Aliens Soundtrack

[KarmicCurse]

Yes this is actually Trek movie related.

I'm watching Aliens for the first time in years, and I'm thinking how much the music sounds like the Klingon theme from TSFS (when the marines are first attacked) and in parts Khan's theme from TWOK (particularly where he takes the glove off). A quick check confirmed James Horner did indeed compose the music.

I'm not knocking it. I think the ST II & III themes are among the best scores of all time and made the movies serious and epic. And I expect a composer to leave a fingerprint of sorts. But honestly, it's approaching cut and paste at times.

 

[DonIago]

Horner's music will do that. I quite like a number of his scores, but there's definitely somewhat a tendency to rip himself off. Even Avatar had some of that, though thankfully it was mostly limited to one sequence as far as I've noticed thus far.

Then again, how often was the TMP main theme cannibalized? Sigh. Its sheer reusage damaged my ability to appreciate it.

 

[Therin of Andor]

I expect a composer to leave a fingerprint of sorts. But honestly, it's approaching cut and paste at times.

Try "Battle Beyond the Stars", "Cocoon", "Cocoon II" and "Brainstorm".

An advantage used to be, when a new ST movie was in production and a composer was suddenly announced, I could give myself some prep in the awaiting months by teasing with their previous soundtracks.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I thought Aliens did reuse music from STIII, or vice-versa. I remember watching Aliens (I came to both Aliens and Search for Spock years later on video) and getting really frustrated because I KNEW that music but couldn't place it!

 

[JarodRussell]

James Horner is hugely overrated these days in my opinion. His constant repeating of themes gets tiresome.

 

[Joe_Atari]

James Horner is hugely overrated these days in my opinion. His constant repeating of themes gets tiresome.

I've always been a big fan of Horner's film scores (I literally wore out multiple audio cassettes of his TWOK score back in the day), but yeah, the first time this really slapped me in the face was when I saw Cocoon in the theater in 1985 where the music during the boat climax is note-for-note the track from TWOK where Spock works in the radiation room (what was he doing anyway? ). Probably not such a good idea to use a climactic cue from such a memorable genre film (in arguably one of the most infamous film scenes of the decade) in another fantasy film only three years later. And although the recycling of music from TWOK in TSFS (with the two films part of the same story and sharing a similar style and tone) can be understood and excused, I still call the cue where Enterprise tries to escape the Genesis device in TWOK and then from spacedock in TSFS "The Enterprise Backing Up Theme".

Anyhow, I remember reading in Starlog (in I think a reader letter) in 1982 where he was already being accused of phoning in his scores based on the similarity between his TWOK and Battle Beyond the Stars music. Guess that's just his technique (try his 48 Hrs. and Commando scores -- those also three years apart -- for another ear-opening example) but it's certainly worked for him over the years. It seems that TWOK kicked off his prolific run in the '80s when he was brought in as a quality but low-budget alternative to Goldsmith from TMP (and kudos to the TWOK production for springing for a new score to begin with; I'm still not sure where I come down on the reuse of the TMP themes in multiple films and in TNG). Based on the success of that film he got hired for a number of highly successful sci-fi/fantasy/action/horror films (maybe because, again, at the time he worked cheaper than Goldsmith and Williams, probably the main go-to composers for genre films of the period) in quite a short period of time, so some reuse of themes is probably to be expected.

 

[Hoser]

I remember watching Die Hard and tripping out when the Aliens theme popped up out of nowhere near the end.

 

[Joe_Atari]

I remember watching Die Hard and tripping out when the Aliens theme popped up out of nowhere near the end.

Good ear (I didn't catch that one at the time) but Michael Kamen did Die Hard's music and IIRC that cue was an outtake from Horner's Aliens (another Fox film) score that appeared on the latter film's soundtrack album but was not heard in the movie itself. Still, it worked pretty well don't you think?

 

[Brandonv]

I think there are also a few moments where his score for Troy borrows a little from TWoK.

 

[Indysolo]

I remember watching Die Hard and tripping out when the Aliens theme popped up out of nowhere near the end.

That was tracked.

Also check out Uncommon Valor.

Neil

 

[YellowSubmarine]

Even Avatar had some of that, though thankfully it was mostly limited to one sequence as far as I've noticed thus far.

Dunno, I watched A Beautiful Mind a few days after watching Avatar and I was like “now, that was familiar”. I have no idea how limited it was, but it was certainly noticeable.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

I find Aliens very difficult to watch because of the score.

In Horner's defense, he had very little time to write the score for Aliens -- and only from an unfinished edit of the film -- and then Cameron brutally edited the score in the editing room to make Horner's cues fit the re-edited scenes.

 

[JarodRussell]

I find Aliens very difficult to watch because of the score.

In Horner's defense, he had very little time to write the score for Aliens -- and only from an unfinished edit of the film -- and then Cameron brutally edited the score in the editing room to make Horner's cues fit the re-edited scenes.

Well, other composers handle little time on unfinished edits better then.

 

[DonIago]

I seem to recall reading that Horner was so alienated (see what I did there?) by his experience with Aliens that he basically swore off working with Cameron again until Titanic came along. And honestly, he would have been a fool to turn that project down.

DISCLAIMER - This post may not in any way depict what actually occurred.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

I seem to recall reading that Horner was so alienated (see what I did there?) by his experience with Aliens that he basically swore off working with Cameron again until Titanic came along. And honestly, he would have been a fool to turn that project down.

DISCLAIMER - This post may not in any way depict what actually occurred.

No, that's actually what occurred. Horner talks about it in the documentary on the Quadrilogy box set.

 

[Harvey]

Even Avatar had some of that, though thankfully it was mostly limited to one sequence as far as I've noticed thus far.

Dunno, I watched A Beautiful Mind a few days after watching Avatar and I was like “now, that was familiar”. I have no idea how limited it was, but it was certainly noticeable.

Listen to the main theme from Avatar. Now listen to the main theme from Glory. Horner had an entire year to work on the Avatar score and he still couldn't help but plagiarize from himself a dozen times. Easily the most disappointing part of that movie.

 

[CorporalClegg]

I find Aliens very difficult to watch because of the score.

In Horner's defense, he had very little time to write the score for Aliens -- and only from an unfinished edit of the film -- and then Cameron brutally edited the score in the editing room to make Horner's cues fit the re-edited scenes.

Also wasn't he gravely ill at one point?

I seem to recall something about that but I could be wrong.

 

[Cap'n Claus]

Whatever the reasons for his constant reuse of material (either his own or classical pieces), the simple reality is the average movie goer doesn't notice. Neither do they care when you point it out. Sci-Fi fans and score geeks (consider me both thank you) will always pick that stuff out, but the millions of other people don't even realize there's music playing, unless it has lyrics. I played a score for a female friend a while back and got "where are the words? I'm not into instruments." (oy)

So maybe he decided it doesn't pay to go to all the trouble. Considering his success, his repetition hasn't hurt him in the slightest.

By the way, I love his early music. His work during the 80's remains among my favorite scores. Krull is killer.

 

[Joe_Atari]

I find Aliens very difficult to watch because of the score.

In Horner's defense, he had very little time to write the score for Aliens -- and only from an unfinished edit of the film -- and then Cameron brutally edited the score in the editing room to make Horner's cues fit the re-edited scenes.

Well, other composers handle little time on unfinished edits better then.

I have to agree JarodRussell; I mean after all did anyone compose a score under more difficult circumstances (with a more unfinished edit) than Jerry Goldsmith on TMP? And look what we got there!

Still, I always liked the Aliens score. And I just love Horner's Rocketeer score...