Roll credits...

Opening credit sequences are a part of movies that, thankfully, have evolved over time.

In the silver screen days they were something audiences had to suffer through; static text over a still frame, interminably long, crediting everyone and everything right down to the type of film used, before the audience had even had a taste of the movie to come.

The first evolution of film credits came in at the end of 'old Hollywood', in the late sixties to early seventies. Just a few of the more 'important' credits on opening (main cast, writer, director, producer etc.), the complete list of credits rolling at the end of the film. It was a move in the right direction. It avoided boring the audience before the movie had even begun.

Although there are some interesting credit sequences that you can point at throughout the seventies and eighties, the next and most important evolution of opening credits didn't come, in my opinion, until the mid-nineties with David Fincher's 'Se7en'. Fincher recruited a guy named Kyle Cooper to create the sequence. It was pretty revolutionary. Cooper's sequence set the mood of the film perfectly. It was like looking through the eyes of the demented serial killer that the Se7en's story was built around. It played more like a slick, dark, disturbing music video, with the cast and filmmaker credits throughout, in a font that looked as if it might have been carved manically with a razor blade. Add to this a seething, pumping remix of Nine Inch Nail's 'Closer' and the tone is set.



Cooper's sequence was truly game changing and often imitated, and he didn't stop there. His production company's have produced some of the most interesting and memorable title and montage sequences in film. There was the darkly apocalyptic opener for Zach Snyder's 'Dawn of the Dead' remake, and the cool intro to 'Spiderman 2' that showed the events of the first film in a stylistic, illustrated composition. His list of work is huge. Braveheart, The Mummy, Zoolander, Iron Man; even the opening sequence for AMC's 'The Walking Dead' series.

Kyle Cooper's mark on the film world is often understated, his influence overlooked. You might have never heard his name before, but its unlikely, if you love film as much as I do, that you haven't seen his work.

You can find the website for 'Prologue', Cooper's production company, here.

New collaboration

I've never read the source material, and I know next to nothing about it, but when three incredible artists (David Fincher, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross) come together on a project, this is the kind of thing you can get. Impressive trailer, amazing cover.

Fresh off of their collaboration on The Soical Network, the contemporary masters are back at work together again. I can't wait to see the finished product.

Sociality

Check the twenty-five most played tracks on my ipod, and you will see some live Ween tracks, a few songs from Nick Caves 'Murder Ballads', and a slew of pieces from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' soundtrack for 'The Social Network'. The score is pretty amazing. It's dark, different and stands as a great piece of sonic entertainment, independent of the David Fincher film. Reznor and Ross mix delicate piano pieces with with bassic, rolling synth samples, expertly layered to give the tracks weight and depth. There is even a slight retro 16-bit gaming feel lurking in some of the tracks, such as 'Intriguing Possibilities and 'In Motion'. You will even find a rendition of Edvard Griegs 'In the Hall of the Mountain King', done with a dark, eighties, electronica feel, that Fincher cued his regatta race scene to.

It's pretty wonderful when an artist you love, like Reznor, streches his wings and does something so unexpected like this score. I've been listening to it almost obsessively lately. I would have to rate it highly among my favourite 'left of centre' film scores. It's totally original, and Reznor and Ross are even getting some very well deserved recognition from Hollywood, with a Golden Globe win and an Oscar nomination. I can't recommend the album enough for any fan of dark electronica.

If you want some alternative and different film scores, there are several others that step away from the typical 'orchestral' score, also created by well know artists, not normally recognized for writing film music.

There Will Be Blood - The story of an oil tycoon slowly losing his grip on sanity throughout the movie was scored by Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood. He captures Daniel Plainview's greed and mania with seething violins and strings. This is a score that will immediately grab your attention sounds totally unique.

Fight Club - Written and performed by the Dust Brothers, this a cool score. It thumps along with an almost electronic, dance music tempo, mixed with a dark, synth undertow. This is a score that doesn't go along with the program. It's as different and brilliant as the David Fincher film.

Into the Wild - A folksy, rootsy score, written by Pearl Jam front man, Eddie Vedder. This score is understated and fits the film perfectly. Director, Sean Penn, gave Vedder almost free reign over the soundtrack, which helps drive the story about the American wanderer, heading into the wilds of Alaska.

Return of the Pretty Hate Machine

It was recently announced on the Nine Inch Nails official website that NIN's first album, Pretty Hate Machine, is going to be remastered and re-issued. This, I have to say, is very good news. I have always loved Pretty Hate Machine since I was first exposed to it in early high school. It is a fantastic album from start to finish. The record is almost entirely electronic, even more synth heavy than any of Reznor's later NIN albums. Reznor wrote and recorded Hate Machine when he was barely into his twenties, and although it lacks the sonic complexity of later stuff there is no denying the importance of this album not only to Nine Inch Nails fans such as myself, but also to the progression of modern music itself during the early nineties when it was released.

However the thing with Pretty Hate Machine is, that by modern standards, this just isn't a very well produced record. It sounds very 'tinny' and the lower bass tones are very understated. This gives the album a dated sound and it has always bothered me. To hear such brilliantly written and arranged tracks so under-produced dates this album so much. I can't wait to hear this thing once Reznor has put it through the sound lab and gives these songs a new life.

The currently announced release date is the 22nd of November. I will be making sure I have space cleared and ready on my mp3 player come November.