New Sound for Old Movies

One of L.A.’s freshest nightlife events--a mix of classic films and progressive tunes served up by DJ Thomas Golubic--was born of questionable manners and small revenge. Thank goodness for bad behavior.

Several months ago, Golubic, one half of the music supervision team for HBO’s “Six Feet Under,” was enjoying a quiet night at home when three friends dropped by. Not only were they uninvited, Golubic recalls, “they were not in their right minds.” He didn’t want his unexpected guests driving, however, so he plopped them down in front of the TV. Darren Aronofsky’s dark 2000 film, “Requiem for a Dream,” a favorite of his, was just beginning.

“I thought I should turn the sound down and put some music on to freak them out,” Golubic says. He ended up DJ-ing through the final credits, basically rescoring the film while his friends watched and listened. “The next day one of my friends called and said, ‘Dude, that was amazing.’ So I thought let me try this thing and see if there’s any validity,” he says. The result is Synchronize, a free monthly--sometimes bimonthly--event in the plush, spacious lounge at West Hollywood’s Moomba.

Unlike Golubic’s impromptu effort at home, these are musically scripted affairs; he spends hours masterminding in advance. “Most of the creativity is in how I move from one track to another,” he says. The other difference is that in the club he layers the dialogue over the music.

Synchronize debuted quietly in March with, appropriately enough, “Requiem for a Dream.” Then came “Blade Runner.” Earlier this month, Golubic rescored Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey.” About 100 people, most in their late 20s and early 30s and mainly musicians, industry people, FOTs (friends of Thomas), or some combination thereof, showed up.

“It’s a wonderful change of pace from the multiplexes,” said Amy Rosen, a music supervisor who attended the screening with a group of friends. “I hate the prices, the lines, the noise like crying kids. This is closer in spirit to when our parents went to the movies, like an event.”

But this is not an ultra-hush Writers Guild-style screening environment. The lights are dimmed but not dark. Candles flicker on the tables. There’s the occasional shake, shake, shake of ice on metal from the bar as well as the chatter and laughter of friends and couples who consider the film more atmosphere than focal point. People wander out to the parking lot for a smoke. But the majority of the audience sits quietly transfixed, sometimes grooving in their seats to the music, sipping martinis, cosmos, or red wine.

“It’s an interesting take, especially for things you’ve already seen, because it puts a new perspective on it musically,” said Kyle Schember, who was there with his Rockstar bandmate Ryan Stuit. “And honestly,” Stuit said, “where can you order a New York strip and watch a movie at the same time?”

Many of the artists featured in the Synchronize rescores can also be heard on Golubic’s weekly late-night radio show, “Swing Shift,” on KCRW-FM (89.9). “2001,” for example, included tracks from Groove Armada, David Sylvian and Holger Czukay, Brian Eno, Radiohead, Rinocerose, Sigur Ros, Royksopp and DJ Spooky. “I try to avoid music with lyrics because I really don’t want the lyrics to distract you,” Golubic says. “And I try not to use music that was available at the time the movie was made.”

Among the “2001” audience members who made it to the end of the often contemplative, nearly 21/2-hour film was Vickie Curea, a psychotherapist who’d seen it several times before. “I was totally surprised and pleasantly so,” she said. “I thought the way he interpreted many of the scenes in the film, he heightened the sense of fun and absurdity.” She also appreciated the comfy couch she and her friend scored by arriving early. “I think that anybody that’s a fan of movies and eclectic music would groove on something like this. I don’t know if it would hit in Fargo, but it would in Chicago.”

Tonight, Synchronize will feature “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.” Akira Kurosawa’s “Ran” is slated for next month with accompaniment from electronic composer George Sarah and a live string trio. Among the films Golubic is considering for later in the summer are “Barbarella,” “Mad Max” and Jacques Tati’s “Playtime.” He wants to do Wim Wender’s “Wings of Desire” down the line and the Hong Kong action flick “The Heroic Trio.”

“I choose films that have a very distinctive visual storytelling approach,” Golubic says, “films that are not dialogue- or narrative- based.” He also gravitates to films that have good music to begin with. After all, where’s the challenge in reinterpreting a mess?

Synchronize, tonight, 9 p.m., at Moomba, 665 N. Robertson Blvd., West Hollywood. Also June 20, July 25 and Aug. 22. (310) 652-6364.