Brundlefly 2,385 Posted December 17, 2018 Share Posted December 17, 2018 I am really interested in your theory on the following topic that, in my honest opinion, deserves its own thread: Let's just assume that Jerry Goldsmith was granted to live 20 years longer. What kind of movies would he have scored? What would have been his regular collaborators? How could his style have developed? Would his style have developed at all? What would he have said about the filmmusic of our age? Would he have adopted to the current requests of directors and producers or would he have only collaborated with those people that still respect the traditional production of a film score? How popular would he be by now? Would he have become a living legend like John Williams or be some random composer that scores shitty movies for over 30 years? How many expansions would exist/not exists, if he was still able to meddle and mess with the special labels? I'm especially interested in what @Yavar Moradi and @publicist think. Yavar Moradi 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasey Kockroach 2,344 Posted December 17, 2018 Share Posted December 17, 2018 He would be doing boring scores for the new Star Trek movies that get 5-star reviews at Filmtracks anyway because he’s a butt kisser. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crocodile 8,012 Posted December 17, 2018 Share Posted December 17, 2018 I think he'd be just fine. His stripped-down action scoring would go very well with modern blockbusters. He'd be probably more hip than Williams is these days. Karol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post publicist 4,643 Posted December 17, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted December 17, 2018 What kind of movies would he have scored? Probably only a handful, mainly for producers and directors he previously was associated with, with regular calls for less than-respectable sci-fi/fantasy/adventure or thriller stuff What would have been his regular collaborators? More producer types, young-ish directors seem not to have much use for traditional movie music, exceptions How could his style have developed? Much like JNH's, away from heavy ornamental stuff but with a more refined, minimalist, elegant soundscape (The SUm of All Fears already points in such direction) Would his style have developed at all? Certainly not compared to the huge leaps of the 60's/70's/80's What would he have said about the filmmusic of our age? It's shite, mainly (viewed from within his sheltered Hollywood community) Would he have adopted to the current requests of directors and producers or would he have only collaborated with those people that still respect the traditional production of a film score? Yes, but there wouldn't have been much overlap with the kind of projects the younger crowd does, he would have scored a few movies with more old-style sensibilities How popular would he be by now? Would he have become a living legend like John Williams or be some random composer that scores shitty movies for over 30 years? He is a living legend even 15 years after his death. There probably would be more concerts and public appearances, but of course, without a thousand blockbusters and Oscars in tow, he still would have occupied a space below Williams or Zimmer, more like later Horner when the Titanic rose wore off. Brundlefly, Yavar Moradi and SteveMc 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeinAR 1,949 Posted December 17, 2018 Share Posted December 17, 2018 In an alternative universe John Williams got on tha American Airlines flight to LA on September 11, 2001. After that point Jerry becomes Steven Spielberg's go to guy. JG beats his illness and lives for several decades. His charisma is such that he directs the film community to reject the ZIMperialist movement and while he is no JW the overall film musical experience among the next several decades is much stronger. Film music is better due to a smaller HZ and MG footprint. In fact James Horner never crashes his plane though tragically we lose Bear McCreary in an auto accident. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brundlefly 2,385 Posted December 17, 2018 Author Share Posted December 17, 2018 A nice thought (except the John Williams dies on 9/11-part). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeinAR 1,949 Posted December 17, 2018 Share Posted December 17, 2018 2 hours ago, Brundlefly said: A nice thought (except the John Williams dies on 9/11-part). History has a way of not being denied when you alter the timeline in timeplot stories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Parker 3,040 Posted December 17, 2018 Share Posted December 17, 2018 He would have had a _lot_ of fun with the software that's been coming out since around the time of his passing. Oh god, he's running so fast.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMc 2,674 Posted December 18, 2018 Share Posted December 18, 2018 21 hours ago, JoeinAR said: History has a way of not being denied when you alter the timeline in timeplot stories. it.. finds a way. The Illustrious Jerry 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeinAR 1,949 Posted December 18, 2018 Share Posted December 18, 2018 Alex... what is Jurassic Park? SteveMc and The Illustrious Jerry 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Parker 3,040 Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 He’s eighty years old. He’s surrounded by synthesizers. He wants to write a hip-hop score. He keeps a computer for him, a DAW and the latest plug-ins. He’s in his nineties. He likes to push the envelope, like his early years. He runs the studios and the executives crazy. He’s 93. Studying his newfound scoring technique is like being at a university. His music makes love to the ears of young filmmakers. They ask him to score their films. He calls home and tells Carol about his Indian summer, who cries. He still writes scores as prolifically as ever. Oh God, he’s writing so fast. He sees his name in concert halls everywhere. He wants to conduct those concerts, and finally get the public recognition he's always deserved. But he’s 74 years old, he's got a terminal illness, and he can’t do it. And the youngbloods are so fast. There was so much love in this man's music. SteveMc and Not Mr. Big 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brundlefly 2,385 Posted December 19, 2018 Author Share Posted December 19, 2018 That was a great monologue in Minority Report. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,528 Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 I'm sorry John, you're going to have to write, again. What? WRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITE! Not Mr. Big 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Parker 3,040 Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 2 hours ago, Richard said: I'm sorry John, you're going to have to write, again. What? WRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITE! Said JJ Abrams to John Williams upon announcement of new Star Wars films. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeinAR 1,949 Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 51 minutes ago, Nick Parker said: Said JJ Abrams to John Williams upon announcement of new Star Wars films. And he surpassed everything he did in the prequels (and everything else he did in the 21st century) with one little three minute and twelve second track. Evanus and Not Mr. Big 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Parker 3,040 Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 9 minutes ago, JoeinAR said: And he surpassed everything he did in the prequels (and everything else he did in the 21st century) with one little three minute and twelve second track. Which track is that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Jay 37,364 Posted December 19, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted December 19, 2018 Dude, Rey's Theme. JoeinAR, fuhrsy31, Yavar Moradi and 1 other 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yavar Moradi 2,599 Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 Dunno if it surpasses the whole of The Prisoner of Azkaban for me, but Rey's Theme might actually be my single favorite theme he's written for the Star Wars franchise (and I grew up on the classic trilogy). Yavar JoeinAR and Not Mr. Big 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,364 Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 They were specifically talking about Star Wars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fabulin 3,512 Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 5 hours ago, JoeinAR said: And he surpassed everything he did in the prequels (and everything else he did in the 21st century) with one little three minute and twelve second track. Minor correction. March of the Resistance is actually 2:34 (And while nice, does not hold a candle to TPM score, or even Across the Stars, let's be reasonable) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeinAR 1,949 Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 3 minutes ago, Fabulin said: Minor correction. March of the Resistance is actually 2:34 (And while nice, does not hold a candle to TPM score, or even Across the Stars, let's be reasonable) Puke. Across the stars. Star wars 1st love theme. As Kevin McAllister says I don't think so! And I was talking about everything he has done in the 21st century, Potter Tintin, etc. Rey's theme is that great Fabulin and Yavar Moradi 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted January 20, 2019 Share Posted January 20, 2019 Yavar Moradi 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Display Name 60 Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 This is an interesting kind of thread. Publicist's response is very reasonable and realistic. Personally, I think Goldsmith would have a higher status now in Hollywood, because he would be on eof the surviving masters who played a leading role in the "good old times". People would want him to write the new Star Trek scores and everything else that trammels him in the nostalgia corner rather than giving him the chance to explore new areas (which he himself didn't seem to be particularly interested in in his later years). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yavar Moradi 2,599 Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 On 12/17/2018 at 1:52 AM, Brundlefly said: I am really interested in your theory on the following topic that, in my honest opinion, deserves its own thread: Let's just assume that Jerry Goldsmith was granted to live 20 years longer. What kind of movies would he have scored? What would have been his regular collaborators? How could his style have developed? Would his style have developed at all? What would he have said about the filmmusic of our age? Would he have adopted to the current requests of directors and producers or would he have only collaborated with those people that still respect the traditional production of a film score? How popular would he be by now? Would he have become a living legend like John Williams or be some random composer that scores shitty movies for over 30 years? How many expansions would exist/not exists, if he was still able to meddle and mess with the special labels? I'm especially interested in what @Yavar Moradi and @publicist think. Just realized I never gave a direct reply on the topic, when prompted! I think Jerry would have continued scoring all genres, as he had his entire career long. Maybe not horror, since he really wasn't a fan of the genre in general...though he did do the Haunting remake in the late 90s so who knows? He would have continued his collaborations with Dante (The Hole), Anspaugh (I think he even composed a demo/theme for The Game of Their Lives), Schepisi (I think he was slated to work on the Empire Falls miniseries, before he passed away?), Tamahori (Next? XXX: State of the Union?), and Verhoeven (Black Book, Elle). Jerry was very much about *who* he worked with over what he was working on, I think. It was about having a collaborator he enjoyed working with, I think. He probably would have started some new director relationships as well, if approached. I think publicist already gave a good answer on how his style might have developed, but of course we will never know. The Sum of All Fears main title was a complete surprise/shock to me, proving Jerry could still do that at such a late part of his career. I'm sure his style would have continued to develop and think he still had a few surprises left in him. Even his final film score (Looney Tunes) showed how much boundless creative energy was still there. I think he would have continued to say things he was already saying about modern film music. The trends were already there; they've just continued to get worse. I think he showed he could adapt to a lot of modern filmmaking practice, perhaps moreso than his contemporaries Barry and Bernstein. Unlike them, he did a lot of live television and radio in the 50s, which no doubt toughened him in that respect... I do think he'd be a living legend (especially in the industry, where he still is). I don't think anyone is (or could be) on the level of John Williams in terms of notoriety as a film composer...not even Zimmer. In the past, maybe Herrmann, Rozsa, A. Newman, Steiner, Barry, Mancini each had their day. But if we're talking present day, I don't think anyone can touch Williams in terms of popularity with the general public. Within our niche group of film score aficionados, Jerry does (and would) reign supreme, with Williams. I think a lot of expansions of his works happened before he passed away, so maybe not too much meddling. But who knows? Yavar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Display Name 60 Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 2 hours ago, Yavar Moradi said: He would have continued his collaborations with Dante (The Hole), Anspaugh (I think he even composed a demo/theme for The Game of Their Lives), Schepisi (I think he was slated to work on the Empire Falls miniseries, before he passed away?), Tamahori (Next? XXX: State of the Union?), and Verhoeven (Black Book, Elle). Jerry was very much about *who* he worked with over what he was working on, I think. It was about having a collaborator he enjoyed working with, I think. He probably would have started some new director relationships as well, if approached. I always have to think of him starting a collaboration with Nolan instead of Zimmer. Yavar Moradi 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted June 26, 2019 Share Posted June 26, 2019 A Goldsmith Batman score? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yavar Moradi 2,599 Posted June 26, 2019 Share Posted June 26, 2019 5 hours ago, The Original said: A Goldsmith Batman score? Thankfully we pretty much already have that and it’s completely awesome. http://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.7684/.f Yavar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted June 26, 2019 Share Posted June 26, 2019 6 minutes ago, Yavar Moradi said: Thankfully we pretty much already have that and it’s completely awesome. http://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.7684/.f Yavar Hey it might have happened if Joe Dante directed Batman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Parker 3,040 Posted June 26, 2019 Share Posted June 26, 2019 I've been hearing so many great things about The Shadow, is the OST a good place to jump in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yavar Moradi 2,599 Posted June 26, 2019 Share Posted June 26, 2019 1 hour ago, Nick Parker said: I've been hearing so many great things about The Shadow, is the OST a good place to jump in? The OST is, in my opinion, one of the worst in Goldsmith's discography. It's not that it plays badly as an album, but it doesn't well represent what Goldsmith wrote, at all. Unlike the OST of First Knight and Lancelot's Theme, it doesn't omit a key theme entirely, but it comes really close: the beautiful love theme only appears once, briefly, in the finale cue. One might be forgiven for even thinking it was just a unique bridge melody or something, the way it's used there. But in the score proper it is given a ton of great development and really makes its mark just as much as the hero and villain themes. This is one where the Intrada expansion is IMO especially essential, because they almost *triple* the running time -- this is one of Goldsmith's longest scores (along with QB VII and The Mummy). Yavar Fabulin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488 Posted June 26, 2019 Share Posted June 26, 2019 The score for Star Trek: Nemesis seemed to predict the trend of bland underscore and aggressive action music that would be so prevalent in the years to come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yavar Moradi 2,599 Posted June 26, 2019 Share Posted June 26, 2019 I confess the suspense underscore in Nemesis is some of the most boring (to me) music Jerry ever wrote. That said, his aggressive action music (such as the second half of Odds and Ends) is absolutely magnificent and fits in with his action music from the preceding decades... I'm still glad we got the complete score, so I can edit down my own album, because the 48 minute original Varese album was like half boring suspense underscore, leaving off so many thematic and action highlights. Yavar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 He wanted both types of music equally represented. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488 Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 He wanted to give listeners the experience of falling asleep and suddenly being awoken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 Goldsmith's Dynamic Range Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488 Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 We will not debate his profound wisdom at these proceedings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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