Archive for October, 2017

Taking Note, When Notes Take YOU

In general, the purpose of a movie’s music is to complement the action without getting in the way. Even a soaring John Williams score, with memorable themes representing the major characters, is meant to enhance the impact of what we see on screen, not replace it.

But sometimes you — yes, you, personally — can’t help but notice the music.

Have you ever found yourself absolutely electrified by opening credits, only to be bored to tears by the movie that followed? Has a musical ever inspired you to sing along with it, even though you don’t speak Tamil or Cantonese? Have you ever gone crazy over the music for a movie you couldn’t stand — or vice versa? Has a terrible movie ever made you furious by ruining your favorite song? Love it or hate it, sometimes music follows you out of the theater and refuses to leave you alone. It’s a difficult experience to try to put into words — so that’s exactly what we’re going to do.

This month, we celebrate the movies that — for better or for worse — added something to the soundtrack of our lives. Join us as we consider movies… In the Key of B.

In The Key of B

All through November at the B-Masters’ blog!

Will Laughlin is the Braineater.

Amityville: The Awakennngghh…. zzzzzzzz…

Yes, at long last… it’s Amityville: The Awakening (2014… no, 2015… no, 2016… no, 2017! We mean it this time!).

So was it worth setting the alarm for this Awakening? Oh, of course not. It’s not as painfully bad as its multiple reshoots and reschedulings might have led us to believe, but the final product is so depressingly generic that I found myself wishing I were watching Amityville Death House instead. Give me enthusiastic incompetence over dreary corporate-approved indifference any day!

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCMENT: Amityville: The Awakening is free to watch on Google Play from now until October 28, 2017.

UPDATE: Sure enough, Amityville: The Awakening was released to theaters for a very limited run on October 28, and its nationwide gross was… $742. This sort of thing just makes me mad.

Will Laughlin is the Braineater.

True and compelling

I Will Fight No More ForeverThe made for television movie I Will Fight No More Forever more than deserved a theatrical release.

Keith Bailey is the proprietor of The Unknown Movies Page.