Michael Giacchino's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) - 2022 Expanded Edition now available

[mrbellamy 6,287]

RIP

 

[Cerebral Cortex 3,357]

5 minutes ago, Matt C said:

Sorely disappointed by this. There's definitely something else going on. Desplat has worked under a tight schedule with reshoots before (he recorded The Danish Girl a week before the premiere), so that sounds out-of-character.

 

That's what I was thinking. I wonder how Edwards feels about all of this. Not only is the film being partially reshot without his director, but now his composer of choice also gets thrown aside. 

Very interested to hear what Giacchino will cook up, but I admit I was looking forward to what Desplat's take would be. I feel like Desplat would have steered the musical identity of the Star Wars films more greatly into uncharted territories than Giacchino will do. What do I know though? 

[TheUlyssesian 2,478]

Desplat is NOT a better composer than Giacchino. Desplat composes small pretty chamber nothings for Oscar dramas. 

 

His work is just clinical without emotion, rarely film elevating. 

 

Gia is the real deal. I mean of course he isn't Williams. But who is?

 

 

[mrbellamy 6,287]

8 minutes ago, Cerebral Cortex said:

I wonder how Edwards feels about all of this. Not only is the film being partially reshot without his director, but now his composer of choice also gets thrown aside.

 

I think we're going to get some very interesting interviews from Gareth Edwards a few years from now.

[Jay 37,368]

Not if he wants to keep working for Hollywood

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

FUCK.

[Matt C 454]

Is the studio going back to London to record the Rogue One score, or will it be L.A. musicians like The Force Awakens was?

 

Giacchino's still in London working on Doctor Strange, and probably can alternate sessions with Rogue One.

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

I can't wait to see Episode VIII, scored by Michael Giacchino, edited and directed by Disney.

[Jay 37,368]

Giacchino already recorded the bulk of Strange in August, and only returned to London for pickups, inserts, and the end credits.

 

He'll write Rogue One at his house and record it in LA

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Desplat IS a better composer than Giacchino, and I'd wager that most people who actually do music themselves would agree. I know at least those I am in contact with do.

See, the thing is, he's actually a composer in the strict sense of that one word. Giacchino is part of the new generation that is specifically a film composer. I don't think that's a good thing. Whether you come from a rock band previously or writing for the concert hall, I think it's important to have some sort of musical foundation beyond, before, the cinema. Then, you come into that world and see what there is to do.

Giacchino is learning as he goes, and very obviously. He's had very powerful moments. Maybe one or two consistently powerful scores. I expect that to increase.

Desplat has immense subtlety and depth and finesse and imagination, and most importantly, he comes from his own place musically, while Giacchino is often tripped up by his models.

One is better at the moment, but the other can certainly improve, and is improving, and will keep improving. Sad to see certain posters can't accept that, and need to artificially aggrandize their chosen composers.

[Gnome in Plaid 219]

I really don't know how I feel about this.  Desplat is easily the better composer, but there's a certain sound I expect from the Star Wars universe, and I'm just not sure that's something he's capable of delivering.  Don't get me wrong: I love a lot of Desplat scores, but his "big" scores (The Golden Compass, his two Harry Potter scores, Godzilla)  have left me pretty unimpressed.  Like Zimmer, he's at his best when he's given license to be more "quirky," and from what I'm expecting from Rogue One (basically a gritty spy story set in the Expanded Universe), it seems really far from his wheelhouse.  Giacchino hasn't shown a lot of inventiveness, but if there's anyone who can do "John Williams pastiche," it's him (or John Debney, or Joel McNeely, both of whom I would've preferred to Desplat or Giacchino).  The fact is, there's a set "language" for Star Wars, and even excellent scores that have taken place in that world (Jesse Harlin's Republic Commando is mainly what I'm thinking of) that haven't followed that model have, at least to me, just haven't been "Star Wars."  Giacchino isn't the most imaginative composer out there, but he's perfectly technically competent and this sort of project is where he's at his best.  I'd hope that some day we can hear what Desplat's recorded for Rogue One (or if nothing else, his demos like Hummie Mann's Brokedown Palace), but I can't help but think Giacchino might be a more natural pick for the film.

 

1 hour ago, TheWhiteRider said:

I was talking about this with some colleagues today. At the risk of appearing overdramatic, I have to say that this is possibly the most disappointing thing to happen in film scoring in recent memory and probably beyond.

Definitely overdramatic.  Even taking James Horner's death out of the equation, you've got Howard Shore's general near-disappearance, Hummie Mann's general complete disappearance, Desplat replacing Mansell on The Imitation Game, whatever the hell happened with TASM2...

 

1 hour ago, TheWhiteRider said:

This is far more insidious a thing, and more damaging to the landscape of the industry, than the overabundance of the RCP blockbuster sound as a result of studios pressuring the following of certain models. Now even those last few films that may have been used as a canvas for inventive, fresh "traditional" scoring are being handed over to the safer choice. Will Giacchino now be as ubiquitous as Zimmer once was, and his imitators somewhat still are? Will there be an appropriate amount of whining about that, or will everyone eat up the new standard with gusto, a slop of symphonic mannerisms produced by assembly line for the nostalgia-addict masses?

I honestly have no idea how you can think this is worse than the "overabundance of the RCP blockbuster sound."  Giacchino's no innovator, but he has more compositional chops than anyone who's come through RCP besides Powell and HGW.  Even if he lacks the inventiveness of more original composers, Giacchino has a better grasp of the capabilities of a good orchestra than nearly anyone else working in mainstream film scoring today.  It might not be the perfect scenario (please, can someone give Austin Wintory, Scott Glasgow, or Alain Mayrand a blockbuster already?), but I'll take a bland Giacchino orchestral sound over mindless RCP percussion loops any day.

 

1 hour ago, TheWhiteRider said:

Well fuck that, Disney. I don't want your movie, I want Edwards' movie, and I don't want Giacchino's score, I want Desplat's score. And so do plenty of others, whether or not they realize it.

Amen.  Well, not precisely.  I haven't much cared for any of Gareth Edwards' previous movies, but I'd still rather see nearly any actual director's intentions than financially-minded production company meddling.

 

1 hour ago, WojinPA said:

I suppose we could have received worse news today. 

For example: "Coming soon: Ramin Djawadi's Episode VIII!"

---

Holy shit.  There have been like 15 posts in this thread since I started writing this.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

James Horner's death was not "disappointing." As for the rest of the things you mentioned, yes, this is more disappointing, and has wider reaching implications, potentially.

As for why it could be worse than the RCP proliferation: because proliferation of any type here is bad, and a "stock symphonic music" proliferation would be less likely to be challenged by many and could therefore be a longer-lasting chokehold on creativity.

[Will 2,215]

30 minutes ago, Skelly said:

Apparently Desplat hadn't even spotted the film yet!

 

That's not a solid source, of course, but I have no reason to think someone would be lying on FSM of all places.

 

Quote

All summer I've heard industry friends talk about how Disney isn't digging the movie and how others were being brought in to heavily rework it. Last I had heard, Desplat hadn't spotted the movie yet, in part because there is not yet a solid version of the movie to spot. That was just a few weeks ago!

The movie will have to be done by Thanksgiving in order to make its release date... that's about 2 months away. Desplat could well have looked at the ever-tigthening schedule, could have realized what a marathon the next 6 weeks will be, and said "no thanks." 

Or perhaps Lucasfilm / Disney just wanted to make a safer bet... I don't much like Michael Giacchino myself (and it creeps me out that the man lives in a near-constant state of CosPlay), but you pretty know what kind of music he'll deliver, and he's got an established track-record of providing appropriate music for big blockbusters. I'm sure his score will be fine... it will reference the original score constantly (Giacchino has had plenty of practice doing that already!) and I'm sure it will do what it needs to do for the movie.

Desplat is a more interesting composer, but more of a risk. And it seems pretty clear to me that Disney Star Wars doesn't have much interest in taking risks.

 

But someone else says:

 

Quote

A friend who got into a conference with Conrad Pope last month said that he was working in Rogue One.

 

And then the original poster said:

 

Quote

 

A friend of mine who is working on the movie claims that Desplat hadn't seen it yet, as of late August.

 

 

Then someone else said:

 

"Looks like I was right. Conrad Pope said on Facebook that Desplat wrote music for the film and Disney threw him out. "

 

However, I don't think Pope said that outright. He said (https://www.facebook.com/conrad.pope/posts/10209681652111031?pnref=story):

 

Jean-Gabriel Raynaud What ? Sorry to hear that. I hope the score by Alexandre Desplat will be released somewhere so we could at least listen to his work.

2 · 1 hr

Conrad Pope Nothing was recorded-sadly.

2 · 1 hr

Jason LeBlanc Conrad Pope How was munch written?

1 hr

Conrad Pope That I can't say, Jason--- that would violate the NDA, I'm afraid.

1 hr

Jason LeBlanc Fascinating, that means something was! Thanks!

1 · 1 hr

Jean-Gabriel Raynaud Nothing ? Oh.. What a sad news..

1 · 58 mins · Edited

Yonathan Vargas Sounds like another Oldboy/Pan scenario, where the producers reject the music only by listening to the demos. Since the demos of Deathly Hallows part 1 got leaked a few years ago, maybe it will happen the same with the ones of Rogue One.

Pope also said:

 

Peter Briggs What. The. Hell. 

I mean, I like Giacchino. But do Disney know what they're doing here?!

35 mins

Conrad Pope Peter: To quote( or, perhaps paraphrase) Ian Richardson from the "real" HOUSE OF CARDS: "You might think that but I couldn't possibly comment".

28 mins

Peter Briggs It could be a really great score, let's be charitable. He knocked it out of the ballpark with the first Trek. And he did a great replication of Barry on "Incredibles". Maybe he'll dig into his toolkit and pull out a great Williams sound. I hope.

1 · 22 mins

Austin Wintory All the early Call of Duty / Medal of Honor scores testify to his ability to do a JW-ish score. Was hoping ROGUE ONE would widen the palette of what SW "sounds like" so that it wasn't a slave to Williams for eternity... :\

4 · 21 mins

Conrad Pope Peter Briggs It WILL be! I think the music will surprise everyone in the end--- and not just because MG is writing it. Damn those NDAs!

1 · 18 mins

Lasse Enersen Conrad Pope Star Wars goes bluegrass...?

14 mins

David Coscina I think they should find Meco and he can do a disco version of Rogue One like he did with Star Wars in 1977. ?

11 mins

David Coscina Or they could always hire Dixon and Stein of Stranger Things fame and it can be an all electronic score. ?

 

Note the "surprise" comment. Does he know something about Gia's score?

 

Anyway, we have conflicting reports but it seems that something was written although nothing was recorded. I hope the sheet music/demos leak someday!

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

Quote

I think the music will surprise everyone in the end--- and not just because MG is writing it. Damn those NDAs!

What?

[Arpy 4,145]

I would agree with Wintory if it wasn't a 'War Story' film. Besides however much Giacchino might try to emulate Williams, like Jurassic World, it will still sound like 'Giacchino' - whatever you choose to call it.

 

Also that call for a Stranger Things score truly would be terrible. 

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Every glimpse of Facebook I get makes it seem like such a cesspool.

NDA's should be lifted in situations like this to avoid all this ridiculous gossip and speculation and hearsay.

[Will 2,215]

3 minutes ago, Not Mr. Big said:

What?

 

Yeah, I wonder if Pope's heard some of Gia's score? 

[Skelly 261]

13 minutes ago, Will said:

Anyway, we have conflicting reports but it seems that something was written although nothing was recorded. I hope the sheet music/demos leak someday!

 

Thanks for the research.

Could Desplat have written something without having spotted the full film?

But that seems like something an up-and-coming composer would feel obligated to do to gain credibility, and not something I'd imagine Desplat would feel compelled to do. But what do I know?

[Arpy 4,145]

Just now, Will said:

 

Yeah, I wonder if Pope's heard some of Gia's score? 

Isn't it too early? Unless Giacchino was brought in earlier than has been disclosed in public?

[Will 2,215]

http://makingstarwars.net/2016/09/michael-giacchino-to-compose-rogue-one-a-star-wars-story/

 

Quote

A while ago we heard that Desplat might be out and that contracts were not signed yet so they were talking to two other composers. Giachhino was a name we heard back then. So I find this development interesting and perhaps inevitable. However, Desplat said he was doing the film and the end cards at the end of the theatrical trailer even listed Desplat as being the composer. It was strange to me how these things were not ironed out.

 

Just now, RPurton said:

Isn't it too early? Unless Giacchino was brought in earlier than has been disclosed in public?

 

That's possible. Things aren't always announced when they actually happen.

45 minutes ago, Cerebral Cortex said:

 

That's what I was thinking. I wonder how Edwards feels about all of this. Not only is the film being partially reshot without his director, but now his composer of choice also gets thrown aside. 

 

@TheWhiteRider

 

Regardless of how I feel about Giacchino vs. Desplat, this whole Rogue One mess has certainly left a bad taste in my mouth. Reshoots, replaced composer... Lucasfilm/Disney higher-ups may not be interfering extensively, but it's easy to get the impression that they are. 

[Gnome in Plaid 219]

2 minutes ago, TheWhiteRider said:

James Horner's death was not "disappointing." As for the rest of the things you mentioned, yes, this is more disappointing, and has wider reaching implications, potentially.

As for why it could be worse than the RCP proliferation: because proliferation of any type here is bad, and a "stock symphonic music" proliferation would be less likely to be challenged by many and could therefore be a longer-lasting chokehold on creativity.

Yeah.  Horner's death wasn't "disappointing:" it was absolutely tragic, but I felt I should mention it because of the effect losing someone of his caliber has on the music world in general and film music in particular.  As for the other things I mentioned, I would still consider those bigger disappointments, personally.

 

Unfortunately, there will always be trends, producer preferences, and "conventional wisdom" in film music, especially when large budgets come into play.  That comes with the territory.  It's personal taste that I'd rather see those tendencies lean in the direction of "stock symphonic music" than drum loops and pop chord progressions.  Neither are ideal, but given the nature of the film industry, it's more like voting: which one is less bad?  Personally, my listening preferences will always tend to follow the old-fashioned mastery of a Williams or Horner, or inventiveness of a Shore, Goldsmith, or Mansell, or straight-up weirdness of Young's or Zimmer's best scores, but I recognize that's not what the general public is looking for, and if you give me the choice between Giacchino and, say, Jablonsky or Holkenborg, I've got a pretty easy answer for you.

[mrbellamy 6,287]

38 minutes ago, Jay said:

Not if he wants to keep working for Hollywood

 

I guess we'll see after this...

[ymenard 54]

Who knows, maybe he's the kind of compositor who already had cues and themes written for an eventual movie.  Like how Johnny used to think of stuff during his golfing?

 

 

How good is MG under pressure?

[Jay 37,368]

21 minutes ago, Not Mr. Big said:

What?

 

Pope is saying that regardless of the composer, he knows what happens in the film and what themes the producers might want for certain scenes or situations, and he thinks audiences will be surprised by some of those choices. 

 

 

16 minutes ago, Will said:

Yeah, I wonder if Pope's heard some of Gia's score? 

 

No. 

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

6 minutes ago, Gnome in Plaid said:

Unfortunately, there will always be trends, producer preferences, and "conventional wisdom" in film music, especially when large budgets come into play.  That comes with the territory.  It's personal taste that I'd rather see those tendencies lean in the direction of "stock symphonic music" than drum loops and pop chord progressions.  Neither are ideal, but given the nature of the film industry, it's more like voting: which one is less bad?  Personally, my listening preferences will always tend to follow the old-fashioned mastery of a Williams or Horner, or inventiveness of a Shore, Goldsmith, or Mansell, or straight-up weirdness of Young's or Zimmer's best scores, but I recognize that's not what the general public is looking for, and if you give me the choice between Giacchino and, say, Jablonsky or Holkenborg, I've got a pretty easy answer for you.

 

Pick the lesser of two evils, if you wish.  I don't believe in the "no-win scenario."

[Will 2,215]

@TheWhiteRider

 

I'll trust you on the fact that Desplat is technically far superior to Giacchino -- all the really musically educated people here seem to think it and I can't even read music so I'm not exactly in a position to argue.

 

But isn't it you who's said that music is really about how it affects the listener emotionally and not so much the technically mastery? And that we shouldn't have elitist attitudes about various composers simply because they seem more "classical" (e.g. they often compose solely for the sake of writing music)?

 

I don't think anyone can argue that Interstellar was one of the most technically masterful scores ever, yet it's one of your three favorite of all time (and I quite enjoy it as well, although I wouldn't rank it that highly).

 

8 minutes ago, Jay said:

 

Pope is saying that regardless of the composer, he knows what happens in the film and what themes the producers might want for certain scenes or situations, and he thinks audiences will be surprised by some of those choices. 

 

Oh. That's not as exciting. 

 

[Skelly 261]

1 minute ago, TheWhiteRider said:

I don't believe in the "no-win scenario."

 

Neither did Kirk, but look at what happened then!

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

4 minutes ago, Will said:

@TheWhiteRider

 

I'll trust you on the fact that Desplat is technically far superior to Giacchino -- all the really musically educated people here seem to think it and I can't even read music so I'm not exactly in a position to argue.

 

But isn't it you who's said that music is really about how it effects the listener emotionally and not so much the technically mastery? And that we shouldn't have elitist attitudes about various composers simply because they seem more "classical"?

 

I don't think anyone can argue that Interstellar was one of the most technically masterful scores ever, yet it's one of your three favorite of all time.

 

 

What I'm saying is that Desplat's technical grounding is what makes the emotional effect his music ultimately has a better one than what Giacchino's accomplishes.  It doesn't have to be that way, Giacchino could easily have more soul and more to say with the ability that he has than Desplat, but that's not how things are.  I can only speak from my own experience obviously.  I'm not moved by the one as often as I am by the other.

 

Cheers for actually getting to some of my staple talking points as fuel for your arguments, though.

[crumbs 14,317]

I think it's a very safe bet that the Williams references will increase substantially with Giacchino composing than Desplat (and I'm very aware that it was Yates' who pushed Hedwig's Theme out of Potter, but Desplat seems more comfortable with his own writing than Gia).

 

This feels very much like the AUJ situation. The director getting nervous (in this case Disney) about straying too far from the nostalgia pathway, and throwing out lots of the original music in favour of rehashes.

[Will 2,215]

Well, one thing's for sure, whatever you think about this composer change, Rogue One is a TOTAL MESS. And I'm sure that in the end it will be a good film. Maybe even great. We'll see. Whether it could have been better? We may never know...

 

A little excitement on the forums, eh? 

 

Good night everyone. This thread will probably have ballooned to several dozen pages by the time I wake up. 

[TheUlyssesian 2,478]

14 minutes ago, Will said:

@TheWhiteRider

 

I'll trust you on the fact that Desplat is technically far superior to Giacchino -- all the really musically educated people here seem to think it and I can't even read music so I'm not exactly in a position to argue.

 

But isn't it you who's said that music is really about how it affects the listener emotionally and not so much the technically mastery? And that we shouldn't have elitist attitudes about various composers simply because they seem more "classical"?

 

I don't think anyone can argue that Interstellar was one of the most technically masterful scores ever, yet it's one of your three favorite of all time.

 

 

Oh. That's not as exciting. 

 

 

I am not musically trained - woe be me. But I have ears and have listened to a lot of film music and classical music all my life and continue to do so. As well as play the piano.

 

I don't think Desplat is even technically superior. Frankly both Desplat and Gia compared to Williams are rather a bit on the simplistic side, nobody writes music of Williams complexity. Desplat actually has some really nice scores, I like a lot of his scores. But I would say I can't think of a single film-elevating 5 star effort from him. He serves the film. He works quick and dirty and delivers a score in 2-3 weeks sometimes. He's unambitious. His music rarely draws attention to itself and serves these kinda dramas he does. But rarely are there moments of magic in the music when listening to it. Like rarely am I stirred by a magnificent key change or wondrous counterpoint or interesting tempo. It simply does not exist. Also such moments rarely occur in the films even - that perfect marriage of music and image.

 

Gia has those in loads. He is obviously ambitious and imaginative and often strains and does not meet his lofty goals but he does achieve several outstanding moments of pure magic and inspiration. He swings for the fences and gives it all and often comes up with wonderful things. Desplat is the consummate professional, gets the job done and moves on.

 

And lastly just to use one oft-used stick measure - Gia is far better at writing melodies. Desplat's melodies are often middling and banal. Of course when you do 8 movies a year as is sometimes usual for him, you can't expect to deliver gold dust often. With most of his scores written under 2 months, you wonder if he's ever truly inspired and any genius score might be a result of fluke. He's a hired gun. Gia is an artist discovering his craft and himself and is infinitely more fascinating a composer with infinitely more interesting music. That said I do like Desplat a lot. I just don't think he is better than Gia or close to him.

[Romão 2,274]

Had to be said

 

 

[mrbellamy 6,287]

22 minutes ago, crumbs said:

I think it's a very safe bet that the Williams references will increase substantially with Giacchino composing than Desplat (and I'm very aware that it was Yates' who pushed Hedwig's Theme out of Potter, but Desplat seems more comfortable with his own writing than Gia).

 

This feels very much like the AUJ situation. The director getting nervous (in this case Disney) about straying too far from the nostalgia pathway, and throwing out lots of the original music in favour of rehashes.

 

It's funny, I was pretty intrigued by what Desplat might do with a smattering of Williams references, but now it's less interesting with Gia. You know that guy is gonna OD so hard, but it will be fun to spot the references. How deep will it go? I presume Luke's theme, Force Theme, and Imperial March are givens...Rebel Fanfare? Death Star motif? ANH's Imperial motif?

 

And of course the track titles....oh god, the track titles....oh no....

[Will 2,215]

2 minutes ago, mrbellamy said:

 

It's funny, I was pretty intrigued by what Desplat might do with a smattering of Williams references, but now it's less interesting with Gia. You know that guy is gonna OD so hard, but it will be fun to spot the references. How deep will it go? I presume Luke's theme, Force Theme, and Imperial March are givens...Rebel Fanfare? Death Star motif? ANH's Imperial motif?

 

And of course the track titles....oh god, the track titles....oh no....

 

 (I'm back for, I think, one last post tonight)

[crumbs 14,317]

10 minutes ago, mrbellamy said:

 

It's funny, I was pretty intrigued by what Desplat might do with a smattering of Williams references, but now it's less interesting with Gia. You know that guy is gonna OD so hard, but it will be fun to spot the references. How deep will it go? I presume Luke's theme, Force Theme, and Imperial March are givens...Rebel Fanfare? Death Star motif? ANH's Imperial motif?

 

And of course the track titles....oh god, the track titles....oh no....

 

I think there'll be some obscure themes there, especially the Death Star motif. Gia loves that stuff. I doubt Desplat would've referenced much without being specifically asked to, but surely the Force Theme and Imperial March were givens.

 

Gia had that cute Lost World reference in JW, plus self references like the raptor theme from his TLW video game score. I dig those moments from him but still find his soundtracks rarely compelling in complete form.

 

Ratatouille and Inside Out are exceptions.

[mrbellamy 6,287]

Jyn and Tonic

 

Erso Vain

 

Force Scores and Seven Years Ago

 

World's Worst Space Heist

[crumbs 14,317]

Track 3: I Rebel

Track 8: You Rebel

Track 19: We All Rebel For Death Star Plans

[Red 75]

I'm a fan of Giacchino and I'm looking forward to what he does, but it is disappointing to me that Desplat's gone. I feel like I can expect what a Giacchino Star Wars score would sound like, but a Desplat Star Wars score would've been something harder to predict. The prospect of that was exciting, and it seemed inevitable that Giacchino would come around anyway. 

[Cerebral Cortex 3,357]

We're Orderin' T.I.E. Tonight
Kybercrime
Jyn Rummy 

See Ya Later Alli-Vader
Null and Droid
Stormship Troopers 
Did Jedha See That? 
When You Wish Upon A Death Star
Thank Your Lucky Star Wars
That Girl with the Blaster

This is a lot harder than I thought...
 

[crumbs 14,317]

1 minute ago, Cerebral Cortex said:

We're Orderin' T.I.E. Tonight

 

Nearly had milk come out of my nose! 

[Bryant Burnette 654]

2 hours ago, TheWhiteRider said:

Well I'll tell you who doesn't know anything: Disney.

 

It must be weird to be so hardcore a fan of Alexandre Desplat that you get worked up over his leaving a movie.  I'd've thought that sort of sentiment would get saved for somebody a bit more inspired; I've never heard anything from the guy that moved me much.  Granted, I've paid little attention to him, so maybe I'm missing out.

 

If this was Giacchino hopping onboard Episode VIII . . . now THAT would get me worked up.

[igger6 894]

Don't forget "100 Rendar Dash."

 

As a dyed-in-the-wool populist who wouldn't know genuine compositional quality if it smacked me in the fermata, I am unabashedly thrilled at this news. Unencumbered by musical book-learnin', I have only my listener instincts to go on, and as someone said above, Desplat usually leaves me cold. Honestly, off the top of my head, my favorite scores of his are Monuments Men and the theme to Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. It would have been a fun experiment, but Giacchino is a proper Star Wars nerd, and I have a very good feeling about this. 

 

Now let's hope R2 gets a cameo, so Gia can correct the Maestro's TFA oversight and bring back the Droid Motif!

[Cerebral Cortex 3,357]

1 minute ago, igger6 said:

Don't forget "100 Rendar Dash."

 

Blast! That's a good one. 

[Gnome in Plaid 219]

16 minutes ago, TheWhiteRider said:

 

What I'm saying is that Desplat's technical grounding is what makes the emotional effect his music ultimately has a better one than what Giacchino's accomplishes.  It doesn't have to be that way, Giacchino could easily have more soul and more to say with the ability that he has than Desplat, but that's not how things are.  I can only speak from my own experience obviously.  I'm not moved by the one as often as I am by the other.

 

Cheers for actually getting to some of my staple talking points as fuel for your arguments, though.

Weirdly, my impression of the two is almost exactly the opposite.  Nearly everything I've heard from Giacchino has been technically excellent, but I haven't heard anything from him that can match the pathos of Hostage or The King's Speech.  To me, the difference between the two is reminiscent of a quote from a short story I read a long time ago, yet oddly can't find any reference to through Google: "He knew the words, but he could not grasp their meaning."  There's nothing lacking, craft-wise, in Giacchino's music, but I see him like I would see a creative writing MFA student given an uninspiring assignment: all technique, missing any sort of real emotion, although, strangely, the Giacchino scores I've most connected with have been for some of the worst movies he's scored (Jupiter Ascending, The Family Stone).

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

7 minutes ago, Bryant Burnette said:

 

It must be weird to be so hardcore a fan of Alexandre Desplat that you get worked up over his leaving a movie.  I'd've thought that sort of sentiment would get saved for somebody a bit more inspired; I've never heard anything from the guy that moved me much.  Granted, I've paid little attention to him, so maybe I'm missing out.

 

If this was Giacchino hopping onboard Episode VIII . . . now THAT would get me worked up.

 

Do we really have to yet again do the "infrequent poster takes exception to something I say in jest and completely misinterprets my points by reducing them to an absurd caricature" thing?  Can someone else handle it?  I'm easing into retirement.

[Bryant Burnette 654]

I honestly was not aware I was talking directly to you, but so be it.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

You quoted me....

[Incanus 5,715]

Well Desplat has been slated for 11 projects for this year alone so he is keeping busy as heck and thus it is no wonder if the adjustment to the Rogue One scoring schedule due to the reshoots and whatnot might necessitate hiring another composer. Somewhat disappointing  I have to admit as I would have loved to hear what he had to offer for SW musical universe.

 

Let's hope, however good or bad Giacchino is, that he will knock this one out of the park. For me it has been too long a time since he did that.

[Bryant Burnette 654]

1 minute ago, TheWhiteRider said:

You quoted me....

 

Busted!

[Cerebral Cortex 3,357]

8 minutes ago, TheWhiteRider said:

 

Do we really have to yet again do the "infrequent poster takes exception to something I say in jest and completely misinterprets my points by reducing them to an absurd caricature" thing?  Can someone else handle it?  I'm easing into retirement.

I've been lied to...