I remembered something else that I wanted to talk about. Like the three methods I would rather discuss this later on, but I think I should get into it now so I can hopefully get into the soundtracks I'm talking about with more detail.
I'm not really sure how to explain this properly or even what I should label it. I've already spoken of the language of music so that's been used. I can simply describe it, using examples, and hope that some sort of a label comes to mind at some point.
Basically, imagine yourself watching something scary. It might be a horror, a thriller- it might be something that only has a scene or two of scariness. So lets say a character is 'alone' in a room, expecting some sort of an attack, and then, as has been seen often before, you see the villain standing behind the hero.
Now, like I said, you've probably seen lots of scenes like these. When a character's slowly looking around, just starting to think she's safe, you're yelling at the screen "look behind you!"
Now, when you see the villain standing behind the hero, it's exactly what you've been expecting. But for some reason, it's not what the viewer next to you was expecting and when she sees the villain standing behind the main character, she jumps, which in turns makes you jump. That's what the music is for too.
Imagine the same scene, but it's accompanied by a huge bang of music. You practically don't remember that there was music, but it was there, just as though it was an extra viewer and reacting to the scene. And there's the example I have for you.
Obviously music is supposed to enhance stuff. Music is like a bridge between the movie and the viewer, because it shows us- makes us- feel what we're supposed to. But there's a pattern to it- there always has to be.
For instance, a scene like the one I described is most likely to have a sudden bang of music and it's extremely unlikely to have a soft piano melody. But- besides the fact that it simply wouldn't fit- why is it likely to have a bang rather than the piano?
And it's not just in scary scenes where this pattern occurs (though it's one of the most noticeable) and this pattern can range from the bang to make someone jump to a recognizable theme. Keeping with the horror-like movie, even though one horror movie doesn't use the same music as the last horror movie, it uses a sense, a style that the viewer immediately recognizes as scary, menacing. The same goes for any type of music. In order to make music for a movie, the music has to keep to whatever style works with the movie it's accompanying.
Now I could get into all sorts of detail, talking about the keys people use or why making the orchestra go down rather than up can make a situation feel more doomed (that can actually be quite interesting) but it would take a while to get into it and I don't need to. But what I'm interested in is what all of that, the key, the tone, the volume, the direction the music is going in, what that overall creates and what it makes you feel. I am fascinated by what sequences or tunes or instruments are used to make a theme that is majestic or a theme that is frightening or villainous. What is it in Darth Vader's theme that says: "Villain" as well as the Joker's theme? They are completely different, and yet, when you hear them separate from their respective movies, you know they are themes that go with villains.
I think I will be studying this topic for a little while, simply so I can try to explain it (to myself more than anything). But I will also be using it in other ways, such as bringing up questions like: "After the city's been destroyed, why is the music going on with the 'destructive' theme rather than starting something tragic? What is it trying to say?
Anyway, I will return to this topic (hopefully come up with something I can call it) and figure out something more definite.  

Well, it's been a little while since I've posted anything. I will review a soundtrack to a movie, but even now I'm not sure which one I will do. I will try to do something that's not my favorite.
ah-ha! I have it!
Wall-e (2008) by Thomas Newman. I give it ****
This soundtrack I actually find quite fascinating. It has an atmosphere that's different from what I would have expected, there are parts that sound desolate, lonely, a little creepy- but only in the sense of one lone little robot on a deserted, garbage ridden world. The robot's lonely and has a lot of personality, but it doesn't actually stop to think about how strange and unpleasant it's situation could be. The music has the perfect balance of feeling and lack of emotion, it's amusing but not silly, it has depth but too much speed to let you stop for long.
I remember watching the movie and hearing the music, and it did exactly what music should do for a movie. It deepened the layers that, no matter how much anyone can try, cannot be accomplished through words or visuals. Only music can give something that level, making a movie 3-dimensional in feeling, and that's what this soundtrack does.
Not all of it is good, I'll admit. The stuff that isn't 'good' is simply not very memorable. But this music has a lot of humor too. It's not epic or big, but it deepens the movie and carries the atmosphere of the movie well. It's a little sterile, a little detached, a little silly, a little unreal.
Being an animated movie, which seems to give soundtracks different rules to go by, I'm not sure what method this soundtrack uses, therefore it seems safest to say it uses the second method. The characters are already established and what needs to be accomplished is something the characters have been working toward for so long that they have technically already accomplished it, even if they don't know it.
Basically, in a way, I'd have to say this is a very important soundtrack and it is not, by any means, a least favorite. It's one of my favorite parts of the movie, and I'd have to say it was one of the first soundtracks to an animated movie that made me realize animated movies didn't have to have silly music. There have been so many soundtracks both before and after to prove that idea wrong!   

Sense I mentioned it in my last post, I will now review the soundtrack for Inception (2010) by Hans Zimmer, which I give overall: ****. By the way, I've never been clear about the terms soundtracks and scores. One of them is more commonly music made by various artists for the movie, while the other is the composer that made music for the movie itself. The latter, obviously, is the one I'm talking about and I'm sorry if there's any confusion.
Anyway- back to the review. I think I should explain why I didn't give this soundtrack 5 stars. Unfortunately I can't really explain it, because when I listen to the music it really is amazing. And giving it 4 stars looks so petty and wrong. It should, at the very least by 4 1/2. But ma

Well, here I go. I was realizing the other day that I'm probably going to just review (or praise) the soundtracks I really like, which probably isn't fair to everyone else. That doesn't mean I'm going to go watch movies simply to hear the music, and listen to every single soundtrack that comes out (I'd have a lot of catching up to do!) but I'll try to listen to the soundtracks I'm not so fond of. For now, I will start off with a soundtrack I know pretty well.
How to Train Your Dragon (2010) by John Powell. I should probably do stars: *. That's my star and I give this soundtrack *****, which will be my highest rating unless I really have to give a soundtrack more than that, which is quite possible with this one. And by the way, I'll be doing overall review rather than individually analyzing the tracks, unless something really catches my interest.
I'd have to say that this soundtrack is probably one of the best ever made. It has an adventure that is rare and difficult to capture. It has life and it enjoys it. It's like the perfect soundtrack for a dog- I often think of it in connection with my dog, because it's playful, adventurous, unique and- at least for me- there's a definite note of loyalty, courage and unashamed life. That last thing is especially something I like about it- how unashamed it is about itself, it's not apologetic and, more importantly, the music plays out the themes and tunes to their fullest and strongest.
I love how soundtracks, whether the composers realize it or not, seem to capture the character of something in the movie. And in this case, with the boldness and joy, the music captures the wildness of the dragons and you feel a deeper emotion that isn't necessarily revealed in the movie, of the creatures loving to live, flying powerfully through the sky and defiant of any trouble that would cripple a human.
And there is obviously Hiccup's storyline, and the music captures that as well. A more playful, delicate side. The music, though bold, is never really abrasive. You certainly get a sense of the boyish, Viking mentality and character- it's that feeling of wanting to jump out of your seat and, more or less singing with the music, run around the house, leaping off furniture and spinning round and round.
The importance of music in a movie is that it brings out something. Sometimes it emphasizes it, sometimes it reveals a layer that you wouldn't know anything about. This is the case with most soundtracks, this one included.
As I think I mentioned in an earlier post, John Powell uses Method 2. There is obviously a theme involved here, but the last few tracks bring it out completely. These characters are already established, but there is a side tune of a wilder kind that implies something new and powerful will change everything- such as the idea that dragons are not strictly dangerous. The most important, triumphant track (Coming Back Around) greatly proves that what is true and living, a mentality of adventure and boldness, will prevail and come back around in the end. It's a new chance, joined with the old way of living, that is now stronger and cannot be defeated.  
It's the closest you'll come to the sound of flying freely in the sky. The music to How to Train Your Dragon is one of those soundtracks that seem to talk. Have you ever heard someone speaking in a different language and you know it isn't nonsense? It makes sense, even if you don't understand it. That's the way I feel with music sometimes, as though the music is speaking a language I don't understand, and this soundtrack is one of those kinds.
John Powell was nominated for an Oscar for this soundtrack. Unfortunately for me Hans Zimmer was also nominated for an Oscar for his soundtrack to Inception (2010) and that's a soundtrack I really like too. I would want either one of them to win-  Social Network (2010) actually won- but I have no idea which. However, as I said at the beginning, How to Train Your Dragon is one of a kind. I think it is one of the best soundtracks ever to be made.

Second Part to the Methods

Method 3, in a way, is the most interesting because I doubt it's very common. This is the method where a theme is shown throughout the movie, but it's played completely at the end, when the character or people or whatever has earned the theme. That implies to me that in order to use this method there has to be some degree of 'earning', either of something physical, mental, visual or even just imagined. I don't think it would be strictly necessary to have this storyline, but it does put a limit on this method.

In the same interview with Steve Jablonsky, where I became aware of this process of shaping the theme, in the same example, Michael Giacchino's Star Trek (2009) was mentioned, as being a soundtrack where the characters have to earn the theme. This is true to that soundtrack, where the original star trek music is only played at the end (I'm not even sure if it's hinted at throughout, sense I've only listened to that music once or twice). This brings up the question for me, is it possible that Method 3 was used in Star Wars, sense several of the characters in both trilogies were setting out to earn something. Normally I'd be tempted to say that John Williams used Method 1 for Stars Wars- that's what it seems on the surface, but there might be a hint of the characters winning their goals, as with Method 3.

This method can be similar to Method 2. It's as flexible, it can be used in the same way and in the same movies- assuming I'm right, especially when there is some storyline of earning something involved. The two methods are so similar I'd be tempted to say they were the same, but there are distinct differences. Method 2 is a little more established. 

Using Captain America: Winter Soldier again as an example for Method 2, the soundtrack belongs to a movie that's basically telling a story involving characters that have been together and worked together for a while, they're roles, what they do, has been established. They've already earned their theme. On the other hand, in Star Trek, they have only just started their adventures, they need to figure out where they stand, what they're doing and where they're going- sometimes literally. They're young and they haven't earned their theme- they don't even know what key to play it in!

I don't really have anything to say against this method, except perhaps that it seems limited, but I don't like to say anything too definite like that when I'm still learning. And there's nothing wrong with limited- it makes finding the soundtracks that use Method 3 all the more interesting.

And that's all of the methods, that I know of so far. Of course if there are official methods, besides Method 3, that have already been established, I'd love to know about it. But I think I can get by with these for now.

And now, hopefully, on to reviewing soundtracks. Unless of course I feel like bringing up the subject of different types of composers..... but I think that can wait

 

Okay, so- Method 1. I'll go over it so I can remember what it is. Method 1 is a complete theme is carried throughout a movie and can be expanded upon or used differently, played in different keys ect.
This is not my favorite method because I like change. It is quite possible to do diverse things with this method, as with all the methods, but it's the most likely that, for example, when a character appears on the screen, his theme starts up. And it's okay for the character to have a theme and for it to be played when he shows up- it's good for that to happen, in fact because it can give the viewers a sense of direction. But when the exact same theme is played every single time (or almost every single time) I feel a little like I'm being given the same dish day after day and I'm expected to enjoy it.
I think that Patrick Doyle uses this method often enough and he does it very well, such as Brave (2012). There is a distinct theme or two in that soundtrack, but he works with it so well that you don't feel like you're listening to the same song but with variations. I'd say that Brave is a good example of how Method 1 should be used. Instead of using the theme as a great club which one can knock out someone with, you can nimbly have it for your own uses and occasionally shock someone with a quick jab.
Now the use of this method in movies is interesting. As I said in my other post, this method is often used for superhero movies. (as a side-note: interestingly enough, Captain America: Winter Soldier (2014) is not Method 1) But why is this method used in Superhero movies?
There's the obvious answer that superheroes are definite. They're not just people that have stumbled into an adventure (although that is often the case) but they're superheroes. They're sort of like a special branch of marines or the royals. They have special names, special clothes- they have a very special purpose and goal, they are heroes, so of course they're going to have distinctive themes that appear repeatedly in a movie! So what does that tell us about this method?
This method represents something that's big and important. It's the elephant method. It works well with a movie that comes right out and shows itself all at once. It's not afraid of who or what it is and what it's working with. 
Music can tell you a lot about a movie, whether you hear it before you see the movie, during the movie or afterwards. I could go on and on about how important it is and how much I enjoy it but I brought that up to say that it tells you a lot depending on what method a movie uses. Of course I think it would be hard to decide which method is being used while watching a movie- as much as I like music, even I can't concentrate on the music more than the movie- but this is a distinct method and when you hear a tune being brought up again and again, and you can more or less assume it's Method 1, that tells you that this movie is big, it's bold, it has a story that comes out all at once.
Of course sometimes this method is used when it shouldn't be. There are movies that are fairly small and the story only comes out when it wants or lets bits and pieces fall, and it has Method 1. That can make it feel a little like- well, the elephant in the room. 
This method really isn't bad. It's the most cumbersome of all the methods, but it can be used in amazing ways.   

Method 2, where a theme is played throughout the movie and is given variations and had other tunes brought in, but it completes the theme with a little more majesty at the end, is, as I've said, a common method. I can't really approach it in the same way as Method 1 because it's a little more flexible.
It's very flexible. It can be used for just about any movie, it can either be subtle or grand. Thomas Newman's Little Woman (1994) is Method 2 and that is a wonderful soundtrack. It has a theme that's used throughout as well as other, smaller tunes, even half tunes that ties it all together, and the climax is gradual and thoughtful- in the sense that you feel like he's slowly exploring a garden rather rushing straight to the masterpiece.
And that's basically what this method is, an explorer. It studies things and goes over things carefully. You won't get to the end until you need to- or, as is often the case, when you're not actually ready for it. 
And I suppose that tells you something about the movies with soundtracks that use this method. It's more of a thoughtful method so it's a more thoughtful movie with a plot that reveals itself slowly and when it needs to. It's probably more likely to be used in a movie that has some sort of mystery. As I stated above, Captain America: Winter Soldier, is not Method 1- as with most superhero movies- but I'd say it's Method 2. And it's an interesting version of Method 2 because the climax is not as big as I would expect, in fact the whole soundtrack kind of surprised me. However, deriving what we know of method 1 and 2, Method 1 is for big things. And that movie is big (if you've seen it and you're a fan, you know how big it is!) but I think it must be too personal for Method 1 to be used. It's a story about Steve Rogers, who is essentially a man- that's the importance of his character. And that's why Method 2 had to be used.