James Newton Howard's Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them

[gkgyver 1,645]

That score is written so thinly and orchestrated so badly, that it sounds like a chamber orchestra, and like the composer had no interest or affection to the material whatsoever.

[leeallen01 2,134]

For me, his Peter Pan score is his most magical, and when I met him the first time, I asked him what his most loved score is and he said Peter Pan because of the magic and heart that he felt he poured into it. 

 

It is only the first piece we've heard from Fantastic Beasts, so I'm sure the rest of the score is top notch, but it is clear that he isn't given the freedom to create such pure heart and magic that something like his Peter Pan score has. 

 

This piece for example, I just chose at random from his Peter Pan Score, and it is so beautiful, and for me, it reaches the level of wonder, magic and warmth that Williams produces. 

 

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I don't like this assumption that because the music isn't immediately great that we must determine that something must have been preventing him from writing great music. Cannot it not simply be that he has lost his touch from the 00s? I remember feeing this way for Snow White I believe, but then I read the liner notes where the director goes on and on about how much he loved the material and put so much time and effort in. Of course that could be marketing BS but I feel like Howard's action writing has been almost consistently boring for the better part of this decade. 

[leeallen01 2,134]

I agree that his action writing isn't what it used to be, but he still hasn't lost his melodic edge. His very recent main theme for The Huntsman is one of his best I think.

 

 

Heard here at 1:30 to the end of the piece. 

 

 

[gkgyver 1,645]

48 minutes ago, Koray Savas said:

I don't like this assumption that because the music isn't immediately great that we must determine that something must have been preventing him from writing great music. Cannot it not simply be that he has lost his touch from the 00s? I remember feeing this way for Snow White I believe, but then I read the liner notes where the director goes on and on about how much he loved the material and put so much time and effort in. Of course that could be marketing BS but I feel like Howard's action writing has been almost consistently boring for the better part of this decade. 

 

You still love Zimmer, right?

[KK 3,307]

2 hours ago, Koray Savas said:

I don't like this assumption that because the music isn't immediately great that we must determine that something must have been preventing him from writing great music. Cannot it not simply be that he has lost his touch from the 00s? I remember feeing this way for Snow White I believe, but then I read the liner notes where the director goes on and on about how much he loved the material and put so much time and effort in. Of course that could be marketing BS but I feel like Howard's action writing has been almost consistently boring for the better part of this decade. 

 

I'm inclined to agree, though more specifically in reference to the last few years. With the exception of flashes like Maleficent, something about many of his scores play off a very disillusioned Howard. It sounds like he's just not that invested in the films he writes for these days, maybe like Powell. Perhaps his talents will shine better in the concert hall.

 

The clip posted above does not bode well for the score. But I'll reserve judgement until we hear more. And why must Howard plague all his modern blockbuster scores with drums and generic electronic "enhancements"?

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

The bit at the end is reminiscent of Treasure Planet, a score that represents the sort of direction JNH should have been pointed in for this film.  Instead, it seems probable he's turned out another mostly bland score for a director with zero musical sensibility. 
 

[Koray Savas 2,251]

5 hours ago, gkgyver said:

You still love Zimmer, right?

We all know you despise Zimmer. Give it a rest. No one is talking about Zimmer. 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Is anyone surprised that this doesnt sound very good?

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

3 hours ago, KK said:

And why must Howard plague all his modern blockbuster scores with drums and generic electronic "enhancements"?

Yates.  

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Hardly. This is his first one with Yates.

[KK 3,307]

Right. Can't really pin it all on him.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Can we blame Hollywood in general?

[KK 3,307]

You can if you'd like.

 

I'd rather blame Pope!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

There is an old Vulcan proverb. Only Pope could go to New Zealand!

[BloodBoal 7,538]

7 hours ago, KK said:

I'm inclined to agree, though more specifically in reference to the last few years. With the exception of flashes like Maleficent, something about many of his scores play off a very disillusioned Howard. It sounds like he's just not that invested in the films he writes for these days, maybe like Powell.

 

Can't really blame him. I mean, look at the films he's scoring!

 

3 hours ago, Stefancos said:

Is anyone surprised that this doesnt sound very good?

 

Nope.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

10 hours ago, BloodBoal said:

Can't really blame him. I mean, look at the films he's scoring!

He'a written masterpieces for Shyamalan films. Yes, you can blame him!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Jerry did fantastic work for shitty films throughout his career!

[Skelly 261]

I took a listen to track 1. When the arrangement Hedwig's Theme sounds just like Hooper's (from OotP), it's probably not a very good sign.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Leeallen must feel gutted putting his faith into JNH for this, while the rest of us kinda already knew.

[Bilbo 3,709]

It's almost as if the director is the common denominator! 

 

 

I did the Harry Potter studio tour today in London. They played about 80% John Williams. There was a good bit of Doyle. Some Desplat. Very little Hooper.

[mrbellamy 6,272]

I remember a fair amount of Hooper's stuff playing outside the theme park when I visited a few years ago. Fireworks is the only non-Williams they use at all in the Hogwarts Express train ride.

 

I think it's pretty funny that they even use exclusively Williams in the Gringotts ride when Desplat would have been more appropriate there. They snubbed The Tunnel and Dragon Flight and instead loaded it up with The Whomping Willow and a bunch of COS stuff. And when Fiennes' Voldemort appears, look what they use 

 

 

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

51 minutes ago, mrbellamy said:

 

 

That's better than anything David Yates has ever directed!

[toothless 963]

25 minutes ago, Not Mr. Big said:

That's better than anything David Yates has ever directed!

 I literally laughed out loud… As sad as it is I think it might be true !

[crumbs 14,304]

It's also got more colour than all 4 of his Potter films combined.

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

1 hour ago, crumbs said:

It's also got more colour than all 4 of his Potter films combined.

It's better lit too.  

[crumbs 14,304]

All lights are banned on Yates' sets. 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

It's not the most exciting opening track for a fantasy movie, that's definitely true.  I'll withhold judgment until I see it in context. 

[leeallen01 2,134]

21 hours ago, Stefancos said:

Leeallen must feel gutted putting his faith into JNH for this, while the rest of us kinda already knew.

 

Shoot me for being optimistic.

 

We've heard 3 minutes out of 90 minutes. Calm down. 

 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I'm not mocking you, I'm pitying you!

[gkgyver 1,645]

On 8. Oktober 2016 at 6:35 AM, Koray Savas said:

We all know you despise Zimmer. Give it a rest. No one is talking about Zimmer. 

 

Nah.

But the irony of the biggest Zimmer mark on the board talking about 10 years of boring music and PR mumbo jumbo about an indefinitely more refined composer than Zimmer, when literally all Zimmer was about the last 10 years was repeating, boring music and laughable PR presence, is giving me brilliant waves of joy.

 

Keep the defense mechanism low.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Nah, you're the one critizing a comparison no one is making. Is it not a sort of universal opinion here that Howard isn't as good as he used to be? After all, where have I said that I endlessly love Zimmer's work of the past decade? You're delusional, mate. Enjoy whatever high you seem to be riding. 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,507]

On 08/10/2016 at 10:11 PM, Bilbo Skywalker said:

It's almost as if the director is the common denominator! 

 

 

I did the Harry Potter studio tour today in London. They played about 80% John Williams. There was a good bit of Doyle. Some Desplat. Very little Hooper.

 

Was any unreleased music played, or was it all the OSTs?

[MedigoScan 324]

Zimmer I can see being called many things

but repetetive is not one of them.

 

[leeallen01 2,134]

34 minutes ago, MedigoScan said:

Zimmer I can see being called many things

but repetetive is not one of them.

 

 

Reallyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?

 

I made this video a few years ago (when my video-making skills were awful). Still, it gets the point across well enough.

 

 

[KK 3,307]

Just about every major film composer is guilty of the same thing, including Howard.

 

The Quantum of Solace bit is a good catch though.

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

4 hours ago, Koray Savas said:

Nah, you're the one critizing a comparison no one is making. Is it not a sort of universal opinion here that Howard isn't as good as he used to be? After all, where have I said that I endlessly love Zimmer's work of the past decade? You're delusional, mate. Enjoy whatever high you seem to be riding. 

 

Forget it, Koray.  It's gkgyver.

 

2 hours ago, KK said:

Just about every composer is guilty of the same thing, including Howard.

 

Fixed.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Zimmer is the real power behind Hillary!

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

Why would the man be behind the woman?  Sexist!  Pig!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Just now, TheWhiteRider said:

Why would the man be behind the woman?  

 

Because you can really get in there, and move at your own pace?

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

How does it feel to know that you are now unelectable in the US?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I have a Jewish background, so I was always unelectable.

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

You can still make it as a shadow power behind Hollywood and major corporations, though.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Not anymore! Did you know that after 8 years of Hussain Obama the Pledge Of Alliance is now done using a Quoran? 

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

I wouldn't know about such things.  I love our great and dear leader and all that he represents.  And those Clintons, woo boy, what wonderful people!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Open your eyes to what's going on in the world man!

 

 

[Bilbo 3,709]

6 hours ago, Richard said:

 

Was any unreleased music played, or was it all the OSTs?

Seemed to be all OST stuff. The kind of tracks you'd expect.

[Will 2,215]

Well, perhaps this means I am turning to the dark side (simplistic RCP-like music fandom) but I quite enjoyed the main titles. Are they simplistic? Sure. Is Hedwig's Theme used terribly? Sure. But emotionally it hits the right beats (although I do wish it was a little less electronic). I haven't really heard any JNH. If I like this score I might go back and listen to some of his older OSTs. 

[King Mark 3,626]

that first track...meh

[Koray Savas 2,251]

3 hours ago, Will said:

Well, perhaps this means I am turning to the dark side (simplistic RCP-like music fandom) but I quite enjoyed the main titles. Are they simplistic? Sure. Is Hedwig's Theme used terribly? Sure. But emotionally it hits the right beats (although I do wish it was a little less electronic). I haven't really heard any JNH. If I like this score I might go back and listen to some of his older OSTs. 

Listen to pretty much anything from 1999-2010, with a priority on his work for Shyamalan.