The Music of Star Trek: The Best of Both Worlds (1990)

This post is part of The Music of Star Trek Blogathon hosted by Film Music Central (me!!!)

You don’t often think of television episodes having great musical scores, but such is the case with “The Best of Both Worlds”, a two-parter that consists of the season 3 finale and the season 4 premiere of Star Trek: The Next Generation. The events of these episodes form the basis of Star Trek: First Contact (1996) and had huge ramifications for the Star Trek universe. Given the massive size of this story, I am actually going to focus on Part 1 for this blogathon.

At the start, the Enterprise is dispatched to a Federation colony that had reported they were under attack. The Enterprise arrives only to find that the entire colony has been wiped off the face of the planet (leaving only a huge crater in the ground). Everyone immediately suspects the Borg, an alien species first encountered in the season 2 episode “Q Who?” The Borg could easily be considered the most dangerous foe ever encountered by the Federation. Unlike other alien species, that might give up after a show of resistance, the Borg never stop. They will come on relentlessly until they reach their goal of assimilating any and all cultures they come into contact with into their “collective.” That’s the other thing about the Borg, they function as a group mind. There is no individuality, no freedom of expression, nothing. There isn’t even the concept of “I”. If the Borg were to ever reach Earth, it would be disastrous, so the Enterprise is dispatched to engage and stop them.

“We have engaged the Borg”

Now I mentioned that this two-parter has a great musical score and it really comes into play once the Enterprise locates the Borg ship (a massive cube structure). The music here has an almost cinematic quality to it (a rare thing in television these days). Composer Ron Jones gave an ominous theme to the Borg (mostly consisting of synthesized choral voices), to emphasize the fact that the Enterprise is up against a very dangerous opponent.

“We Have Engaged the Borg”

How dangerous? Well, after an initial attack leaves the Enterprise locked in a tractor beam (that they barely manage to break away from), the ship spends several hours hiding in a nearby nebula, as a ploy to distract the Borg from going after anyone else. See, the weird thing is, the Borg are demanding Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) be handed over to them, which is weird (even for them) because hitherto the Borg haven’t shown any interest in individual beings. And despite best efforts, the Borg have this way of getting whatever it is they want. Case in point: Picard’s kidnapping scene. The Borg chase the Enterprise out of the nebula and manage to knock their shields back down.

No sooner does this happen then several Borg begin beaming over to the bridge of the Enterprise. Note the music when this happens, it becomes very mechanical and rigid (and somewhat repetitive). This is symbolic of the unrelenting nature of the Borg. Despite the fact that they are cyborgs (part human/machine), they firmly reject the parts of themselves that were once human.

Picard is kidnapped by the Borg

If you’ve ever heard the phrase “resistance is futile” THIS is where that comes from. Actually, to hear the Borg tell it, anything other than immediate acquiesence to their demands is futile. Even DEATH is irrelevant (which is kind of a scary thought when you think about it). Picard is determined to resist his captors anyway, but he doesn’t really have a choice in the matter. This is the last we see of Picard until the end of the episode (more on that after while).

“Strength is irrelevant, resistance is futile”

The Enterprise has a really big problem on their hands (even bigger than Picard being kidnapped): the Borg cube has set a direct course for Earth (also known as Sector 001, the Terran System). Under no circumstances can that cube reach Earth, so while the Federation fleet gathers at Wolf 359 (which is a real star by the way), the Enterprise sets about delaying the Borg ship at any cost, not just to give the fleet more time to prepare, but also so they can try to rescue Captain Picard (before they’re forced to try and destroy the Borg ship).

Inside the Borg ship

Beaming aboard, the away team encounters no resistance at first (the Borg typically ignore lifeforms if they don’t think they’re a threat), but when Dr. Crusher hits on the idea to take out an increasing number of power stations (to force the ship to slow down and repair itself), the Borg take action. Borg begin attacking from every direction, and they have a distinct advantage. There’s one more detail about this species I forgot to mention: they have the ability to analyze and adapt themselves against any attack. What does that mean? Well, in Star Trek you generally attack with phasers, right? With the Borg’s adaptability, you MIGHT get off two or three shots before the Borg (collectively) learn how to shield themselves from the blast. In other words, if you can’t destroy them before they adapt, you’re screwed. The away team has reached the point where all the Borg are adapting, meaning they need to leave ASAP, but then Dr. Crusher sees someone familiar…it’s Captain Picard…or is it?

“Captain Borg” (Soundtrack only, reveal of Picard as Borg)

The “Captain Borg” cue (link above) is the reason why I chose this episode to share with you. The pivotal moment when Picard faces the camera to reveal the Borg implants on his face is haunting, shocking and remains one of the pivotal moments in all of Star Trek history!!! The part I really want you to hear begins at 0:54. First you hear the synthesized ominous Borg theme, followed by a twisted rendition of the Enterprise theme (in the full scene “Part 1 Cliffhanger”, this comes right after Worf yells “Captain!” and is approx. 1:15 in the soundtrack version). The message couldn’t be more clear: Captain Picard has been “corrupted” by the Borg (hence the mutated Enterprise theme). The crew is unable to rescue Picard at this time because he’s surrounded by a force field and they are subsequently forced to withdraw.

“I am Locutus of Borg”

“Part 1 Cliffhanger”

The shocked team returns to inform Commander Riker that Picard himself is now a Borg. At the same time, a report comes in that a new weapon capable of destroying the Borg cube is ready to fire. Doing so would kill Picard, but at the same time save the Earth before the Borg cube is able to resume the journey to the Solar System. Arguments are made as to why they should or should NOT use the weapon, but just as Riker makes up his mind, the Borg ship hails the Enterprise with a message….and so begins one of the most enduring, iconic scenes in all of Star Trek: The Next Generation. The Borg Picard steps forward and addresses his own crew:

“I Am Locutus of Borg. Resistance is Futile. Your life, as it has been, is OVER. From this time forward, you will service US.”

Cue shocked faces from everyone on the bridge!!!!!!

The music here is practically exploding with tension, but it’s about to get worse. As the camera turns to zoom in on Riker’s face, the music rapidly builds to a fever pitch as he utters the command: “Mr. Worf, fire.”

And what happens next??? Oh, I can’t tell you that, the cliffhanger does a much better job (so make sure to watch “Part 1 Cliffhanger”, it had me screaming at the TV by the end).

It almost goes without saying that THIS was the episode that finally got Star Trek: The Next Generation over with the original Trekkies. Before this, Star Trek: TNG was still considered something of a red-headed step-child, it was alright, but it could never live up to the original series. And then THIS episode happened, and “all hell broke loose.” Fans everywhere were hooked, begging to know what would happen next. The funny thing is, even the writers didn’t know at this point, as they’d literally written themselves into a corner and had no idea how to get out of it.

Hope you enjoyed this look at my favorite Star Trek: The Next Generation episode (the full episode is readily available on Hulu and Netflix). Have a good weekend!

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The Music of Star Trek Blogathon: Recap

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At last! After months of planning, The Music of Star Trek Blogathon is finally here!!!! I can’t wait to see what everyone has come up with. One last note, don’t forget to include a line at the top of your post that says “This post is part of The Music of Star Trek Blogathon hosted by Film Music Central” and include a link back to my blog page, that way anyone reading it knows that it is part of the blogathon 🙂

Day One

Thoughts All Sorts shares some thoughts on the music in Star Trek (2009): Some Musical Thoughts- Star Trek (2009)

MovieRob examines the pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation “Encounter at Farpoint” : Star Trek: The Next Generation “Encounter at Farpoint” (1987)

My entry for this blogathon looks at one of the greatest cliffhangers of all time: The Music of Star Trek: The Best of Both Worlds (1990)

Plain, Simple Tom examines the now-iconic music in “Amok Time” : “Amok Time”

The Temp Track provides a ranking of every Star Trek film score there is: Scoring the Final Frontier: Celebrating 50 Years of Trek Tracks

The Temp Track also takes a look at the themes of Star Trek VI: Only Kirk Could Go To Qo’noS: Cold War Allegory and the Title Theme for Star Trek VI

Day Two

MovieRob: Star Trek Deep Space Nine “The Emissary”

The Temp Track: The Temp Track: Star Trek (2009): The First Sixty Seconds

Day Three

MovieRob: Star Trek: Voyager “Caretaker”

MovieRob: Star Trek: Enterprise “Broken Bow”

Rhyme and Reason: Star Trek: Voyager Musical Highlights

Riley on Film: Theme from ‘Star Trek’ (1966-1969)

The Temp Track: Musical Spock

Meg nog List Blog: Star Trek Nemesis and Blue Skies

The Lion King “King of Pride Rock” (1994) Pt. 1

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“King of Pride Rock” takes place at the climax of the film. After a little persuasion from Rafiki (not to mention a spine-tingling heart to heart with his father’s ghost), Simba has returned to the Pride Lands…only to discover that his once beautiful home is practically a desert. When Scar allowed the hyenas to move en masse into the Pride Lands, it upset the delicate balance of life and now all the herds of elephants, antelope, giraffes, etc. have moved away, leaving the pride (not to mention a very large group of hyenas) close to starvation. Simba is quickly joined by Nala, Timon and Puumba, who are all willing to help Simba claim his rightful place as king.

And Simba hasn’t come home a moment too soon: Scar wants to have a word with Sarabi, Simba’s mother. He accuses the lionesses of not doing their jobs of hunting for food, despite Sarabi’s calm replies that there isn’t any food because the herds have all left. Scar vehemently denies the truth (he can’t accept that he’s a terrible king) and when Sarabi tells the delusional lion that they have to leave Pride Rock if they want to survive, the furious Scar explodes in rage, ultimately striking Sarabi across the face, provoking an enraged roar from Simba.

The music during all of this is mournful (the melody is led by an oboe and backed by a choir). Usually in a situation where the villain is in charge, there’s a theme that suggests “evil triumphant” but that doesn’t really happen here (unless you count the brief fanfare when Scar assumes the throne). Scar has mismanaged the Pride Lands so badly that there is nothing to be proud of. Deep down, he probably knows this, but his arrogance won’t let him admit he’s done all the wrong things.

Speaking of doing wrong…Scar almost betrays himself when Simba appears out of nowhere. For a brief moment, his nephew resembles his late brother so much that Scar whispers “Mufasa…no, you’re dead!” I don’t think anyone else heard him though, because doesn’t it sound awfully suspicious to be afraid of what you think is your brother’s ghost? Even Sarabi believes that this is her husband until Simba corrects her, much to Scar’s surprise:

“Why Simba…I’m so surprised to see you…alive” *angry glare at Shenzi, Banzai and Ed, who slink away for safety*

Simba is ready for war (“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t rip you apart”) and the music backs up Simba’s anger. Listening to this part, Simba can be represented by trumpets and brass. Scar, on the other hand, is more in the woodwinds, and “his” music slinks and wiggles, while Simba’s is (initially) bold and confident. And I say “initially” because Scar has one last trump card to play: the “truth” about who really killed Mufasa. All these years Simba has believed this tragedy was his fault, and now he confesses it to everyone as the “truth” and Scar promptly denounces his nephew as a murderer

“If it weren’t for YOU Mufasa would still be alive, it’s YOUR fault he’s dead, do you deny it? “No” “Then you’re GUILTY!”

And while he distracts Simba with these accusations, Scar surreptitiously begins backing the young lion towards the ledge at the end of Pride Rock, ultimately trapping Simba as he nearly falls over the edge! At this point, the soundtrack skips to the aftermath of the final fight, but I’m going to keep going.

The Lion King “Scar confesses the truth” (1994)

Now, history is about to repeat itself: Scar finds himself standing over Simba, in much the same way he stood over Mufasa right before his death. And at this moment, Scar makes one of his final mistakes (though not the one that gets him killed, that comes in a little bit): he leans down close to Simba and tells him the REAL truth: *I* killed Mufasa….this admission triggers an avalanche of pain and rage in Simba, who in one swoop jumps up and pins SCAR to the ground, demanding that everyone know what he just told them. Cornered, Scar finally admits to the entire pride that HE killed Mufasa and the war is on!! Well, I say war, but it wasn’t THAT big of a fight. At this point, most of Pride Rock is on fire from a lightning strike, and if you watch closely, most of the hyenas are running for their lives (from the flames as much as the wrath of the lion pride). Simba isn’t about to let Scar get away though, and when he spots his uncle trying to slink away, Simba chases him all the way to the top of Pride Rock. As the two lions begin to square off, neither notices that Shenzi, Banzai and Ed have crept in to listen.

The Lion King “Scar vs. Simba/Scar’s Death” (1994)

Simba is ready to kill Scar where he stands and the desperate Scar is pleading any excuse he can think of to keep his nephew from cutting his throat. He pleads for mercy, he pleads blood relations, and finally, he pleads the excuse that the HYENAS are the real enemy here, that this entire scheme was their idea, not his (As Shenzi, Banzai and Ed hear this, they growl in anger and slink away, but they’re not done with Scar yet). Simba doesn’t believe a word, but he won’t kill Scar either (as that would lower him to Scar’s level). Instead (oh, the delicious irony!!) he tells his uncle to “Run, run away Scar, and NEVER return” (the exact words that Scar used to make Simba run away). The older lion seems like he will accept this and leave, but just as everything seems over, Scar swipes some coals into Simba’s face and one last fight ensues.

In the dramatic climax, Simba and Scar (in dramatic slow motion), tear and claw at each other, and Simba is ultimately knocked to the ground. But when Scar lunges for the kill, Simba takes a page from Nala and kicks upward, propelling his uncle over the edge of the cliff! But Scar isn’t dead, not yet anyways. He pulls himself up as Shenzi, Banzai and Ed come forward out of the flames.

“Ah…” he smiles “My friends….”

And Shenzi laughs “Friends?? I thought he said we were the enemy…Yea, that’s what I heard, Ed???” As this conversation goes on, Scar’s eyes become horror filled as he realized that he’s surrounded by a horde of angry hyenas who no longer trust him, and are very, very hungry!! Scar pleads for his life right until the very end, when the hyenas (and the flames) overwhelm him. As Disney villain deaths go, this one is pretty gruesome. As I noted in Beauty and the Beast, this ending was originally intended for Gaston (who was supposed to survive his fall from the tower and be cornered by a pack of wolves).

To be honest, I was going to keep going through Simba’s triumphant accession of the throne, but this has gone on really long so I’m going to split this post in two and post the rest later this week 🙂 The Lion King has a pretty awesome climax, proving why it is one of the greatest films of the Disney Renaissance.

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For the rest of my series on The Lion King, see also:

The Lion King “The Circle of Life” (1994)

The Lion King “Be Prepared” (1994)

The Lion King “I Just Can’t Wait to be King” (1994)

The Lion King “Hakuna Matata” (1994)

The Lion King “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” (1994)

The Lion King “To Die For” (1994)

The Lion King “Under the Stars” (1994)

The Lion King “King of Pride Rock” Pt. 2 (1994)

Check out the main Disney soundtrack page here: Disney Films & Soundtracks A-Z

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Admitting I was wrong about Steven Universe (2013-present)

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Two notes here: 1) I know I said this would be weekly, but I couldn’t hold back my thoughts on this series any longer and 2) Yes, Steven Universe is television and not film, but it’s really good regardless!!!!

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The first thing I need to say about Steven Universe is: I was wrong. I completely misjudged this show, so much in fact that I sometimes feel really bad about it.

Backstory: In the last post, I said that I’m really picky about which movies I watch; this is DOUBLY true for cartoons. When you’re raised on Golden Age cartoons like Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry (not to mention the renaissance of the 90s), the bar is set really, REALLY high. In the last five years or so, I’d noticed Cartoon Network churning out a lot of what I liked to call “dumb-stupid cartoons.” These are series that have minimal plot but a LOT of really bad/raunchy jokes (I won’t name any names, but if you look at a listing of recent shows, they kind of stand out). And when Steven Universe was announced, I instantly pegged it as one of those cartoons. So I ignored it.

Fast forward to the end of 2015: all of my comic book friends began raving about Steven Universe, and when I let it slip that I hadn’t seen the show, they all begged me to check it out. I resisted for most of 2016, until last month, I finally gave in and checked it out (the first two seasons are on Hulu). It took three episodes but I.Was.Hooked.

From left to right: Pearl, Amethyst and Garnet

Despite the name of the show, this series isn’t dumb at all! Quite the opposite actually, the backstory is increasingly complex and the show deals with some pretty serious issues at times (racism, war, bullying, etc.) while also spreading positive messages about making friends, cooperation, overcoming hatred, and so on.

Here is the gist of Steven Universe: The Earth is protected by a trio of heroes called the Crystal Gems, Amethyst, Garnet and Pearl. They are aliens from the Gem Homeworld that fought against their own kind over 1000 years ago (under their leader Rose Quartz) to keep the Earth safe. About 10 years before the show starts, Rose (in love with a human named Greg Universe) surrendered her physical form to make her son, Steven. Steven is a Gem/human hybrid who has his mother’s Gem where his belly button should be. As the show goes on, Steven learns to harness his powers while facing a growing threat from the Gem Homeworld (which is still seeking to conquer the Earth for its resources). Along the way Steven has made friends with additional gems including Peridot (whom I LOVE!!!) and Lapis Lazuli, both gems that originally come from Homeworld.

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Lapis Lazuli is blue, Peridot is the green short one and that’s Steven on the end

A really cool part of the show is fusion, where two Gems can fuse together to create a totally new Gem! For example, Garnet (SPOILER ALERT!!!!!) is actually a fusion of Ruby and Sapphire, they just prefer staying fused together, though they will separate occasionally from time to time for various reasons. Pearl and Amethyst can form Opal, Pearl and Garnet can form Sardonyx, all three of them can form Alexandrite and just recently, I discovered that Steven and Amethyst can fuse to form Smoky Quartz (there’s more but I don’t want to give ALL the fusions away).

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I’m nearly caught up with the series now and I still can’t get over how wrong I was about this show. The one thing I wish was different is the episode lengths. Each episode is 11-12 minutes in length, which isn’t that long at all. I wish the episodes could be longer!

It looks like eventually we’re going to be seeing the Gem Homeworld and (hopefully) meet the mysterious Diamonds who run everything (they’re called White Diamond, Yellow Diamond and Blue Diamond, but except for a few mentions and a sort-of flashback to Yellow Diamond, we haven’t actually SEEN any of them. There used to be Pink Diamond too, until Rose Quartz shattered her, it’s kind of a long story).

In closing, I’m really glad I gave this show a chance; it just goes to show you shouldn’t (with some exceptions) judge a show on its name only. If you haven’t seen Steven Universe, please go check it out!!

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The Two Towers “Lament for Theodred” (2002)

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Note: I was actually going to do “Riders of Rohan” today but my headphones are missing right now and I didn’t want to wait all day to do a post, so I picked this one instead 🙂

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Theodred is a character that we, unfortunately, only “meet” after he has been mortally wounded by orcs at the Fords of the River Isen. (In the books we only learn of his death after the fact). He’s brought back to Edoras by his cousin Eomer, but he never recovers. In fact, a deleted scene was going to strongly hint that Wormtongue poisoned Theodred to make sure that he died.

The Two Towers “Lament for Theodred” (2002)

As King Theoden’s only son, the late prince is given a royal burial in the funeral mounds located outside the gates of Edoras, where all the kings of Rohan are buried. As the body is brought down to be interred into the mound, Eowyn (also Theodred’s cousin, being the sister of Eomer) leads a funeral dirge in Rohirric (the native language of Rohan).

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As strange as the words sound, Tolkien (being an expert in ancient languages) based Rohirric on a dialect of Old English. This is why, if you listen carefully, the words sound almost familiar, even though they’re not understandable. The basic gist of the dirge is that: death has claimed this noble warrior, and all will wail his passing. He will return home to Meduseld (the house of the king) no longer. The words sound harsh to the ear, but the raw heartache behind them is palpable.

This is clearly a very emotional moment for Eowyn, who has already lost her parents, seen her brother exiled and now must watch her cousin be buried. I’m sure she never imagined that she would witness Theodred’s funeral. It always hurts to lose a family member, but Eowyn does her best to keep her emotions in check (she is a princess of Rohan after all, being a niece of the king).

While Theodred is a character we barely get to meet, his death has far-reaching consequences. For one, Theoden has lived to bury his children (thus affecting him for the rest of the story). For another, this makes Eomer, the king’s nephew, the heir to the throne of Rohan. The problem is: Eomer is currenly riding north and growing more distant by the hour. Unless he can somehow be recalled, Rohan is going to be in a lot of trouble very quickly.

The Fellowship of the Ring “In Dreams” (2001)

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For now, this is the conclusion of The Fellowship of the Ring. “In Dreams” is technically not part of the main soundtrack (you only hear it over the end credits) but it is still a gorgeous piece of music that I want to share with you.

The Fellowship of the Ring “In Dreams” (2001)

“In Dreams” possesses the same melody as “The Shire” and adds lyrics to make a heartwrenching song about meeting those we have lost “in dreams.”

When the cold of Winter comes,

Starless Night will cover Day

In the veiling of the sun,

We will walk in bitter rain…

But in dreams…I can hear your name…

And in dreams…We will meet again

When the seas and mountains fall

And we come, to end of days

In the dark I hear a call, calling me there

I will go there…and back again…

The song is performed by a boy soprano (backed by a choir in various sections) and it is simply beautiful to listen to. And you’ll notice that the final line is a nod to the subtitle of The Hobbit (“There and back again”) which is really cool. A brief personal story, every time I watch The Fellowship of the Ring with my mom, she will not let the DVD be taken out until she’s heard this song (that’s how much she loves it).

Thinking about: The LEGO Movie (2014)

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Okay, so here’s the thing about me and movies: I’m extremely picky about what I will and will not watch. This is especially true with comedy films (I’m especially wary of encountering what I like to call “stupid comedy”, those films that are full of really bad/raunchy jokes and minimal plot).

And, to be perfectly honest, when I saw the first trailer for The LEGO Movie, I thought it was the dumbest thing I’d ever seen. I loved LEGOs when I was a kid, but I didn’t think a concept involving building blocks could carry a whole film. It also didn’t help that a lot of the best parts didn’t show up in any of the previews. So, needless to say, when the movie came out, I ignored it (despite the stellar reviews that immediately followed).

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This went on for several months until the university happened to be showing the film for free one night (they have a Late Night Film Series every semester where we can watch recent films for free, which is pretty cool) and I decided to go ahead and give it a shot (since it was free after all). I went in telling myself that if it was really bad, I could always duck out and leave early.

But once the movie started, the craziest thing happened…I couldn’t stop laughing!! Far from hating it, The LEGO Movie turned out to be one of the funniest movies I’d ever seen! I loved all the pop culture references (the Star Wars cameo still makes me laugh), the LEGO sets are out of this world and, it turns out the film has a surprisingly deep message attached to it (something I would have NEVER guessed in a million years).

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In brief: The LEGO Movie is set in the city of Bricksburg where Emmet (Chris Pratt) lives while he goes about his heavily regulated life as a construction worker. There are rules for everything: you do this at a certain time, you go here at a certain time, life is pretty much a Big Brother-like dystopia except all of the inhabitants seem to be oblivious. But one day…Emmet spots a strange girl digging around the construction site after hours and while trying to follow her, stumbles across the legendary “Piece of Resistance” that will supposedly neutralize Lord Business’s greatest weapon…the Kraggle (i.e. Krazy Glue). From there, Emmet is whisked off on a mindbending adventure (he even meets Batman!!) and ultimately grows into a real hero. And did I mention it has a mind-blowing twist in the third act?

I still watch The LEGO Movie whenever I need cheering up, and I’m impatiently waiting for the sequel to come out.

What did you guys think of The LEGO Movie? Let me know in the comments below!

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Das Boot “Main Theme” (1981)

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Before I go back to my regular series, I thought I would share with you a theme that I recently re-discovered: the main theme from Das Boot (1981), a German epic war film that recounts the (fictional) exploits of the (fictional) U-96, a German U-Boat patrolling the Atlantic during World War II. (Though *this* boat is fictional, some of the exploits were inspired by the actions of the REAL U-96).

The film shows every aspect of life in the submarine: unrelenting boredom, the sudden excitement of battle and the dangers that faced submarines at every turn. A climactic moment comes when the U-96 has been damaged by depth charges so badly that it sinks to the bottom of the ocean near Gibraltar. After a harrowing 16 hours spent making repairs, the ship is able to surface and the engines are successfully restarted.

But (MASSIVE spoilers ahead), there is no happy ending for the U-96. Despite everything they have gone through, shortly after limping into the dock at La Rochelle, the entire area is strafed by American fighters. Most of the crew is injured or killed (including the captain) and the U-96 sinks into the ocean.

The music was composed by Klaus Doldinger and his main theme for Das Boot is one of those pieces of film music that you HAVE to hear, even if you never see the film. There is a haunting quality to this piece that makes it irresistible to me. The full track actually begins with the faint sound of sonar (but most versions I find cut this moment out) and then the cello begins the main theme, starting very low and steadily rising up. It seems to me that Doldinger purposefully modeled the theme after the rising and falling swells of the ocean, where the U-Boats patrolled (and which also served as the tomb for tens of thousands of German sailors).

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As sad as this music sounds, I actually find it rather soothing to listen to. The theme is very symmetrical in the way it rises and falls (it’s actually a good kind of music to get stuck in your head).

If you get the chance, I highly recommend watching this film at least once. The film was dubbed into English by the original cast so you wouldn’t have to worry about watching a subtitled film. Doldinger’s score makes the film worthwhile, along with an amazing performance by the entire cast (Jurgen Prochnow, who plays the captain, also starred as Paul’s father in Dune (1984))

I hope you enjoy this brief look at the main theme of Das Boot, and if you’ve seen the film, let me know what you thought about it in the comments below 🙂

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Anticipating Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

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(I know that Rogue One isn’t scheduled to be released until December, but I couldn’t hold my thoughts in any longer!)

When Disney announced their plans to release a new Star Wars film every single year, I was understandably skeptical. The release of a Star Wars film was meant to be a special event, and if a new film came out every year there would be a huge risk of over-exposing the product and subsequently ruining it. As a result, when the first images for Rogue One were announced, I initially didn’t pay any attention.

Then the first teaser trailer for Rogue One was released. And that changed EVERYTHING for me.

Rogue One: Official Teaser Trailer

I’d decided to watch the teaser out of curiosity and before I knew it, there I was, back on the edge of my seat, just like with The Force Awakens. In case you don’t know, here is the gist of Rogue One: The story follows Jyn Erso, a woman recently recruited into the Rebel Alliance, who is tasked with leading a team that will steal the plans for the soon-to-be-completed Death Star. These are the same Rebel spies alluded to in the opening crawl of Episode IV, placing the events of Rogue One just before the start of A New Hope.

When the full trailer finally released during the recent Olympic Games in Rio, excitement for the film exploded all over again, and it will be interesting to see how Disney continues to build the excitement in the final months leading up to the premiere.

Rogue One: Official Trailer (Full)

So far, the visuals for this film look absolutely STUNNING. I love the look of Scarif (the tropical planet with the AT-ATs seen in the previews). The film (judging from the previews) has the look and feel of the original trilogy. And that’s a good thing: the over CGI-d look of the prequel trilogy is part of the reason it was so badly received. One of my favorite shots so far is the brief image of the Death Star orbiting over a large planet (I believe it’s been identified as Jedha). The following shot of the Death Star blocking out the sun gave me goosebumps (and probably doesn’t bode well for the planet if I had to take a wild guess).

The casting looks phenomenal as well: according to imdb.com, Rogue One includes a number of actors who have already appeared in Star Wars. Jimmy Smits is reprising his role of Bail Organa (Leia’s adoptive father); Genevieve O’Reilly reprises her role as a younger Mon Mothma (a role that would’ve appeared in Episode III except those scenes were cut); Warwick Davis (the Ewok Wicket in Return of the Jedi) is returning in another role and in the biggest news of all, James Earl Jones is returning to voice Darth Vader. That’s right, the Dark Lord of the Sith is going to be making an appearance. What exactly this will look like has been the topic of endless speculation, but we have been assured that Vader will show up at a “critical moment.”

Now musically, Rogue One will be very different, because this is the first Star Wars film to be scored by anyone other than John Williams. I’m not terribly worried because Alexandre Desplat (The Grand Budapest Hotel; Argo; The Imitation Game) is a wonderful composer, but it will still be odd to have a score created by someone other than Williams. I have no doubt that Desplat’s score will be heavily influenced by the themes already created for the Star Wars universe (as it would be utter madness to not musically link Rogue One to the other films).

One detail that concerns me is that the film will (allegedly) have no opening crawl. I feel like that’s wrong, as it would set Rogue One apart from the other seven Star Wars films. I understand that the anthology films are considered stand-alones, but I think they should still have an opening crawl, to maintain a sense of visual continuity (these films do all take place in the same universe after all). But this is really a small concern in the big scheme of things: I have a feeling that Rogue One is going to impress just as much as The Force Awakens did last year, if not more.

Are you also excited about the upcoming release of Rogue One? Do you think it might do even better than The Force Awakens? Feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think 🙂

The Lion King “To Die For” (1994)

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I put it off for as long as I could, but now it’s time to discuss the scene everyone remembers from The Lion King: the wildebeest stampede. For as long as I live I will never forget watching this scene play out in the movie theater. After Scar had laid out his devious plan in “Be Prepared,” I was thoroughly convinced that Mufasa was somehow going to stop this from happening, because Scar is the bad guy and he can’t possibly succeed (oh how naive I was!!)

There is an air of tension from the moment we are taken to a canyon where Scar is telling Simba that his father has “a marvelous surprise” planned for him. Simba is begging his Uncle Scar to tell him what the surprise is, but Scar refuses to tell. The devious lion encourages his young nephew to work on his “little roar.” Before leaving to get Mufasa, Simba has one last question:

“Hey Uncle Scar, will I like the surprise?”

*pause, Scar smiles*

“Simba, it’s to DIE for!”

What Simba doesn’t know is that about a hundred feet above him is an enormous herd of wildebeest. The herd is revealed with a rather ominous chord from the orchestra. While the herd quietly grazes, Shenzi, Banzai and Ed wait in the shadows for a signal from Scar. Banzai is going crazy from the temptation of having so much food so close at hand, but Shenzi prevents him from blowing their cover too soon. At a glance from Scar, the three hyenas frighten the herd into stampeding into their only avenue of escape: the canyon, where Simba is still waiting.

Moments before the music starts, Simba is indeed practicing his roar, and is pleased when his extra-loud “RAWR!!” startles a lizard and echoes off the canyon walls. But then…something happens. The pebbles begin to shake, a weird thundering noise is heard, and then hundreds of wildebeest begin pouring down the side of the canyon!!

For years as a child, the opening of “To Die For” sent me into a state of near panic. The eerie introduction is achieved by a chorus that quickly layers one voice after another until there is a cacophany of sound (imitating the build-up of the stampede). If you listen to the soundtrack version, you can hear the female voices enter first, followed by the lower male voices.

Simba, seeing all of this, is rightfully terrified and begins running for his life, but a small lion has no chance of outrunning a stampede and Simba is soon forced to climb a tree in the middle of the canyon to avoid being trampled to death.

After the initial choral opening, the music is divided between the chorus, woodwinds and a wide selection of timpani, but it’s really the chorus that dominates this piece.

So far Scar’s evil plan is working, but Mufasa is about to be made aware of the situation by his brother (who is rather good at faking concern for his nephew). The two lions race to the scene and Zazu flies down to locate Simba, who is growing more and more panicked. Mufasa doesn’t hesitate to throw himself into the stampede, working his way to where his son is clinging on for dear life. Scar watches events with cool detachment (but he does make sure to knock a frantic Zazu out before he can fly back to Pride Rock and bring more help; the last thing Scar needs/wants is more witnesses to what’s about to happen).

Seeing this in theaters, I remember being scared out of my mind by the charging wildebeests. I was also confused: Mufasa was their king, why wasn’t his presence stopping them? (I had no concept of how a stampede mentality works, once a herd that big gets going, nothing can stop them.) Still, as I watched through my fingers, I was cheering when Mufasa managed to save Simba and (after several mishaps) safely deposit him on the side of the cliff. For a few perilous moments, Mufasa disappeared, having been dragged back down by the wildebeests, but Simba’s father is a powerful lion and with a mighty jump he begins dragging himself up to the nearby ledge (where Scar has been patiently waiting). Simba, believing the danger is over, begins to climb up another way and doesn’t see most of what happens next.

Mufasa is barely holding on; he can’t pull himself all the way up without Scar’s help. Naturally, he calls for Scar to help him. And then…the moment I lost my innocence arrives: Scar slams his claws down into Mufasa’s paws, pulls him close and whispers “Long live the King…” The look of horror right before Scar throws Mufasa to his death stayed with me for a very long time, as did Simba’s scream of terror at seeing his father falling to his death.

And the music for this moment is just haunting too; that “oooooOOOOOO” in the chorus just reinforces what a tragic moment this is.

Of course I was in denial about Mufasa being dead, but the mournful music combined with the visual evidence…it practically destroyed me. And poor Simba, his world as he knows it is gone forever; his dad is gone, he has no idea what he’s going to do. And then it gets worse…Scar appears out of nowhere and plays his last card: guilt.

“Simba….what have *you* done?”

“…the king is dead. And if it weren’t for you, he would still be alive.Oh, what would your mother think!!”

It took me years to understand what Scar was doing; this is textbook emotional abuse, shifting the blame onto the victim, making them think THEY are at fault. Simba is already traumatized by witnessing his father’s death. Scar’s (false) allegations that this is HIS fault will further screw him up mentally for years to come.

Now, what happens next ultimately proves to be Scar’s undoing. Scar is bigger and much more powerful than Simba: he could easily kill him with a single blow, and no one would be around to dispute his version of events. But for some reason, Scar doesn’t kill Simba and instead commands him to “run far away and never return.”

Instead of killing Simba himself, Scar plans on having the hyenas finish the job. This is the eternal weakness of the Disney villain: sending incompetent henchmen to do their dirty work for them. And despite their success in stampeding the wildebeest, Shenzi, Banzai and Ed ARE incompetent, especially when it comes to killing young lion cubs. Against all odds, Simba manages to get away and sets out across the desert. The hyenas COULD give chase, but Shenzi thinks it over and decides that Simba is as good as dead anyhow and IF he ever came back, THEN they could kill him.

Scar may think he has won, but someday he’s going to wish he’d simply killed Simba himself…

Now that I’m older I love listening to the soundtrack version of this scene. Hans Zimmer does an incredible job layering the melodies to simulate the chaos of a wild stampede. And the sad music after Mufasa is discovered dead still puts an ache in my chest. But I will never forget the first time I saw this scene in the theater, literally cowering in terror as the wildebeest rushed by.

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For more Lion King, see also:

The Lion King “The Circle of Life” (1994)

The Lion King “I Just Can’t Wait to be King” (1994)

The Lion King “Be Prepared” (1994)

The Lion King “Hakuna Matata” (1994)

The Lion King “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” (1994)

The Lion King “Under the Stars” (1994)

The Lion King “King of Pride Rock” (1994) Pt. 1

The Lion King “King of Pride Rock” Pt. 2 (1994)

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