Willy

The added scene with Salieri and Constance makes the scenes in which Salieri starts to think about murdering Mozart much more believable. Without that scene, it's difficult to see him as someone capable of killing someone. Still, Amadeus was already my favourite movie of all time, even before I saw the DC.

Is it worth buying for someone who already owns the previous release conducted by Goldsmith? How does it compare to that version?

I think the soundquality of the release on Mask Records (together with Howard the Duck) is excellent, so I'm not waiting for a new release. It would be nice to have more tracks though.

I agree with you guys. Actually The Living Daylights is my fav Bond. Looks like the new Bond is going to be rather different, but the trailer got me very exited... it's going to be intense I think. Just kidding. I think he's gonna be great, but I wonder what the 'general audience' (everyone except the Bondfans) will think of him...

The Passion is one of my favourite scores. I didn't want to see the movie at first, but then I visited the movie's website which features a lot of Debney's score, and it caught me immediately. I bought the soundtrack, and played hardly anything else for a while. It was the soundtrack that eventually made me want to see the movie. Let me just say that I enjoy the score more than the movie.

That's funny. Here in Holland they've already released the complete collection, with no word of newer verions to arrive later on...

Has anyone bought any of the new 'Ultimate Bond' DVD's yet? I wonder if the new verions could be interesting for someone who already owns the so-called 'Monster-box' (containing the not-so-special-anymore-editions)...

I think SOTE is amazing, and I enjoy it very much. Especially Imperial Palace and the Beggar Canyon Chase. But comparing it to Williams' soundtracks is probably not entirely fair as McNeelly didn't have to match his music to happenings on the big screen. He could dwell on a theme as long or as short as he wanted, defining his own rhythms and timings. A piece like Imperial Palace for example would have to be chopped to pieces severely for use in TPM. I just enjoy SOTE as an album on it's own, whether it's a symphony, a tone poem or whatever.

No, it's not chrono. In fact it's very mixed up; most of the album consists of suites that comprise short bits used at various points in the movie, and it's a bit difficult to tell were each fragment went to. Here's a try: Track 1 starts with the main title, and then skips to one of the last scenes were Langdon is figuring out the cryptex in Westminster Abbey. The track title refers to a writing on Newton’s tomb, which is more or less visible during this scene. Trach 3 depicts Silas whipping himself. The title refers to the toy Silas is using. Track 4 (and possibly track 12) underscores Langdon's and Sophie's escape from the Louvre. Track 5 is used either in the bank when the box containing the cryptex arrives, or in the library when Teibing starts his lecture. (Arcana means Secret) Track 6: the flashbacks of the various witch-hunts, as told by Teabing. The title is the same as the title of the book that instructed the Inquisition on how to recognise and treat witches. Parts of track 9 and 11 are used during Sophie's recollections of her childhood and her realisation of who she really is at Rosslyn Chapel. The ‘chalice’ in the title refers to Magdalene’s womb. ‘Rose of Arimathea’ points at Magdalene herself, as she was born in Arimathea. Track 10 underscores the scene where Silas tries to escape from police, and accidentaly kills Aringarosa. A variation on it (without the voices) is used during the Smart-chase. Track 13 depicts Langdon finding Magdalene's tomb at the end. ‘Chevaliers’ = hunters, ‘Sangrial’ = the Grail. Track 14 is used first when Langdon and Sophie enter Westminster, and later during the last part of the end credits. So you can’t really program this cd chrono; you would have to chop most cues into pieces - very complicated. But I think the score works great this way. Too bad the end titles of the movie don't start with the Kyrie; it works great after Chevaliers.

The Director's Cut shows the story that Scott intended to tell: Deckerd himself is a replica (how else could one of his colleges know about his dream of a unicorn?), and at the end the elevatordoors simply close and the endtitles start to roll - the hero's heading to an unknown future. In the theatrical version, the dreamsequence was deleted. Ford admitted that he never liked the idea of Deckerd being a replicant himself by the way. Anyway, the studio wanted a happy ending, with the main stars flying to some bright future, so they took left-over footage from Kubrick's The Shining, and combined it with images featuring Ford and his love (note that you never see the ship flying over the mountains). I don't know anything about a new version. Hopefully it will stay close to the Director's Cut...

I like 'Legend', but there's one fantasyscore that beats them all IMO: Trevor Jones' The Dark Crystal. The main theme/overture is about as beautiful as filmmusic can get. Does anyone have the newly released double cd release? I own the lp, but the cd - which is hard to find - seems to feature some bonusmaterial.

Sounds very promising. I was doubting this release at first, but now I'm certainly going to buy it. Does anyone know when the complete scores to 'The Two Towers' and 'Return of the King' will be released? (Don't tell me the intervals will be as long as those between the movies...)

Thanks for the fine reviews. I'm hoping to see it in a few days. As for the Spielberg-thing: I read somewhere recently that David Heyman (producer) indeed wanted Spielberg at first. Spielberg turned down the offer however because he felt that it was important to make the film as close to the book as possible; his own touch would make it too much of a Spielberg-film. He saw the need for a director who is able to completely submit himself to the original material. I think Columbus indeed submitted himself to the books, and it seems that Newell did the same. Cuaron however clearly put his own stamp on it, and isn't it ironic that his movie is by many considered to be the best?

Bought Batman Begins about a week ago. Watched it three times already. It's dynamite. So much to enjoy: all the different storylines that perfectly tie up together, the way past and present are mingled, the perfect casting, but most of all: the intensity. You really get to understand Bruce Wayne and why he does what he does. And when he interrogates a thug, you'd almost get scared for him. Now that's an achievement, as it's still a movie about a guy who dresses up like a bat. Maybe the climax isn't as spectaculair as I expected. And I still prefer the Batmobile from the Burton-movies (no design will ever top that one). But apart from that, I adore Batman Begins. Looking forward to the sequels...

Thanks for you insightful remarks, Olivier. I sympathise with them - but it's difficult to please everyone...! There's more of my alternate cd-designs: http://www.jwfan.net/index.php?name=PNphpB...iewtopic&t=8153 http://www.jwfan.net/index.php?name=PNphpB...iewtopic&t=8515 although the cd's in these cases are 'alternate' too... Still got more in stock, I'll post them soon.