From Lalo Schifrin's supremely jazzy Bullit score to Howard Shore's resonant theme to The Departed, Cult Cuts is an 18 track compilation of the very best landmark film music which has inspired score composers over the last forty years...

I am not a big fan of compilation albums. To my mind they are only ever any good as tasters for those that don't usually buy full soundtracks. The majority of the time they are throwaway gifts that people, not in the know, but for that film buff in the family.

The album kicks off with the annoying 'Twisted Nerve Main Theme' from Kill Bill. I say annoying, as a whistling man has never been my favourite main instrument. The rest of this albums tracks are a mismatch of average to poor musical offerings - nothing to do with the way they are performed, just that they were rather dull pieces in the first place.

Highlights include 'To the Roof' from The Bourne Supremacy - although the digital file we downloaded from the publisher sounded like it was skipping several times; 'Road to Perdition' from Road to Perdition; and 'Main Theme' from The Last Emperor.

Low points include 'The Wings' from Brokeback Mountain which is a pretty poor attempt at recreating the original track - which is much meatier; the aforementioned 'Twisted Nerve Main Theme' from Kill Bill; and 'You're so Cool' from True Romance - I'm sorry but Xylophones (or whatever variation on the instrument this is), when used as a main instrument, are are not cool!

I also take issue with just about every aspect of the marketing of this release. Firstly I'd argue that a lot of these movies are not cult movies, and secondly 'music from the modern cinema' incorporates tracks from Bullitt (1968), Dirty Harry (1971) and China Town (1974) none of which I'd say were modern.

It's also an odd collection of tracks. It was almost as though someone had started to compile a CD of classic cop / detective / mystery tracks... and then thought better of it and threw in any old rubbish in the vault. The DVD cover further confuses the matter by offering nothing of use to perspective purchasers.

As a last minute gift for someone who likes movies, but generally doesn't buy soundtracks, this will probably do. But anyone who enjoys soundtracks will find nothing of interest here.

3

Darren Rea