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From IMDb news, February 13th:
A screening at the Berlin Film Festival of Errol Morris’s S.O.P.: Standard Operating Procedure about the abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison in 2003 stunned not a few critics Tuesday night, several of whom suggested that the film could capture the top Golden Bear award. In reporting on the film’s premiere, the French news agency Agence France Press observed that the “anemic lineup at the Berlin Film Festival has left critics searching for a challenger to the runaway favorite … There Will Be Blood,” suggesting that S.O.P might fill that bill. Blood has already garnered numerous awards, and the Berlin festival — the Berlinale, as it is known — has in the past prided itself in rewarding worthy undiscovered films. If S.O.P should win, it would surprise on a number of levels. No other documentary has ever been chosen for the main competition in the Berlinale’s history. And it would place the non-political festival in the position of rewarding a film that accuses the U.S. of perpetrating torture on innocent civilians, many of whom were allegedly rounded up indiscriminately and imprisoned in the early days of the Iraq war. (Former Army specialist Lynndie England, who was sentenced to three years for her role in the torture, says in the film that she came to realize that many of the prisoners who were tortured were ordinary family men who had no role in the insurgency. She also expresses anger that higher-ups went unpunished.)
I would have thought to see and/or hear some info about Elfman on this, now that it’s clearly in the can. Checking IMDb, it states the usual Elfman crew (Bartek, Simone, Mann, etc) but no Elfman. Looks like Sony is set to release the film on 4/25.
I’m siked for this one. MR. DEATH was great and I would’ve loved to hear an Elfman score for that one…
I just hope it’s not another score like “The Kingdom”. That was one of my least favorite Elfman scores.
Found this quote from Variety:
“All the fancy style applied to the sordid military equivalent of basement videotapes, and further whipped into a lather by Danny Elfman’s music, makes the proceedings feel far too melodramatic.”
This entire review was less-than-glowing to say the least…
Here’s a better one from Screen Daily:
“The notorious photographs recede into the distance in the title sequence, like stars in the sky, over music by Danny Elfman. “
Morris’ new doc seems to be upsetting a lot of people. The images I understand, are quite horrible. I wonder what kind of music Elfman usese to evoke those hideously in-humane acts of the US Military?
Elfman adapted sections of Serenada Schizophrana again for this picture. A good deal of the recording he did was done before the picture was assembled!
If that’s true, then that means that Serenada Schizophrana can be played over images of underwater sea life and tortured prisoners of war. Who knew?
I just watched the Deep Sea IMAX film and would LOVE a release of it’s music, I find that some of the ideas from the concert work was taken in new directions, enough for another release, the same might be said for S.O.P.? Or at least I hope so.
My info comes from someone who attended one of the SOP sessions. I don’t know any details other than that some thematic material from Serenada Schizophrana appears… most prominently “Bells and Whistles.”
I don’t know how different the music will be, but Elfman completely rethought and reconceived Serenada when he and Debra Lurie did DEEP SEA 3D, so I’m guessing it will be interesting and fresh, regardless of the fact that it contains some familiar thematic material.
Still, Elfman detractors who claim that he always repeats himself will probably have more cannon fodder when this music hits the scene.
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