Prometheus

 

Campbell's Edge Of Darkness is a great film. He's not at all a bad filmmaker, rather decent with spouts of greatness.

 

Mendes not returning is unfortunate, hopefully the huge success of Skyfall taught them that good directors with creative freedom produce success.

 

The original TV series (also directed by Martin Campbell) is far, far, FAR better.

 

This.

Nostromo theme - First played in the rejected Main Title by solo trumpet.

Nostromo motif - Chordal motif - interchange between i-IV - first heard at 1:06.

Time motif - 3:04 - Famous hypnotic flute motif. Goes through several harmonic changes. Usually accompanied by a timpani pedal point. Used in sequels as a theme for Ripley.

Ascending fourths - Initially heard at 0:13 in the same rejected Main Title. An augmented fourth followed by a perfect fourth, then the same pattern repeated a major seventh higher. i.e. C-F#B Bb-E-A Ab-D-G and etc. This is probably the most extensively used of all these motifs, even used to form huge totally chromatic tone pyramids - such as at the beginning of The Shaft. The oscillating alto flute/clarinet pattern in Here Kitty also derives from this.

Derelict theme - 0:15 in the rescored Main Title

Minor seventh cluster - A huge chord built out of stacked minor sevenths intervals (C-Bb-Ab-Gb-E-D). First heard at the very beginning of the rejected Main Title. Later at 2:06 in the rescored Hanging On (here it appears with a sister chord built out of stacked major sevenths C-B-Bb-A-Ab etc.like the famous PSYCHO shower chord) and at 0:04 in Sleepy Alien.

2 note Alien motif - Played by brass, strings or fluttertonguing serpent. 0:02 in The Cupboard, Out the Door, 1:46 in The Eggs.

There's probably more, but that's all I can think of ATM.

I have listened to Alien several times but never bothered to think on it from a leitmotivic angle. Is there a breakdown of the different ideas somewhere?

No, but I could do one. Just give me a while...

 

 

My friend says that themes aren't important

 

Themes and motives are the most important aspects of film scores, in my opinion.

 

So, the Alien score by Goldsmith is no good at all?

There are plenty of themes and short motifs in Goldsmith's ALIEN. Same goes for PLANET OF THE APES.

Erotic thrillers.

Preferably with Brian De Palma.