Bernard Herrman's score to the 1951 film The Day the Earth Stood Still is one of the clasic theremin recordings. When we learned that a modern remake was in the works, our hearts leapt at the thought of a new twist on the old classic and the possibility of another magical score.
Did it happen? Thereminist Charles Lester saw the film last night and shared his thoughts with us in the forums. Given the significance of the original film, I felt this deserved a bit more attention. -Jason
---
THE DAY THE EARTH SLOWED DOWN
by Charles Richard Lester
It's going on 3 a.m. Friday morning. I just got back from the first
general-release showing, in glorious IMAX digital audio and video, of
the new "The Day the Earth Stood Still," which started at 12:05 a.m.
I went with my theremin buddy Dave Weiner. I wanted to get there no
later than 11 p.m., fearing mad throngs of moviegoers queuing up in
vastly long lines to get in, even with pre-paid tickets. Boy, was I ever
wrong about that.
When we got there, just a little after 11, there were maybe 15-20 people
in line. When the theater doors opened at 11:30, there were 30 or so. By
the time all the endless commercials* and crap wrapped up and the film
actually started, the theater -- seating, hm, 400 maybe -- was about
half full.
I can only attribute this to the possibility that most people just
didn't know about this first show. Many people, myself included, likely
assumed that the first showing would not be until Friday night. I only
found out about this when I went on line to purchase tickets.
-ooOoo-
I am not going to talk about a lot of specifics about the film since I
realize most of y'all haven't seen it yet. I don't want to spoil
anything. But here are a few first-blush generalizations that are
swirling around in my head and consciousness after this first viewing. I
am sure I will see it again, and that some of my first impressions will
change and evolve. But for now, here are some of those first
impressions.
-ooOoo-
Firstly, and most importantly to us Theremin folks, yes, there IS
theremin in the sound track! There is not as much of it as in the
original, and not as obvious but more mixed in, and not the Hoffmanesque
trembling and quavering. Rather, mostly it consists of long, sweeping,
soaring glissandos and, in a few places, floor-shaking bass tones. It
was, I feel, used effectively but there could have been more of it, of
course! Especially since in the final credits, what to wondering eyes
should appear but:
Theramin . . . Pamelia Kursten
Yep.
Ther-a-min
20th Century Fox Studios, with its long association with the theremin
due to is use in the first version of this film, with 56 years of
publicity, discussions, elaborations, documentaries, dissertations,
articles and featurettes on the instrument, actually SPELLED IT WRONG in
the credit roll!
Overall the score is taut, moody and appropriate. My hat's off to Tyler
Bates who wrote the rich score consisting of both full orchestral
instrumentation and electronic textures.
-ooOoo--
Then a couple of non-specific comments about the story line.
It does, in a general way, follow the same story as the original but
with much modernization of certain technological aspects of the alien
encounters, and the landing of the main "space craft" takes place in
Manhattan rather than Washington, D.C.
What's missing is the unsettling, pervasive, "everyone looking over
their shoulder" Cold War paranoia and the looming specter of the Atom
Bomb that defined and drove the original film. I guess that is due to
the fact that in 2008 we really don't face such a threat anymore.
Or wait ... don't we?
What about the threats of "turrur" and "nukyahler" warfare? There was no
aspect of terrorism in this film at all, not even when an awesome,
fearsome, gigantic orb lands in the middle of Central Park! There could
have been so many obvious ties to terrorism that were missed -- whether
deliberately omitted or unintentionally overlooked, I felt this was a
big failing in the story line.
What =is= there, but much with much greater clarity and urgency, is the
essence of Klaatu's famous line, "we will reduce your planet to a
burning cinder" [without the actual line being uttered of course].
Rather than terror or nuclear holocaust be the cause of Klaatu's arrival
on Earth, it is "Us Earthlings Messing up the Environment." Yep. Yawn.
As compelling and urgent as the issues of pollution and global warming
are, they're just not as "sexy" in terms of a film plot.
There IS Gort. Ohhhhh MY MY MY, is there =ever= Gort! He not only has
the laser beam but also swarms of metallic "locusts" at his disposal. I
won't say any more. Just prepare to feel you jaw drop to your knees when
he makes his appearance. What IS missing, and I feel is a MAJOR
oversight, is the equally famous line, "Klaatu Barada Nikto." I felt
very disappointed that that nod was not made to the original film. (Or
if it -was- uttered, I missed it.)
-ooOoo-
There was such great potential to really redo this film in a grand way.
While the technology, special effects, sound, etc., are all top-drawer,
way beyond State of the Art, there is a certain lacking. I think it's
most evident in the story. It's just not as taut and edgy as the
original. There are too many soft sub-plots and subtexts that wander
away from and detract from the urgency of the film's message rather than
build upon it. And some of the acting was annoyingly wooden and "scenery
chewing" especially from a certain key member of the cast. (But not
Keanu Reeves -- he's splendid in the part.)
As I watched the film, I tried to place myself into the same time and
space as an audience member seeing the original in 1952. Pretty much all
the reviews and commentaries about it reveal that the film scared the
pants off of people. This just wasn't the case with this remake. There
=are= scary moments and elements in it, but too much of the film just
kinda plods along, propped up with gee-whiz special effects and hindered
by some pretty bad acting and, in several key aspects, an
under-developed script.
All in all, I do not feel disappointed as much as I feel somewhat let
down. I have been waiting to see this ever since the first trailers
started appearing nearly a year ago. As with so many sequels, it simply
can't hold its own against the original.
-------
*A final comment is in order about all the product placement -- very
blatant, conspicuous and audacious -- including "Golden Arches" and
Microsoft. When a holographic "Windows" logo appeared on the screen of
the military command post's workstation console, a very loud groan rose
up in the audience. Wonder how much that commercial cost Mr. Gates. Too
bad it was poor money spent, if the audience's reaction is any
indication.
And you know, that makes me want to get up on a soap box. It's not
enough that we are paying $15 (and sometimes more) for a theater ticket,
$20 for greasy junk to eat and drink, even getting hit up for parking in
most shopping centers now. Then we then have to sit through 20 minutes
of TELEVISION COMMERCIALS before the show starts, then another 20
minutes of trailers, and then, on top of it, to be subliminally
bombarded with product placement advertising.
I don't know about other people, but I myself surely do not go to see
anywhere nearly as many movies as I used to, and all the advertising is
a big reason for that. Along with the overall decline in content, of
course.
~
CRL
