Steampunk. What is it?
It’s a sub-genre of science fiction, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Specifically, steampunk involves an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century and often Victorian era Britain—that incorporates prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy. Works of steampunk often feature anachronistic technology or futuristic innovations as Victorians may have envisioned them.
The movie 9 is a steampunk vision.
The full-length feature produced by Tim Burton was based on director Shane Acker’s Academy Award-nominated 2005 short film of the same name.
While the surviving creations are celebrating, “Over the Rainbow” by Judy Garland plays on a vinyl record. “Welcome Home” by Coheed and Cambria plays in the trailer for the film, with minor censoring.
KOCH released the soundtrack CD which was only available on iTunes before the movie was released. It includes the themes created by Danny Elfman, Deborah Lurie’s score and “Welcome Home”.
The soundtrack complements the film’s grim (yet oddly hopeful) premise of an alternate world where a small band of rag dolls attempts to rescue civilization from the machines bent on destroying it. Lurie, with a little help from Danny Elfman, with whom she has collaborated in the past as an arranger/orchestrator for Charlotte’s Web and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, fills the world of 9 with dark orchestral wonder peppered with the occasional ray of sunshine that suggests a heavy childhood diet of John Williams scores.
Soundtrack Channel 