Reused music in "Unfortunate Events" trailer

Cafe Society
1

So I went to see Team America last night and there was a trailer for Jim Carrey’s new film, A Series of Unfortunate Events, which is loosely based on the book in the same way that Jaws was loosely based on my high school biology text. But that’s not important right now. What I noticed was the music – specifically, that I’d heard it before. It was a meandering keyboard/tubular bells piece, and I’m certain it’s been played over the opening credits or scene of a very famous movie. I would even say that it was by the guy who did the music for American Beauty, in a movie with a very similar feel. For some reason, the opening scenes of that film and Edward Scissorhands keep coming to mind, as though the music belonged in a “suburban neighborhood waking up” montage.

Can anyone ID the tune? You can view the trailer (small version, Quicktime, so you can hear the tune quickly) here: http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/lemony_snickets/theatrical_small.html

For bonus points – on the assumption that they borrowed the incidentals from other films, too – what’s the rest of the incidental music from?

2

It appears the composer’s Thomas Newman, who also did the main theme to Six Feet Under, which might be where you’re hearing the deja vu from. http://www.soundtrackcollector.com/catalog/soundtrackdetail.php?movieid=68365

3

Deja vu for sure - I’ve heard that music in a TV commercial. IBM Business Solutions, I think…

4

Holy carp, now that I check his resumé on IMDB, I think it might be the music for Nemo’s first day of school in Finding Nemo. Anyone have the soundtrack who can confirm this?

5

There are about 5 or 6 bits of music in that trailer.

I think you are talking about the first one. To me it has that Sim City/Six Feet Under/American Beauty/Road to Perdition sound.

There is also some Edward Siccorhands in it later.

6

I don’t have an answer but now that I’ve seen this trailer I’m no longer excited about this movie. As a matter of a fact, I don’t think I even want to see it.

7

What was up with the choice of trailers, anyway? We saw TA:WP and had TWO SpongeBob trailers, Unfortunate Events and Saw.

8

Yeah, we got the Spongebob one too. Did they think puppets == kids and forget the R rating?

9

Since the music is generally one of the last things to be added to a film, it is common practice for them to use “temp tracks” in trailers until the actual soundtrack is finished. A lot of times they’ll use classical pieces in trailers that give the same effect as the soon-to-be-completed original score, since they’re out of copyright.

10

Spongebob has a large adult following. Much the same demographic as Stone and Parker aim at.

11

Yeah, I got a pretty bizarre set of trailers, too. The Life Aquatic, Spongebob, and Unfortunate Events were all there, and I think we saw one other trailer, too. Apparently it’s very hip to watch Spongebob, so the crossover is there.

So I’ve narrowed it down to a song from Nemo, American Beauty, or Shawshank. I’m pretty sure it’s not Shawshank, but the other two I can’t find online samples of to listen to. Anyone out there with the soundtrack? Anyone? Bueller?

12

That music is from the soundtrack to the film Pay It Forward which was composed by Thomas Newman, who yes, also did American Beauty & Finding Nemo. Give me a minute and I’ll get the exact track name for you.

13

Oh and as soon as that track ends, the second piece of music that picks up is the Edward Scissorhands theme.

14

It is the first song on the soundtrack called “Possibility.”

Yes, I do have this soundtrack.

What? :rolleyes:

I like Thomas Newman. :slight_smile: