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John Debney's HOME SWEET HOME ALONE (2021)


Jay

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19 minutes ago, mrbellamy said:

 

Are you saying you've not only seen them all but that 3 is the worst one? That seems crazy....I've only seen the bits of Home Alone 4 on the Red Letter Media ep with Culkin but yikes. 3 was written by John Hughes so it's at least sort of a real movie. Some mild wit in there.

 

No, 3 is actually kinda decent in its own way. The less said about 4 and 5, however, the better.

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HA2 isn't a classic, but it's got some good moments, in it.

The exchange about freedom and fish, is funny, and so is "Get outta here, ya little pervert, before I slap ya silly! Oh, your cookin', Frankie!".

Face it: any film with Tim Curry in it, isn't that bad.

Yeah, it's redundant, but as redundant films go, I've seen worse.

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On 12/10/21 at 10:21 AM, Giftheck said:

 Yep, Kevin will cameo too. Source.

Nope:

8 hours ago, Richard Penna said:

Is the kid talking to an off-camera interviewer in a shot near the start? (where he says 'my parents have gone to...')

 

I hope that's just the way they've edited the trailer.

He’s breaking the fourth wall, exactly as the the original (and most Hughes) films do.

 

As for everyone dishing on the sequel: Home Alone 2 has always been better the first! Also, Thor is correct in that 3 is not terrible.

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On 13/10/2021 at 11:10 PM, Koray Savas said:

Nope:

He’s breaking the fourth wall, exactly as the the original (and most Hughes) films do.

 

As for everyone dishing on the sequel: Home Alone 2 has always been better the first! Also, Thor is correct in that 3 is not terrible.

 

Yeah, we always take an actor at their word.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if he's not in it though. Technically, he could have filmed something which was then cut, and he wouldn't actually be lying.

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By the way -- in sorta related news -- I'm really impressed by Macaulay Culkin's return to acting in the current season of AMERICAN HORROR STORY.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Listening to it, and... it's not awful. A few Williams quotes here and there. Definitely not a patch on Williams' first two scores though. I suppose 'compentent, not unlistenable' would be the way I would describe it.

 

Even 'Setting The Trap' makes an appearance but it's played with a rather poor-sounding drum kit rather than the more powerful one used in Williams' scores.

 

I have to say, 'Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy' sounds more like it would have been at home in Scrooged though.

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Only 10 tracks in but surprised how often Williams' material shows up throughout the OST. All the quotes are woven seamlessly into Debney's original material; certainly no Rogue One situation (where the Williams quotes stand out like a sore thumb).

 

Orchestration feels like a seamless continuation of Williams' original score, while eschewing the dreaded 'pastiche' sound. I think any composer following Williams faces a double edged sword when it comes to using his themes, but he's found the right balance here.

 

I wonder if blending in excerpts of Christmas carols throughout was a Williams suggestion. The evil Jingle Bells fragment in track 10 deserves a shout out, also the very fun use of Tchaikovsky in track 11 :lol:

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There's a track called "Nice Try Kevin". Macauley Culkin insists he's not in the film (could be lying), but maybe his character's referenced? Maybe he's the one who calls Buzz the Cop to go and take a look.

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5 hours ago, Giftheck said:

There's a track called "Nice Try Kevin". Macauley Culkin insists he's not in the film (could be lying), but maybe his character's referenced? Maybe he's the one who calls Buzz the Cop to go and take a look.

 

I mean Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire also say they're not in the new Spider-Man and could also be lying lol

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The OST album is now available in any country where it is already Friday

 

1400x1400bb.webp

 

01 Cousin Choas

02 What's With You Today

03 Hunter and Uber Jeff

04 It's A Christmas Miracle

05 Somewhere In My Memory

06 Nice Try Kevin

07 Streets Too Hot

08 What If I'm Santa

09 Setting The Trap

10 Ice Driveway

11 Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

12 He's Hurting Me

13 Who Raised This Monster

14 This Stops Here

15 Christmas Reunion

 

TOTAL TIME - 47 minutes

 

https://music.apple.com/nz/album/home-sweet-home-alone-original-soundtrack/1593119032

https://music.apple.com/au/album/home-sweet-home-alone-original-soundtrack/1593119032

etc

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I've only listened to this once yesterday evening and it didn't make a big impression on me, but it was pleasant enough and it's nice to have a new Christmas score to listen to this coming season so it will get at least several more plays from me.  I do distinctly remember disliking a "Somewhere in My Memory" variation near the beginning of the track "It's a Christmas Miracle."

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1 hour ago, Disco Stu said:

I've only listened to this once yesterday evening and it didn't make a big impression on me, but it was pleasant enough and it's nice to have a new Christmas score to listen to this coming season so it will get at least several more plays from me.  I do distinctly remember disliking a "Somewhere in My Memory" variation near the beginning of the track "It's a Christmas Miracle."

How often are there quotes of Williams material? 
 

I don’t know why I thought Disney would potentially be able to recapture/revamp/reboot the magic ala “Force Awakens” (in that they win us over with enough nostalgia and endearing new characters). But this looks like a horrible made-for-tv special.
 

 

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19 hours ago, WampaRat said:

How often are there quotes of Williams material? 
 

 

 

Yeah like Jay said, basically every single track has at least one Williams quote, usually Somewhere in My Memory but I did take note of both Kevin's theme, the "House theme", and the Wet Bandits theme.

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18 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

I do distinctly remember disliking a "Somewhere in My Memory" variation near the beginning of the track "It's a Christmas Miracle."

 

Here's what I was talking about.  I can't quite put my finger on why I find this so yucky, but I know it immediately puts me off

 

 

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I don't like quote in track 4 either - Debney's tried to modify the melody slightly, but I don't think it works as we're too familiar with it. Also too sugary without really having a lot of genuine emotion.

 

Playing bits and pieces now - it's harmless, functional comedy scoring but not really doing anything for me. It's nice that he used Williams' themes so much, rather than abandoning them, but ultimately Debney's music has always been a tad on the forgettable side for me, and this is a continued example of that, compounded by most of it probably being mickey-mousey due to the film's nature.

 

But I also generally don't go for bright Christmas/happy/holiday type music these days.

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5 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

Perhaps too sugary?

 

No, I love plenty of sugary Christmas scores, something about the way he changes the melody.

 

8 minutes ago, Alex said:

I like this score. I guess I’m just nostalgic for this type of sound and orchestra.

 

 

I definitely don't hate this score, and yeah I do appreciate getting a new Christmas score that sounds like this, even if Debney doesn't have the same touch for orchestration detail as Williams (I know, who does?).

 

I'm going to listen to it a bunch and enjoy it, I just don't see it joining the uppermost tier of my favorite Christmas scores (the Williams Home Alones, Broughton's Miracle, Silvestri's Polar Express/Christmas Carol).

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22 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

No, I love plenty of sugary Christmas scores, something about the way he changes the melody.

 

It reminds me of that dreaded opening title fanfare near the start of Rogue One. Trying to be Williams but trying to be something different and... just not working.

 

But overall I think Debney has done a really good job here. It's a pretty good score overall.

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Score didn't do it for me, I'm afraid. It was too "cartooney". The Williamses had some of that too, but managed to keep the setpieces intact, self-sufficient and well-developped. This was a bit all over the place for me.

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I'm with Thor on this one, sadly, and I was really looking forward to it.  Just too "Mickey Mousey" without a lot of emotion. Debney's CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG score, which was also released today, has the same issue in a number of tracks, but it also has a big heroic theme and I found it much more satisfying based on a first listen.

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Just finished listening.
My ears perked up any time a Williams theme played. I realize it takes great skill to write this type of music. But sadly, it was pretty generic syrup-y orchestral comedy music.

 

Just another testament to Williams skills. To be able to write in such a sincere earnest manner for the original film and not have it ever be maudlin or trite is a difficult task.

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5 hours ago, crumbs said:

It reminds me of that dreaded opening title fanfare near the start of Rogue One.

 

That ain't too bad, though, it's certainly grown on me. It mostly feels like classic Silvestri with a Spielbergian touch of wonder. 

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Well, I’ve just watched the film. I actually enjoyed it, despite the ridiculous concept. JW’s music does not really fit this particularly film and feels very forced in its use.

 

The “Setting the Trap” on the album is much shorter than what is used in the film.

 

Something interesting:

 

Spoiler

Alan Silvestri’s Mouse Hunt is quoted (can’t remember whether it was on the album or not.

 

 

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13 hours ago, Alex said:

Well, I’ve just watched the film. I actually enjoyed it, despite the ridiculous concept. JW’s music does not really fit this particularly film and feels very forced in its use.

 

The “Setting the Trap” on the album is much shorter than what is used in the film.

 

Something interesting:

 

  Hide contents

Alan Silvestri’s Mouse Hunt is quoted (can’t remember whether it was on the album or not.

 

 

I noticed that too! Odd reference. But then they used it in “Fred Clause” too lol.

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2 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

This brass melody here sounds *so* familiar.  Can't place what it's reminding me of

 

 

 

The Imperial March?

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On 12/11/2021 at 6:25 PM, Alex said:

The “Setting the Trap” on the album is much shorter than what is used in the film.

 

Interesting. I thought the Album version sounded...sloppy. Like it was missing bits. I should check out the film at some point.

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Is anyone going to mention how Silvestri’s Mouse Hunt theme is used verbatim in this score? Following the temp much?

 

Also, the mixing is so dry it’s disgusting. Enough of this! 
 

On 12/11/21 at 8:25 PM, Alex said:

Something interesting:

 

  Hide contents

Alan Silvestri’s Mouse Hunt is quoted (can’t remember whether it was on the album or not.

 

 


You beat me to it

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On 13/11/2021 at 8:51 PM, TSMefford said:

 

Interesting. I thought the Album version sounded...sloppy. Like it was missing bits. I should check out the film at some point.

 

It definitely lacks punch/energy.

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1 hour ago, Disco Stu said:

 

It definitely lacks punch/energy.

 

Checked out the full scene. The interjections and breaks really kill any momentum the cue may have had.

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