Judgment Night

AMG Review of Judgment Night

Jason Ankeny
All Music Guide

Alan Silvestri's original score for the 1993 urban hriller Judgment Night was almost completely overshadowed by the film's official soundtrack, which generated considerable notice for its then-novel pairing of hard rock bands with rappers. Indeed, it took a dozen years for Silvestri's music to earn its own official release, and time has not been kind -- a bombastic, often abrasive action score virtually indistinguishable from his work on big-budget popcorn movies like Predator, Judge Dredd, and Eraser, its sheer relentlessness makes for uncommonly uneasy listening. Intrada's 2005 release is nevertheless top-notch, assembling material cut from the completed film as well as track-by-track commentary. Silvestri enthusiasts will find much to savor here, but they're in the minority.