a smashing listen on its own. Built on three catchy themes: a scurrying melody for the mouse (introduced in the "Main Titles" and sprinkled liberally throughout), a jazzy theme for Ernie and Lars (given a folksy rendition in "What Are You Doing?", a sleigh bells-laden version in "Hot Tuboggan" and a grim, militaristic take in "Shotgun Chase") and the touching memories theme (sounding especially poignant in "Dying Wish", heartwarming in "String Cheese" and waltz-y in "Charles Lyle Larue").
However, in the rush/zeal/insert reason here to make a 30 minute album (dark days, right?), some ideas get lost in the shuffle (a good half hour's worth!), such as a wafting string and woodwind melody that is quintessential Silvestri ("Field of Traps"), an amusing fanfare that's almost like Judge Dredd-lite ("Alexander Falko") and a recurring nine-note motif for false triumph ("Chimney Sweep", "Flushing the Mouse"). And then there's the brief comical trumpet motif for moments of faux tragedy ("Veronica Lake", the end of "Bugging the Mayor"), the surprised-sounding notes at the end of "Enchanted April", the peculiar march for Caesar ("Caesar Arrives", "Investigating") and the mock-horror moments ("And All Through the House", "Bouncing Bettys", "Catzilla vs. Rodant").
It is my hope that Varese considers this score for a Deluxe Edition in the near future (and I'd have no problem with them binding some of the shorter tracks together).
Current CD time: 30m44s Complete score time: 61m12s Missing score time: 30m28s
The Complete Score Track Listings:
1. Mourning Rain 1:09 2. Rudolf's Last Flight 0:04 * 3. Main Titles 2:41 4. History of the House 0:35 * 5. Making an Omelet 0:03 * 6. Chez Ernie 0:35 7. Roach Clip 0:09 * 8. Dinner is Served 0:35 9. Bugging the Mayor 0:31 * 10. 'I Promise, Pop' 1:42 11. Goodbye, Lars 0:35 * 12. Comparing Scars 1:21 * 13. Home for Christmas/"What a Dump!" 2:09 * 14. And All Through the House 0:47 * 15. Not a Creature Was Stirring... 0:28 * 16. "It's Just a Mouse!" 0:50 * 17. Charles Lyle Larue 0:43 18. Alexander Falko 0:11 * 19. $10,000,000 0:14 * 20. Shopping List/Mouse Trek 0:50 * 21. Late-Night Snack 0:10 * 22. Mouse Trap 0:32 * 23. Breakfast Chase 0:53 * 24. Re-Shingling/Going to Bed 2:04 25. Lee Press-In Nails 1:14 26. Hot Tuboggan 0:52 27. Field of Traps 1:09 * 28. Cherry Catapult 1:33 29. Bouncing Bettys 0:28 * 30. The Sewage Line 1:32 * 31. The Pound 0:31 * 32. Looking for a Cat 0:51 * 33. Catzilla's Home 0:25 * 34. Catzilla vs. Rodant 0:52 * 35. Ernie Finds the Contract 1:42 36. Catzilla Grounded 1:08 * 37. Caesar Arrives 0:27 * 38. Angry Workers 0:35* 39. Fashion Show 0:52 * 40. Investigating 0:34 * 41. Snacking on the Job 0:07 * 42. Flirtin' Ernie 1:11 43. Enchanted April 0:25 * 44. Tunnel Vision 1:58 45. Mouse on the Make 0:15 * 46. The Fall of Caesar 0:47 * 47. Fast Food/Chimney Sweep 2:29 * 48. Veronica Lake 0:07 * 49. Peek-a-Boo 0:08 * 50. Target Practice 1:25 51. Works on Mice? 0:15 * 52. Grand Canyon 0:15 * 53. "...proposal withdrawn." 0:15 * 54. Run-by Fruiting 0:17 * 55. Insufficient Postage 1:17 56. Returned to Sender 0:08 * 57. Mouse on a String 0:21 * 58. Cat and Mouse 1:05 * 59. A Mouse in the Hand 0:17 * 60. Hair on Fire/Flushing the Mouse 4:26 ** 61. "I guess we got him." 1:31 * 62. The Machinery Starts 0:27 * 63. String Cheese 2:12 64. End Credits 4:38 (Missing 0:18-0:45, 2:13-2:17 and 4:38-5:06 from the CD track)
* - previously unreleased ** - contains previously unreleased material
Suggested Album Program: (Because the number of super short tracks may be a problem for listeners and label muckity-mucks alike.)
Funeral Prologue Main Titles Reading of the Will Chez Ernie Bugging the Mayor Dying Wish Goodbye, Lars Comparing Scars Home for Christmas/"What a Dump!" And All Through the House... Charles Lyle Larue Alexander Falko/$10,000,000 The Mouse Trap Breakfast Chase "What Are You Doing?" Nail Gun Hot Tuboggan Field of Traps Cherry Catapult Bouncing Bettys The Sewage Line The Pound Catzilla vs. Rodant Ernie Finds the Contract Catzilla Grounded Caesar on the Job Lars Gets to Work Silent Movie Enchanted April Caesar's Big Drag The Fall of Caesar No Ordinary Mouse Shotgun Chase Renovations Insufficient Postage Mouse in an Auction House Flaming Doo/Flushing the Mouse "I Guess We Got Him" String Cheese End Credits End Credits (film version)
Nice read. Don't have the extra cues to rework them into the program suggested here but it does make me want to revisit the old album. Also reminds me how much I miss having Silvestri in the spotlights.
