Really enjoying the new Exorcist series. Totally surprised as the original is probably my all time favourite movie and when I heard of this project I instantly cried 'Heresy!!!' Great acting (mostly) and atmospheric shots have made this a winner for me (although some of the CGI's a bit dogey!) Have to say though Mr Hart's music is not winning me over. I felt the opening title theme to be pretty weak and, whilst it's good to see a different musical approach to the usual stock brooding synth, I feel its almost hurting some scenes. Haven't heard his score for Pete's Dragon so he might be a great composer but I'm not enjoying this much. Any thoughts people?
His Pete's Dragon was a very enjoyable orchestral score but I agree about The Exorcist : the show is incredibly good, but the music is not !
I think it's a tough go for any composer to provide music for a network show like this. If you go the Penderecki/Crumb route like the music from the original film, it will get tossed because it would call too much attention to itself, or be criticized as a knock-off.
I only watched a bit of the first episode. Didn't hate it but don't have time to watch a lot of tv right now. Since it centres around the priest, something quasi religious with some atonal underpinnings would be cool. Not sure if that's what Hart is providing or not. I cannot recall the music- but I didn't dislike it either.
I liked the first episode (how about that ending with Oldfield's "Tubular Bells", eh?), but felt the second wasn't quite as gripping. I'm sticking with it, though.
Haven't noticed much of Hart's music, to be honest. Seems to be rather sound-designey?
Enjoying the series so far, the first episode was a stunner, 2 & 3 are more slow burn, but still effective.
The music and the f*cking blue/green tinting of everything have been the two elements that don't work ( for me ). As Thor said in another thread, the use of Tubular Bells at the end of episode 1 was all goosebumps and worked great.
i've picked up on the music a few times and i think i'd like it as a stand alone listen. i like the main title musically. i think it's wildly inappropriate for the show. i don't really get the weird somewhat lyrical mood they are trying to set. totally at odds with the classic piano motif and adds nothing to the horror part of it. also really noticed the music at the end of episode 3 with the subway theme and though the music box-ish stuff was nice but was entirely baffled at why it was coda-ing that scene. music and casting don't seem to be helping this show, destined to be a fox season one cancellation methinks. were we really supposed to believe the possessed sister is the homely one?
I'm loving the cast for this with the possible exception of Geena Davis, but maybe she'll kick in. Ben Daniels is really firing on all cylinders so far! The music just seems 'wrong' at times. The piano stuff might have worked but seemed the wrong mood ( major key?) in the wrong setting (crisis in church). I like music not necessarily going the usual tired route but this just isn't happening for me. DAMIEN might have been a very problematic show but it had a good musical feel to it. If I don't love a score often I don't notice it but I'm sure noticing how much the music isn't working for me in this so I'm hoping it'll improve. It'd be a real shame if this gets cancelled so far but its a cut-throat ratings business on the American Networks!
The theme is annoying. It sounds like a slightly downtempo version of a jaunty TV detective theme, and as such is kind of distracting when it comes up.
As for the show itself -- very mixed bag. Both priests are charismatic but also have to utter a whole lot of clichés. Geena Davis seems largely wasted and I hope they give her more to do as the series develops. But the biggest problem is in the casting of the daughters: They keep talking about Casey as an ugly ducking next to Kat's swan, but they didn't cast like that as all, so a whole lot of that particular conversation seems disingenuous at best.
Anyway. I hope the show levels off soon and starts really putting its characters through hell instead of expanding its mythology and conspiracies into a boring morass.
Also: anyone know how long this show is? It was originally to be a miniseries -- are they now shooting for a whole 22 episode season?
So much for leaving the Board. Can't seem to quit. Anyway.... just watched the final episode of the series. Loved it and am saddened to think its probably got little chance of getting renewed but seldom have i watched anything recently where i have actively hated the score so much. The music for this series seemed to be almost deliberatley trying to hobble any chance of effective atmosphere. Even standout episodes and incidents seemed to have a war going on with stylish visuals against music that just..didn't work. Anyone else stick this out to the end?
I'm gonna blast through this series as soon as I'm done watching HUMANS series 2. It's been gettin' some good reviews from people in work (the series that is, they would respond 'what music?' if I asked a daft question like that). I'll report back then.
Cheers Kev. Really enjoyed the whole show but..that music. The main theme sounded like it belonged in a light hearted Agatha Christie style mystery series.
It's weird, but being one who really hates the droney/sound design stuff we get in most telly series these days, the reviews above (although most - all? - saying they hate it) have got me really interested in hearing such different (ill-fitting?) music in a series like this. We shall see (hear)
