Search - Jerry Goldsmith :: Hollow Man: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2000 Film)

Sci-fi, Suspense, Horror, and Action in one score

Philippe Blumenthal | 09/02/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jerry Goldsmith is responsible for more than 200 film scores. Some are classics, Planet of the Apes, for example. Some...aren't.(*cough The Haunting*.) "The Hollow Man" serves as the main title cue in which we are introducd to what is to be the film's main theme. Played with a flute when the mouse was eaten by Isabelle, played with strings during the rest of the movie, it doesn't matter, it was great. "Linda and Sebastian" added a bit of light, semi-romantic music for the sub-plot that seemed pretty cheesy in the beginning but played more of a role in Sebastian's jealousy and insanity. "This is Science"...played during Sebastian's transformation from Mr. Now You See Him...Now You Don't. It starts out kind of mellow then..THE CLIMAX! He begins to disappear. YES! The perfect spot for enormous horn blast. "What Went Wrong?" begins with a light synth and leads into a quiet, almost surreal take on the film's theme. Plenty of time passes before "The Big Climb", the big, cliche finale which my friends said was obviously taken from "Deep Blue Sea". But there was a difference. In "DBS", the climbers were trying to avoid fireballs from falling on them. In "Hollow Man", they were trying to avoid fire from roasting their behinds. Anyway, my favorite part of "The Big Climb" was when the elevator is falling back down and the string section just plays little squeaks that echo and seem like they're getting lower and lower. Jerry Goldsmith is a genius there is no doubting that and this score really shows that."

Jerry Goldsmith's best ever!!!

Varese Fan | Sunny FL | 11/20/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This has got to be Jerry Goldsmith's best score of all the 300 some odd films he has done. He writes magnificent themes that sound like they will eventually be classics. However, given the disrespect the movie has recieved, they probably won't be. Also, some adrenaline-pumping orchestral music near the end is there giving the listener that uncomfortable feeling of listening to a suspenseful and thrilling sci-fi score. At the end of "Bloody Floor' when Elizabeth Shue sets Kevin Bacon on fire, the French horns blare so to emphasize the pain he must be feeling. Another noteworthy cue is the middle of "The Elevator from the scene where the lab blows up. The drums just bang continuously in a slow rhythm aside from the French horns blaring at the same rhythm. The only complaint I do have is that it is missing a few cues, because Jerry Goldsmith didn't want them all on there. While most of the cues aren't major cues, I wouldn't mind Varese Sarabande releasing a "Deluxe Edition" of it some day. Other than that, it's wonderful. It is arranged beautifully. It is like there are primary cues and secondary cues. The primary cues are the well-thought-out cues that sound great even when not on an album. The secondary cues are the small ones, and the ones that are written specifically to fit the scenes and would sound awkward just on an album (and so they were not included). I am assuming that is why Goldsmith excluded them.People say it sounds too familiar like it's a bad thing. That is the reason why it is so good. It incorporates all of Jerry Goldsmith's famous sounds (i.e. razor-sharp trumpets, pounding percussion, mid/high-pitched strings, blaring French horns, and of course the techno sounds setting the rhythm for some cues) If you like Jerry Goldsmith, then do not pass this up!"