The Best of Film Works: 20 Years of Soundtrack Music

John Zorn

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Review by Thom Jurek

This single volume makes it all crystal clear: John Zorn is one of the most inventive, sophisticated, mischievous, and poignant film score composers who works (mostly) outside the Hollywood system. Some of the directors he has worked with are Walter Hill, Jean-Luc Godard, Dina Waxman, Sandi Dubowski, Oren Rudavsky, Henry Hills, and Marc Levin. This single volume contains 28 cues from 22 films and three commercials. For those intimidated by the sheer number of volumes comprising Zorn's Film Works series (18 as of October 2006), this is a great place to start. The full range of Zorn's moods, colors, textures, and, of course, humor comes across in these cues. The four from Cynical Hysterie Hour are choice, as are "Trembling Before G_D" (from Dubowski's film of the same name), "Pueblo" (a work for the silent film Rose Hobart by Joseph Cornell), and the cue from Protocols of Zion by Marc Levin. Zorn's different ensembles and methods of working are detailed in the individual volumes, but his working notes for this set are most revelatory as well. This is a fine addition to the Film Works library, and also provides the very best introduction possible.

Track Listing

Sample		Title/Composer	Performer	Time
She Must Be Seeing Things, film score
	1	Main Title John Zorn	John Zorn	1:05
White and Lazy, film score
	2	End Titles John Zorn	John Zorn	2:00
Cynical Hysterie Hour, film score
	3	Yakisoba John Zorn	John Zorn	1:17
	4	Punk Rock Hero John Zorn	John Zorn	0:57
	5	Through the Night John Zorn	John Zorn	1:31
	6	Surfing Samba John Zorn	John Zorn	1:11
The Golden Boat, film score
	7	Fanfare/Theme John Zorn	John Zorn	3:30
Weiden and Kennedy Nike Spot, film score
	8	France John Zorn	John Zorn	0:16
	9	Sweden John Zorn	John Zorn	0:30
Looters (Trespass), film score
	10	Arsenal Dance Mix John Zorn	John Zorn	3:59
Hollywood Hotel, film score
	11	Main Title John Zorn	John Zorn	1:36
Weiden and Kennedy Commercial Spot, film score
	12	Wheelchair Racers John Zorn	John Zorn	0:43
Rose Hobart, film score
	13	Pueblo John Zorn	John Zorn	9:01
Tears of Ecstasy, film score
	14	Lituus John Zorn	John Zorn	1:06
Mechanics of the Brain, film score
	15	Fireworks John Zorn	John Zorn	1:53
Anton, Mailman, film score
	16	End Titles John Zorn	John Zorn	3:09
Latin Boys Go to Hell, film score
	17	Deseo John Zorn	John Zorn	2:28
Port of Last Resort, film score
	18	Shanghai John Zorn	John Zorn	2:38
Trembling Before G-d, film score
	19	Trembling Before G-d John Zorn	John Zorn	2:26
In the Mirror of Maya Deren, film score
	20	Filming John Zorn	John Zorn	5:51
Secret Lives: hidden children and their rescuers during WW II, film score
	21	Sabbos Noir John Zorn	John Zorn	2:09
Homecoming: Celebrating 20 Years of Dance at PS 122, film score
	22	Chippy Charm John Zorn	John Zorn	1:36
	23	Vocal Phase John Zorn	John Zorn	3:53
Shaolin Ulysses, film score
	24	Shaolin Spirit John Zorn	John Zorn	3:02
Invitation to a Suicide, film score
	25	Main Title John Zorn	John Zorn	4:38
Hiding and Seeking, film score
	26	Sekhel (vocal version) John Zorn	John Zorn	4:57
Protocols of Zion, film score
	27	Protocols of Zion John Zorn	John Zorn	4:29
Workingman's Death, film score
	28	Indonesia John Zorn	John Zorn	4:01

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John Zorn