Help me find the movie trailer music that sounds like this...

January 31, 2008 11:55 PM

Looking for a song that sounds like the song posted in the details. This song has been used in movie trailers, and has a very rich orchestral sound, but alas, I can't come up with the specific trailer in which I heard it...

The song is very very similar to this:

http://seesmic.com/v/1ELNuBqRqs

But it's instrumental -- no vocals, and it has a more sweeping orchestral sound. You can almost hear it being destined to have that "in a world where..." movie-trailer-guy-narration spoken over it. Any ideas? Thank you group mind!

posted by jwhowa to media & arts (18 comments total)

Complete shot in the dark and I'm not good at comparing instrumental music, but whenever I hear about a "sweeping orchestral song used in a lot of movie trailers" I immediately think of Randy Edelman's "To The Stars," which I believe was Dragonheart's main theme song.

Really not good with orchestral stuff, so feel free to call me a noob for suggesting it.
posted by Squee at 12:35 AM on February 1, 2008

Might be the Intro/Titles to Edward Scissorhands, by Danny Elfman. That's often used in trailers to evoke a fairytale feel. (If it's not fairytaleish, then it's probably not this one, though Danny Elfman still has good odds)
posted by -harlequin- at 12:47 AM on February 1, 2008

some of the most epic (and oft-heard) trailer music i know of is used at 2:04 in this trailer for "the patriot," a mel gibson vehicle from 2000. if anyone knows the name/composer of the tune, please post.
posted by ncc1701d at 12:49 AM on February 1, 2008

On second listening, I don't think it's the Scissorhands one. I think I do know the music you're referring too, and I don't know what it is either, so now it will bug me too. You did that on purpose! In the mean time, check out "Requiem for a Dream" redone orchestrally for Lord of the Rings, (Two Towers?), as that might be it, it's used in trailers, and matches your description, but I have a nagging feeling I know the one and that isn't it either.
posted by -harlequin- at 12:52 AM on February 1, 2008

linky
posted by -harlequin- at 12:54 AM on February 1, 2008

One remote possibility is a duo called E. S. Posthumous. A lot of their album has been comercially licensed. Although a lot of it is choral, at least one song (Nara - used as the credits on Cold Case) has been remixed minus vocals. Another possibility is a similar group called Era who do similar choral/orchestral stuff.

Re: Trailer for The Patriot, it's entirely likely that the music is an original piece composed for the movie so check the usual suspects: John Williams, Hans Zimmer, James Horner, Alan Sylvestri, Enrico Morricone, Danny Elfman et al. The problem is, film studios often re-use soundtracks for the trailers of totally unrelated movies. See here. Failing that, sift through Amazon's listings for the composers above and see what you can find. Good luck, dude.
posted by ninazer0 at 2:16 AM on February 1, 2008

Gah! I'm pretty sure I know what you are talking about but for the life of me I can't find it...
posted by C17H19NO3 at 2:38 AM on February 1, 2008

My guess is even more a guess than everyone else's as I can't for the life of me even get your sample to play...

Anyhoo - how about Rob Dougan's "Clubbed To Death"? Used in lots of trailers, swings from quiet piano orchestral to bombastic strings over it's 7 minute length, has shades of Requiem for a Dream and hasn't been suggested yet... :-)
posted by benzo8 at 2:57 AM on February 1, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

ncc1701d: I found it. The Patriot trailer uses a track called "Escape" by Craig Armstrong from the Plunkett & Macleane soundtrack. I don't think it's the one that the OP is after.

jwhowa: Can you give us any more info? Is it definately a waltz? Do you recall any particular type of instruments? Sweeping violins? Tinkly bells? Could it possibly have been a kids movie? Harlequin's suggestion of Edward Scissorhands is pretty darn close (main title)

So frustrating! I'm sure that I know the song you mean but I'm damned if I can remember what movie it was. Still, this is fun sort of detective work!
posted by ninazer0 at 3:45 AM on February 1, 2008

It really sounds like Edward Scissorhands to me, too.
posted by litlnemo at 5:17 AM on February 1, 2008

This is going to bug me too... unless I miss my guess, the piece is in 3/4, and what jwhowa is remembering is the distinctive rhythm: [rest] dah-dum | [rest] dah-dum, etc., with rests on the first beat and a full string section playing on beats 2 and 3. Listen to the intro to the video with that in mind, and you're instantly transported to a movie theatre...
posted by Johnny Assay at 7:30 AM on February 1, 2008

First, thanks to all for posting! What a nice surprise this morning to find that the hive mind has the same nagging feeling I do... Just can't grab the title of this darn song! :)

Oh, it was definitely a waltz, and I believe it's a viennese (fast) waltz. And you are right, it's the "[rest] dah-dum | [rest] dah-dum" that's the most memorable thing about it, and that it sort of sweeps, or rolls. You can totally see a movie pan camera thing coming in on a scene as the music swells, etc...

Yes, it may well have been a kids movie, but I think not.

It's not the scissorhands theme, not "Clubbed to Death", not from "the Patriot", not "Requiem for a dream" and it's not "ES Posthumous" but wow, what a find! Their music is really cool.

So... we've knocked out a few possibilities? Anyone have any other ideas?
posted by jwhowa at 9:31 AM on February 1, 2008

Is it the song used here in the Clear and Present Danger trailer? The da-dums kick in at about 1:25. If so, it's from the score for Come See the Paradise by Randy Edelman.
posted by jrossi4r at 11:29 AM on February 1, 2008

Nope, jrossi4r. I have been listening to tons of playlists on iTunes today trying to find this damn song, and I'm about convinced I made it up! :) Except that others on this thread agree with me, it's SO CLOSE...
posted by jwhowa at 12:15 PM on February 1, 2008

your clip didn't explicitly sound like anything I recognize. But it felt a little like the instrumental score music of Great Expectations (the one with Ethan Hawke). And while I don't think it sounds like Last of the Mohicans, I often find that the music where I'm like "that was in another movie" turns out to be Last of the Mohicans.
posted by Mozzie at 3:13 PM on February 1, 2008

That definitely sounds familiar. It sounds like what would accompany Lucy when approaching the wardrobe in the Narnia trailer, but it's not. I'll keep looking.
posted by null terminated at 7:38 PM on February 1, 2008

I don't believe it's from Great Expectatiions. Sounds a bit christmassy too.
posted by null terminated at 7:39 PM on February 1, 2008

My guess does not match your example very well but it reminds me of Moby's Extreme Ways, the instrumental versions [1] [2]
posted by maggieb at 7:33 PM on February 2, 2008