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Enough Wall of Sound, already!
  • goannagoanna

    From FilmSound.org

    Sound effects in scenes from Jonathan Demme's Silence of the Lambs

    (An example of good sound post-production)...

    there were animal screams and noises built into the ambience itself downstairs there. From a little movie I had made years ago called Little Monsters I took this lunatic kind of screaming that I had recorded; I took track, processed it, slowed it down, and played it in reverse. That became one of the ambiences in the room, too. It's the room tone, but the room tone has been made from some guy screaming in pain. Whenever you're down there with Lecter there's this element--it's a low tone that rises and then comes down again. It's very organic as opposed to something you can create electronically. I don't like taking sounds that start electronically; I like sounds that start organically. It' s a lot more fun."

    listen to this:

    On the other hand, there are movies with fairly gratuitous sound just seemingly thrown-in. Is it just me, or have late movie releases gone over the top with a (Phil Spector-like) wall-of-sound? I long for good, multi-track ambience, foley and vocal sound tracks. Music, when it's a theme, can be most powerful used sparingly but strategically. (Remember?)

    http://www.filmsound.org/synctanks/

  • 4 Replies sorted by
  • endotoxicendotoxic

    Interesting post.

  • goannagoanna

    Alec Baldwin, Joel & Ethan Coen, Carter Burwell speaking about the score and sound track of Barton Fink.

  • goannagoanna

    Films that won the Best Sound Mixing Academy Award

    (I have no idea which of these films fill the bill for not-overdone sound tracks. But here's a reminder-list)

    The Alamo (1960 film) All About Eve All the President's Men
    Amadeus
    Apocalypse Now Apollo 13

    The Bells of St. Mary's Ben-Hur (1959 film) The Big House (1930 film) Bird
    The Bishop's Wife Black Hawk Down
    The Bourne Ultimatum

    Cabaret (1972 film) Chicago (2002 film) The Cowboy and the Lady (1938 film)

    Dances with Wolves The Deer Hunter Dreamgirls

    E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Earthquake
    The English Patient
    The Exorcist (film series) The Exorcist

    Fiddler on the Roof
    From Here to Eternity

    Gladiator (2000 film) The Glenn Miller Story Glory (1989 film) Grand Prix (1966 film) The Great Caruso

    Hello, Dolly!
    How the West Was Won
    The Hurricane (1937 film) The Hurt Locker

    In the Heat of the Night
    Inception

    Jaws
    The Jolson Story Jurassic Park

    The King and I (1956 film) King Kong (2005 film)

    The Last Emperor The Last of the Mohicans (1992 film) Lawrence of Arabia
    The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

    The Matrix Les Misérables (2012 film) My Fair Lady

    Naughty Marietta

    Oklahoma! (1955 film) Oliver!
    One Night of Love Out of Africa Patton
    Platoon

    Raiders of the Lost Ark Ray
    The Right Stuff

    San Francisco (1936 film) Saving Private Ryan Sayonara Slumdog Millionaire The Snake Pit The Sound Barrier The Sound of Music
    South Pacific (1958 film) Speed (1994 film) Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back Strike Up the Band

    Terminator 2: Judgment Day That Hamilton Woman This Land Is Mine
    Titanic (1997 film) Twelve O'Clock High

    West Side Story
    When Tomorrow Comes
    Wilson

    Yankee Doodle Dandy

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Films_that_won_the_Best_Sound_Mixing_Academy_Award

  • DrDaveDrDave

    I have a calibrated surround system and I thought Kill Bill was very good, also the first Pirates of the Caribbean.

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