Ep. 35 - Junkie XL's 'Mad Max: Fury Road' (4K HDR)
Action, Adventure, Music, Sci-Fi, FV (Fantasy Violence), R, 03-Feb-2021
In one of the more complex episodes of Score Cue Snapshots, this sequence features three score cues from the score composed by Tom Holkenborg aka Junkie XL. Interestingly, Holkenborg was inspired largely by the work of Bernard Herrmann and the rock opera genre, utilizing hundreds of drums and electric guitars. He actually played everything himself except the strings and brass.
What makes this sequence of scenes complex musically is that the score cues themselves were cut, mixed, and utilized in conjunction with the sound design in very complex ways. The music, at times, sounds like its a part of the sound design itself. In fact, after 'Buzzards Arrive', we fade into the actual scene with sound effects, which then fades out into the next cue, 'Spikey Cars'. This was done to demonstrate the unique relationship the music has in the visceral experience and texture of the film with the sound design. While these music cues do exist in the soundtrack, the versions you hear of 'Spikey Cars' and 'A Storm is Coming' are completely unique in this clip.
Without question, this film is one of the most visually striking and intense films ever made, and the music in this action sequence does not hold back. How the music is able to be perfectly timed with the fast-paced editing ending up in a massive storm with sweeping brass and strings is definitely something to behold.
Where to watch: https://letterboxd.com/film/mad-max-fury-road/
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Every Monday and Wednesday, SCORE CUE SNAPSHOTS brings you iconic scenes married to the corresponding score cue without dialogue and SFX, thus allowing anyone to appreciate how the score works with what you see unfold on-screen.