SCORE: Grabbers

[Damien F 1,773]

(foreword: after I finished writing this, I realised how long it is, so sorry for writing this “essay” but I’m hoping it will be worth it for you by the time you reach the end.)

Last month saw the release of a low budget comedy/monster Irish film called Grabbers. It tells the story of a small fictional island off the south coast of Ireland that is terrorised by a massive octopus type creature which has developed a fondness for eating the islanders. The movie has both subtle and obvious references to classic films and three main characters are the island’s local policeman, a nerdy young marine biologist and a crusty old see dog (no need to guess what movie inspired that particular ensemble). A further character is a workaholic policewomen from the big city of Dublin who is visiting the island for holiday cover.

However, the characters discover that alcohol is highly toxic to this creature and, while waiting overnight for reinforcements to arrive after a storm has passed, decide to get as drunk as possible so the monster won’t eat them. That is quite a novel concept and much of the film’s humour arises from the characters attempting to combat this creature while completely tanked. Despite the low budget, the special effects are rather impressive, and the whole movie is highly enjoyable with a healthy dose of humour and excitement – think Jaws meets Tremors. Unfortunately and frustratingly, aside from a few international festivals, it has only been released in Ireland to date. I believe the UK distributors (Sony) are planning to release it theatrically in the UK for an extremely short run at the end of December. That makes absolutely no sense – a tiny Irish movie with no well known actors being released amongst The Hobbit and Django Unchained. What are they thinking?! This is a high quality movie that deserves a much larger audience than it is currently getting.

Its score was written by a young English composer called Christian Henson, who has recently worked on movies such as “The Devil’s Double”, horror “ The Triangle” and medieval thriller “Black Death” with Sean Bean. Although I have seen all of these, none of his scores caught my interest. However, his new score for Grabbers is absolutely outstanding, and often sounds like a long lost Goldsmith score. I guarantee you there are many many members of the worldwide film score community that would love to add this score to their collection. There is a common consensus amongst many film score fans that modern Hollywood scores are currently lacking in melody, thematic intelligence and plain old-fashioned fun. Christian's score provides a welcome remedy for this. It is an excellent throw back to sci-fi scores of the 70s and 80s, particularly by the great Jerry Goldsmith with nice influences from Bernard Herrman and John Williams.

The score is based around three main themes. The first of these is a mystery/monster theme. It is by far the most recurring theme in the movie and is treated to a large amounts of varied occurrences – from subtle 2 or 3 note references, to large scale renditions for the whole orchestra. Whenever I hear this theme in full, I’m always impressed by its length. My gut instinct is that a monster theme for this type of movie would usually end 2 or 3 notes earlier. The theme would still have been perfectly sufficient had Henson decided not to develop it to include those notes at the end, so I admire his decision to do so.

If the monster theme enhances the horror, then the second theme definitely is the heart of the film. I’m calling it Lisa’s theme. Lisa is the policewomen I mentioned earlier and the audience experiences the movie through her. She is played fantastically by a radiant Irish actress called Ruth Bradley. Lisa’s theme is just sublime. There is a hint of Celtic influences, but that never defines the theme in the same way as Horner’s Braveheart for example. It is incredibly lyrical, and often soars with a wide variety of orchestrations – from strings to flutes to ethnic instruments. There is also a B section to this theme which is only heard 2 or 3 times, and adds a sense of enthusiasm and extra warmth. There is also a romantic subplot between Lisa and the island’s local policeman called O’Shea (pronounced o-shay, rhymes with day). Interestingly, Henson doesn’t compose a love theme as such, but instead adds a lovely rising 3 note flute/piccolo counterpoint to Lisa’s theme during the romantic scenes. Adding counterpoint to create a sub-theme from an existing theme is a really interesting approach, and is just one example of the thematic intelligence present in this score that has been lacking in a lot of mainstream Hollywood scores. I think Lisa’s theme is the most beautiful theme of the year so far.

The third major musical idea is an action theme which is certainly the source of most of the score’s fun-factor. It is a bouncy, highly energetic and kinetic theme, sometimes heard on woodwinds to give it a slightly comic feel, or blasting out of the brass at full power during the action scenes. This theme wouldn’t feel out of place amongst Williams’ or Goldsmith’s 70/80s output.

There are also a few minor musical ideas. There is a small motif for the marine biologist character. Aside from providing scientific exposition, he is mostly played for comic relief and his motif reflects this. Also, there is a little 2 note motif very similar to Goldsmith’s time motif from Alien with the echoing trumpets. This movie is full of references to other genre movies, so I wouldn’t be surprised if this trumpet motif is a deliberate homage. I refer to it as the Alien motif.

Without a doubt one of the best scores this year?

OK, so you must be reading this thinking “what is the catch?”? Well, there is a catch, and it’s pretty big – the score hasn’t been released, either officially or unofficially. I’ve only ever heard the score in the movie. I’ve contacted the Irish distributor, placed a query on the official Twitter account, phoned Henson’s management company and even directly emailed the composer (via his official website). I’ve received no feedback whatsoever. Given the budgets involved, I highly doubt we will get a CD release, but I’d gladly settle for iTunes. Most of Henson’s previous scores are on iTunes and they are also for some low-key movies. My hope is that the score will be released on iTunes to accompany the UK’s December release. I’ll keep my fingers crossed because it would be horrible for one of the freshest scores of the last few years to go unreleased.

I appreciate it is difficult to review a score when it hasn’t been released and very few people has seen the movie. The movie’s official website has 10 movie clips that feature the score, but these don’t contain a lot of the score’s highlights. Below, I’ve written commentary about a number of scenes which I consider to be most of the score’s highlights. It does contain spoilers, but the chances of the movie getting a theatrical release outside of the British Isles are microscopic.

There is a short main title sequence where we’re treated to a wonderfully ethereal performance of the mystery/monster theme on harp (I think), then again for a hauntingly beautiful solo for violin. The titles end and we hear the Alien trumpet motif for the first time. The mystery/monster theme returns, but any sense of wonder or beauty is lost because it is played on low strings and sounds very ominous and foreboding.

The next scene plays as Lisa takes a boat to the island. We hear her theme for the first time accompanied by jaunty woodwinds and strings. It is passed around to different instruments, from violin to oboe (I think). We then hear the B section of the theme. Then the A section returns briefly on flutes then trumpets, and back to violin. This cue is full of enthusiasm and beauty, and Lisa’s theme sounds simply sublime.

In the next scene featuring some amazing photography of the rugged Irish landscape, Lisa’s theme takes center stage again, and we get some gorgeous renditions for solo piccolo and a soaring passage for strings. The tone then changes rapidly as short stabbing statements of the Alien motif are played as the horror aspect of the movie takes root.

The first monster attack on the island showcases the mystery/monster theme, initially on woodwinds and then on low strings after the attack. The echoing trumpets a la Alien also return. I love the atmosphere of this cue.

The mystery/monster theme accompany the characters as they explore a cave in search of the monster, and I just adore the foreboding atmosphere and orchestration. A performance of the theme on low bass in the middle of the scene just sounds lethal.

One of the best scenes featuring the action theme accompanies a scene featuring the monster’s offspring, which look kinda like a shoe-sized squid with a massive opening at the front as a mouth and short tentacles. Their cuteness factor is enhanced in this scene, and the action theme is played on woodwinds to accentuate this. The theme is then passed to strings. After a short interlude, the action theme returns, but this time it is much more frenzied. This rendition really highlights the energetic and kinetic qualities of this theme. A stressed version of Lisa’s theme is also heard as O’Shea searches for her in the fire. It is a fun piece of music.

There is a brief moment in the score where Lisa’s theme returns with gusto in full action mode accompanied by throbbing brass counterpoint. It only lasts a few seconds, but it is quite a thrill hearing this after all the beautiful / solo performances of her theme. Honestly, I really feel Henson is channeling his inner Goldsmith here.

The final confrontation with the monster features the most fun action cue I’ve heard in a long while. Despite its short duration (about 2 minutes), it is just so enjoyable – I had my biggest scorgasm in a long time! Lisa’s theme is performed with all guns blazing and its power is intensified by the snare drums and swirling strings. Remember, this is the same cute little theme we heard at the beginning of the movie on solo flute. An amazing transformation of a theme that has proven to be very versatile – a wonderful Williamseque moment. After a brief triumphant fanfare, we get a soaring victorious rendition for full strings accompanied by celebratory flutes similar to the flutes during the benevolent moments of The Hand of Fate from Signs. However, celebrations are cut short by the intrusion of the monster theme as it wraps its tentacle around O’Shea. The action theme returns forcefully as O’Shea fights for his life. He pours highly potent home made alcohol into the month of the creature. As he does so, we hear two notes of the monster theme – a nice subtle and is another example of intelligent scoring. O’Shea is thrown back to the ground and a tortured version of Lisa’s theme is heard while she comforts him. The cue ends with “brass countdown” as Lisa destroys the creature. A wonderful piece of score composing.

The final scene in the movie contains the music is just so beautiful. We hear the three note rising flute/piccolo motif that is used to transform Lisa’s theme for a more romantic feel. Lisa’s theme soars once more before we cut to the credits. The suite starts briefly with intense thriller music based on the Alien motif and then segues into a piece of traditional Irish music, which is actually a source cue as it is heard in the background of a scene in a bar. I’m almost certain this was written specifically for the movie – to my Irish ears, it sounds a little too formally “composed” to be an existing piece. Nevertheless, it is quite beautiful. After that, we are treated to an amazing version of Lisa’s theme, complete with A and B sections plus the 3 note romantic flute/piccolo motif. This sounds simply heavenly, just a pity it isn’t longer. I’d kill for a Williamsesque concert version of this theme. The action theme returns (from Lisa Saves the Day), and the entire movie ends with a very powerful statement of the monster theme.

So these are all the major highlights from the score. Other cues in the film that I’ve not mentioned include a romantic version of Lisa’s theme with the 3 note motif (similar to the end credit suite but quieter and more tender), the first scene featuring the action motif which is not has frantic as these clips but more creepy and sinister mostly on woodwinds high in their register at a slower tempo. There are also numerous other cues featuring various variations of the monster theme, and also the marine biologists motif.

I’m certain many score fans would enjoy it and it really deserves a release. I can see only drawback to the soundtrack. Like another small town/big monster movie, Super 8, the score features a lot of short cues under 1 minute that may interfere with the listening experience, However, clever editing and suite construction can mitigate this. Practically every cue, no matter how short, contains a theme.

I hope to gather enthusiasm for this score on the forum and ask the readers to email the various companies/people involved to request a release, perhaps in conjunction with the UK December release of the movie. We are not dealing with LucasFilm or massive production companies. This is a tiny little film so hopefully they will be responsive if enough people contact them.

Contact details are:

Christian Henson’s email:

enquiries@coolmusicltd.com

christian@hensonmusic.com

Movie’s official twitter (reps from the movie tweet every day)

http://twitter.com/GrabbersMovie

I can’t find an email address for Sony UK. If anyone can find it, please post it here also.

Thanks

[Jay 39,596]

Grabbers is a really cool score!! Check out clips from it here:

http://grabbers.ie/media/

[soundtracknerd 0]

I too tried to contact the composer. I got no feedback. I agree with you this is an amazing score and one of the best this year. I've watched the film 2 times now and I can't get enough of that score. I really hope this will be released soon.

[Damien F 1,773]

Thankfully, the blu-ray will have an isolated score. Can't Wait.

[british_bpm 1]

Thanks dfenton for this very flattering review. I'm sorry not to have responded to your mail, I usually do.

You're spot on when you describe it. On reading the script the director asked me how I imagined the score would sound and I said "like every good movie score I heard when I was growing up". We did some tests to see if this score could be done for the very tight budget and were pleased that it was going to be possible. Originally we had no score for musicians, but as the process expanded we decided to squeeze every penny of budget into a band of 60 players which we recorded in a single day at Air - Studios, London. The original idea of an electronic realisation can be heard though on the odd exception to where the brilliant UK musicians just didn't have the time to "nail it". The entire cue on the first repeat of "Lisa's" theme; a cue which I call "Beach Of Death" switches half way through to 100% electronic. This happens as the music shifts from major to minor as the beach of death is revealed returning to the live orchestra as we bleed into the next scene. Also the very final cue, when this turns to minor and goes into the end roller for that minute or so of orchestral gymnastics, that is also entirely electronic.

I'm with you on the melodic aspects of a lot of modern scores. A lot of which I've written! Composers are asked to be seen and not heard (or rather heard but not noticed) these days, so instead of forming a choral narrative with the listener to provide context, consequence, motivation and risk in addition to the action and dialogue on-screen, we are instead asked to provide "atmosphere" and "mis en scene" where we're either a backdrop or a hyperreal extension of the images and sound FX track. Jon the director took the bold step of wanting to immerse the viewer into his world, once you're in for the ride, you can take a viewer anywhere.

I recently watched an episode of University Challenge where they played a clip from a soundtrack and asked "Which famous John Williams score is this piece of music from". The answers ranged from "ET" to "Raiders..." via "The Goonies", the cue was actually from Jaws, and was one of the shark chase cues. They were all very surprised, and had forgot that in those good ol' days when the sun shone, it really shone but when the clouds formed, they were of a darker azure than you get these days, and this in part was achieved by contrast, for without light no shadows form surely?

It was great to work on something where the director and I shared the same ambition. More importantly he understood how best it would be achieved from a process point of view. One key idea was not allowing temp to penetrate the process, if anything was ever edited to temp I never heard it. Jon felt that there is no way for a composer to be truly original, whether compositionally or simply from concept and approach if guided by temp. The other key to the process was .... time. I had the best part of 6 months to work on it. This didn't mean I was on the show for that entire period. But Jon allowed me to address the score in bursts of activity. In fact at one point Jon said "I need you not to work on this for a couple of weeks now as I need your true objectivity and you can only do that if you move away from it for a bit". So it was a gloriously luxurious process of coming up with the themes, temping the odd loosely cut sequence, to scoring the whole picture to soft lock. Taking a "vacation" of several weeks during a CGI hiatus (lots of FX shots in this show) only to fine polish and adjust to the final, slightly tweaked lock before the process of orchestration, production and mixing occurred.

I'm hoping an iTunes release of the score will coincide with the release, it has been promised. But these can seem frustratingly difficult to coordinate if experience is anything to go by. If however you have a Blu-Ray player the Jon has kindly organised it so the whole score can be listened to in isolation in full 5.1.

Good news, Jon has a really exciting project in the pipeline which will feature another collaboration with myself. When I asked him how he envisaged the score he said "start where we left off on Grabbers...."

In the meantime I hope some of you brits get along to a screening of it when it is released in December in the UK.

Thanks again..

Christian Henson (composer - Grabbers).

[Incanus 5,817]

Thank you dfenton85 for your enthusiastic and great review and write up on the score.

I hope we get a chance to hear this music soon, either as an iTunes release or on the Blu-Ray. I wonder if this film will ever reach Finland on bigger screens.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,426]

Very insighful

[Jay 39,596]

Bumping up this thread because the score is getting released by Movie Score Media on Monday, and you can hear the samples here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00UXKBMNQ/

[JoeinAR 1,953]

I have the film in my Netflix que.

[Jay 39,596]

It's funny