Customer Reviews

The Mothman Prophecies

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Having been a fan of the John A. Keel book since a child, I had anticipated the release of the film since I heard it was in production. The one thing I really didn't give much thought to (strangely, as I am a musician) was the music for the film. I have to admit that I didn't really notice much of the music upon the first viewing of the film. This is a good thing. The music is so woven into the narrative and visual content of the film that it all becomes one. Subsequent viewings of the film on DVD exposed the truly brilliant work of the musicians/composers of the work contained within this disc.

The first track and lead "single", "Half Light" by the indie outfit, Low, and score composers, tomandandy, set the mood for the rest of the disc. The song is hypnotic and etheral... and oddly beautiful. The song is reprised at the end of CD1 in a slightly longer mix.

The bulk of the material on CD1 is written and performed by King Black Acid. The name screams "thrashcore death metal" to me but is, instead, a band whose sound is akin to Portishead merged with Pink Floyd. The languid guitars, muted drums and atmospheric vibe of their songs just evokes "dark", "cold" and even "peaceful" to a certain degree. I don't know what the rest of their material sounds like but this is just amazing. Oh, there is one jarring moment during "One and Only" so be ready for it.

CD2 is comprised of various montages of tomandandy's score. I'd have to say that they are pretty much in the order in which they appear in the film. The score perfectly matches the vocal performances on CD1 in total mood. tomandandy score with this score! Some of the music reminds me of the music Mark Snow had written during his tenure with "The X-Files."

I don't feel that you actually need to see the film in order to appreciate the music on CD1. The performances are solid as are the songs. CD2 may have limited appeal but that is something you need to judge for yourself. Overall, you really can't go wrong with such a low-priced double disc set even if only one of the discs appeals to you. I just picked this up at Borders a couple nights ago and can't stop tuning in.

This disc is awesome. Unlike most soundtracks, it can be listened to without any prior knowledge of the film. The music on disc one is very haunting while having some great rock feel. The second disc features the score by tomandandy. I just recently reviewed the last Midnight Syndicate CD and gave it a rather poor rating. The music on disc two is where they should be headed but they seem stuck inthis perpetual rut. If the guys in that band see my review on this album- PLEASE take note. The music is atmospheric and chilling. It is a little reminiscent of the the music produced for the X-Files but with a little more of an edge. tomandandy are a very underrated composing team. I wish they would get a little more credit as they can really convey mood and emotion very well in their scores.

I am writing of the actual film music here-it is some of the lovliest I have ever heard: it is permeated by a deep sadness, as too late you realize this film is actually a story about loss, a love story, and then a horror story as background.
The loss theme is so deep and full of grief that it brought me near tears-not because it is sappy, or cliched sad, but rather because it makes you feel the pain of tragedy compounded with horror.
The rest of the music fills in nicely by not simply telegraphing to the viewer how to feel, but rather, adding to the emotional poinentcy of each scene, making a story that could be fiction seem real, and therefore giving one a spine chilling sense of awe, while looking into the face of pure dark, unknowable mystery...
The 2 end/start credit pieces tho a bit more bouncy have a strong sense of forboding to them, and both are also appreciated...

Defenetly you are "in" for a surprise. I like both CD's. You can closed your eyes and be transported to another world.

If you, like me, have tired of soundtrack releases due to their lack of continuity and lack of coherence with the mood and subject matter of the film, then this CD will be a breath of fresh air. The soundtrack songs on disc one simply blew me away- King Black Acid sound like Pink Floyd, Leonard Cohen, and Massive Attack rolled into one- just incredible mysterious and psychedelic tunes. The Low tracks are subtle, yet rocking in a surreal, back door kinda way.

All in all, the CD captures the mood of the movie and really sounds out as an album with a cohesive theme- not some record label sampler CD like most soundtracks. It's 2CD's too for the price of one, with the score on disc 2. That's classy.

This is one of the best soundtracks I've heard in years. Tomandandy out-do themselves with another stellar techno-organic score full of ambient gloominess, mellowed out drum loops, and seductive synthesizers. Plus, the second CD contains tracks from such melancholic shoegazers like Low and King Black Acid (who provide some of their best musical compositions to this entire soundtrack)... and from a film that left me feeling bored and sleepy, this soundtrack hypnotizes, entrances, and stimulates me sonically like no other soundtrack I've heard this year. Get this, if you are a fan of Tomandandy's music (from scores such as Killing Zoe and the criminally out of print Mr. Stitch soundtrack) or more introspective, indy stuff from the likes of Low and King Black Acid... this two disc CD is just too incredible for any review to give it proper justice. I'm off to listen to it again, just to hear and feel what a good soundtrack can do to an intent listener. These songs are pop-sonic, gloomy-ambient, low-fi heaven. Check it out for yourself and see.

Even though disc 1 is decent in it's own right it is the score provided by Tomandandy on Disc 2 that is the revelation. This is the most eerie and strange mix of sounds your ears will have probably heard. A perfect accompaniment to a great film.

WOW! Totally cool soundtrack is TWO CDS! But is the actual soundtrack CD with songs by LOW and KING BLACK ACID that's really cool. For fans of LOW this new track "Half Light" is included in two _different_ versions!

My personal fave tracks though are from KING BLACK ACID. It's dark, moody, ethereal and a little creepy, just like the film. Musically it's like SPIRITUALIZED meets vintage 70's PINK FLYOD. Fans of "Wish You Were Here" and "Dark Side Of The Moon" will not be disapointed. Amazingly cool.

The score disk is pretty cool too from the same guys who did JFK and Natural Born Killers to name a few...

Low and King Black Acid so an amazing job caputure the vieb of the film. Both bands use hauntingly beautiful and etheral textures. King Black Acid really shines in a 70s Pink Floyd sorta way. Feels like "Dark Side of The Moon" or "Wish You Were Here" era stuff, but without sounding retro or dated.

The score disc is nice to get in the same set. These are the guys who did JFK and Natural Born Killers for Oliver Stone, so it's cool too.

I grew up not far from Point Pleasant, West Virginia and always heard about the Mothman. Since I was into the paranormal as a kid, I was always a little disappointed that I wasn't near a Bigfoot creature or the Loch Ness Monster. But the Mothman? Strange and over-the-top campfire story, I thought.

Then they made the film, THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES, with Richard Gere and Laura Linney (two of my favorite actors, btw). That they made a compelling movie from those elements really impressed me. I thought the book by John Keel was all over the place, at times even sounding like a parody of "The X Files." Wisely, the filmmakers left out the UFO and Men in Black passages (although a deleted scene on the 2-disc special edition of the film includes a UFO scene they shot but decided to leave out).

The movie has definitely grown on me, both for Mark Pellington's fascinating direction and the wonderfully creepy soundtrack. I had to special order the 2-disc soundtrack but I'm glad I got it. Ditto for the 2-disc special edition of the DVD of the film (amazon is the best way to get it, folks, because I can't imagine trying to find this on my own!).

Even if all of the songs included in the first CD weren't included in the movie itself, they still add to the dark, atmospheric experience of the soundtrack. As a writer myself, I enjoy listening to soundtracks in whichever drama I'm working, and THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES soundtrack is a great addition to that genre of music.