Not Releasing The Ghost In The Shell Score Is A Crime Against Humanity

WTF HAPPENED.

In case you forgot about it a little known sci-fi movie starring one of the biggest actress in the world, adapted from one of the most influential manga stories of all time came out last year and flopped so bad the studio involved didn't even bother to release the score. How bad does a movie have to be to not even bother putting up the soundtrack on a digital release?  Paramount wanted to wipe their hands of this movie so quick they robbed us film fans of the only thing that was particularly good about the movie in the first place: The music.

Clint Mansell & Lorne Balfe managed to create an epic soundscape while working on this film. As I sat and watched it many things stood out. The visuals and effects are outstanding, given Rupert Sanders eye for visual eye candy, but the score stood out on its own. The film  isn't even that bad to be honest. Sure it's barely able to scratch the surface of what the manga is about. It doesn't go deep enough into it's complex characters and setting but I was never bored watching it. Given the chance I'd probably catch it again on Blu-ray just to marvel at the technical wonder on display.

But until then listening to the score would of been an absolute delight. And to only find out after the movie was over, to my horror, nothing ever came out involving Clint Mansell/Lorne Balfe and Ghost In The Shell. Not a vinyl, not a CD, not even a fucking Spotify playlist. How cool would it have looked to have a Ghost in the Shell vinyl soundtrack sitting on your shelf? And how EVIL do you have to be to not give us that? Or any type of soundtrack? What kind of devil-worshiping, baby-eating-crazed-demonic fanatic do you have to be to say "Fuck it. To hell with the score. Let them suffer through the movie again. On to the next!" You have to understand. This isn't some low budget indie movie scored from your mom's basement. No. This is a big budget popcorn movie starring one of the most profitable actresses around, slated to be a hit, and possibly a franchise, primed to ship out CD's by the truck load to collectors everywhere only to get sent to the trash. What the hell happened? How as a human being do you deprive us of a new Clint Mansell score to dream too? How can you live with yourself?

So here we are as film music fans stuck with a masterful score in limbo and a Scarlett Johansson movie nobody really wants to see anymore. Kids the world is a cruel place. Let's hope some brave soul is able to rip the soundtrack from the movie.

Until then at least the skin suit is nice to look at in the mean time.