Film Concerts Live (FCL) and the Spielberg/Williams films: What’s the next film?

[SyncMan 313]

 

The concert production company, Film Concerts Live, has done 5 feature-length, Live-to-Projection, concert programs of Steven Spielberg films with John Williams’ music:

 

• E.T. The Extra Terrestrial
• Raiders of the Lost Ark
• Jurassic Park
• Jaws 
• CE3K

 

Will FCL do another Spielberg/Williams film in 2019?  If so, what film will it be?

 

Here is what I think will be potentials.  My guesses are based on what American concert venues might be receptive to.  I’m thinking that they will take programs that will attract family audiences—more kids, more money.

Oh, and the remaining Indiana Jones films are off this table as they are owned by Disney and they may be produced through DisneyConcerts. 

 

• Lost World-Jurassic Park: It was knocked down by critics, but kids still love dinosaurs.  When I attended the Jurassic Park-LTP concerts, I would see children dressed in dinosaur masks and their spiked-backed snuggies.  The film itself is no more violent then the first, just the peril is intense.  For FCL, it will go well in their Jurassic franchise that includes JP and Jurassic World which BTW I’ve not seen any bookings for it since its Washington, DC premiere last May. I hope that Lost World-LTP will have a live-rhythm section in the orchestra and not an electronic sampler or sound that’s outputted from the soundtrack.
• Hook: It’s family-friendly with popular characters and places that children and adults have known--Neverland, Captain Hook, Tinkerbell.  I personally hope that FCL doesn’t do it because the film was boring.  Although these venues serve wine and beer, I don’t want to turn to alcohol to get through an evening.

 

Here are other highly acclaimed Spielberg/Williams films that may not receive support from USA concert venues:

 

• Schindler’s List: Although it has received Oscars, directions, scoring, and Best Picture; the film has nudity (and not presented in a sexy context), it’s too violent, and too long at its 3 hour-and-15-minute running time, plus 20 minutes for intermission, and a few minutes for entr’acte music.  All that would be too much for a venue to gamble.
• Saving Private Ryan:  Another Oscar-winner for Best Picture and Best Director has some graphic war sequences, and that’s at the film’s opening.
•  

I suspect that if Spielberg asks FCL to prepare LTP concerts for any of these films, they’ll do it just to maintain the relationship with Spielberg and Williams.  If some of these programs do not get bookings in the USA, they’ll have a better shot outside of the country.  For example, LTP concerts of the films, Aliens and Gladiator have performed in European territories including England, Dublin, and Moscow and have yet to reach the USA concert halls. 

 

On the other hand, both FCL and the USA concert venues can surprise us in 2019. 

[lairdo 726]

Interesting speculation.

 

Well, other than having gotten a chance to speak to Emil de Cue before he led Raiders at SF Symphony in 2017, I don’t know much about how these things come to be. Of course, there are all the rights issues to sort out, but if Spielberg wanted something to happen, I suspect those would happen.

 

Probably the next criteria set of hurdles is technical:

Is there enough music in the film score to make sense for LTP? (I think this is the biggest knock against Saving Private Ryan - it’s fairly sparse of music)

Do the parts exists in such a way to support what is needed (all the separate elements available, pieces of music that come out of the speakers vs. orchestra)?

How long is the movie? Beyond audience ability to sit, the musicians have to be able to play. (But of course, Wagner operas are non-stop music and go for 5 hours, so this may be less of an issue)

 

And then we get to audience fit as the post references. What is ok to play and attract enough families? Jaws and Jurassic Park are scary movies at times, but they have done well. Raiders has killing and gruesome deaths. 

 

Of this list, I have seen Raiders and Jaws. I’m seeing ET in February and maybe Close Encounters in April. They are all great. (I’ve also seen 2 Harry Potters, Star Trek Beyond and La La Land - which I had never seen before - but my wife wanted to go for Valentine’s Day. We are seeing Amadeus in Feb too.)

 

So, which collaborations do I think might work to the above restrictions?

Last Crusade seems like a good choice

Minority Report is well regarded enough and probably would be fine in performance

I agree that Lost World is possible. Hook too but seems to be forgotten nowadays by movie goers. 

Catch Me If You Can with a live jazz band (this is what La La Land had and it was the best part) as well as orchestra
Amistad (with choir)

Tintin seems like something that would work and be great internationally too.

Lincoln given the subject matter and strength of the movie

 

Less likely

I would love to see 1941 but again, it’s not on anyone’s radar

Empire of the Sun with choir and a Chopin soloist would be amazing. Probably too long a film though.

AI - too esoteric

Schindler’s List (which I would love to see) but may not play well with audiences. However, maybe if it does well in rerelease...

The Terminal - mostly forgotten

Always - completely forgotten

BFG, Post, etc are too new and not flashy enough. 

War of the Worlds - not considered good enough

Sugarland Express - JW would not approve apparently

Temple of Doom and Crystal Skull would be great in terms of music but harder in terms of audience. But Temple of Doom would be so good to hear live!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Nick Parker 3,040]

2 minutes ago, lairdo said:

War of the Worlds - not considered good enough

 

Not a big fan of the movie, but holy crap this would be amazing live. Call it a Halloween special and get those tickets moving!

[crumbs 14,301]

Sugarland Express, just to troll us. 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Film Concerts Live and the Spielberg/Williams films: What Do You Believe In?

[SyncMan 313]

12 hours ago, lairdo said:

Less likely

I would love to see 1941 but again, it’s not on anyone’s radar

Also, in this politically correct environment, I don't think the concert venues will allow to show a movie where there's a racial slur and the display of Susan Backlinie's bare booty.

[leeallen01 2,133]

I'd kill for The Terminal and Catch Me If You Can.

 

War Horse for the centenary of the war would have been nice too. 

 

 

Also, could you imagine how fun this would be live - 

 

 

[bollemanneke 3,337]

6 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

Film Concerts Live and the Spielberg/Williams films: What Do You Believe In?

I BELIEVE IN FAIRIES!!!

[lairdo 726]

10 hours ago, leeallen01 said:

 

War Horse for the centenary of the war would have been nice too. 

 

 

Totally agree. I forgot to list that. It has a really wonderful mix of music. And I too think it would play well live.

 

 

[SyncMan 313]

With this year marking the 50th anniversary of the start of the Spielberg/Williams film collaboration, I wonder if FCL will put a another movie from their collabortion into an LTP concert this year.

 

If they have zero chance of doing any of the 'Indiana Jones' films, they might do 'War of the Worlds" (2005), or 'The Lost World' (for the latter, I hope it will have a live rhythm section and not go with a pre-recording).

 

I would be open to 'Minority Report', but it is a co-production of Fox, which is now Disney's property, so with their live-music arm--Disney Concerts--no way that Disney is going to give that away to anyone.