What I didn't realize then but do now is how often the music sets the mood in science fiction films. Of course, that's true of any type of movie, but there's always been something special about many of the eerie sounds that were associated with sci-fi. I might not have been consciously aware of it when I was a boy, but when the theme song from The Day The Earth Stood Still came out of the theater's speakers, it helped put us into the right frame of mind to be terrified.
But it's not just kids that are affected. I was an adult when I first watched the opening moments of the new Star Trek - Next Generation TV series. I hadn't particularly been a huge fan of the original, but decided to try the debut episode of the updated version. It started with a moving and visceral view of deep space, accompanied by some soft, but eerie and unusual musical sounds that gradually built and led into the strong voice of Patrick Stewart. Even before the actual theme song itself started I was hooked.
Through the years a lot of sci-fi films and TV shows have given extra attention to the music — Close Encounters, the Star Wars saga, and many others. I just hope the makers of Keanu's new movie remember to spend some time on the music. I plan to give the movie a try, and sometimes special effects just aren't enough.
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