Last weekend the movie "Super 8" turned 10 years old. I only just discovered it a few months ago and have fallen in love with both the film and the incredible score by Michael Giacchino. Just when I thought that film music had nothing left to offer me, I stumble onto this little gem.
The Varese album contained the complete score. I wonder if it was some sort of limited edition? The CD is out of print now but fortunately is still available in digital download form.
Does anyone else share my fondness for this film and score? No one that I know has seen it or heard of it, and even if they did none of them have any interest in film scores. I would love to hear thoughts from anyone.
I'm a fan of both the film and the score. I think it tends to get a bit forgotten about now when it comes to the whole "nostalgic love letter to the 80's" thing, since Stranger Things came along. I especially love the scenes where all the kids talk over each other. Totally Spielberg. Lovely little touches like that all through it.
Score wise it's lovely. Although I seem to remember two sort of main themes.... and I recall the one I liked most didn't get as much use in the film as the other. I'll be revisiting for sure!
I'm a fan of both the film and the score. I think it tends to get a bit forgotten about now when it comes to the whole "nostalgic love letter to the 80's" thing, since Stranger Things came along. I especially love the scenes where all the kids talk over each other. Totally Spielberg. Lovely little touches like that all through it.
Score wise it's lovely. Although I seem to remember two sort of main themes.... and I recall the one I liked most didn't get as much use in the film as the other. I'll be revisiting for sure!
Hi, Jim--there are actually 4 major themes in the movie: !). Mystery theme; 2).Love theme; 3).Elizabeth's theme (the mom); and 4). Air Force theme.
The first 3 themes are brought to an incredible climax in the finale, with the mother's theme closing out the score when Joe lets go of the locket. Rarely does a director allow his composer to carry the ending of a picture like this, supported of course by amazing performances by the young leads.
It isn't complete. It cuts some short cues (that also weren't in the film - but are cool cues nonetheless), and only contains one version of any cue that is on there.... but many cues had multiple (sometimes wildly different) versions recorded. Most of the versions chosen for the OST album are the same as the version chosen for the film, but that isn't always the case.
An expanded edition could include a pretty packed second disc of additional music, though being recorded with LA union musicians after 2005 we probably won't get one until the contracts are renegotiated.
It isn't complete. It cut some short cues that also weren't in the film (but are cool cues nonetheless), and only contains one version of any cue that is on there, while some cues had multiple - sometimes wildly different - versions recorded. Most of the versions here are the same as the version that ended up in the film, but that isn't always the case.
An expanded edition could include a pretty packed second disc of additional music, though being recorded with LA union musicians after 2005 we probably won't get one until the contracts are renegotiated.
Interesting! I knew that the ending piece "Letting Go" had more than one version but didn't know about the other cues being different. I wish that Varese would release a 10th Anniversary edition of the score, as it is being released on 4k DVD/Blu-Ray for the first time to coincide with the anniversary.
Thanks for the extra info Jason! I really like this score (and film) so I personally would be interested in a Deluxe Edition with all that extra material.
Love both movie and score. However the Varese album is, in my opinion, a terrible listening experience due to the too many very short tracks. I had to program my own playlist to make a good flowing, listenable album out of it - and I don't like to do that, that's what album producers are for.
"Letting Go" - is probably my most played cue of the last ten years of film music. The version used in the film was absolutely the right version for the film but man, that Original version is gorgeous and I adore it.
Love both movie and score. However the Varese album is, in my opinion, a terrible listening experience due to the too many very short tracks. I had to program my own playlist to make a good flowing, listenable album out of it - and I don't like to do that, that's what album producers are for.
I agree. They placed the tracks in film order, but I found that I also had to create my own program to make a satisfying listening experience.
"Letting Go" - is probably my most played cue of the last ten years of film music. The version used in the film was absolutely the right version for the film but man, that Original version is gorgeous and I adore it.
I agree wholeheartedly! I never tire of hearing that piece. It is pure genius. Abrams placed a lot of confidence the in the talents of his composer and his 14-year old lead actor to bring the film to a moving finale, and it all came together beautifully.
There's only the commercial OST album and the promotional FYC album (which contains the exact film edits of most of the score in the film), there is no other album
There's only the commercial OST album and the promotional FYC album (which contains the exact film edits of most of the score in the film), there is no other album
Okay, that makes sense. I thought these might be re-recordings because the artwork on the Youtube videos says "Original Score," which sometimes indicates a re-recording.
This is one of those nostalgic gems I love to revisit again and again. Mostly because their childhood and hobby was mine (except for the alien part lol). I still own all of my Super-8 cameras, editors and projectors. Ironically, they used my camera of choice as well The Eumig 65. In the scene where one kid hands the other a Super-8 filmmaker magazine, I also own all of those in hardbound format. Its fun to walk down memory lane with this and the score!
This is one of those nostalgic gems I love to revisit again and again. Mostly because their childhood and hobby was mine (except for the alien part lol). I still own all of my Super-8 cameras, editors and projectors. Ironically, they used my camera of choice as well The Eumig 65. In the scene where one kid hands the other a Super-8 filmmaker magazine, I also own all of those in hardbound format. Its fun to walk down memory lane with this and the score!
Hi Micki,
That's impressive that you recognize the camera and the magazine. I also dabbled in Super-8 filmmaking when I was 14 back in 1979, and so the movie is nostalgic for me as well because those kids were 14 and the film takes place in 1979. My hobby never really came to much unfortunately.
What I personally love about the movie is the way it captures that magical age when kids are just on the cusp of adolescence. The monster turns out to be a metaphor, and the locket a symbol, of dealing with powerful emotions, which I think places it head and shoulders above such fair as "The Goonies," for example. And of course the score fits all this perfectly. Listening to the original version of "Letting Go,"--if they had used that version the ending wouldn't have come off nearly so well as it did. For whatever reason, Giacchino went back to the drawing board and came up with a masterpiece.
(I also love the scene where Alice bites Joe on the neck. Giacchino's music is so perfect--too romantic would have made it silly, but just enough makes it touching.)
Just some thoughts based on your post. Thanks for responding!
Along with JOHN CARTER and UP...his bestwork. Super8 and John Carter scores have just this magic 80ies feel to it..when Filmmusic was themedriven and sort of bigger than life....magical.
Along with JOHN CARTER and UP...his bestwork. Super8 and John Carter scores have just this magic 80ies feel to it..when Filmmusic was themedriven and sort of bigger than life....magical.
Couldn't agree more! That's my personal Giacchino top-3 too.
