AMERICAN GANGSTER

Hi!

What did you guys think of this movie and its film score by Marc Streitenfeld?

Don't ask me why but I'll admit that so far I have seen this particular film three times on the big screen (very big screen!) which for me is a record breaker and even though I'm not wild watching nonsensical violence and bloodshed in films, the particular raw violence in this case did fit the picture sort to speak.

I was more intrigued by the fact that it was based on real events that took place in New York City in the late 60's early 70's than anything else.

I will not provide spoilers for anyone who has not seen it but it did kind of remind me of ''Serpico'' to a certain extent.

The performances are quite good and the movie was entertaining and disturbing at the same time to think that so much f...en corruption did exist in NYC's finest!

I noticed in SC's database that the score soundtrack will be released in February and that only the song album cd is available.

From what I recall, the songs were not bad and even the theme song from the movie ''Across 110th Street'' was briefly featured which has been included on the song album.

The overall score at first did strike me (or did not strike me) as a subdued, dark piece of music but after the third time watching this movie, I kind of got used to it and sort of liked it.

Perhaps the composer was inspired and was trying to work his way through the dark and enigmatic character of Frank Lukas played by Denzel Washington.

I was quite eager to read at the end titles who the composer was.

For some reason, I would have wildly guessed Mark Isham but then saw the name Marc Streitenfeld going up.

I noticed in SC's database that this young German born composer has written music for only two other films... "Hannibal" the autrocious sequel to such a fine yet psychologically disturbing ''Silence Of The Lambs" and this other film "A Good Year" I am not familiar with.

Both of these films have received a glorious 5 star rating by SC members (not that I take them or myself for that matter seriously but often ckeck) but "American Gangster" broke Mr. Streitenfeld's perfect record and has so far received a 3.

Personally, from the music I heard in the film and how the underlying score is used, I'll be nice and give this ''American Gangster" score a 4 rating.

To be fair, I would like to listen to it as a solitary listen once the score album has been released though.

I know that a lot of us sometimes complain about today's scores and film music in general not being very inspiring and memorable and sort of sounding alike and just too loud at times as compared to some of the great pieces of film scoring that had been written by the maestros from yester years.

So I kept thinking to myself as I was trying to concentrate on the plot and watching this... "American Gangster", how would composers such as Goldsmith, Barry, Shire, Roy Budd and even Herrmann would have tackled the score.

Goldsmith, something like Chinatown... could this score work?
Barry???
Herrmann... Taxi Driver?
Shire... Pelham???
Roy Budd... Get Carter?

Something like Stanley Meyers' "Sitting Target" would work too.

For what it's worth, ''American Gangster'' is a good film with a modern day score but I guess I expected and perhaps wanted something funky in terms of scoring to get me in the groove of things and up dancing in the aisles since the 70's was the era being depicted on the big screen with its pimps and prostitutes and junkies and drugpushers roaming the streets of upper west side NYC.

So... what is my point!

I don't know... small talk.

A bad move on my part having drunk a double espresso Americano Starbucks poison coffee in the early evening hours, I feel I'll be awake till noon the next day with toothpicks on my insomniac poor eyes!

. .

serifiot, January 18, 2008; 8:40 PM