It finally got cold in Atlanta today and decided to rain with some gusto as well — pretty fantastic when your state has been on the verge of running out of water for several months. But because I had stuff to do I couldn’t use the cold, wet afternoon to it’s fullest, which means I’m not laying around eating, drinking and alternating between listening to recent music and (finally) polishing off Super Mario Galaxy.
A news item on Twitch has me pining for the lazy musical Saturday even more. Seems that Mogwai has signed on to do the music for Valhalla Rising, the viking epic helmed by Pusher director Nicholas Winding Refn. I got word of the film from the man himself over a year ago when the Pusher trilogy was released in the states, but hadn’t actually thought about it much since then.
The film’s synopsis:
For years, One-Eye, a mute warrior of supernatural strength, has been
held prisoner by the chieftain Barde. Aided by a boy, Are, he kills his
captor and together they escape, beginning a journey into the heart of
darkness. On their flight from bounty hunters, One-Eye and Are board a
Viking vessel for Norway, but the ship is soon engulfed by an endless
fog that first disintegrates as they sight an unknown land. As the new
land reveals its secrets and the Vikings meet a ghastly fate, One-Eye
discovers his true self.
A viking movie isn’t something I’ve got a lot of interest for at this point. But Refn directs, Mads Mikkelsen stars and Mogwai scores. I am 100% sold. I loved the Pusher series to death, and the second film has probably turned me into a lifelong Mikkelsen fan. Mogwai, meanwhile, has acquitted themselves quite well with scores for several films, most recently including their contributions to The Fountain and Zidane.
I won’t forget about Valhalla Rising again.