Waterworld vs. Cutthroat Island

[Jurassic Shark 12,030]

Use your constitutional right and vote.

[crocodile 7,984]

Cutthroat Island for both. I remember actually enjoying it when I was a kid (haven't seen it since) and the score is really good. Waterworld score is fine but feels bit repetitive. And the movie I never managed to finish.

 

Karol

[Thor 7,472]

WATERWORLD wins both categories easily.

 

I love the CUTTHROAT score, but the film is pants (I dig Renny Harlin, but he's done much better movies). WATERWORLD, vice versa, is one of the most underrated films of the 90s. Probably seen it some 20 times. It's also one of my top 10 scores of all time. CUTTHROAT may break the top 50, but only barely.

[LSH 968]

This was quite difficult actually but I went for Waterworld for both.

 

Both films are stinkers. Both scores are great but Waterworld has the edge I think. 

[Thor 7,472]

CUTTHROAT is great, but it basically only has one gear -- full-on, swashbuckler action and romance for 70+ minutes (on the OST).

 

WATERWORLD, vice versa, has many more aspects. There's the swashbuckling hero theme here too, but it also has brilliant suspense music, gorgeous world music textures, awe-and-wonder/ABYSS-like segments and - most importantly - iconic "New Age" music with sophistication that just melts me every time. "Swimming" remains one of greatest film music cues JNH has ever written. And to think this was a replacement score -- goes to show how brilliant scores can be with short time frames (ALIENS, anyone?). It remains one of the absolute pillars or cornerstones of my entire film music existence.

 

In my interview a few years ago, I asked JNH if there was room and opportunity to write a score like WATERWORLD these days, and he said "yes". I'm still waiting, though.

[LSH 968]

Yeah, I too think it's the variety of music on offer in Waterworld that tips it for me.

[Datameister 2,037]

I haven't seen either film. For scores, I voted for Waterworld. I really like Cutthroat Island in theory...but for some reason I find it a very fatiguing listen. The action material mostly stays at a "10" in terms of intensity throughout, so that part is no mystery. But even the quieter underscore somehow makes me feel weary. Waterworld doesn't have that problem. It gets my vote in part just because I can listen to the whole thing without exhausting my ears.

 

I will say, the orchestra sounds absolutely fantastic in Cutthroat Island. Great musicians, great room, great recording. (Not that Waterworld sounds bad at all...Todd-AO had a very nice sound. RIP.)

[Edmilson 7,393]

Waterworld is a fun movie and one of the best JNH scores from the 90s.

 

I like the score of Cutthroat Island, but haven't seen the movie.

[Jurassic Shark 12,030]

30 minutes ago, Thor said:

CUTTHROAT is great, but it basically only has one gear -- full-on, swashbuckler action and romance for 70+ minutes (on the OST).

 

If I remember correctly, the complete score is more varied in this regard.

[Thor 7,472]

9 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

If I remember correctly, the complete score is more varied in this regard.

 

I've sampled it, and that's not my impression. It's just more of the same, stretched out even longer. I aim to make a 50-minute programme of the OST at some point, which will improve the listening experience radically.

[Datameister 2,037]

I've actually never heard the Cutthroat Island OST, only the expanded release. But as I said, I find that one to be pretty exhausting, so yeah, an abridged presentation would probably better suit my tastes.

[publicist 4,643]

Waterworld for both. Both movies are pants, but Waterworld is the more bearable. I like the Debney but it's mostly a one-note throwback while JNH halfway modernized the blockbuster sound. And it has that Swimming cue.

[Muad'Dib 1,801]

Waterworld all the way.

[Marian Schedenig 8,174]

Film: Difficult, because I've only seen Waterworld ages ago and barely remember it. I think I kinda liked it though, and Cutthroat Island is an awful film that gets worse every time I make the mistake of watching it, so Waterworld must by the better film just based on that.

 

Score: Easy. Cutthroat Island is pastiche, and overloaded pastiche turned up to 11+ at that, but it's really well done for that, and a great listen when I have the energy to tackle it. Waterworld is nice, but in my view it's not just not nearly in the same league, but it doesn't even aspire to be. It's content to be a nice score with lots of droning underscore and one or two not so memorable highlights.

[Datameister 2,037]

Holy crap, I just remembered that I have seen part of Cutthroat Island. It was, uh...yeah, pretty bad.

 

I'm quite confident I've never seen Waterworld, though. Unless we're talking about the Universal Studios stunt show it inspired, which is a really good time. (That's also what got me interested in the score to begin with.)

[Jurassic Shark 12,030]

6 minutes ago, Datameister said:

Holy crap, I just remembered that I have seen part of Cutthroat Island. It was, uh...yeah, pretty bad.

 

Bad in what kind of way? You don't like a woman in control?

[Bayesian 1,359]

Waterworld is one of my favorite movies ever and a high water mark (pun intended) for action filmmaking using real sets. They just don’t make them like that anymore. (It’s also got several funny throwaway moments I find surprisingly endearing). The score, of course, is a ‘90s classic.

[Datameister 2,037]

2 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

Bad in what kind of way? You don't like a woman in control?

 

Y'know, in all seriousness, I actually can't remember exactly what was so bad. I think I was put off by the acting, for one? But it was a long time ago.

 

(I was going to try to write some sort of satirically misogynistic thing, but whatever I say in jest, someone on the internet will have already said worse and meant it. Maybe even over in Other Topics.)