Uni

Yeah?! Well . . . I hope you guys are dead in, like . . . five DAYS, or sumthin'! - Uni

No, it certainly wasn't. We ask one another what could be considered a far more morbid version of the question from time to time: "What would you do if you only had a week to live?" We don't fly off the handle when someone poses that sort of query to us. I doubt John Williams would be the least bothered by us speculating like this. (He might even be honored--we are, after all, celebrating his talent and originality.) This is something that definitely hasn't changed around here in nine years--some people love to take offense when it isn't intended at all. - Uni

I didn't know there was a suite. I can't imagine how cool it would've been to hear that live. - Uni

Again, I disagree (though I'm certainly not "ridiculing" your opinion, which you're welcome to share). If I poll 100 people at random on the street, not everyone will know who John Williams is--but I'll put a lot of money on the table that a good many more will know him than Zimmer. Just my own opinion. - Uni

True, but is it realistic to expect 5 more "classics" from him at this point? Realistic? Perhaps. Maybe he'll put the most passion in at the end. Who knows? And, given the fact that they would be his last five, they'll sorta be "classics" in themselves. - Uni I see your point, but I'll stick by mine. Even if it were possible, the fact that a) Williams could be reproduced like that, and b) this new composer eschewed a style of his own in favor of "resurrecting" the sound of a bygone genius, spoils the whole notion of both the Master's originality and that of the younger composer. - Uni

The "Gold-Smith." I like that a lot, Melange (although if he ever popped up on my screen with that voice, I'd probably burn my entire Goldsmith collection. . . .). It really is hard to believe it's been five years . . . but maybe that's because many of us have never paused in our listening. Through his legacy, the man lives on. A few favorite cues: - The Mind Meld - ST:TMP - Let's Get Small - Innerspace - The Light - Poltergeist - The Trees - Medicine Man - The Sand Volcano - The Mummy There are countless others, but I felt the need for a quick tribute. - Uni

Also known as the "Morbidly depressing yet still appropos!" thread. . . . I have to confess, I've wondered at times whether I would see that headline myself. The day is coming; I'd rather not think about it, though. Still, no one could say that this man hasn't lived a full and very, very impactful life. Are you kidding me? John Williams scores have been purchased for years by people who don't collect film scores. To quote people's "obsession" with the two Batman films--not even five years old yet--compared to the worldwide love for, say, the original Star Wars scores, is ludicrous. I'm not saying Hans Zimmer isn't a widely-known and popular composer, but you're trucking an apple cart through Florida orange country thinking the two are even comparable. Try the experiment I've always used to inform people that they know John Williams' music, even if they don't know they know it. Ask them to name one film with music that has in itself--separately from its inspiring film--become a cultural icon. The first film they name will have a JW score. Ask them to name another. Same result. A third. No problem. I have never had anyone (in countless dozens of these tests) recall a non-JW film in less than four tries. I have never, ever heard anyone name a single film with a Hans Zimmer score, given ten or more chances. Never. - Uni

One is realistic, the other is not. No one can write like him--and frankly, if it were possible, then there would be that much less that's special about our favorite composer. Give me five more classics. Nothing wrong with replaying and reliving the good ol' days. - Uni

Unbelievable. Incredible. There's no longer any reason to believe in a "no-win" scenario. Give FSM a commendation for original thinking. They had to go all the way back to the beginning of Horner's career to get it, but it's one of his true masterpieces. I'd pretty much given up hope of ever getting the whole thing. It's a great day for filmusic enthusiasts. - Uni . . . who can't wait to hear both Kirk's arrival on the Enterprise, and Spock's Death In Parenthases apart from the film. . . .

Empire's better, if only because it expands on such a fantastic, iconic score. There's something to be said for the classic, but . . . maybe I just got a little bit tired of the oldest score in the lot. My own fault, not Johnny's. - Uni

I'll have to add my vote to Hook, at least as far as a JW complete concert goes. The variety alone would keep it interesting. If I went beyond the borders of Neverland, I think I'd have to go with Stargate. That one makes great use of a full orchestra; there are plenty of action cues to keep it interesting, and some great subtext in there as well. (I'd love to go half deaf listening to "The Other Side" live.) - Uni

This is a valid point. Criticism is bound be leveled on an adapted film by those who have qualms with the particulars of the translation. This goes back to some things I've mentioned in other threads recently--the idea of "pushbutton" filmmaking. The point was that I noticed the effects far more than the story (again, partly due to my disgust at the poor effort of adapting a fairly short book to flim). No it isn't. Things that are absolutely unnecessary are often left out of film adaptations. Depends on how you define "unnecessary," especially if you're going to preface it with the extremely subjective "absolutely." You could shorten each film considerably by omitting every Quidditch sequence from the stories. You could insert the minor necessities from these sequences into other parts of each story in order to cover all the bases of the plot, and anyone who had never read the books would be able to follow "every single plot development" as you have. So the question arises: Is Quidditch an absolutely necessary element to the Harry Potter stories? Pretty much anyone who's read the books would scream YES! to that one. But if you never knew about it--if you didn't know what you were missing--you might not agree. It's about capturing the flavor of the stories, not just rounding off plot points. Adding Henry's thirty seconds of explanation to the film (and he's right; it wouldn't take any longer than that) is one example of how the filmmakers could have linked up the book and movie more closely with a little bit of effort . . . and in much less time than it takes to execute a full game of Quidditch. - Uni

Score: I rated it a 4, but upon reflection I wish I'd rated it at 4.5. It's really a very fine score, with one of the greatest end credit overtures in the series. Film: A flat 2. One of the best books of the lot was turned over to CGI overindulgence, something I can't stand. Of all the films, it was least like the book that inspired it. Best Cue: Buckbeak's Flight. A masterpiece, whose only flaw is its brevity. - Uni

Film goes into discussion . . . discussion goes into the chat room . . . members in the chat room. . . . Farewell and adieu t'my fair Spanish ladies. . . . farewell and adieu t'my ladies of Spain. . . . - Uni

Something along the lines of The League of Extraordinary Composers. Nicholas Hooper as the guy who joins the League but betrays the group in the end. James Horner as the bumbling but well-intentioned comic sidekick. Or--and I'm now brainstorming freely--what about a movie that resembles all those "revisionist history" character films back in the 70's, where you had two or three historical or fictional characters, who had never actually encountered one another before, get together for an adventure? What was that one movie that had Malcolm McDowell as H.G. Wells (I think that's who he was) running up against David Warner as Jack the Ripper? That's the sort of thing we're looking for. Another casting idea: put a pair of glasses and a long-hair wig on Ian McKellen. If he could pull off the accent, he's a pretty close ringer for Jerry in his later years. Oh . . . no, no, wait! It's coalescing before my eyes . . . I see it now! Williams riding around in a wheelchair, able to make an entire orchestra of musicians play simply by manipulating their thoughts, vs. Goldsmith (still McKellen!) in a purple cape, able to manipulate an entire orchestra of instruments to play by themselves using funky pantomiming gestures. James Horner runs around with three batons sticking out of each fist. The title? Stick-Men: Origins. - Uni

I have to say . . . you're gifted in area of figurative speech. I enjoy reading your stuff. Keep practicing, and you're bound to become a really sharp writer. Or as another said it: "We shall watch your career with great interest. . . ." - Uni

I don't think it could have been said any better than this. Directors (and audiences) used to have just that: patience. We enjoyed being able to see something for longer than ten seconds, to enjoy a visual not because the artists wanted to show off, but because they wanted to take us someplace we'd never been. Thinking back, I wonder if George Lucas didn't inadvertently have a hand in the process that got us where we are today. I'm still a big fan of the old fashioned ILM model effects, but the pace of blockbuster films started picking up around the early 80's. Effects could get expensive, so they had to get all that eye-popping stuff on the screen in short bursts. Nowadays it seems all the current slate of directors took from growing up with those films was the staccato nature of the visuals. I suppose it could be worse. At least the advent of the home theater system allows us to relive the glory days of cinema. - Uni

Don't underestamite Courage's work. It's a fantastic score. "It takes a big man to admit when he's wrong. I am not a big man." Irwin M. Fletcher Arright, I suppose I could be off base on this one. Honestly, I was so distracted by my attempt to cover my eyes and both my ears during the movie that I wasn't really listening to the music. I may have to give the blue box a try, just to set the record straight on that one. - Uni

Can't happen. I've tried. It just never gets old, dated, tired, or overdone. Now, I will agree with Melenge on the idea of "special occasion" sorts of music. I've always treated E.T.--both the film and the score--as sort of occupying a place outside the pale of normal movies and scores. There's just a magic about that story and its music that deserves to be treated differently than other works. So I haven't given that one the rigorous sort of repetition that I've given to, say, Superman. Yet I'm not convinced even that kind of treatment would ever wear the music down. On the other hand . . . there are a couple of scores that have gone a little way toward wearing out their welcome. The Star Wars films are good examples. Maybe because they feature that theme at the beginning, throughout the middle, and all through the end of each film. I don't know. It's not at all to say they're not great scores; I just don't listen to them the way I used to. However, the original question was whether I'll ever tire of Williams, meaning his music in general. Can't happen. I've tried. It just never gets old, dated, tired, or overdone. (Did I say that. . . ?) - Uni

Call me old-fashioned, but I agree completely. My interest in filmusic has declined in recent years for this very reason. Certainly there are exceptions; I'll hear something good once in a while and look up the score when I'm shuffling through CDs in the bookstore. But most of the time, it does seem like the music is becoming a reflection of too many movies out there these days: it's all push-button stuff. Instead of being used to type better scripts, computers are being used to create better visuals. The result is that we're seeing more amazing sights than ever before, but through the eyes of plastic, one-dimensional characters who exist only to give a sense of scale to the CGI monsters/robots/spaceships in the background. (Do I really need to cite the Transformers movies or the Matrix sequels here?) I suppose it may be a case of one problem leading into the other. If there's less truly dramatic activity happening up there on the screen, then there's less emotional subtext to inspire a composer. We're training the next generation of composers to try and create interesting audible undercurrent to Michael Bay films (which ought to be reserved solely for purposes of punishing the worst kind of offenders). Just my opinion. - Uni

I do own the Stargate Deluxe Edition. That was an ironic release, since the OST was far more complete than most score releases ever are. Seeing as it's a phenomenal score, however (I gave it pretty high standing on the Top 20 list we did on this MB way back when), I picked it up as soon as I saw it. I didn't know about the Superman one, and that may be a splurger for me. Ken Thorne's renditions were never as good as Johnny's original, but they weren't terribly bad--and since I have II and III on LP only, I certainly wouldn't mind getting some remastered copies. Like the film, I couldn't possibly care any less for IV, or anything else having to do with that movie. (I paid for the therapy; the bad dreams have stopped. I dont' need to go back there.) Alien is also a must, and since you say it's not a limited edition, all I have to do is track down a copy. I've seen the LOTR scores. They're pricey, but they'll find a place in my collection one day as well. Thanks for the info, Trent. I do appreciate it. - Uni

Indeed. Since I won't likely have the time to do much research on the subject, what would you guys say have been the most interesting/rare/valuable of these limited releases over the last few years? Just curious. - Uni

Again, you'll have to be specific with which ones you mean, but in general I'd say probably not. For instance, I haven't read a copy of FSM in years, so I'm not aware of what they've been putting out. I have a few rare pieces in my own collection, 2,000-issue copies of scores like Krull and High Road to China, but those are from way back when. It's probably best I don't know about too much of what's out there. Finances can take a heavy hit when a filmusic-phile knows more than is good for him. (I stumbled across a two-disc set of the full score for The Dark Crystal a while back, and I'm still trying to get the drool stains off the desk.) - Uni

You shnookered me there. I don't listen to Lionel much (hasn't done enough film scores), but I didn't mean to cause him any undue grief. Barry Manilow I can take down a few notches, but Lionel, I have no problem with. - Uni Oooo. . . . Are we straying close to a religious topic here. . . ? Anyway, the answer is yes--though the "devout" part is a bit superfluous. As for the "bad people like you" thing: I don't want to hear that kind of talk from you, Stef. You're evil. Good things don't happen to evil people like you; moderately less bad things happen, and they seem like good things. I'm glad we got that cleared up. . . . - Uni Ah, yes, the Golden Age of Stefancos. Indeed, as I've written elsewhere, "[uni's] singular combination of wit, care in thought, and generosity of spirit is rare; it's a shame the pickings are so slim." See, this is the kind of thing I missed. (That, and watching one of my topics rapidly degrade into a discussion about drug-induced meat-slapping.) I do need to spend more time around here. . . . Seriously, though, you guys flatter me to tears. We had a lot of fun back then, and I'm glad I'm not the only one with fond recollectins of the early days. We'll have to relive a few of those memories sometime. . . . - Uni But you...I never forget a face, Mr....Bulk! Isn't it? I never thought to see your face again. Neil, who is this? Criminal, kiptin! A product of early twenty-first century message board engineering! (Are we in the right thread for this. . . ?) - Uni There are no dumb questions here, my friend. Only dumb questioners. By the relevance of your inquiry, however, I don't take you to be one of those. It depends on what you mean by "limited edition purchases." Naturally I went right after the new Indiana Jones boxed set (Temple of Doom was the most prominent of Williams' incomplete scores from his Golden Years; I waited for what seemed an age of the world for them to get around to that one), but if you mean some of the more eclectic releases--such as those featured on the home page here at JWFan--then no, I haven't picked up all those yet. It's actually been a few quieter years as far as keeping my collection up with new releases. I don't truck much with some of the directions film composing has been taking, so it's not as exciting as it used to be for me. I really ought to get back to it, though. What with the market opening up to the rereleases of complete scores (not all by Williams, either), there're probably some good gems to be found out there. - Uni That sounds to me like Richard Kaufman, Uni. Was it Richard Kaufman? Please tell if it was Richard Kaufman. I gots to know if it was Richard Kaufman! I gots to check and see. It's been so long I honestly don't remember off the top of my head. (Now where did I put that program. . . ?) - Uni

For once in our lives, we are actually in agreement, Trent! The world is ending! A couple of sites still demand IE (unfortunately), but for that, there's IE Tab! You guys are funny when you speak Hungarian. . . . I don't have the slightest idea what any of that means, which is probably why I'm stuck with such a rotten system. For what it's worth, my computer got wise on the fact that I was tattling, and suddenly the pages are opening up just fine. All I need is a "snitch" attachment, and I'm fine. . . . - Uni Interesting . . . sort of the online equivalent of a guy in a trenchcoat and hat sidling up in a smoky bar and whispering the secret code sentence in my ear ("He who locks the barn door afterward has gone forward on. . . ."). Sorry, buddy. No microfilm today. I don't think I'm looking for you, but it's nice to make your acquaintance anyway. - Uni