Author Archives: Seanplaywrite

About Seanplaywrite

My name is Seán and I've just started studying for my Masters in Creative Writing. I've been writing for ten years and have been published in an anthology. I have a huge range of interests - Music, Reading, Writing, Movies, Theatre, Comics - anything arts based! I'm based in Dublin, and often perform piano at gigs. I've been lucky enough to stage and direct several original plays, both by myself and others. Writing is where my heart lies - everyday, sometimes for hours at a time, I can usually be found typing away, with only a little candle and a constant source of tea! I have awards in music and writing - but I'm always pressing myself to do better and to achieve more!

Seán’s Movie Music Magorium: Interview with the Vampire

  By Seanplaywrite | October 28, 2010 - 9:00 am | Movies & TV, Soundtracks, The Culch
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Eliot Goldenthal’s score for Neil Jordan’s ‘Interview with the Vampire’ is dark, frightening, luscious, pensive and evocative. Opening with the piece ‘Libera me’ the story of Louis Pont Du Lac is reflected in the twisted melodies floating over the coast of San Francisco. This movie changed the genre of vampire films for years to come – seeing the story unfold through the eyes of a tormented man, revolted at the nature of his being would lead to countless other vampire-p.o.v. films. This movie has the good fortune to be scored by Goldenthal, who not only composed an Oscar nominated score but did it in three weeks. Listening to a track like ‘Libera me’, it is a display of pure talent. As the credits roll, we are drawn into this world. One sustained note brings us into the score – a drawn out string, leading to a choir of boys joining … There’s more →

Seán’s Movie Music Magorium: Hannibal

  By Seanplaywrite | October 7, 2010 - 9:30 am | Movies & TV, Music, The Culch
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Based upon the Thomas Harris novel of the same name, and released in 2001, just over ten years after The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal is the much-anticipated follow up to the characters of the Academy-Award winning Silence. Directed by Ridley Scott, this movie is a horse of a different colour. It deals more directly with the character of Hannibal Lector than the original, as he lives now in Florence. Clarice Starling returns, now a ten-year veteran, to be manipulated by corrupt politicians and police forces in the hunt for Lector. The climax, involving Lector and Starling and a heavily made-up Ray Liotta, differs from that in the book and is a very different offering from Silence. That is one word that must be kept in mind while thinking of this film as a follow up to that one – different. This is a violent film. This is a follow … There’s more →

Seán’s Movie Music Magorium: True Blood Season 1

  By Seanplaywrite | September 29, 2010 - 12:05 pm | Movies & TV, Music, Soundtracks, The Culch, TV
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Nathan Barr’s score for the first season of HBO’s vampire series ‘True Blood’ is a display of a man on a mission. He writes, arranges and performs the music himself – all by himself. The music, in keeping with practicalities, is minimalist for the most part. It sometimes stays in the background as Sookie, Bill or Sam face danger after danger (after danger) and sometimes becomes a part of the story – Eric’s ode from his younger days or Gran being taken home. Much of the season floats in mystery – the score reflects this. The released album contains 21 tracks and is a fair representation of the soundtrack of the show – it combines most of the elements of the musical narrative, not in order, but in a musical flow. The show itself is a mix of sex, violence and good ole’ fashioned home cooking. It’s a more adult … There’s more →

Seán’s Movie Music Magorium: Alien3

  By Seanplaywrite | September 23, 2010 - 9:30 am | Movies & TV, Music, Soundtracks, The Culch
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This is the first of Seán Ferrick’s look at music scores from film and TV. In this series, Seán is going to look at his favourite soundtracks and scores from a range of different movie genres and television shows. Please make him feel welcome to the Culch.ie fold. - Darren Elliot Goldenthal’s score for Alien3 exists among controversy. The film itself suffered behind the scenes from day one and therefore the fact that a score so haunting, so powerful and so evocative belongs to a movie that really should never have been made is nothing short of amazing. Let me begin by saying – Alien3 is a great film. I use this term because it seemed to be a case that, where anything could go wrong, it did on this film. Featuring three directors, several heavily controlled script re-writes and a cast that all but deny the film’s existence, this … There’s more →