music & movies top Atmos scenes
mother! (2017)
The final third.
Part home-invasion horror, part climate-change parable, mother! has an ingenious Dolby Atmos soundtrack that does all the heavy lifting. Mostly it is filmed subjectively from central character ‘mother's perspective, either over the shoulder, in close-up or POV, and the only long shots are when she's alone.
The soundtrack reflects what mother hears. Everything, not just what is shown on screen, is given a defined position that is always slightly elevated. The house's presence as a character is intensified through sounds such as creaks and rattling pipes manipulated to become more human-sounding. As the invasion progresses into a fever dream, these small exaggerations increase and become overwhelming in number and intensity. Even with chaos erupting and people swarming the house, dialogue and actions remain detailed, clear and precisely placed, fading in and out of mother's focus. The film builds into a sustained bedlam with some tremendous low-end effects to test your subwoofer.
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015)
The hunt…
Former cop Max Rockatansky is adrift in a world that's been engulfed by the desert, and haunted by the memories of those he has failed to save. Visually it is relentless, and while you certainly wouldn't call the soundtrack subtle, it is incredibly focused and stunningly layered, directing the viewer's attention within the often dense picture while maintaining an epic sense of scale.
From gunshots echoing through the desert wasteland and sandstorms tearing overhead, to Max's internal headspace (and often mumbled dialogue), this two-hour chase opera boasts impressive dynamism and some exceptional moments of sonic respite. The hunt scene shows how Atmos can help ground even the most outlandish of scenarios. As the cars and their unique engine sounds steer across the soundfield, they are accompanied by Junkie XL's furious orchestral soundtrack. Distorted guitar riffs flare up whenever the camera cuts to the Doof Warrior and his double-neck flaming guitar; angry drums underpin while strings and beats are carefully woven into the action.
UNCUT GEMS (2019)
The opening scene.
Howard (Adam Sandler) is a jeweller in New York's frantically paced Diamond District who attempts to auction off a rare Ethiopian opal for a massive return. The opening colonoscopy proves a minor discomfort within the grand scheme of a fake marriage, while hiding his girlfriend from his children, and he's $100,000 in debt to a nasty loan shark, and selling the opal is his escape plan.
As he continues to fall from one predicament to another, each time using the source of his problems as
