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Right...when I say Jackson's The Hobbit would still have flaws if it were two films, I wasn't referring to this edit, just in general that Jackson's vision of The Hobbit has problems baked into the cake. Even if Jackson released a two film version, I have no reason to believe that some of the stupider things that Jackson included wouldn't still be there. There would just be less of them.

What surprises me most (even though it's off-topic) is this: I just finished listening to the LOTR director's commentaries. It's mind-boggling that the people behind these three films who were so devoted to the material are responsible for three films of which 50% aterial is redundant. How do you go from being a Tolkien fan to a concept butcherer?

I love when new members are belligerent. Hopefully I attract some ire eventually. I do happen to think that the Potter franchise is largely empty calories.

I don't care. I know he moved it. And destroyed the moments that should get you into the film. Somebody who willingly destroys the pace, just to move the title card for the hell of it, clearly has no sensibilities. Why destroy an opening that works? I don't get it. And I don't care about reconstructing the book. The edited opening is way worse than the actual film. And if you don't work within the possibilities of making existing footage and music work, and contrary to intention, make the film worse by clinging to some strange ideal, you're a hack. The jump from Trollshaws to Rivendell is preposterous. How can someone take this serious? There is no sense of journey whatsoever. Anywhere. The Ancient Enemy may be useless, but at least it serves THAT purpose. The introduction to Beorn is completely nonsensical. After Gandalf says he is dangerous, they just sleep there suddenly. He says he doesn't like dwarves. In the very next scene, he greets Thorin with respect. Complete shite.

Your avatar matched this post perfectly.

Silvestri's trademark VI -> VII never gets old. It's a bit everywhere, though.

Williams typically sends the mockup he creates to his orchestrator who then takes the midi and adds the bells and whistles he is famous for. They are then instructed to say they were glorified editors.

Me too!

Doyle writes with more emotion than JW, in my humble opinion. But Hooper?

Great to join this thread at this moment! So, first, no, I didn't read the whole thing. But I'll just say this: 1. I never said HP was childish. 2. DAVID YATES IS AN INCOMPETENT DIRECTOR. There I said it. Like it or not, he botched the entire storyline and made narrative mistakes the others didn't. You Eitherl eave things out or in, not a messy mixture. 3. Did you really just say JW's scores are less complex than Hooper's? I mean, really? Like, really? I'm not a JW fanboy, rather a Doyle fanboy, but please don't talk about something you clearly don't know anything about...

The only re-cut of the Hobbit I'll ever bother watching is the one that replicates Jackson's original two-film narrative, removing everything that was re-shot for the sole purpose of bloating the story to form a trilogy (for example, almost everything between Bilbo stealing the Arkenstone and Smaug deciding to leave for Lake Town). The best version of the film, just like LOTR before it, will not be the one that just replicates the original novel accurately. It's the nature of film adaptations; scenes have to change, the dramatic structure of a novel doesn't translate to film, characters need developed arcs, and film allows you to create powerful imagery that can't always be put into words. I have no issue with the film extrapolating from the novel and expanding upon ideas, just the multitude of scenes that serve no narrative purpose except to pad the runtime. Jackson's a fine director but has inexplicably lost his ability to craft an overall narrative without the self-indulgence. What frustrates me most about this trilogy is that it contains so many scenes and moments of expert craft, but they are sadly lost amidst the sea of soap-opera-tier rubbish that feels like a lazy afterthought (pretty much because it is!) and was shot by a director who had clearly stopped caring. I'm certain Jackson has final cut, yet these films feel like a Frankenstein monster of studio notes from an executive board of accountants and market researchers.

Did anyone actually read the whole thing?

Everyone else probably missed this bit.

Band of Brothers. God, this makes me miss Michael Kamen so much. While his music is so full of emotion, it bever succumbs to tired sentimental clichés. Just the right balance between the Americana, contemplative drama and a remembrance piece. Still at the very top of modern TV scoring. Karol - who also listened to Jupiter Ascending and Monuments Men.

Ok

Ivan the Terrible by Sergey Prokofiev (performed by the Russian State Symphony Orchestra and Symphonic Cappella conducted by Valeri Polyansky)

You know, there are now many decaffeinated brands on the market that are just as tasty as the real thing.

Always nice when they start off fighting. Guaranteed way to fit in on a new forum is to start a fight with everyone!

The Vessel by Hanan Townshend Wonderful.

Right up there with John Goldfarb, Please Come Home and A Guide for the Married Man.

Both of those fit on my shelf just fine.

Well, hello and welcome to the forum...

Black star?

I hope works out , though I am just curious if you have reached out yet.

Thanks for your best wishes! Thanks for your encouraging words! Thanks! You know, your words are spot on. You're right. Except! For the part that you say I'm "simply trying to use the opportunity of my government funded film to somehow get involved with John Williams": a) Dude: one thing has nothing to do with the other. The budget for our short film is probably just a fraction of what JW usually receives per film score. b) If I had less money, or more money, I'd still be reaching out to him. c) The process would be sending him a final cut of the film, so he could consider writing something for it. d) And, I'm not planning on "using his name on the film". I know what you mean. Using his name as bait. No. But if I were lucky enough, I'm planning on using his musical composition on my short film. My film needs a score. I've heard JW scores all my life. He seems like THE right fit for my production. Now it's a matter of seeing if he'd deem it worthy to work on. e) As for me not liking what he'd compose. Sure. That's a possibility. That his composition might not fit the film aesthetic. You're right. It could happen. But, come on... To be honest, I'm a little disheartened to the answers and replies I've gotten through these forums. There's been a few words of encouragement. But I've also been told to "get a reality check", I've been told that "i'm naive", "that JW gets similar propositions on a daily basis". Of course I already know that. Making movies gives you a daily reality check. And yes, I may be naive for dreaming about getting JW interested in scoring my short film. But I'd like to think I'm hopeful too. I've been told "to get a time turner because he's really busy" (seriously), and now, "that my motives need some scrutiny" and "that I'm simply trying to use my film as a means to get in touch with him". Yikes. I've sweated my fair share to get that thing (the short film) on track. I just want to make a little movie. And if that is occasion enough to dream a little bigger, then why so many people talking me down? I thought these forums would be more supportive. We're all here for the same reason. We like JW's music.

Well I'm looking forward to Michael Giacchino's score

This sucks. Eric Serra would have been PERFECT for a job like this, and it's a mystery to me why Besson has opted out of his regular partner for this one. It seems my Desplat/Giacchino curse continues. I actually have high expectations for this film, given Besson's brilliant return to form with LUCY, but a little less now that Serra has been sent out the airlock, in favour of Desplat.

No need to go that far. Only 18 years ago, there was a summer line up of 'Mulan', 'Small Soldiers', 'Saving Private Ryan' and 'The Mask of Zorro', 'Prince of Egypt', 'Legend of 1900', 'Mighty Joe Young' and so on. And back then we complained how lousy things were. And every one of those told bang on stories musically.

JNH doesn't really like stepping into a franchise and using someone elses music. Which is why I think he wouldn't ever do a Star Wars film because of the absolute commitment to using a lot of someone else's music. He says immediately that the idea is to create a whole new musical world for Fantastic Beasts, which is encouraging. I think JNH will push for just a couple of tiny hedwig theme references, and no more. Thankfully there is no other theme even close to being in the public knowledge from Potter, so they will only use Hedwigs and that's it. I also hope that also his wish to create a whole new musical world, indicates that he'll do all 3 films in the Fantastic Beasts trilogy.

A couple of nice little interviews I missed from BMI Awards back in May, where JNH talks about Fantastic Beasts. At 2:30 he talks about whether or not he's going to use Williams' themes. It sounds like we're getting all new stuff and not many references to Potter musically at all, which is great. And another little one where he mentions Fantastic Beasts too, more about the back and forth with Yates and that he recorded it in August.

I think Henry Jackman's Skull Island is better than both! It's the best score ever written. Okay it's the best score this year. Okay it's the best score of Jackman's career. Okay it's the best score of the day it was released. Okay it's shite.

What this piece really needs to bring it off is shoulder pads and a poodle perm. Thank you, Marie!

When I opened this in Spotify to listen ("video unavailable"...) I thought I remembered "1:26 - 1:48", so I listened to it and thought, "Wow, this is lovely!". Of course, I then saw that you were referring to a completely different section...Puccini wrote some really glorious melodies! My short moment: 4:58 - 5:25 The next track on the album (Medjai Commanders) starts with the same theme, but I adore the transition at 5:06 in this version.

Yeah, that made me smile.

"- Several unused music cues by Howard Shore have been re-inserted in key scenes, including the famous Misty Mountains theme that was abandoned after AUJ." What?