Ira Newborn's score to the 1991 slapstick classic The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear deftly captures the inspired lunacy of the film. A deliriously inventive satire of the archetypal cinematic themes of Hollywood's golden age, it lampoons the conventions and clichés of genres from romance to film noir with smart-ass affection. Newborn pulls out all the stops here: "Drebin -- Hero!" marshals over-the-top brass, strings, and percussion to create the most over-inflated fanfare imaginable, "Thinking of...Him!" spoofs the ...
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Ira Newborn's score to the 1991 slapstick classic The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear deftly captures the inspired lunacy of the film. A deliriously inventive satire of the archetypal cinematic themes of Hollywood's golden age, it lampoons the conventions and clichés of genres from romance to film noir with smart-ass affection. Newborn pulls out all the stops here: "Drebin -- Hero!" marshals over-the-top brass, strings, and percussion to create the most over-inflated fanfare imaginable, "Thinking of...Him!" spoofs the delirious romance of the pop classic "Unchained Melody," and "The Exciting Chase" stretches adventure themes past their breaking point into the realm of sheer absurdity. Newborn proves himself more than a deconstructionist, however. Each pastiche of styles fits together seamlessly, adding new wit and invention to the same traditions the music mocks so effectively. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi
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