INTRADA Announces:
EXTREME CLOSE-UP
Composed and Conducted by JAMES HORNER
INTRADA Signature Edition ISE 1034
The 1990 MGM TV-movie Extreme Close-Up tells the story of David (Morgan Weisser), a teen on the cusp of adulthood, who is struggling to recover from the sudden death of his mother (Blair Brown) in a fiery car crash. Returning from the hospital, David ensconces himself in home movies, and it quickly becomes apparent that he has spent much of his young life viewing the world through the prism of his video camera. Adrift in a sea of confusion, grief and adolescent turmoil, he combs through stacks of tapes for answers, editing and narrating films in an attempt to construct meaningful narratives. Through frequent video “flashbacks,” the mother's struggles with manic-depression, hallucinatory fantasies and suicidal impulses surface. David’s tragedy and fixation spark a friendship and budding romance with classmate (Samantha Mathis), but also bring him into conflict with teachers, siblings, and especially his long-suffering father (Craig T. Nelson).
Edward Zwick co-wrote the story with writing partner Marshall Herskovitz and served as one of the film’s executive producers. It was composer James Horner’s second project with Zwick, coming between the Oscar-winning Glory and Legends of the Fall, both of which Zwick directed. Horner’s score for Extreme Close-Up is one of the most restrained and intimate of his long career. The predominant element is piano, with a handful of carefully selected synth instruments and subtle, atmospheric textures. The film is rife with conflicting emotions, and Horner’s response is elegant in its simplicity. His main theme for the film is both evocative in its tenderness and freeing -- it is not inherently tragic or melancholy (or even uplifting) in a way that would lock the character down to one dimension. It expresses all of these facets over the course of the score, but in nuanced ways which develop in response to David’s emotional journey. Horner accomplishes this by adopting an almost minimalist approach. The score is built on small recurring patterns and ideas, delicately modulated. The effect is hypnotic: a constantly shifting sea of music, over which the theme and variations can float. This dovetails with the film’s distinctly non-linear feel, and expertly mirrors the mental state of David, who seems to exist in a private limbo, and whom we fear is in danger of permanently disconnecting from time and space.
This album features the premiere release of James Horner's score to Extreme Close- Up and is limited to 1500 units.
INTRADA Signature Editions ISE 1034
Retail Price: $19.99
SHIPS 10/27/2009
For track listing and sound samples, please visit
http://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.6377/.f
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
