ASW

I missed the interview on TCM, but managed to catch a bit of Ben Hur, which I hadn't seen a while. I also fondly remember his brief appearance on a Friends episode... "Get outta there so I can kick your butt" .... A truly iconic actor has been lost. Rest in Peace, Mr. Heston

Does anyone here know the music that is heard in this Monty Python sketch? You can hear it right from the beginning. Thanks! ASW

Doesn't Horner have a doctorate or something in theory and composition? I suppose that kind of training would account for his being so adept with the orchestra, again on a technical level.

Yeah, creativity debates aside, on a technical level Horner writes at a very high standard. Well see, the reason I think that composing in sleep mode is so listenable is because I'm always interested by different iteration of the same idea. I sort of think of it as a pan-career thematic development, and that aspect of it makes it an almost comfort food like thing to me. The basis for his works are very sound. It's the same reason I think Love Pledge and the Arena is the best of AotC. Yes it's one more stylistic derivative of Belly of the Steel Beast, but it's still good, because it's based on more than just solid material. It's why I think Insurrection, pastoral and action, is one of Goldsmith's top end scores. He finally takes that damn motif/theme he'd been using and using every score for the end of the 90s, and makes it work. He gives it what it should always have had. No, they don't blow me away with shock value, nor do they end up being very challenging, but they are still intriguing. Those familiar phrases will never be as magnificent as something newly discovered, but mom's chicken soup will always win over the wife's. Human's are naturally inclined to enjoy and find comfort in what they are familiar with. So no, Horner's music isn't stale and bland quite yet, because his foundation is sound. I still felt that familiar tingle when I heard that tension Apollo 13/Titanic piece in Chronicles "Desperate Run Through..." Soundly argued. I agree to a certain degree as this does apply to a fair amount of Hornerisms. But to go on what publicist was saying, at times it still seems like it's more regurgitation than exploration of existing material, like that piano motif in "The Wedding" in Deep Impact that resurfaces throughout Bicentennial Man

I mentioned this in an earlier thread but thought it might fit here. The end of the end credits cue in Goldsmith's Poltergeist doesn't quite make you jump but it's really unsettling if you're not expecting it. There's also this really weird sound in I think it's "Roy's First Encounter" or "Chasing UFOs" in CE3K that's really creepy. I'll post up tracktimes when I get the chance but does anyone know what's making that sound? and ditto on "Facehuggers"

I'm not nearly as big a fan of his as I once was and rarely listen to his work anymore. That said, I still find much to appreciate in some of his work. For me, there's a certain maturity and sensitivity to the final 2 cues of Backdraft that he's never quite recaptured. I don't know if it's all his work or if the orchestrations are not his...all I can say is that it worked beautifully in the film. I can't quite describe it but he came close to doing this in parts of The Lion King. I keep hearing that his smaller works for drama are quite good, but of those I'm really only familiar with As Good As It Gets which I quite like. ASW

Indeed. Roughly 1:05 in Barrel off Starboard in the Anniversary Edition has quite a good one that follows over a minute of relative calm. Don't remember if it's actually in the film though...I think it was... Also, the action that follows the suspense music in Ludlow's Demise is also quite sudde, but if I recall that's an edit of two separate cues so it only applies on album. O well ASW

That motif in Return of the Jedi that's heard whenever ships are approaching the Death Star II, heard after the main titles, and later on during the Battle of Endor when the squadron leaders are all reporting in, has always been a favourite. There's also a sort of militaristic motif heard in the action music at the start of "The Tide Turns/The Death of Darth Maul" in TPM: UE that's also kinda cool. If I'm not mistaken, this motif was used much more extensively before all the crazy editing/butchering Lucas did to the film before its release, but I'm not entirely sure about this. Either way, it's an awesome little motif. oh, and the Panama Hat guy has a neat little motif as well in The Last Crusade ASW

Indeed, especially when Ben Gardner's head pops out. There's also one in "T-Rex Rescue and Finale" at the quiet bit starting from 4:00ish ("the phones are working") to about 4:08. Highly effective with the volume turned up. The opening to "Asthma Attack" in Howard's Signs also comes to mind.

Ditto, although often it might not necessarily be from an obscure score or composer, but just a more unremarkable passage from even a well-known score that might only last several seconds. Horner does have that effect on some people I've also had the experience of where I've fallen asleep listening to music and it will be playing in whatever dream that follows, sometimes even if whatever's going on in the dream doesn't fit the music at all. Other times random film music might just end up playing in the "soundtrack" of a dream even if it wasn't actually playing before I fell asleep.

yup sure did, and enjoyed every minute of it. I had some minor complaints like Neil did but overall I my expectations were exceeded as I initally wasn't sure how a youth orchestra would compare to some of the recordings done by the Boston Pops or other orchestras. Fortunately their performance was very good! and I too would have loved to hear Superman ASW, who just saw Lang Lang perform a Beethoven piano concerto and enjoyed that as well

Too bad that he should die so soon after that, though. What I find happens more often than not is that I'll think an actor or other famous person is dead only to find out years later that he's ACTUALLY died. I think that was case with Alec Guinness, whom I originally thought had passed away in the mid 80s until he really died in 1999 (or was it 2000?)

Rest in Peace I was surprised to read a few months back to find out that he was alive, and thought it was cool that an actor from that generation was still around. He had a great career, but it's sad that he's gone now.

that's almost as funny as that article someone posted up here a few years back that was all about John Williams the guitarist but featured only pictures of John Towner Williams as visual aids!

Hello, I realize this was back on Sunday but I haven't been able to find time to post here for a while so I thought I'd ask, did anyone here go to the AYS Concert? It was my first Williams concert so I was pretty psyched about it even though he declined to sign autographs (the guy I talked to at the Information Desk said JW was 'tempermental' about not signing autographs for that evening...I guess he was going to meet enough crazed fans at the gala afterward). I know Neil S. Bulk went and I'm curious to know if anyone else was there, and to hear what people thought of it. ASW

I remember a quote from him that went like "we've all helped ourselves to the works of others" or something to that effect. I believe he was talking about James Horner on that one. An example of Williams plagiarism I've remembered is a section from the action cues near the climax of Superman that sounds a bit like a passage from the credits section of Throne Room/End Titles. I realize that's not very descriptive but I don't have a track title for the Superman cue or track times handy at the moment. ASW 2:05-2:21 - "Chasing Rockets" from Superman (the Rhino release), the string motif under the brass 1:26-1:30ish in "The Battle of Yavin" and after the first grand statement of the Rebel Fanfare in "Throne Room/End Titles" (around 2:20ish), also under the brass I'm not sure if it quite qualifies as plagiarism now that I've listened to these again, but they are kind of similar. Incidentally, there's something that also sounds similar at the 9:46 mark of "Bavmorda's Spell is Cast" in Horner's Willow, which I should probably have posted in the Horner thread but whatever. Not sure if this counts as plagiarism either... just thought I'd bring them up. Thoughts? ASW

I've always thought the piano solo in "George Walks" from Father of the Bride: Part II had a similar sound to "You're no Different" from Forrest Gump. It probably doesn't quite qualify as plagiarism but the rhythm of both melodies is definitely similar. ASW, who likes both cues, and also agrees that this thread is a bit excessive, but decided to add to it anyway

I remember a quote from him that went like "we've all helped ourselves to the works of others" or something to that effect. I believe he was talking about James Horner on that one. An example of Williams plagiarism I've remembered is a section from the action cues near the climax of Superman that sounds a bit like a passage from the credits section of Throne Room/End Titles. I realize that's not very descriptive but I don't have a track title for the Superman cue or track times handy at the moment. ASW

Another non-Williams example. Bernard Herrmann's use of the Rosebud motif in Citizen Kane is really quite clever in that he with every time he uses it he hints at what Rosebud really is, even though Welles' and Mankiewitz's (spelling?) script do not. It's particularly subtle in the scene where Kane meets Susan. I made a point of bringing the motif up in my film class after we watched it...a shame that music was virtually never discussed by anyone else in the class for the films we watched. ASW

I just listened to the aforementioned sections of the Big Rescue and agree that it's not the Horner danger motif, but it's all in chromatic steps (at least that's what I think I'm hearing)...so that might lend to any perceived similarity. Still can't remember that other Williams danger motif example... I think it may have been in a SW score...one of the prequels perhaps....anyone else know it? Edit - I found it!...the last few seconds of "The Senate [War Clouds and an Alliance with Boss Nass]" in TPM:UE have a few statements of what sounds like the Danger Motif

It also appears in "Lex Luthor's Lair" near the end of the track...and I know I've heard it in another Williams cue as well but can't quite remember

I was actually quoting C-3PO in ESB but that thought had actually occured to me as I typed it

haha It took me forever to realize that was the Klingon motif in that scene in ST V. I'd listened to the cue a number of times but never made the connection until I watched the film. Indeed, an awesome moment. .In response to Maglorfin's post. hmm....I think you mean short enough to be a motif rather than a theme . I think calling it a leitmotif still applies as the motif still represents something in the narrative, i.e. the Ring's power to tempt people etc. ASW

It's not?

Yes. At least that's also the earliest score in which I've heard it.