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joelparnis

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Everything posted by joelparnis

  1. Go check the tomato meter for any of the HP films vs any of the narnia films. There's your answer. And if we're talking about the scores, i'd still vote DH... but just by a hair
  2. HBP was the first time the writing, direction and acting of Dumbledore felt right to me. I blame Mike Newell for GoF Dumbledore: everyone in that film was yelling a little more than necessary. The portrayal of Voldemort (while not so bad in GoF) has really improved under David Yates' vision aswell, as it seems like Newell liked the majority of his actors to deliver lines very much like THEY WERE REALLY REALLY ANGRY all of a sudden, throughout many of the scenes THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE FILM!!!!!!!!
  3. Having seen the film again (hehe ) it has grabbed my attention that there is another motif that does not appear anywhere on the OST. It is first heard in the film when Harry is looking in his cupboard under the stairs. Also i'm pretty sure it underscores 'Ron Leaves' in the film, as well as the moment of a certain character's passing. I tried to commit it to my memory and pretty sure it sounds like this, bare in mind this is played by ear.
  4. The only thing to my ear the remains unreleased (but when i go see the film again will really listen to here if its tracked from a different part of the score) is the alternate version of 'Ron Leaves' which underscores the scene in the film. The OST has quite a lot of music not heard in the film: - 'Snape to Malfoy Manor' - is longer than the version in the film - 'Polyjuice Potion' has many sections that fill in what are unscored moments in the film - the majority of 'At The Burrow' is missing in the finished film - 'Harry and Ginny' has a lot more on the OST - 'The Will' once again, contains more music than the film version of the score (including a version of Hedwig's Theme that does not appear in the film) - 'Ron Leaves' very different cue the version in the final film - 'Hermione's Parents' which also underscores the Silver Doe scene, again fills in a lot of unscored moments in the film, i guess to make a more cohesive listening experience - 'Lovegood' not heard in the film at all - 'Farewell to Dobby' is a little bit longer and goes through slightly more development than the film version
  5. ROTK: - The Ride of the Rohirrim in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields -The Nature theme when the moth precedes the arrival of the eagles at the Black Gate TPM: - The force theme when Qui Gon is melting through the Blast doors ROTJ - Vader: 'If you will not turn to the dark side, than perhaps she will' Luke: 'NOOOO!' cue spine tingly music AI - Search for the Blue Fairy gets me pretty much everytime, but there are quite a few other moments in this score
  6. I've always thought that the films have been unfairly bashed on these boards. They will always be flawed adaptations, yes. But i think the positive aspects of the films greatly outway the negatives, they are still wonderful stories told in a compelling way with (for the most part) excellent production values and loving execution from the film-makers. When a film series reaches 7 films without a box office drop off and with every one of the films certified fresh by the critics on RottenTomatoes i think it is a remarkable achievement. What other series can boast that? I honestly think if the films were as awful as many here make them out to be, then they would not have had the success that they have.
  7. Having now seen the film more than once, there seems to be a lot of score on the OST that is not in film at all, like Desplat filled in the gaps musically to make a complete experience on record. The film has a lot of moments with no score. Really, the style of this film would not suit the style of musical writing of ANY of the other films in the series. After the first hour, the movie tonally feels closer to something like 'Saving Private Ryan' than the other Harry's (except maybe OotP, which is the closest counterpart tone wise to DHpt1)
  8. I completely agree. I loved the fact that we were able to sit and feel the characters in this one. I loved this movie so so much. So many scenes were able to breath in a way that the series has never seen before. Possibly my favourite in the series atm. Also about Part 2; remember there is still all of Snape's backstory to be told, and hopefully with so much of the book already covered in part 1 that will be given the time it deserves on film.
  9. Eh. Desplat is great. Sad to be you
  10. If it couldn't be Williams, i'm happy its Desplat. Nay-sayers be damned, part 1 is a fine score and i look forward to hearing how the many motifs and thematic ideas are expanded into part 2. Also Sky battle is the best action HP cue since PoA, and one of the highlights of the DH score. Open your ears people.
  11. Except 'Farewell to Dobby' has some actual emotion in the track. I love this track, it is the culmination of several musical ideas that Desplat uses throughout the rest of score, this track is the emotional and musical resolution of a lot of those motifs. It worked well for me. And i don't think i'm alone on this.
  12. No no, i hear ya! Hehe Its possible i suppose, and i guess we'll never know. I think the problem is that I just can't hear the Philosopher's Stone Voldemort theme suiting Ralph Fiennes' Voldemort. Then again though, I'm positive JW would have adapted it to make it work. The films and books really shift completely after the third though and i'm still not 100% convinced even Williams would have used a lot of the old HP sound. Since we've been discussing the role of the composer with the director, part of me now wonders how much the shift in music was up to Cauron. I think Williams would have made PoA a very different score from the 1st two films regardless, but perhaps he would have woven more musical ideas from the PS/CoS into PoA and Cauron really kept pushing him towards a new direction. As i understand it, Cauron was obliged to use Williams contractually and otherwise wouldn't have done so, and is it therefore also because of Cauron's desire for something very different that Williams went in such a radically new direction with PoA?
  13. I love the films (warts and all) and agree that musically the series really could have been so much more. Williams himself left the old family theme at the door with PoA as well as many others. Some may say it would have been nice to hear 'Window to the Past' and other themes again throughout the series. But the fact of the matter is, that Williams was the man who made the choice to only retain Hedwig's Theme after CoS even though he scored PoA aswell. Perhaps if he'd kept another 2nd theme from the first films and carried that into the third aswell, we might have had another piece which the new composers on the series related to the musical identity of Harry Potter. But Williams was the one to break that consistency. Hedwig's Theme is the only consistent melody in the first three films, and therefore the only one that composers since have used. I for one love Desplat's use of it. And he references towards it far more often throughout the OST then the three tracks where it is clearly stated, he has integrated it beautifully into his score (the 'Sky Battle' version being my favourite so far) rather than having stick out like a sore thumb as something clearly written by someone else.
  14. When we were discussing the score, FilmComposer518 put up very valid musical points to do with why the score has more going on, and why Desplat is a far more intelligent writer than people were giving him credit for. He did not just say "i'm in the industry, so i know the score is good". He used his technical and musical knowledge to back up his argument perfectly. The "working in the industry" is one line out of some lengthy posts; the fact that you clutch to this line shows that 1) you're apparently only able to communicate on that rudimentary niveau, and 2) that the rest of my posts is beyond your ability to comprehend.
  15. I think the problem is that when these little arguments take place they move beyond just stating ones point for each other. Honestly, FilmComposer518 at least validates everything he says with some sort of well stated evidence that he can back up. If you feel that you're being spoken down to when someone states something intelligently then that's your issue, not the one stating the argument. And if the only response you can start to give back is by making insults and calling modern film composers $10 whores for doing their jobs...well... credibility lost IMO. In response to the other issue, i've liked a lot of Desplats work for a while now, and I had pre-ordered the collector's before this even leaked. I want those extra tracks dammit! PS I don't think any of Yates actual direction work has hurt the series at all. He's the only director thus far to get the characters right: the first time i actually saw Dumbledore on screen as in the books was in HBP; the first time i saw Ron as brave and friend who would stick up for Harry (instead of simpering bit of comic relief) was in OotP). David Yates gets these characters a whole lot more than the other directors. Everyone of these films is flawed in their execution somewhere, it comes with the territory of adapting a series that is so beloved, its almost impossible to satisfy everyone, but Yates at least has done the characters justice. His direction has not hurt the series at all.
  16. Wow! Thorough work there incanus! I've been trying to organise the structure of the score in my head as i listen to it, by attempting to remember musical cues and where motifs repeat / develop and which tracks they appear in, but your post is so much clearer. Thanks. It seems you've also identified a couple of motifs i previously didn't pay much attention too. I can understand how some people can think that this kind of detailed listening shouldn't be necessary when listening to a new score, but i for one love finding new details and moments in the music. I feel like i'm delving into the mind and thought-process of the composer and its fun to make the connections.
  17. I think the Death Eater and Order of the Phoenix themes are strong enough to be called Thematic... But would agree, that yes, the rest are probably more along the lines of Musical Motifs. Like Sirius Black and Pettigrew in PoA, just a few notes which represent the essence of the character reoccur throughout the score. I do think unlike those Motifs though, Desplats Motifs go through more development and variations in this score. He does use them like fully fledged themes so fall somewhere in between a theme and a motif for me.
  18. Nice work ChrisAfonso. There's also what i'm calling the friendship theme which first appears at 2:25 in 'The Obliviation'. It often ties in with what you've called the 'Harry' theme but the two do not always come together which is why i think they represent different things. I agree that the 'Harry' theme seems to show in lots of different circumstances, which is why i'm calling it the 'Sacrifice' section of the Harry theme. Hehe, getting specific here. Did not notice the ostinato under 'Snape to Malfoy Manor' later becoming the Deathly Hallows que. Very nice observation indeed. Quite clever on Desplats part, as it unites the Hallows as both Harry's goal and Voldemorts...
  19. I agree with JFK never being discussed. The main theme is one of William's best IMO
  20. There is a lot going on in this score, and repeat listens are bringing new moments to light each time. A lot of Desplat's work here is structured around several different motifs, as already pointed out. There seems to be an Order of the Phoenix motif that plays right at the top of 'Polyjuice Potion' and then is later heard throughout 'At The Burrow' which i'm certain underscores the scene while everyone is waiting to see who survived the sky battle. This theme then goes on to become the basis for 'Harry and Ginny' in a slightly different form. There is also an ascending motif that is possibly a different section of the main 'friendship' theme that is heard at the end of 'Obliviate'. This ascending section can be heard throughout, but very clearly at 1:02 of 'Ron Leaves'. This whole theme is then more fully developed and realized in 'Farewell to Dobby'. The interesting thing about the ascending motif is that it does play on its own throughout the score, an example being at 1:35 of 'Captured and Tortured' in which it goes through a much darker variation of itself. For me this aspect of the friendship theme seems to be particularly related to the struggle/sacrifice of the journey. The Locket definitely has its own theme. The Death Eater theme is clear. And plays throughout quite a few tracks. The is a possible theme in 'The Will' that i'm wondering if it will expand into a theme for 'The Dumbledores' when we eventually hear that track. And as the Dumbledores' back story is as a storyline that slowly unfolds over both films, its a theme that can be explored very slowly over both I and II. There is a lot in this score that is very easily missed on a first listen. It seems to me that David Yates has a preference for scores which sit quietly along side his films and aid the film with its emotional shape, but never take focus by having more obvious or prominent themes. It says in Desplat's score notes how specific and meticulous Yates is. So i applaud Desplat's work here for being so rich and emotional (it feels like his most emotional score to me) but also by filling the music without a lot of gems that need to be discovered by the listener. He clearly did his job as a composer for Yates, but for me he has also structured a clever and subtle score that i am thoroughly enjoying finding its many intricacies through multiple listens.
  21. I'd be horrified if somehow we found out that hooper read these forums...
  22. I agree with the above sentiments. And JW's scores rule the HP universe as far as i'm concerned, Philosopher's Stone was the score that started it all for me. And you'll never hear me refer to any of his scores as 'Fluffy Disney' as if all Disney work is bad anyway... That being said, i don't have a problem with people not liking a piece of music which i do. The fact that we can all have a healthy debate about something is all in good fun i think anyway. Discussion is what makes this board great. BUT i do think that calling Desplat's score as 'mediocre as Hooper's' shows a very poorly formed opinion, from the mere technical stand point that a lot more complexity and specific musical construction takes place in this DH score than in its predecessor. So agree that opinions are neither right or wrong, but i do think that there is such a thing as a very poorly formed opinion. Say that the music does nothing for you, that's fine. However, i don't think its right slag off a composer who clearly is a far more intelligent and thoughtful writer than those who some make the comparison too. I like reading your opinions on the score Incanus, and i've also said that although i like Desplat's work here, that i wish there was a stronger thematic presence. I do think he got the texture of the score right though. The mood feels like the book to me.
  23. Exactly. The thing for me - and i know for a lot of other film goers out there - that has kept the series so alive and fresh is the way the producers have worked hard to hire directors who will bring a fresh take on the material so as not to bore audiences. I know the films have a lot of critics on these boards, but i think the series has maintained an extremely high level of quality, and even though every film does have its flaws the fact that not one of the films has fallen below 78% on the RottenTomato meter is a huge testament for a series of this length to maintain standards so high and keep re-inventing itself. Even though the last 3 (soon to be 4) films have had the same director, Yates has made sure that each feel feels very tonally different from the last: Something Columbus could not do between the first two films. If the series has constantly shifted tone visually and stylistically, why not musically? The score for DH seems to reflect a very mature film that is more about inner turmoil then anything outwardly presentational and if it suits the film it is made more then Desplat has done his job well.
  24. There have been a lot of discussions of late where i have been shocked by how close-minded some people are on here... That 'Which JW scores should have been rejected' discussion being one of the most bizarre.
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