“Jerry Goldsmith and the Judge Dredd Trailer Music” might sound like a Nancy Drew-style detective novel, but the only mystery here is why the 1995 version of Judge Dredd is so ardently hated. I mean is this a kickass entrance or what?
Regardless of the film’s merits, demerits, or why Sylvester Stallone’s pants are so tight that he looks like he should be singing on a stage with Will Ferrell and Jimmy Fallon, the trailer for the movie features some face-melting music composed by Jerry Goldsmith that everyone can rally behind.
Rumor has it that director Danny Cannon initially brought composer David Newman (Stargate, Sherlock) on board to write the movie’s score, continuing their working relationship since Newman had scored Cannon’s previous film, The Young Americans (1993).
Newman was eventually replaced by Jerry Goldsmith, though some sources say it was the other way around and Goldsmith came in first, being replaced by Newman. Either way, Newman ended up taking the Long Walk without composing any music for the film.
Goldsmith went to work on the score, but several scheduling conflicts reared their ugly heads like hungry members of the Angel Gang and forced him to drop out during the production.
Before he left Mega-City One for the wastelands of the Cursed Earth, however, Goldsmith left the filmmakers with one finished musical cue, which is heard in the trailer above.
Ultimately, Alan Silvestri was brought on as the official, permanent, compose-it-now-before-they-decide-to-switch-composers again tunesmith for the film.
Since then, the Judge Dredd trailer music has become a fan favorite action cue, and why it isn’t played before every football game, police academy graduation, and chili cook-off I’ll never know.
Composer Joel McNeely (Dark Angel, Shadows of the Empire) arranged the theme for the 2011 compilation album Hollywood ’95, while composer John Beal (Harry Potter in Concert) has also released his own arrangement.
The cue has also been used in several other movie trailers. If you’ve seen the films listed below (as well as Judge Dredd) you may notice that using this theme tends to make the movies look way better than they actually are.
Jerry Goldsmith…is…THE LAW!
1. Lost in Space (1998)
2. Paycheck (2003)
3. The Phantom (1996)
Watch your movies. Wear your movies.
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